Question about hides?

I have a 4x1x2 enclosure I'm setting up for my carpet python. I have 2 hides for her, however I am hoping to mount one of these on the ceiling as a sky hide. If so, would she be alright with one on the ceiling and one on the floor on opposite sides? Or would I need to purchase another hide so that there is two on the floor on opposite sides and one on the ceiling?

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Originally Posted by 55fingers

I have a 4x1x2 enclosure I'm setting up for my carpet python. I have 2 hides for her, however I am hoping to mount one of these on the ceiling as a sky hide. If so, would she be alright with one on the ceiling and one on the floor on opposite sides? Or would I need to purchase another hide so that there is two on the floor on opposite sides and one on the ceiling?

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I imagine it would be alright to have only the two hides. From what I've heard about carpets, I doubt one would favor one hide over the other so much that it would fail to properly thermoregulate. That said, a 4x2 has plenty of space for hides, so I think three (or more) hides would be better.

Personally I'd go for 3 hides: one floor cool side, one floor warm side & one "sky hide"- I have no experience with Morelia, but my rat snakes are all fairly arboreal, & they happily use all 3 at different times. So if you have the space (& you do) I'd say "the more options, the merrier". Options encourage not only the proper temperatures, but movement & exploration, from which I believe they benefit. Same goes for a humid hide where appropriate- I've never seen a snake yet that didn't find moist sphagnum moss to be a treat- it's also about textures & feeling snug. As far as a second floor hide, you don't have to purchase something identical- just as long as you provide something that gives cover & feels similarly "secure" to a snake.

I'd start with two on the floor and one ceiling mounted. If one or more of them never gets used you can take it out later.
Unsolicited advice, but if ever possible I'd offer more height if you have the opportunity. I have four carpet pythons and I rarely see any of them on the cage floor. 4x2x1 will definitely work, and many of mine were in that size at one point. But after moving them to 18-24" tall enclosures with perches/shelves/skyhides I see a lot more activity out of them.
Varies by individual animal obviously, but of all four of mine I've seen them collectively use the floor hides on either side maybe 3x in the last year to year and a half. They're almost always up on a perch/shelf/sky hide/etc. Every one of mine favors their sky hide over any other hide.

I was thinking the same thing as jmcrook just pointed out (about the height @ 1') but I was hoping it was a typo. ;) It's almost not a "sky hide" when it's that low. ;)