Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
I use stand-alone tubs and have 2 hides in each, just like a tank. The BP and Dumerils use them religously. The BCI's maybe 40%-50% of the time, but they are there if they choose...
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
in my rack i use no hides but some like to hide under the paper.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
yes they need two hides one on warm side one on the cool side and also the snake should touch all sides of their hides so they feel safe. why so they have a dark place to hide and feel secure and its more humid in the hide.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
In an aquarium yes. I don't often give them in my tubs, but they make their own usually by going under the newspaper.:rolleyes:
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
I haven't kept a snake in an Aquarium ever, but would always suggest using a hide on the hot side, as well as the cool side, if you decide too.
I used hides for the first couple years breeding ball pythons, and not many used them. Majority sat on top of them making it an extreme pain to pull the tub about because once startled, they like to 'flex'. ;)
I don't use any hides now, and have no issues with any of my snakes. Some hatchling's like to go under the paper towel, and almost all of my adults like curling up in a deep bedding of Aspen.
I guess it ultimately depends on how they're being housed.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
I keep a hide in my racks, on the warm side, until they reach 600g. I use the small reptile basics hides until around 300g; then I switch to the medium reptile basics hide. Once they outgrow that I remove the hide all together.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
Quote:
"In my rack i use no hides but some like to hide under the paper. "
What he said.
As a sidenote however, I do offer hides to those animals that seem to require one during the move from hatchling/yearling bin to adult bin. RIght now, 2% of my balls have a hide.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
I have just one snake, and it's in a glass tank. It would be unthinkable to NOT have a hide in there. He would be a frazzled mess without his solitary safety spot.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
Considering there are owners out there that don't know their snakes need hides, it's possible for them to survive without them. But, they're much less stressed out if they have one!!
I have mine in a rack with one hide.
Re: Should ball pythons have a hide?
I think that they should be offered a hide(s) in every enclosure. I don't have experience with racks but a ball pythons instinct is to hide in a dark close quartered space. I would question if only dark is enough. If dark were enough a cloth over a tank would be enough but I don't believe it is.
The next question is what is a hide? A sheet of news print that it can get under that is hiding right?! A heavily planted corner is a hide too. Behind a water bowl wedged in a corner of a dark rack that also is a hide.
Alex