Are rack systems...cruel?

[visiontoreality]

It's always been my philosophy to give the snake as much room as I can possibly give it. I don't really have evidence to back this up but feel it's the most natural thing to do. I was just wondering, obviously a lot of people have racks....but isn't that kind of mean to be enclosing an animal in such a small space?

[tmartin2347]

I would say it all depends on what type of snake it is. With bps which I have racks are perfect because they are nocturnal and they are more comfortable in tight areas, and not to mention they live in rodent burrows and things of that nature in the wild.

[ADEE]

It would be cruel if you had an adult BP locked in a tiny bin yes, however from what ive read they seem to like having close quarters to make them feel more secure. I think humans want to humanize everything and we need to remember they are reptiles and may not enjoy being on display in huge tanks... just my .02 ya know?

[wolfy-hound]

Some creatures prefer smaller areas. Ball pythons like to live in small enclosed spaces, and generally emerge only if they need to hunt rodents or look for water, or a mate. They tend to prefer being in the termite mounds, from all the videos in Africa that I've seen.
So in my opinion, they prefer smaller darker areas to live in, and a bright open huge tank might actually make them stressed out.
Animals aren't humans, and while *we* would prefer lots of space, and plenty of light, they probably don't.

[fishmommy]

I only have one snake, and I chose a large enclosure.
It's loaded with hides and things for security of course.

every night he comes out and stretches his full length and lounges around. sometimes he's draped over the fake plants, sometimes just flat on the substrate, sometimes draped through his warm-side water dish and over a half-log. he uses all four of his hides equally during the day.
Based on how he uses his whole enclosure, I'd say that the space, if furnished properly, is fully appreciated.
not to say that it's needed....

that's just my 2 cents as a noob

[Jerhart]

...Just dont let them see the "outside"...if they are cb then the inside of the bin is all they know

[herpmajor]

Some tub are really big. I dont think its cruel.

[stangs13]

Snakes like small, enclosed, dark spaces. I would rather have them in a rack than anything.

[wicked5446]

I think they're more comfortable in the racks and feel more secure. I have had some feeding problems when i kept them in large enclosures i think they get stressed easier.

[Argentra]

Well, here's my :

Yes, ball pythons are most often found in small, dark, tight spaces such as burrows or termite mounds and because of this it is necessary to provide them with similar spaces in captivity to make them happy and secure.
However, this does not mean that the tight space need be their whole world. I personally do not agree that adult BPs should be kept in short tubs with just a water dish. Although I understand that people with many snakes must conserve space, and that tight spaces must be provided, there should also be room for them to move from place to place...opportunities for them to stretch out and explore even though they rarely use them.

I also give any animal I own as much space as I can keep clean and afford. If they are a shy, solitary animal, such as my BPs, then I make sure there are plenty of dark hidey holes and greenery to help them be comfortable, but I still offer them the space be it in a tank, tub, or large display cage.

To summarize: rack systems are not necessarily 'cruel', especially for a snake like the ball python, but they could be a bit bigger.