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Sounds like you were getting outdated or flat-out incorrect information and those 'experienced snake owners' are likewise misinformed. There are very few snakes that legitimately have evolved to thrive on sand-based substrate (irony being the Sand Boa is not one of them; they live in sandy soil which is very different composition than straight sand). The Ball Python is native to the svannah/jungles of Sub-Saharan Africa. Its dirt, soil, and burrows. Not a majority or even significant amount of sand.

Additionally, if I extrapolate correctly from this singular picture, your BP is also in a glass enclosure and has a log-style hide. The former makes keeping humidity in the 55~80% range a difficult exercise, and the latter, is a stressor as BPs do best with a hide that has a single-entrance or is cave-like; the more points of contact, the better, and a single entrance means they can feel safer.

I'm going to steal _ataraxia's ball python dump and toss it below:

i'm going to dump a bunch of links to get you on the right track. the first three links are detailed care sheets, the rest are product recommendations. read everything thoroughly.

glass tanks can be very challenging for ball python husbandry due to the high amount of air flow with the screen top and the total lack of insulation with the glass walls. it's generally recommended to use tubs or pvc reptile cages instead. wood enclosures can also be suitable if they're designed well and sealed properly to protect the wood against moisture. glass tanks can work, but they require a lot of modification and maintenance, which you'll find tips for in the second link. i'll give you product recommendations to cover options for tanks, tubs, and pvc/wood enclosures.

• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-the-basics-and-then-some
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-common-problems
  
• http://reptimes.com/ball-pythons-feeding
  
• here is a tutorial to give you an example of how to set up a tub. this is what i would recommend for an immediate setup, and you could upgrade to a pvc cage upgrade later. note: this tutorial shows adhesive velcro to attach the thermo/hygro to the tub wall, but you should not do that. tape and other sticky adhesives should never be used inside the enclosure, your snake can get stuck on it and suffer serious injuries. hot glue is the easiest reptile-safe adhesive option. screws or bolts can also be used to mount things on plastic/wood walls.
  
• pvc reptile cages are ideal. they have the husbandry benefits of a tub with the aesthetics/visibility of a tank, they're much lighter than wood or glass, and they will remain unaffected by decades of constant high humidity. animal plastics, boamaster, and boaphile plastics, are some popular companies. many people will use a tub for a young snake and upgrade to pvc later.
  
• spyder robotics makes high quality thermostats to regulate your heat sources with pulse/proportional temperature control and various safety features. this is a popular cheap thermostat with simple on/off style with zero safety features. inkbird thermostats are also low-cost but overall higher quality than the hydrofarm type. any heat source should be regulated by a thermostat to ensure safe and appropriate temperatures.
  
• heat tape or ultratherm heat pads are high quality and affordable under tank heater [UTH] options. this is a suitable heat source for most enclosure types. remember that a UTH will not provide ambient heat, it will only affect the temperature of the surface to which it is attached.
  
• a porcelain base lamp and ceramic heat emitter [CHE] is the best ambient heat source for a tank, and it will also work for some pvc/wood enclosures. any heat lamp that emits light, even red or blue, should not be used at night.
  
• a radiant heat panel [RHP] is the best ambient heat source in a pvc/wood enclosure. there are a few options, such as reptile basics and pro products.
  
• a digital dual sensor thermometer/hygrometer allows you to easily monitor the warm side floor temperature [with the probe] as well as the ambient temperature and humidity [with the main unit].
  
• an infrared thermometer allows you to spot-check surface temperatures anywhere in the enclosure.
  
• these hide boxes are a cheap simple hide with a design that offers the best sense of security for your snake. cave style hides, cardboard boxes, plastic food containers, etc, can also be used. half logs are not appropriate hides.

There are a number of resources for snake ID and this list is nowhere near comprehensive.

Globally, comprehensive species lists are available via Reptile Database Advanced Search. Reptile Database is mostly correct and up to date in terms of taxonomy. Another worldwide resource is Snakes of the World which, in addition to being comprehensive for extant snakes, also provides a wealth of information on fossil taxa.

Regional guides are useful. If you're in North America, the Eastern Peterson Guide and Western Peterson Guide are great tools, as is Snakes of the United States and Canada. While plagiarized and problematic, the book Snakes of Mexico is the best easily accessible information for the region. For Central America, the Kohler book as well as Savage's Costa Rica book are excellent resources. South America is tough but has a diagnostic catalog. Australia has Cogger as a herp bible. SE Asia has two guides one in German and one comprehensive. For Europe, you simply can't get better than the three volumes of Handbuch der Reptilien und Amphibien Europas. Africa is also difficult - no comprehensive guide exists but there are a few good regional guides like Reptiles of East Africa and Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa. Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar is a good source for that distinct region. For the Indian subcontinent, use Snakes of India

Remember, species names are hypotheses that are tested and revised - old books become dated by the nature of science itself. One of your best resources is going to be following /r/whatsthissnake, or (for North America) with the SSAR Standard Names List for the most recent accepted taxonomic changes.

