Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I have recently moved my 16-week-old ball python into a new wooden vivarium with glass doors, since the old one was too small. The new viv is 30 inches by 20 inches and the temperature inside the tank varies between 26-30C. I have the heat mat inside the tank under a couple on inches on wood bark to act as the hot spot.
The snake has been in there around 10 days and fed once whiles in the tank but seems to be very uptight and aggressive; I only need to walk past the tank and he looks like he’s in a striking position, so I haven'e even attempted to pick it up. Is this due to me moving the snake to a new vivarium or could there be another problem with the snake? The overall health of the snake is good, regularly feeds and shed skin about a week before I re-housed him.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated, Mark.

It's been my experience that snkes that want to bite you when you walk by the tank are the ones with the strong feeding response. Pehaps he is just very happy in his new environment and wants to eat. How big of prey items do you feed him? Maybe he's ready to move onto something bigger.
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GratefulFred

the cage is simply too big and open for a 16 week old ball python. 30 x 20 inches is quite a decent cage....for a decent ball python. that provides 5 sq ft of room, which is quite large for a 16 to 20 inch snake. it probably feels insecure, move it into a rubbermaid shoebox for a while longer, itll keep him happier and much less stressed out, but atleast you have a cage for when its bigger and more able to handle it...good luck

J
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Jaymz
"got a bowlin ball in my stomache, got a desert in my mouth. figures that my courage would choose to sell out now..."

It's my experience that BPs tend to be unhappy about changes in their environment. I would either move him back into his previous cage until he gets too big for it, or leave him in his new cage undisturbed for another week or so. I would definitely give him a hide just barely large enough for him - snakes feel most secure when they're in a tight-fitting hide with an entrance just large enough for them to squeeze into. One hide is good. Two hides are better.
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2.0 Ball Pythons
2.0 Bettas
1.1 Pekingeses
1.4 Rats (for breeding)
1.0 Mouse (for scenting rat pinkies)