To people who have owned ball pythons 4 a long time: my snake is buring himself in the bedding of his cage why

Question

i've had my ball python for 6 months now. i bought him a bigger cave a little over 2 weeks ago and he started to bury himself in the bedding. on the 20th of july when i came home, i saw that he buried himself in the bedding so i got him out and put him back in the cave, that same night he did it again and 4 times i took him out and put i him in the cave. well on tuesday last week when i came home, he buried himself in the bedding and i pulled him out and he tried to strike at me. ever since then i have been too scared to pull him out and he keeps buring himself in the bedding and sometimes he goes back into his little cave. why is he buring himself in the bedding and when can i pick him up, how do i see the signs of when he doesnt want to be picked up and does, and should i take him out of the cave to pick him up or wait till he crawls out? hes only 2ft 8inches, please respond and tell me what to do.

Answer 1

Is the cave his cool hide or warm hide? If it is in the warm area, he might have wanted to cool off in the bedding, if the cave is in the cool area, the bedding might be warmer, and that is where he wants to be at the time. He struck because you kept displacing him from where he was comfortable. Leave him alone for a while. If he is in an "S" shape after you put your hand in there, he is going to strike, when he is balled up, he should be fine to pick up.

Answer 2

Okay.  To start?  Owning a snake for 6 mo. doesn't qualify you as an expert, and requesting ONLY "for a long time" opinions.  6 mo. is NOT a LONG time!

Some people have spent their lives studying them, but have never personally owned one...

Also, is your snake entering a shed, and wanting 'alone time'?

Two?  You can have them for all your life, and theirs, and NEVER be an expert!  There is always more to know and learn!  So, don't limit the help you are looking for by your question post wording.

You got him a new hide, twice as large, and now he's hiding in the bedding instead.  This one seems pretty easy.  Either the hide is too large to allow him to feel safe inside of it, or it has fumes which bother him.  Did you clean it after purchase?

And if he outgrew the hide; might it be time for a larger tank, too?

Each animal is different, and each will need to be treated as individual.

Solution?  Give him back his old hide.  

When you decided he needed a new one (is he bulging out of the other, or did you get some funds, and decide to upgrade), be sure it is the best choice for your reptile.  He's secure in the old hide.

Does it have a larger entrance?  Or more than one?  Is it on the same heat source, as you had the old one?  There are many factors to introducing new 'equipment' into an existing/working environmment.

I would bite you too, if you evicted me, made me hide in bedding, and then wouldn't leave me alone.

A snake bites for two reasons: it's hungry, or it's stressed.

Figure out which the case is, and fix it.

Offer the old hide back, and see if the behavior stops.  Is so - voila~!

If not - has it grown, and you are still feeding it the same size/amount on the same schedule?

Snakes have pretty basics needs in their tiny brains: 1.) to eat enough, and 2.) to feel secure and digest or hide.  Humidity and heat are important too, but the snake finds all that by instinct, if the ranges are provided.

Google your snake, and find out if a temperature change in the new hide has made it unacceptable.  Or if you relocated the new hide - put it where the old one was.

Your UTH heat pad might be spiking and going bad, and needs replacing (nothing lasts forever).  Use a digital theromemter and measure the heat output.

It could be a thousand things.  Equipement fails.  Needs change.  When all else fails?  Ask your vet.

I hope this has been of help.

Answer 3

I've owned mine for about 4 years now, I've seen him burrow in his bedding a bit but he mainly uses the hide box.

My boa constrictor LOVES to burrow like no tomorrow.

Its natural for them, allow them to do whatever they want, if they want to drink don't pull them away and put them back in the hide box, if he wants to burrow that's like a hiding place for him to so let him.

Answer 4

every snake that I have owned has his under the substrait. If you do not want that to happen I would suggest that you get cage carpet put out by zoo med or get some indoor outdoor carpet. All will be good for your ball. And they are easier to clean.

Answer 5

If u have changed the hide and your snake has changed its behavior then maybe its because he no longer feels safe in the hide you have given him, it sounds like it is to big they need something that it small dark and tight that its touching him on all sides that is why he is burying himself in his substrate..... just think of it from his point of view... he has a nice safe dark warm place  and all of a sudden its gone so he burys himself to feel secure and this hand keeps coming in and pulling him out of his security... i think you would get a little teasy... he is choosing to go there so why not put the oversized hide at the other side of his tank and put his old hide where he prefers to lay...... I thought that been there done that - i think... said it very well (maybe a little harsh) but the truth is hard to swallow sometimes..... I totally agree with him/her.... hope all goes well with your snake....!

Answer 6

I wouldn't worry about it burying itself in the bedding.. also, when it's neck is in an "S" shape, that's about when it's about to strike/bite you. if he's all coiled up in a circle, he's good to pick up..

Answer 7

I have a royal and he is 2 feet 6 inches... he likes to sit right ontop of the bedding UNDER the plant. I dont know why. i think they like to hide. Not to sure why else they would burry under the bedding. Something they like doing i would think. I would leave him where he feels comfertable. Just be a lil careful when you are getting him out. he might  get a lil nervous!