Cardboard and duct tape or packing tape would work in a pinch. I'd ditch the paper towels and get something like Eco-earth or Reptichip (anything coconut husk based). That will keep up the humidity. Have you taken a temp of the hot spot under those lights? Seems a bit overkill, make sure you don't go above 95F. I would think ball pythons would like it a bit darker, maybe get a red light or skip the lights and put one under tank heater with thermostat right in the middle of the tank, hotspots on each side, set the thermostat to 88F. I don't like those hides being open on both ends, I'd staple some cardboard to both ends and cut a small hole just big enough on one end.
I started with a setup similar to that with glass tanks and hides, the snakes will just stay in their hide all day long and it will look like you have a bunch of empty tanks LOL. My snakes didn't eat very well until I put them in solid grey tubs that are very dark inside, no hides, nothing but substrate in the tub (in an ARS rack). They love those dark tubs and thrive in them. I eventually used all my glass tanks to raise mice and rats, then moved all my rodents to an ARS rat breeder rack, then found my mice really stink in a rack so put them back in the glass tanks with carbon filter pads on the tops of the tanks, I just keep my rats and African Soft furs in the ARS rat breeder rack system. Works great for me.
I eventually pulled everything out of the mice tanks (glass tanks) and just put Mazuri blocks right on the shredded paper substrate and ball up newspaper to give them something to play with, the less decorations you have the easier it is to maintain with both the snakes and rodents. With balled up newspaper and toilet paper inner tubs all my toys are disposable and recycles something that would otherwise be thrown away LOL.