Here is an example of a small personal herpetology library.

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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, non-venomous snakes can use them to bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes Diadophis are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes Thamnophis ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also considered harmless. Even large species such as Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.

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I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here and report problems here.

Good looking out! Glad it's suction and not the sticky kind lol. And yeah it's supposed to be stuck to the bottom on the outside. They can get too hot and burn your snake (which can be fatal) so you'll really want to get a thermostat. I have this one and it works well. You'll stick the metal probe between the bottom of the tank and the heat mat. Keep in mind snakes are cold blooded and you're not...even if it doesn't feel too warm to you, it could be for a snake.

What kind of snake do you have? You might need to modify your setup to increase humidity depending on what species he/she is :)

Hi! A little late to the party, but something else to keep in mind that I did not see mentioned is that you will definitely want a thermostat (not just a thermometer) to regulate the heat from your heat pad and/or Ceramic Heating Element. You will probably want one for each heat element, although CHEs can be controlled with dimmer switches as well I believe.

A thermostat lets you regulate the output of a heat pad or CHE. This is important because without regulation, it is possible for either of them to overheat beyond typical heating abilities. This could lead to extreme temperatures in your tank that could burn the snake or even cause neurological damage if it's hot enough.

I'm taking my list of suggestions from other users who post around snek subreddits as I am not yet a snek owner myself :(.

Cheap options are Jump Start thermostats, although they do not have safety features that will shut down the heating element if the thermostat fails. Another option that's in the same price range but a bit safer is an Inkbird thermostat. If you wanna splurge and get a very high quality thermostat for your little buddy, you can go for a Spyder Robotics thermostat.

Also, not necessarily required but useful and fun: an Infrared Thermometer

Great advice, thanks! Here's a book suggestion for you, if you haven't read it yet.

Do you have any sources of it not being ideal for BRB's? All the caresheets and books I've read all have cyphress mulch as a recommended substrate. Not arguing just wanting to learn and improve my care taking.

Sources:1,2,3,4,5

We use this one for the heat pad, you set it at the temp you want and it turns the heating pad on and off depending on if it gets too cool or too hot.

And then we use this one just to monitor visually the temp and humidity of the environment. So far we’ve had no issues and they’re both fairly inexpensive.

Good luck with everything!

Reminds me of Verdi

My favorite childhood book :)

These people are clearly missing an opportunity to introduce the world to Allen's Snakes Alive, snake and snack in one handy package:

https://www.amazon.com/Allens-Snakes-Alive/dp/B003LZ6MLW

Only way to know is to measure.

Get a cheap IR thermometer and observe the temperatures on the hot and cool sides to make sure they're in appropriate ranges.

This should concern you.

Not being a jerk here. I've got 20+ years experience with snakes, including working with them at multiple zoos and wildlife refuges, and I've seen some heck -- people getting bit due to misidentifying snakes and thinking they're cool or cute, or people who work with hots getting bit because they thought they knew the snake.

It's a disaster waiting to happen. Take some time. Pick up the green book, study it. Learn the snakes in your area and be able to identify them properly before every handling a snake. And remember that juveniles often have very different patterns and markings than adults.

If you're not 100% certain what kind of snake it is AND have a good reason to pick it up, just don't do it. For the snake's sake and your own.

/endrant

This kinda behavior might be a bit unusual but every snek is different. I would check to make sure your ambient temps are around 80F and you have a hot spot using pad under the environment which heats to around 90F.

My ball python did a lot of searching before we got the temps right. I use 2 jump start thermostats now and she just chills 99.9% of the time.

Get this ... its $15 and so worth it for any reptile (also kinda handy in the kitchen if you cook)

Definitely a selection of pictures from Mark Laita's book, Serpentine. Just pulled out my copy to take a look, and found all of them.

Will one of these work as a thermostat for a CHE? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I15S6OM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xqFXDb0BTJFVP if I put the probe somewhere near the top?

Don't forget !resources

Also this for Florida
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683400445/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_v9lYCb5X3H14K

Title of the book is on the right page and author on the left page.

https://www.amazon.com/Gathering-Shadows-Novel-Shades-Magic/dp/0765376474

Did you use these?

The sticks/dpad/buttons

A little searching and here it is. Coloring is a bit off, but its a start