GBWhite
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I've been following this thread throughout the day and must say that you've been offered some very good advice however. after having a gander at the photo of your enclosure I'd suggest you consider a couple of things.
Small juvenile snakes that aren't provided the opportunity to maintain a regular and consistent body temperature are at risk of suffering ill health (usually associated with respiratory problems) and this is especially the case during this time of the year.
First up, to maintain the health and well being of a 6 month old python of any species the best thing to do is to try and provide heat 24/7. This is why some people prefer to maintain them in click clacks. I'm strongly of the opinion that due to the layout your little snake is not getting warm enough or feels secure and as already alluded this can and often will contribute to demonstrating a defensive nature. I see that you have a heat mat and I can only presume from the photo that you have it under that substrate. If this is the case it is highly likely that the heat is not penetrating through the substrate enough to warm the snake to an appropriate temperature and/or what heat there is, is dissipating throughout the enclosure.
Personally in an enclosure such as this I would provide a basking spot of around 35deg C about 45cm under a 60w spot globe (ceramic fitting and heat emitters are good but not essential. A simple light fitting with a spot light are just as effective and a lot cheaper to install). this will encourage the snake to move to and from a position where it can thermoregulate. The simplest way to do this is to add or reposition your log so that it is around 45cm directly under the globe. You can connect the globe up to the thermostat and run the probe adjacent to the basking spot or alternatively you can put the globe on a timer and program the time to switch on and off for an hour or two at a time over a 12 to 14 hour period. This way the snake can move in and out of the basking spot as it desires and then move to a cooler location once it's reached a comfortable body temperature.
Secondly, small snakes feel much more secure when they can squeeze into or under tight spaces. I think your hides look good but are impractical for a small snake to feel secure. Try knocking a small hole (about the diameter of a thumb) in the side of a couple of small ceramic flower pot dishes and then place them about the inclosure in an inverted position with one on or just slightly embedded in the substrate directly over the heat mat and others at various locations throughout the enclosure. This way it can choose an appropriate place where it can feel safe while maintaining a comfortable body temperature.
I'm pretty confident that the measures I've suggested should provide the snake with an appropriate amount of heating 24/7 and help maintain its health without relocating it to a click clack.
Hope this helps,
George.
Small juvenile snakes that aren't provided the opportunity to maintain a regular and consistent body temperature are at risk of suffering ill health (usually associated with respiratory problems) and this is especially the case during this time of the year.
First up, to maintain the health and well being of a 6 month old python of any species the best thing to do is to try and provide heat 24/7. This is why some people prefer to maintain them in click clacks. I'm strongly of the opinion that due to the layout your little snake is not getting warm enough or feels secure and as already alluded this can and often will contribute to demonstrating a defensive nature. I see that you have a heat mat and I can only presume from the photo that you have it under that substrate. If this is the case it is highly likely that the heat is not penetrating through the substrate enough to warm the snake to an appropriate temperature and/or what heat there is, is dissipating throughout the enclosure.
Personally in an enclosure such as this I would provide a basking spot of around 35deg C about 45cm under a 60w spot globe (ceramic fitting and heat emitters are good but not essential. A simple light fitting with a spot light are just as effective and a lot cheaper to install). this will encourage the snake to move to and from a position where it can thermoregulate. The simplest way to do this is to add or reposition your log so that it is around 45cm directly under the globe. You can connect the globe up to the thermostat and run the probe adjacent to the basking spot or alternatively you can put the globe on a timer and program the time to switch on and off for an hour or two at a time over a 12 to 14 hour period. This way the snake can move in and out of the basking spot as it desires and then move to a cooler location once it's reached a comfortable body temperature.
Secondly, small snakes feel much more secure when they can squeeze into or under tight spaces. I think your hides look good but are impractical for a small snake to feel secure. Try knocking a small hole (about the diameter of a thumb) in the side of a couple of small ceramic flower pot dishes and then place them about the inclosure in an inverted position with one on or just slightly embedded in the substrate directly over the heat mat and others at various locations throughout the enclosure. This way it can choose an appropriate place where it can feel safe while maintaining a comfortable body temperature.
I'm pretty confident that the measures I've suggested should provide the snake with an appropriate amount of heating 24/7 and help maintain its health without relocating it to a click clack.
Hope this helps,
George.
