# Ball Pythons > BP Husbandry >  Baby Ball Python Setup

## cueball

I have been wanting to display a baby ball python in the living room for a while now and thought I would share my solution. 

I wanted something with excellent visibility, was easy to clean, provided the proper environment and had to be affordable.

So here is my solution that costs less than $100 and met my needs  :Clap: 

Most items came from PetSmart: 10 gallon aquarium with hood/ ReptiBark/ hide and water dish/ thermostat.



I already had the "medium" heat pad(designed for 10-20 gallon aquariums) and rheostat. An important note about these heat pads is the surface temperature is 115 degrees. I use a rheostat to dial it back down to 95 degrees. 



The first step was the prep the aquarium. I choose to paint the back of it flat black to create a nice background color and hide any wiring. This was done with flat black spray paint on the outside out the glass. Next step is use aluminum foil to trap radiant heat inside the aquarium and avoid a hot spot created by the heat pad. I attached it using aluminum tape. 



The next step is to prep the hood. This is a fish hood but offers a clean look and great lighting. The first thing I did was cut a piece of 1/4" hardware screen to fit in the recess of the hood. Then I used a hot glue gun to secure the corners of the screen to the hood. Next final step was to use the aluminum foil to secure the edges and close up any holes in the hood. The final step was to drill some extra ventilation holes in the back of the domed part of the hood. You will have to peel back the tape and cut the glue to change the bulbs a couple of times a year. 



I set this up and let it stabilize for a few hours before introducing the snake. 

Here is the final product  :Very Happy:

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_dc4teg_ (04-14-2009),justin81 (02-11-2009),ParmleyStyle (03-14-2009),Sammy J. (07-02-2009),Scatterheart (06-05-2009),Solinger (07-19-2009),xXxFluffyEmoxXx (08-07-2009),zhang317 (02-01-2009)

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## MeMe

that's nice.

 :Good Job: 

tfttme.

 :Wink: 

sooo...irmmbff.

just sayin'

logd.

~ CO ~

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## Gooseman

so the grand total of what's on display was something around $2,100.00? 

(forgive me for only seeing the lovely pewter and nothing else  :Razz:  ) lol

Either way... Looks nice, possibly even sticky worthy!!!

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## cueball

> that's nice.


Thanks Memes  :Good Job: 

There are lots of ways to keep baby ball pythons and this is just one of the many in which they will thrive in.

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## cueball

> so the grand total of what's on display was something around $2,100.00?


That's a great question that I should have covered  :Smile: 

$25 aquarium and hood
$5 bulbs
$5 RepitBark
$5 water dish
$10 hide
$15 heat pad
$10 thermometer
$5 rheostat
$5 hardware screen
$5 spray paint
$???? ball python  :Wink: 




> (forgive me for only seeing the lovely pewter and nothing else  ) lol


Dis one??  :Crazy: 





> Either way... Looks nice, possibly even sticky worthy!!!


Thanks man..but let's not get carried away  :Razz:

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## daaangconcepts

STICKY STICKY STICKY

Very welll done Chris  :Good Job:

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## MeMe

> STICKY STICKY STICKY



It's soooo hot when you say that. 

nh...wmal.

logd.

~ CO ~

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## cueball

> STICKY STICKY STICKY
> 
> Very welll done Chris


Thanks Susan  :Carouse: 

If this helps ONE person on the board with ideas then it was all worth it  :Very Happy:

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## Argentra

Very nice...but don't you need two identical hides?  :Very Happy: 

Leg pulling aside, that is a really nice setup and a gorgeous snake. I love that idea about the foil on the bottom of the tank to disperse heat...I think I'll try that on my new plant tank. Thanks.  :Smile:

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## Rapture

Don't you want your pewter to eat???? lol

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## Chubbz

thats a great setup

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## NightLad

Sweet setup! And you posted it just as I am going about creating one of my own. What timing! Thanks so much. And it you provided a couple tips I had not even thought of. Thanks to you, my snake (when I get one) will be very cozy indeed. Woo!  :Snake:

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## Entropy

Awesome thread Chris, and even better snake.

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## cueball

> Very nice...but don't you need two identical hides?


Thanks! Having two hides is certainly a secure way for a ball python to thermoregulate. I have decided to go with just one hide because I feel this snake is not shy and have seen it comfortably using both sides of the enclosure.





> Leg pulling aside, that is a really nice setup and a gorgeous snake.


This would not be a cueball thread without leg pulling  :Razz: 




> that is a really nice setup and a gorgeous snake.


