# New royal python unusually active after eating?



## scapricorn (11 mo ago)

I brought a new royal python home about a week ago and he's been settling in well. He normally hides all day and night though I've caught him peaking his head out or with half his body outside the hide for short periods in the night. I fed him yesterday and he took it with no problem (I was worried about switching him straight to rats since he was fed on mice at his previous home but he didn't seem to mind!) and he slithered back into his hide after swallowing and stayed in there for the rest of the night and all of today. It's now been just over 24 hours since he ate and I've noticed him coming out the hide and slithering around his enclosure a lot. When I opened the lid to his tub he even came out and slithered around the table a bit until I put him back. I haven't seen him this active since the first day I moved him in. Is this normal behaviour or do you think something is stressing him out? I checked the temps and humidity in his enclosure and everything is exactly the same as it has been all week. It's nice to see him out and exploring but it is worrying since he's just been hiding away 99% of the time before now.

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Does sound a bit curious?
Sounds restless and uncomfortable - looking for somewhere else to be?

what are the temps specifically?
check the heating (not failed). Check the stat
check that the royal can bask to digest the meal.
check the temps are not too high


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

sounds perfectly normal. All of my hatchlings and some of the adults are active the following day post feeding...


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

How big is he and what are you feeding him? Sounds hungry


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## scapricorn (11 mo ago)

Swindinian said:


> Does sound a bit curious?
> Sounds restless and uncomfortable - looking for somewhere else to be?
> 
> what are the temps specifically?
> ...


30-32°C on the hot side and 20-23°C on the cool side.
He pooped a few days after being fed so he seems to have been fine digesting it.



Malc said:


> sounds perfectly normal. All of my hatchlings and some of the adults are active the following day post feeding...


That's good to know! I'm beginning to think it's just his personality and that he's just a very curious snake. He comes out every evening after I switch off the lights now and I open up his tub to let him come out and roam around a bit if he wants. I let him explore and handle him a bit for about 30 mins then put him back and he'll either roam around his tub a bit more or just go into his hide and curl up for the night.

It doesn't seem like anything is really wrong after all - he still hides most of the time, just seems to like spending his evenings adventuring!



LiasisUK said:


> How big is he and what are you feeding him? Sounds hungry


He's 173g (3 months old) and I fed him a rat hopper (about 20g) which seemed substantial enough of a meal for him.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

My hatchlings (now 5m) have been on medium mice of between 20-25g (frozen) from 3m old, so you are spot on with the portion, although the bone structure of a medium mouse may be better than rat pups/hopper. All the hatchlings are out and about the following night after a feed... My opinion is that in the wild they are programmed to eat and grow as fast as possible to reduce being a meal for any predator, so even if they have just eaten and come across more food they would naturally take it. If you offer another mouse or rat to the snake moments after the first has gone down, I would bet 100% it will take it, or if you fed every day it would take it... not because it is hungry, more due to that inbuilt survival instinct the snake is born with.


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## Swindinian (May 4, 2020)

Ahh, so opportunistic prowling. Please sir, I want some more! Had a meal, enjoyed it, and then restless for more.

I have tended to find my snakes will settle down for a few days after a meal, and become more restless with hunger and/or to clear their bowels, somewhat contrasting with yours and Malcs experiences, but I would capitalise on the request to explore/interact, and build some trust/habituation experiences.

You might enjoy Green Room pythons on You Tube; he habituates his royal pythons from an early age to become accustomed to interaction, and some roaming.


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

scapricorn said:


> He's 173g (3 months old) and I fed him a rat hopper (about 20g) which seemed substantial enough of a meal for him.


That's a good weight, my Royal was only 120g when I got it at 3 months old. It was a slow feeder to start with, but multimanmates solved that and now only refuses food leading up to shedding. At a year old it weighed in at 453g and now has a 30 - 40g multimanmate once a week. This pic was taken yesterday in the travel box while cleaning out the viv.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Elly66 said:


> That's a good weight, my Royal was only 120g when I got it at 3 months old.


Yeah, looking back at the growth records for my 2019 hatchlings, at 3 months they averaged 120g, so 173g at the same age means he's been well fed


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