Spotted Python getting behind rock wall

[jawsh]

I've just got my first snake, he's a 16 month old spotted and he's got a really good temperament, he hasn't bitten me once and he seems to be very active a lot of the time. The problem is i bought him with his enclosure that he was already living in and it has one of the exo-terra foam rock walls on the back wall and my snake won't stop getting in behind it into the channel that i assume is supposed to be for the wires for heat lamps etc. (i'm just using a heat mat so they're not being used) The first time he got behind it i just pulled the foam away from the wall and got him out and put him back in where he is supposed to be, then when he did it again yesterday afternoon i thought he's probably just using it as a hide and he will just come out when he's ready but by the morning when i got up he was still there and it had been over 10 hours so i got worried that being pressed against the glass and only having a heat mat as his source of heat that he would be too cold so i got him out again and he went straight to where the heat mat is. Now he's back there again and it only took him about 1.5 hours to go back this time. this is my first snake and i just want to know should i block the holes with some kind of foam or is it fine to just let him stay back there as long as he wants? is there any danger that he will get too cold or will he just move back out on his own if he starts feeling too cold? ​

 

[Bart70]

I have seen the Exo-Terra foam walls 'siliconed' in place with a run of silicone around all outside edges so the snake cannot get in 'behind' it at all. Not sure how effective it is but I guess if there is no gap between the foam and the glass they cannot get behind there at all.

Others may have better ideas or experiences.....

 

[jawsh]

the foam is tight against the edges and the floor of the enclosure it's just at the top there are two gaps about 1-1.5cm thick and 10cm along, one on either side which was why i was thinking of using blocks of Styrofoam to block them or i've noticed that in the diy forums a lot of people use that expanding stuff? i guess my question is more should i be worried about him getting back there or is it harmless?

 

[Bart70]

Yep...The ones I saw were similar - a bead of silicone where it meets the glass to fill the gap stopped the snake from getting in behind. Silicone will fill a gap 1- 1.5cm pretty easily and provide a seal either side against the foam and glass to prevent the snake pushhing past. Expanding foam would be a bit messy I would think but may work.

I am not sure if it is good or bad for the snake to get behind it.......Personally I would prefer it didn't then I wouldn't have to worry about the possiblity of it injuring itself or getting stuck.

 

[Skeptic]

Do you have a hide over the heat mat for him?

 

[Red-Ink]

I've just got my first snake, he's a 16 month old spotted and he's got a really good temperament, he hasn't bitten me once and he seems to be very active a lot of the time. The problem is i bought him with his enclosure that he was already living in and it has one of the exo-terra foam rock walls on the back wall and my snake won't stop getting in behind it into the channel that i assume is supposed to be for the wires for heat lamps etc. (i'm just using a heat mat so they're not being used) The first time he got behind it i just pulled the foam away from the wall and got him out and put him back in where he is supposed to be, then when he did it again yesterday afternoon i thought he's probably just using it as a hide and he will just come out when he's ready but by the morning when i got up he was still there and it had been over 10 hours so i got worried that being pressed against the glass and only having a heat mat as his source of heat that he would be too cold so i got him out again and he went straight to where the heat mat is. Now he's back there again and it only took him about 1.5 hours to go back this time. this is my first snake and i just want to know should i block the holes with some kind of foam or is it fine to just let him stay back there as long as he wants? is there any danger that he will get too cold or will he just move back out on his own if he starts feeling too cold? ​

Remove the wall... give him a hide instead.

 

[skittles85]

I bought a URS tank with a rock wall and had the same problem with my MD getting behind it so a trip to the hardware for some silicone soon fixed that. Took over a week for silicone to cure properly and the smell to dissipate so you would need to use something else to put him in temporarily.

 

[J-A-X]

I'm with skepitk and RedInk, throw a hide over the heat mat, or give him two hides so he has a choice

gluing the rock wall in should be considered permanent and unless you use the silicone close to the edge of the wall you're going to create a mess trap, which will make it harder to clean and you'd need to do it all the way around the edge to stop liquid getting between the wall and glass.
You can also just cut some foam to fit the length of the channel to discourage him heading into the gap. You'd only need a little glue to hold it in place(on the wall not the glass)
Expanda foam will over-fill the channel and make more work cutting it flat than its worth.

 

[Zeusy]

you could also put a piece of wax paper (glad bake or similar) between wall and glass, then fill the gap with silicon, allow the silicon to cure and then peel the paper off the silicon. I've used this technique with heaps of things to get a near perfect join without actually joining. I suggest putting a blob of silicon on a bit of paper first, allow it to cure and make sure it will peel off as i haven't tried it with silicon but not much will adhere to wax paper.
The other option i've used is masking up the glass, and essentially doing the same thing but the masking tape is the wax paper. Just leave the wall in place, allow silicon to cure then pull the wall away, remove tape and it should make a gap free fit.

 

[jawsh]

thanks for all the suggestions, for the time being i just took J-A-X advice and cut some Styrofoam to the exact size of the gaps and stuffed it in hard against the glass so he has no chance of pushing it out. seems to have worked so far but if that doesn't work i'll go with the silicone but i figured no point over doing it if the foam works. he's got a little hide but i'm gonna get him a bigger one as well because he barely fits under his one he's got. thanks again for all the help guys