Thanks  :Very Happy: 




> I love that idea about the foil on the bottom of the tank to disperse heat...I think I'll try that on my new plant tank. Thanks.


This brings up a good point! I used the rubber feet supplied with the heat pad to elevate the aquarium and did not attach the heat pad to the bottom of the aqaurium. The heat rises and creates a warm spot without creating a concentrated "hot" spot on the glass.

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## cueball

> Don't you want your pewter to eat???? lol


Of course I do!!! lol

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## cueball

> thats a great setup


Thanks! I really enjoy being able to observe my pet  :Snake:

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## MeMe

> Thanks! Having two hides is certainly a secure way for a ball python to thermoregulate. I have decided to go with just one hide because I feel this snake is not shy and have seen it comfortably using both sides of the enclosure.



you are the smart.

 :Nerd: 

yaagf! 

 :Wink:

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## cueball

> Sweet setup! And you posted it just as I am going about creating one of my own. What timing! Thanks so much. And it you provided a couple tips I had not even thought of. Thanks to you, my snake (when I get one) will be very cozy indeed. Woo!


Awesome! I'm glad I could help  :Good Job:  I saw your setup and it looks great! Now hurry up and fill that terrarium  :Very Happy:

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## cueball

> Awesome thread Chris, and even better snake.


Thanks Mel  :Very Happy:  That pewter is really special  :Blossom:

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## cueball

DISCLAIMER:

You will notice many things about this setup that vary from other advice out there. This is not to mean that I think that other ways are wrong. This is only intended to be helpful advice for setting up a baby ball python for display. I have kept ball pythons for 20 years now in just about every type of scenario and have found that if you have a healthy ball python they will thrive in just about any conditions. 

 :Group Hug:

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## cueball

> you are the


Agreed  :Weirdface:

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## wax32

Nice set-up!

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## Repti-Rob

Love the setup and the snake is wonderful. but.....what about locks? do you use the clamps or a locking hood. 
Even as babies their pretty strong! :Snake:

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## cueball

> Nice set-up!


Thanks! Here's an update on her settling in  :Very Happy:

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## Bright202

Looks great Chris!

One question though. Is the heat pad on a thermostat, or will it only reach a certain temp?
Nice set-up though!

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## cueball

> Love the setup and the snake is wonderful.


Thanks! I really can't get enough of looking at mg(snake's name) and she literally takes my breath away every single day  :Clap: 




> but.....what about locks? do you use the clamps or a locking hood. 
> Even as babies their pretty strong!


That's a great point, NEVER underestimate the persuasiveness of a ball python regardless of the size! I am machining some plastic slide lock for the hood. I will post some pics as soon as I'm finished  :Good Job:

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## Bright202

Sorry, I didn't read. Nevermind :Very Happy:

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## cueball

> Looks great Chris!


Thanks Mitch  :Good Job: 





> One question though. Is the heat pad on a thermostat, or will it only reach a certain temp?
> Nice set-up though!


Good question. The heat pad with no control reaches 115 degrees fahrenheit. I was trying to showcase the most simple solution so I used a rheostat instead of a thermostat. Then just adjusted the rheostat and monitored the pad until it reached 95 degrees.

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## Rapture

> Thanks! Here's an update on her settling in


Purrrdy!

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## cueball

> Purrrdy!



Neat. Thanks  :Very Happy:

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## JLC

It's been sticky-fied!  :Very Happy: 

Very nice write-up, Chris!  And good answers to the questions that are bound to come your way.  Yes, the set up is a bit out of the norm...but that's just "norm" as BP.net tends to define it.  There are so many ways to keep these little beauties that will work just fine.  

I think what we really need to focus on teaching people is how to be aware of the needs of their animal and how to watch its behavior to understand if those needs are being met or not...and then to be willing to tweak the environment to make sure those needs are met.  

The only thing I would add to THIS discussion about THIS setup...is to remind people that a rheostat is only really effective at maintaining proper temps when it's in a room that has a steady ambient temp.  If your room temps swing 10 degrees between day and night...the UTH temps will as well.  Just something to be aware of.  :Smile:

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## Noek

can I ask, you didn't attach the UTH to the bottom of the cage, what is it lying on then? I use the rubber feet for my cage as well but I attached the UTH to the bottom because it sits on wood and the darn thing does get hot....I worry about burning

I haven't been using a thermostat but I was packing about 2" aspen on top to avoid too much heat and it seemed to work out, but I ordered a Johnson thermostat because it's the right think to do.

anyways, just curious

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## cueball

> It's been sticky-fied!


