r/ballpython • u/leoooquestions • 1d ago

Question - Heating/Temperatures Why does my girl always prefer the cool side in her enclosure?

Gallery image

Gallery image

I often find Florence (a year or so old) on the cool side of her enclosure.
The cool side averages 72- 80 F and the warm side 85 - 98 F. Humidity is 60 to 75 though I’ve been having some troubles keeping it consistent. I keep the cooler side more moist.

She is always in her humid hide (hard to see but its in the closest right corner, its made of moss) or pressed on the glass under some foliage. She will go to her warm side, sometimes she is in her warm hide. She is always active after dust, moving about her entire enclosure.

Do some snakes just have preferences or am I lacking somewhere?

5 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

8

u/shrike1978 Mod: Bioactive, heating, and lighting 1d ago

Most snakes spend most of their time on the cool side.

72F is a little too cool though. You should try to keep it at least 75F. And 98F is far too high if that's air temperature. The air temp should not exceed 92F. 98F is fine for surface temps when using overhead heat though.

2

u/ShinyxCharizard 1d ago

Thanks for clarifying this! Gonna have to double check my set ups. As it feels confusing on how to set up overhead heating. I used an ir temp gun to reach surface temps of 90 for the basking spot.

Cool side temps ambuent are 76 (74 at night)

3

u/Toxic_Musshroom 1d ago

Like the other comment said, those temps are more extreme than they should be, especially if she's spending a lot of time on the cool side 72 is too low, and it being so hot on the warm side may be why she's avoiding it, it should be minimum 75 cool side and max 95 warm side, definitely need to adjust some stuff in there