Ball Python Exercise

[Yozface]

So...I've had my Male BP about 5 months now. He's 9 mo old, happy, healthy and extremely active. In the 10 years I was researching these guys I haven't seen much in the way of "exercising" your snake. Now, I know BP are slow-moving and pretty sedentary, but I want to provide my snake with safe opportunities to stretch and work his muscles a few times a week. Snakes in the wild still have to spend much time travelling for food, a mate and water. We have a 50 lb dog and there are children in the household. I'm looking for ideas on safe ways to exercise him at home. We live mins from 2 parks but it's not hot enough for me to take him out for his first outing to the park. Altho I can't wait for that!

Thanks in advance
Kind regards

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

[Craiga 01453]

The reason you haven't seen much info about exercising snakes is because it's not necessary.

Also, a trip to a public park would be a pretty risky adventure that I would avoid. The risks outweigh the rewards.

[Yozface]

Thanks for your reply, and altho it's not necessary. It's not harmful, and even tho snakes cant physically show enjoyment or benefits from it. My snake is very active and I wanna enrich that. Also ty for your concern in regards to the park I'll keep that in mind.

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Snakes in the wild still have to spend much time travelling for food

Nope not BP they are opportunistic and ambush feeders spending they spend 80% to 90% of their time hiding in termite mounts just to ambush their prey at the entrance of said mount, they occasionally move to another nearby mount.

We live mins from 2 parks but it's not hot enough for me to take him out for his first outing to the park. Altho I can't wait for that!

The only benefit will be for you, to show off, there is no benefit for the animal it is actually stressful (stress can lead to health issues), additionally over the last 10+ years snake keepers have been under tremendous scrutiny in the US (and if it happens here is can happen anywhere), with law makers trying to ban snakes, passing new laws in that effect, the people you will meet at the park will not likely perceive a snake as a good thing, do not become one of those giving the other side ammunition to push laws. You want to take you snake outside do it in your backyard do not expose the general public to it, there are enough bad headlines.

[Booper]

Also with taking a snake to a public park you are open to any bugs and beasties that may want to make your snake their new home...

[Lizardlicks]

Captive enrichment is an issue that's been brought up for ball pythons, especially when the standard of keeping involves bare tubs lined with newspaper and not much else. If you want to encourage your snake to exercise on it's own- which would be the least stress way to do it for the animal- provide an interesting enclosure with areas available for borrowing or climbing, as well as switching new objects in every occasionally. Another thing you can do is scent the enclosure the day before, or morning of feeding: gets them excited and more likely to begin actively hunting if they know food is near by.

Taking a snake out of its enclosure can offer it exercise, but it's coupled with the stress of handling, and taking it to a public park adds danger to your animal's safety as well as possible negative public interaction. If you want to take a snake some place public to show off, only take it someplace it's been invited to before hand.

[Kcl]

Offering movement opportunities in the cage is always the best exercise option. Handling and letting the snake explore supervised in a room the dog is closed off from while the snake is out can be done at a frequency and length appropriate for the snake - keep an eye on signs of stress, specific frequencies are variable and arguable but daily is generally too much and a couple times a week is fine for many but not all.

Varying feeding days can also encourage active hunting in the enclosure.

Can you provide more specifics on how your snake is "very active" though (including times of day/night)? In some cases, that's a sign that they're unhappy/insecure in their enclosure. (Or it can be a sign of hunger, desire to breed during the relevant season, or other things - lots more specifics needed to determine).

[Yozface]

The only benefit will be for you, to show off, there is no benefit for the animal it is actually stressful (stress can lead to health issues), additionally over the last 10+ years snake keepers have been under tremendous scrutiny in the US (and if it happens here is can happen anywhere), with law makers trying to ban snakes, passing new laws in that effect, the people you will meet at the park will not likely perceive a snake as a good thing, do not become one of those giving the other side ammunition to push laws. You want to take you snake outside do it in your backyard do not expose the general public to it, there are enough bad headlines.

Thanks so much for responding. I like to consider myself a very responsible pet owner, and honestly wanting to take him to the park is about exercise but also for my son so we could have some more naturalisitc pictures. Take a blanket, snap pictures. Jolly good time. ;p

Also if we had a backyard I would be using it. Sadly we do not. I always
See ppl with pictures, able to enjoy their snakes in their backyards. And I'm not going to take public transit or drive to my friends house for something like that= even more stress. But oh well.

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

[Yozface]

Captive enrichment is an issue that's been brought up for ball pythons, especially when the standard of keeping involves bare tubs lined with newspaper and not much else. If you want to encourage your snake to exercise on it's own- which would be the least stress way to do it for the animal- provide an interesting enclosure with areas available for borrowing or climbing, as well as switching new objects in every occasionally. Another thing you can do is scent the enclosure the day before, or morning of feeding: gets them excited and more likely to begin actively hunting if they know food is near by.

Taking a snake out of its enclosure can offer it exercise, but it's coupled with the stress of handling, and taking it to a public park adds danger to your animal's safety as well as possible negative public interaction. If you want to take a snake some place public to show off, only take it someplace it's been invited to before hand.

That's great advice! Thanks a lot. I'll look into making things more interesting in his enclosure among these other things you have suggested.

Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk

[Yozface]

Can you provide more specifics on how your snake is "very active" though (including times of day/night)? In some cases, that's a sign that they're unhappy/insecure in their enclosure. (Or it can be a sign of hunger, desire to breed during the relevant season, or other things - lots more specifics needed to determine).

He's very active at night. I don't see much of him during the daytime . I noticed it after the first week I bought him. Usually 1 hour after I've turned the lights off he comes alive and is always trying to get out of the tub. When I take him out he appears lax, comfortable and seems like he's just ready to move and go. Tongue always flickering. After I put him back, I'll check on him and he's still hanging around and being active inside his tub. Than eventually he retreats to one of the hides. I hope that helps.



Sent from my LG-D851 using Tapatalk