 :Embarassed: 




> Very nice write-up, Chris!  And good answers to the questions that are bound to come your way.  Yes, the set up is a bit out of the norm...but that's just "norm" as BP.net tends to define it.  There are so many ways to keep these little beauties that will work just fine.


Thanks Judy, my points exactly. There are lots of ways to keep your baby ball python healthy and happy. This is just one example  :Good Job: 




> I think what we really need to focus on teaching people is how to be aware of the needs of their animal and how to watch its behavior to understand if those needs are being met or not...and then to be willing to tweak the environment to make sure those needs are met.


Well said. This setup works great for this ball python, but may not work for other snakes that might be more shy and need more hiding places. 




> The only thing I would add to THIS discussion about THIS setup...is to remind people that a rheostat is only really effective at maintaining proper temps when it's in a room that has a steady ambient temp.  If your room temps swing 10 degrees between day and night...the UTH temps will as well.  Just something to be aware of.


Excellent point! The room I keep this setup in stays a constant temp all the time. Therefore a rheostat is easy to dial in and count on.

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## cueball

> can I ask, you didn't attach the UTH to the bottom of the cage, what is it lying on then? I use the rubber feet for my cage as well but I attached the UTH to the bottom because it sits on wood and the darn thing does get hot....I worry about burning


That is a valid concern. Without a control on this particular heat pad it reaches 115 degrees and could effect the finish on wood. I made a pad using aluminum foil for the heat pad to sit on. Make the pad by loosely folding the foil over a few times and you have an excellent heat barrier. 




> I haven't been using a thermostat but I was packing about 2" aspen on top to avoid too much heat and it seemed to work out


Just be careful as I have seen them submerse under the aspen and be in direct contact with the glass  :Sad:

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## Noek

awesome idea...I am def doing that when I get the thermostat....

in the meantime I'm using a conventional heat pad set on low underneath the glass and no windows open in my room so it's pretty darn hot for me to sleep there...I never thought I'd be sleeping on the couch for the betterment of a snake....usually, it's my girlfriend making me do that  :Sad: 

thanks again!

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## cueball

> I never thought I'd be sleeping on the couch for the betterment of a snake....usually, it's my girlfriend making me do that


I sure know how that feels!  :Crazy: 




> thanks again!


Glad I could help and good luck  :Good Job:

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## cgrinter

Is the tape on the screen on the inside of the tank?

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## Bright202

Sorry, do you think you could maybe explain more on how you placed the heat pad. Haha I'm a little confused

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## NightLad

> The first step was the prep the aquarium. I choose to paint the back of it flat black to create a nice background color and hide any wiring. This was done with flat black spray paint on the outside out the glass. Next step is use aluminum foil to trap radiant heat inside the aquarium and avoid a hot spot created by the heat pad. I attached it using aluminum tape.


I have a question about this step:
Did you use shiny-side up (facing inside of tank) on the hot-area, and shiny-side down for the cool? Its a little hard to tell, because I'm not sure if the flash is showing shiny side up or down on both halves. Thanks!

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## cueball

> Is the tape on the screen on the inside of the tank?


Yes, it is. This brings up a good point. There is risk invloved in having the tape where the snake and access it. This is why I use the aluminum foil tape, it has excellent rigidity and I don't feel there is a risk using it. It's also a good idea to slightly overlap the tape to make it "seamless".

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## cueball

> Sorry, do you think you could maybe explain more on how you placed the heat pad. Haha I'm a little confused


Good question. I folded the foil loosely to make a pad, then placed the heat pad "sticky" side up on top of the pad and taped the heat pad to the foil. Be sure and use the rubber feet that come with the heat pad to elevate the corners of the aquarium. Here are some pictures, I hope this helps make it more clear.

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## cueball

> I have a question about this step:
> Did you use shiny-side up (facing inside of tank) on the hot-area, and shiny-side down for the cool?


Yes, you have it exactly right  :Good Job:

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## NightLad

> Yes, you have it exactly right


Fantastic! Thanks for getting to those questions so quickly. I came home from the expo and was able to complete the final step in setting up the tank. See this thread for more and pictures: here Thanks again!

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## cueball

> Fantastic! Thanks for getting to those questions so quickly.


Glad I could be of help  :Very Happy: 




> I came home from the expo and was able to complete the final step in setting up the tank. See this thread for more and pictures: here Thanks again!


That looks great! Good job  :Good Job:

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## Elvyra's Keeper

I have a quick, probably stupid question, should the UTH be stuck to the glass or the foil? If it goes to the foil, how do you ever use it again?

