Cage decor?

I notice many different levels of decor for balls. My question is this. How necessary is all the stuff for the health and happiness of our pets? I realize a lot of it makes the cage look cool, and appealing to us, but does the snake care? I also noted that the breeder I dealt with, as well as many others I've seen, has only a hide and a water dish for each snake. These snakes appeared very healthy and content. What are your thoughts?

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Originally Posted by FireBri

I notice many different levels of decor for balls. My question is this. How necessary is all the stuff for the health and happiness of our pets? I realize a lot of it makes the cage look cool, and appealing to us, but does the snake care? I also noted that the breeder I dealt with, as well as many others I've seen, has only a hide and a water dish for each snake. These snakes appeared very healthy and content. What are your thoughts?

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You're right. Most decor is used strictly for aesthetic purposes. Most people put in fake plants for looks, however real plants help provide humidity. Additionally, rough wood logs and other objects help break old skin during the shedding process so providing something rough for them to rub against is always a good idea. Back and side covers (similar to the ones used in fish tanks) are good to provide darker conditions but once again are usually used for looks. Altogether, aesthetics and usefulness goes hand in hand when picking out the furniture. Get the basics necessary for the snake to survive (hides, water dish etc) but add on as and if you wish for your visual appeal. Keep in mind, if you want to stay cheap while providing the basics, get an old plastic flower pot base from the dollar store, turn it over and cut a hole through it; it makes a perfect hide!
Hope this helps :)

True, most decor is to make the enclosure look "natural" and appealing to the owner...especially since it's all they really have to look at since BPs hide all day. :D

Greenery, however, adds places for them to hide. Logs and such, as was said, give them shed aid spots. And if the enclosure is a bit large, the added decor closes up the open space and makes them feel more secure.

It really all depends on the type of enclosure. Tubs in racks usually don't need a lot of decor because you can't see in as well and the tub is usually snug enough. Display cages are meant for display, and so should look nice. And tanks are often larger and so need the decor to fill in the space.