Husbandry vent

[bondo]

I need to vent a little about this. As new people get into the hobby they look at care sheets which is great. It shows they are responsible and care about their animals. The problem is these care sheets were put together 30 years ago. If you follow the sheets your snake will do just fine. The problem is people get hung up on them. The care sheet said this so it has to be. That is not true. The two issues I have are temps and day/night cycle.

Let's begin with the day/night cycle. Ball pythons are nocturnal they hunt and roam at night for the most part. They also live underground. Unlike some reptiles they have no need for uv lighting. Yes they do come out during the day when they need to. They don't come out because they want to be in light. There is absolutely no reason for a day/night cycle. Also lights with a tank setup should be banned as far as I am concerned. If your ambient is really cold then do what you need to. The lights stress the animal and take the humidity from the tank so they should only be used if absolutely needed.

Second thing is the temps. Temps have been debated since the first ball pythons have been kept in captivity. A temp of 80 ambient and 90 hot seems to be the area of temps in a lot of care sheets. The lows in parts of Africa where these snakes are get into the 60s through some parts of the year. Yes it does stay warmer under ground where they live. However they need to go out and hunt and breed so they do get exposed to these temps. Most breeders I know keep their ambient in the low 70s. Some like myself have kept them in the high 60s. I do not recommend going this cold for those that are new to ball pythons. However I am tired of hearing new people in the hobby saying the ambient has to be 80 and you must have light for them because both statements are false. Vent over LOL

[Srt_529]

I need to vent a little about this. As new people get into the hobby they look at care sheets which is great. It shows they are responsible and care about their animals. The problem is these care sheets were put together 30 years ago. If you follow the sheets your snake will do just fine. The problem is people get hung up on them. The care sheet said this so it has to be. That is not true. The two issues I have are temps and day/night cycle.

Let's begin with the day/night cycle. Ball pythons are nocturnal they hunt and roam at night for the most part. They also live underground. Unlike some reptiles they have no need for uv lighting. Yes they do come out during the day when they need to. They don't come out because they want to be in light. There is absolutely no reason for a day/night cycle. Also lights with a tank setup should be banned as far as I am concerned. If your ambient is really cold then do what you need to. The lights stress the animal and take the humidity from the tank so they should only be used if absolutely needed.

Second thing is the temps. Temps have been debated since the first ball pythons have been kept in captivity. A temp of 80 ambient and 90 hot seems to be the area of temps in a lot of care sheets. The lows in parts of Africa where these snakes are get into the 60s through some parts of the year. Yes it does stay warmer under ground where they live. However they need to go out and hunt and breed so they do get exposed to these temps. Most breeders I know keep their ambient in the low 70s. Some like myself have kept them in the high 60s. I do not recommend going this cold for those that are new to ball pythons. However I am tired of hearing new people in the hobby saying the ambient has to be 80 and you must have light for them because both statements are false. Vent over LOL

Great to know honestly. I am new to BPs. I didnt know that the light actually takes away the humidity until 3days ago when i left it off and just used my CHE and the temp and humidity was perfect. Are you a breeder as well? And if so how long?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I do not recommend going this cold for those that are new to ball pythons. However I am tired of hearing new people in the hobby saying the ambient has to be 80 and you must have light for them because both statements are false. Vent over LOL

The problem right here is that most people asking for help are obviously experiencing issues and recommending optimum ranges is what will help them solve those issues as fast as possible.

It does not mean that they should not experienced around when they are knowledgeable enough and it does not mean the person making those recommendations keep theirs that way, their are many way to keep Ball Pythons the important is to find the one that works for your animals and yourself.

I NEVER recommend what I do, reason being it would not be optimal for a new owner and would not help troubleshooting their issues.

[bondo]

The problem right here is that most people asking for help are obviously experiencing issues and recommending optimum ranges is what will help them solve those issues as fast as possible.

It does not mean that they should not experienced around when they are knowledgeable enough and it does not mean the person making those recommendations keep theirs that way, their are many way to keep Ball Pythons the important is to find the one that works for your animals and yourself.

I NEVER recommend what I do, reason being it would not be optimal for a new owner and would not help troubleshooting their issues.

I agree with that statement 100%. I am just trying to say that people need to open their minds to other things that are not on the care sheet. Like I said if they follow the care sheet they should have no issues for keeping their snake in good shape. I will say though I feel anything over 75 for an ambient is too high but if they want to keep it at 80 and their snake is fine then that is all that matters.

[bondo]

Great to know honestly. I am new to BPs. I didnt know that the light actually takes away the humidity until 3days ago when i left it off and just used my CHE and the temp and humidity was perfect. Are you a breeder as well? And if so how long?

I have been breeding balls for 8 years or so now. Trust me when I say I learn new things every year about them. When it comes to snakes you need to keep your mind open to things and learn from them and other snake keepers.

[Srt_529]

I have been breeding balls for 8 years or so now. Trust me when I say I learn new things every year about them. When it comes to snakes you need to keep your mind open to things and learn from them and other snake keepers.

Thats good. Yeah thats why i try to get opinions from others and try my own things since everyones tank and setups are diffrent. I just try to do the best for my little guy and his health

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I agree with that statement 100%. I am just trying to say that people need to open their minds to other things that are not on the care sheet.

I believe it's in the human nature for some to stay within a certain comfort zone without experimenting new things, and it's not just about BP

[Eric Alan]

I believe it's in the human nature for some to stay within a certain comfort zone without experimenting new things, and it's not just about BP

Here, here! I completely agree.

Disclaimer: If it ain't broke, though...

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Disclaimer: If it ain't broke, though...

I have always been one to like breaking things just so I could see how they work and how I could fix them.

[bondo]

Here, here! I completely agree.

Disclaimer: If it ain't broke, though...

However it is broke lol I still stand with a night/day cycle is not needed. I also still say 80 is too high of an ambient temp.