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## brittany

I still don't get how you did the heat pad.
I'm moving my ball from a tub to a tank shortly (she's 2 years old) so I'm hoping you could elaborate on this (a step by step wouldn't hurt  :Razz: ).

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## cueball

> I have a quick, probably stupid question, should the UTH be stuck to the glass or the foil?


This is actually a great question! The UTH is designed to be stuck the glass on the under side of the aquarium. The reason I choose not to install it this way is that this particular UTH gets hotter(115 degrees F) that I could feel comfortable for the snake to have pretty direct contact with. By covering the under side of the aquarium with foil and not placing the UTH directly to the glass it speads the heat out more and reduces the chance for a hot spot. 




> If it goes to the foil, how do you ever use it again?


I just taped the UTH to the aluminum foil pad and didn't remove the film on the UTH.

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## cueball

> I still don't get how you did the heat pad.
> I'm moving my ball from a tub to a tank shortly (she's 2 years old) so I'm hoping you could elaborate on this (a step by step wouldn't hurt ).


Her is how it looks. This is the heat pad "sticky side up" on the foil pad. Then the heat pad and foil pad are taped down to the base of what ever you are going to put the aquarium on. I hope this makes sense  :Crazy:

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## WellyBelly

[QUOTE=cueball;661441]
I already had the "medium" heat pad(designed for 10-20 gallon aquariums) and rheostat. An important note about these heat pads is the surface temperature is 115 degrees. I use a rheostat to dial it back down to 95 degrees. 

Whats a rheostat and where do I get one. I have both my tubs on UTH's and i think it may be to hot.

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## JLC

> Whats a rheostat and where do I get one. I have both my tubs on UTH's and i think it may be to hot.


A rheostat is simply a dimmer switch.  You can get them made for table lamps that you plug into like an extension cord.  Find them at any hardware store for less than $10.  Usually in the lighting department.

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## kira1123

I don't know if i'm understading this correctly or not based on all your posts, but your UTH is sitting on the foil pad you constructed and not touching the foil you have taped onto the bottom of your tank?

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## Elvyra's Keeper

> I don't know if i'm understading this correctly or not based on all your posts, but your UTH is sitting on the foil pad you constructed and not touching the foil you have taped onto the bottom of your tank?


You tape the UTH to the foil pad, with the sticky side facing upwards, towards the tank, then just set the tank on top of it.

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## kira1123

Cool, one other thing, where do you keep your thermometer?

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## Elvyra's Keeper

you should have two, or an indoor outdoor one. one on the cool side, one on the warm. I keep mine close to the bottom, because that's where the snake is, they don't stay 6 inches up the side of the cage.

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## kira1123

I have an acu-rite thermometer/hygometer.  The probe stays on the cool side of the tank, but where should i have the console?  I have a 10g tank btw.

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## Elvyra's Keeper

tape it on the side of the glass all the way at the bottom. i have the same one, i just have the probe on the warm side. just lay the prob on top of the substrate, or else it will read the temp of the cage, not what he or she feels.

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## Noek

I set the unit on the cool side and the probe is under the substrate below where I place the hide on the warm side.

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## kira1123

So... stupid question... Does that mean I tape it on the inside?  :Razz:

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## Elvyra's Keeper

some use velcro. people worrie with tape because your bp might stick itself to it.

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## kira1123

So I was playing with the thermometer and I noticed there's a good difference in temperature reading between the unit and the probe.. which is more accurate? i've tested both on the warm side and both on the cool side and there's a difference in temp readings... or is mine just broken?

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## JoshJP7

Not sure i get your question... just keep the unit on the cool side... and run the probe to the heat pad... u may have to move the probe around and find out where your getting the hottest reading... Usually if you have the probe on the ouside of the heat pad youll get a couple degree difference compared to the middle of the pad... just play with it and keep moving it around... I use duct tape to hold the probe in place against the bottom of the tank... Just make sure you only use a very small piece and you get all the sides down as good as possible... Ive evn had to change out some pieces of duct tape bc the piss on the paper and it gets on the tape.

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## BSleeper

Wow i wish i seen this when i got my first ball 6 yrs ago lol i dropped like $300ish on the first set up. Awsome post should help a bunch of beginers

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## ALEX B.

[QUOTE=
QUOTE]

what kind of Ball is that, i love the color, i heard Pewter thrown around a few times.  I would like to find one of those, hard to find? expensive?
                              -thanks

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## cueball

[QUOTE=ALEX B.;729115]


> http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h269/Cueballpython/DSCN0812.jpg[/IMG]QUOTE]
> 
> what kind of Ball is that, i love the color, i heard Pewter thrown around a few times.  I would like to find one of those, hard to find? expensive?
>                               -thanks


Sorry, just not saw this reply  :Embarassed: 

That is a pewter, a cross between a pastel and cinnamon. They are becoming easier to find and can be bought from 1k-2k depending on the animal. That was the best one I have seen.

