Hiding vs. roaming

marionsclan · 07-01-11, 03:55 AM

So, I'm confused (doesn't always take that much

). Since I got her over a month ago my BP has been roaming on occasions during the day and then retreated to her hides for a while and then coming out at night again. But ever since she shed, several days ago, all she does is hide even at night, and I know this because I've stayed up late with the lights turned off and only the TV on.

Now, right around the time she started to shed I put in, on the warm side, a 100 W red IF Heat bulb which is on 24/7 because I was told that snakes can't see red light. During the day the blinds are open and the warm side gets natural light through the window and the cool side is semi dark.

The temp is 88+ on the warm side, which includes an UTH, a bucket hide over it, and a waterbowl, the middle is around 82-86 and has a pipe cut in half hide, and the cool area is between 76-82 and has a plumbing pipes hide. My BP prefers to stay in the middle to hide. The humidity on the warm side is around 55 and the tank is a 55 gal aquarium with covered lids.

I do try to handle her up to half an hour daily, outside of feeding and shedding and she seems a mix of curiosity and trying to find a dark spot. Am I doing anything wrong or is that just her preference?

This is her habitat:

LLinz · 07-01-11, 04:12 AM

My BP is as active as yours sounds, roams when someone is home during the day and all night. The only times that he stays hidden are 2 days after eating, and when he's in blue.
Maybe being handled everyday Could be stressing your BP out?

stephanbakir · 07-01-11, 05:24 AM

May I ask where the terrarium is? If its where you can see it from the TV is it in a high traffic area of the home?

Lankyrob · 07-01-11, 07:47 AM

Our Bp goes through phases of being active and phases of us never seeing him. I would say handling daily is too much - 2 or 3 times a week is probably better.

Will0W783 · 07-01-11, 08:47 AM

I wouldn't handle the snake every day- twice a week is plenty. Snakes are not really social animals, and while we can enjoy handling them every now and again, every day is too much.

infernalis · 07-01-11, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LLinz

Maybe being handled everyday Could be stressing your BP out?

No maybe about it, handling snakes stresses snakes.

Being picked up and fondled by humans is not exactly a pleasurable experience.

Snakes are pre-programmed by nature to fear being picked up, because it usually means they are about to be eaten.

marionsclan · 07-01-11, 11:51 AM

Wow... great feedback. I didn't know that about snakes because I thought the more I handle her the calmer she'll be. I guess I need to get more snakes so I can hold one every day.

As for the location of the tank, it's been in the living-room since the get-go, so yes there is lots of activity but because it is at the end of the room people don't pass it when they enter.

marionsclan · 07-01-11, 09:20 PM

Oh hey, good news. I feed my girl two rat fuzzies and she just went for it without hesitation. She doesn't like dead food but as soon as we have a good rhythm going I will try to retrain her to take F/k and then F/t. Life rats can cause a lot of damage to a snake and I don't want that to happen to her. As it is she missed the head a lot with her first strike but holds on like a sumo wrestler to whatever she grabbed instead.

And she is so sweet. As soon as she downed the second rat and it settled in her tummy she was looking to get out and I was just able to pick her up and move her back to her habitat. It's like she knew the deal.