Terrarium planning

[ChrisBailey]

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to be building a terrarium. I have a decorate cast iron
stand that I plan to use. The stand is designed to hold an aquarium that is 12in x 48in. I've
decided that I would like to make it 12in x 48in x 36in to allow my bp to do some climbing. I
would like to use some various tropical plants and a small aquatic area on the "cool" side of
the terrarium.

As I understand things, Python Regius will choose security over thermo-regulation, therefore,
it is not advised to use different styles of hides on the hot and cool side of the enclosure.
Unfortunately, it will be very difficult to construct a semi-aquatic cool hide that is as
accessible as the dry hide. I was considering a type of "bridge" that would allow him to travel
to the other hide but I am worried that he will ignore the cool side in favor of the other. Are
my concerns valid, or am I over thinking this? I would really hate to spend a large amount of
time and money constructing this terrarium if it will be an inadequete enclosure.

Another concern of mine is about mold and bacteria growing on the wooden parts of the enclosure.
My current plan will only have the bottom 12in of the enclosure encased in glass and waterproofed.
The top 24in will be framed in decorate wood and screened in fiberglass screening. Would it be
too difficult to maintain temperature and humidify in such an enclosure, and will the humidity
damage the wood materials?

Lastly, are there any particular plants that I need to steer clear of to protect my BP's health?
I know that several plants are toxic to animals but I haven't heard of any that bother pythons.
As much as I would love to have a tropical semi-aquatic terrarium, the primary purpose is still
to be a home for my BP, so I have to put that first. I'm anxiously awaiting answers. =)

[Alexandra V]

What do you mean by a semi-aquatic hide? Ball pythons don't tend to go for water much apart from drinking and the occasional soak to assist in shedding, for which a water bowl would suffice. Also, they tend to defecate in water when they soak, so you would have a fun time cleaning out the water of a semi-aquatic enclosure every time it pooped...

and I've used wooden parts (logs, sticks, etc) in ball enclosures and they don't seem to mold, because they only require about 50 % humidity, which isn't terribly high, and they're only in shed for a week or two, which means only a week or two of elevated humidity every so often.

As far as plants go, it's much easier to just go with fake, because then you don't have to worry about the soil potentially having come into contact with pesticides, you don't have to worry about plant toxicity, and you don't have to worry about parasites.

[ChrisBailey]

What I really meant was I would like to put a hide on the semi-aquatic side. I would really like to have a couple of goldfish on one side of the tank if possible. I wouldn't make the hide actually submerged in water, I was just concerned he wouldn't like the dampness on that side.

[Muddyredneck]

your hearts in the right place but for a bp this is a bad idea, doing anything aquatic would spike your humidity and the enclsoure you wanna make is two small for all u wanna put in it, if u wanted to so somethin like this pick a diffrent species like a yellow anaconda or something.

oh and its a bad idea to give ur bp anything higher then a few inches to climb on cause there clumbsy and not the best climbers and can get hurt from a fall

[mpkeelee]

its a bad idea, ur husbandry is gonna be all jacked up, its prolly gonna stress out ur snake, and its gonna be a pain to clean everything. trust me, simple is better. thats why so many people use tubs and none of us have any issues with our animals.

[Evenstar]

your hearts in the right place but for a bp this is a bad idea, doing anything aquatic would spike your humidity and the enclsoure you wanna make is two small for all u wanna put in it, if u wanted to so somethin like this pick a diffrent species like a yellow anaconda or something.

oh and its a bad idea to give ur bp anything higher then a few inches to climb on cause there clumbsy and not the best climbers and can get hurt from a fall

x2.

And speaking from experience, my bp just destroyed her "natural" terrarium. I ended up taking all the plants out and now she has her hides and a twisted branch about 10 inches high for climbing, her rock water bowl and that's it.

These are heavy-bodied snakes and their weight will crush plants if they try to climb on them (and they will). Change the screening to all glass to hold the humidity and a set up like this will be beautiful and much much better suited to an amazon tree boa or green tree python - not a ball. They simply do not live in areas like this in their native habitat. Think arid grass lands and termite mounds for bps.....

If you already have a bp, you can still do something naturalistic, but get rid of the aquatic part - that'll mess you up for sure. As I said, think grasslands and not tropical. Pick a forest-type printed background or cork bark tiles for background. Use grass bushes as your plants - this isn't as likely to be crushed or to entice climbing. Use sturdy broad twisted branches about 10" for climbing. Cypress mulch for substrate - it looks natural and holds humidity well. 2 hides - either "rock" or clay pots and a rock water bowl in the middle. There you go! Very attractive and relatively easy to clean.......

[kitedemon]

I really like naturalistic enclosures myself but what you have thought of isn't quite right for a ball. The height is really very high I'd say that 24 inch at the highest, personally I like 18 it is a fair height but not really very difficult to control environmental controls with. There are lots of plants that will survive around balls but you really need to pick carefully they will get broken down quickly. I am assuming you are planning a bioactive substrate system like what is often used in Europe? The Art of Keeping Snakes by Philippe De Vosjoli is a good starting point. I'd recommend reading this book before finalizing a plan for a viv. Some of the UK forums often have stickies on the type of build you are proposing that also might be a good start.

[anatess]

Semi-aquatic and ball python don't really go together. What you are describing is great for a green tree python. Yellow anaconda gets too big.

Are you set on ball python? If so, then you can still achieve naturalistic like this:



Not as natural as what you're describing but still gives a nice look.

[Cody John Steele]

I think it's fine, your aquatic area won't jack up your humidity unless you put a UTH under it. Your bp won't destroy your plants as long as you choose something sturdy.

Go wild with it...the only thing I would could say negative about it, would be it's going to be a pain to clean.

[Muddyredneck]

i never ment to give the impression im for simpler is better, lol i absolutly LOVE natualistic enclosures, and think they are great for a species that thrives.. i just dont feel a bp would do well with anything better then a bare minimum spot on enclosure. i feel that when a strong feeder is a abnormal snake then its best to go with the snakes best interests, lol i cant wait to have the space for the enclsoures i wanna build, 5 or 6 species gonna be decked out to the max..


i agree tho if you REALLY wanted to do something like this, id reccomend this

1)ditch the iron stand it wont work and will be a problem
2)build a 5x2x3 foot enclosure for it when its an adult
3) look for a tan astro turf to simulate the grassland grass
4) build two termite mounts one in each corner, make sure to build them in 2 pieces so part removes and have the inside completly smooth for easy cleaning (i can help exand more on this if desired)
5)put a water bowl, background and some kind of tree stump (can also help elaborate on this) right in the middle to not only aid sheding but for an astetic look(spelling?)