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## pedipalps

Nice set-up for a nice ball.

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## Lucas339

anyone else using this setup?  And where do you get the $5 rehostat?

will it be warm enough???

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## aj.gladding

the two identical hides stuff is a myth.  In the wild a python will never find two identical hides...lol.  I have two completely different hides and Diablo uses them both!!  But two hides are important.  One on the hot side, and one on the cold side.

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## Spaniard

> the two identical hides stuff is a myth.  In the wild a python will never find two identical hides...lol.  I have two completely different hides and Diablo uses them both!!  But two hides are important.  One on the hot side, and one on the cold side.


In the wild a snake isn't confined the area of a cage either.  While its important to look at their behaviors in the wild to model our husbandry on; its critical to realize that they are kept in captivity.  

Have you had experience with more than just your one snake?  If not is unfair to claim its a myth based an your rationalization of how it is in the "wild".

There are exceptions to every rule; when you start to deal with a higher number of snakes you start to see the variability in personality; husbandry tolerances, etc....

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## jimmyfoxca

> It's been sticky-fied! 
> 
> 
> I think what we really need to focus on teaching people is how to be aware of the needs of their animal and how to watch its behavior to understand if those needs are being met or not...and then to be willing to tweak the environment to make sure those needs are met.


This is true. The problem I find with posting is that I do not get may answers when I ask a question about behavior. I have no problem with set up and I am sure there are not many who do after a month or so of gleaning the internet. For instance, I have a hard time determining if my BP is roaming because she is hungry, uncomfortable, comfortable or none of the above. A little off the topic but I think it is interesting.

Jimmy

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## jimmyfoxca

> you should have two, or an indoor outdoor one. one on the cool side, one on the warm. I keep mine close to the bottom, because that's where the snake is, they don't stay 6 inches up the side of the cage.


You could also try having three:

1. A digital one that sticks to the outside with a probe that goes into the hide on the hot side. ($10 canadian)
2. A digital one that sticks to the outside with a probe that goes into the hide on the cool side. ($10 canadian)
3. A digital one that lies on the floor in the middle that reads temp and humidity. This is to gauge ambient temp. ($25 canadian)

The digital ones with the probe are not the indoor/outdoor. It just takes a reading where the probe goes. I stick it on the outside so that I can see it better. 

It may be over kill a little but it is precise. 

Jimmy

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## loperm

Wow that is a nice setup for the price.

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## bja86

I don't know if this has been covered but with this setup you could go even cheaper and have it be just as effective such as instead of store bought hides , you can just go to home depot and go to the plant section and get the trays that you put pots in and cut out a section on the side , would probably cost you a dollar for each hide more or less, also news paper you can get for extremely cheap or even free. I'm not a fan of reptibark as it is dusty and could cause respritory problems and is also quite costly.

One thing I do with my newspaper is I cut them out in sections and run them through a paper shredder and make tons of it, its simple effective and next to free.

Also for people that don't have a whole lot of money like me , home made rheostats can be made for about 7-8 bucks each here is a link http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19168 from the corn snake forums on how to make one of these, DdotSpot also shows you how to make one with 2 sockets. I have had no problem with mine.


If this was already covered I apologize, I just don't feel like reading 12 pages of posts =P

Thanks

Brian

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## displacedinbc

cueball:

I'm just a brand new snake owner so please forgive me if you think these questions are stupid....lol. I'm just setting up 2 new tanks and they are about the same as your pics on page 1. I have a question though, when you put the aluminum foil on the bottom of the tank did put the UTH under the foil ( I didn't see the UTH attached on the foil pic) and what direction did you place the shiny side of the foil on the bottom of the tank (up or down)?

thanks....

 :Smile:

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## shaunwithbite

nice tutorial,.. great ball python  :Smile:

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## k2l3d4

> the two identical hides stuff is a myth.  In the wild a python will never find two identical hides...lol.  I have two completely different hides and Diablo uses them both!!  But two hides are important.  One on the hot side, and one on the cold side.


I think that in a sense I have four hides... two are identical and then I have the hollowed out log and the bush that it hides under.... Normally avoids the identical hides.

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## americangypsy

> Purrrdy!


I second that . Great little environment for your shining beauty.	 :Snake:

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## XxRYANxX

that's nice thanks for the help

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