Is my ball python to small to move into his big vivarium, will it stress it out to much?

Question

my ball python is 4months old and is in a container that is housed in the main vivarium, he is about 1 3/4 foot. every day we have been leaving his snake container open for an a couple of hours so he can go around the main viv...... He loves climbing the plants(fake) and after about a hour or so he climbs to the tod of his branches and curls up and seems quite happy up there. The las two nights we have have taken the container out and left him to do what he wants all night to see if he will be ok! the viv has lots of places to hide ie two hides( one on either side) a log and lots of fake plants, small water bowl and a few branches...now heres the thing... each morning we have woken up and found that he has wedged himself behind the ceramic heater guard at the top of the tank, which we turn off at night(he has got a under tank heat mat as well) is this because he feels to stressed in the viv because its too large (3ft by 2ft by 1 1/2) he usually spreads out in his container and is very curious but only wants to hide in his viv!please only experienced herp hobbyist reply! Thanks in advanced!

Answer 1

Under tank heat mat is not keeping the enclosure warm enough. He's looking for warm place.

Answer 2

I think it is fine.Large open areas are more stressful for them. What type of vivarium do you have? Can you move the ceramic heat emitter out side the vivarium. Try creating an arboreal hide, I know balls are not an arboreal species, but some are more adventurous and active than others.  

Answer 3

If your ceramic heater is on a thermostat try setting the night time temperature for 25C see if he hides somewhere else.  

The real test to see if he is stressed is if he feeds, royas won't feed when thy are over exposbut personally I would leave him in the smaller vivarium for a while longer.  If you have your ceramic on a thermostat in the vivarium you do not need the heat mat on as well, the ceramic will heat the temperature up sufficiiently.  

Answer 4

As long as there are enough spots for him to hide he should be fine.