Do you use hides?

I use aspen shavings as substrate in my racks, and then the snakes can just burrow under it when they want to hide. I used to put actual hides inside my racks with the aspen substrate, but I found my snakes didn't really use them that much for hiding, but they did like to poop all over the edges of them, making me constantly have to clean them. So I stopped using them, and everyone seems perfectly happy now with aspen and no hides.

I use hides, but I also have one of the AP economy racks which is pretty open on the sides. If It were closed (solid walls) on 3 sides, I would probably not use hides for the adults as the tub essentially becomes the hide. The thing is just to make them feel secure. I had my female who just laid in the tub with no hide and just replaced her hide yesterday as I want her to eat and using the hide helps facilitate that

I give both of my ball pythons hides, although I've noticed my most recent pickup seems to not use them. S/he would rather curl up in the corner of the tub, behind the hide.... keeping an eye on that one.

I mostly use them for hatchlings and skittish BPs. The only two adults that have them are not being bred this season.

I do not use hides. I keep them in CB-70 Tubs with plenty of paper and crumpled up paper so the whole tube is a hide and they can get under the paper or hide behind a pile of paper. Got my first clutch this year so I'm pretty stoked.

Mike

I use hides in my tubs, except during the breeding season. I remove the hides from the breeding females tub.

I use hides in my baby racks. Adults do not have any hides. If I have a yearling that seems to be off feed, I may put a hide in with them. But normally, once they grow out of the baby rack, they do not have hides. All my adults are in 41 qt ARS caging racks.

My 15 qt shoebox tubs get the small black neodesha hides and my 32 qt tubs usually get the medium neodesha hides but my small hatchling tubs don't because no hide will fit in those.

My 2x2 boaphiles get hides but my 4x2 boaphiles do not because the boa and retics don't use them.

I phased them out over time... I give each snake a hide to begin with, but find eventually they all find `under the paper` then the hide just become one more thing that is perpetually jammed against the roof when I pull the tubs out, because the snake is in the hide but under the paper... or just is something to sit on top of and poop on. :)

bruce

Actually Kevin does use hides. I've been there and seen them.