Habitat vs Tupperwear

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Originally Posted by WakoNako

I only have the one BP right now and he's in a tank/habitat.

I'm not have difficulties with keeping temperature and humidity right.

The cool side of the tank is at 78-82 and the hot side varies between 90 and 95.

We have a small coconut hide on the warm side and then a fake vine on the other than he likes to curl up underneath.

I use an infrared lamp for heat so it can be left on at night on cool nights.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...o/P4180073.jpg

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/g...o/P4180072.jpg

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You are only going to get an ambient air temp with those being so high and not a very accurate reading!

Yep. I've learnt that from the good people on this forum.
I'm going to be adding digital thermometers lower down once i have the money.

I'll probably keep those in there though, he seems to like climbing on them during the night.

The two pet ball pythons in my home are in large sterilite bins. Glass tanks are just inferior for making a good ball python viv.

If you want to go pricier, you could buy a Vision cage, or one of the other cages made of expanded PVC, etc. They're all better choices than glass tanks, which are hard to keep warm and properly humidified.

When I just had one she was in a big glass tank. It was awful! She never shed properly because keeping it humid was a nightmare and I couldn't get a good temperature gradient.

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Originally Posted by Pandora

I'm not surprised to see a vast majority of people on here go in favor of the tubs.

In my honest opinion, the tubs vs tanks option is just as subjective as people's taste in music or food, etc. etc... it's whatever works for the owner

My boyfriend and I live together and we've both got 2 ball pythons of our own. Personally, as a couple living in a 2-floor 3-bedroom house, we can afford the space to comfortably house 4 ball pythons in tanks, and manage to keep their temps and humidity regulated with little to no effort.

However, a lot of people who own several snakes, or breed snakes, would obviously need the convenience of a rack/tub system, and that's completely understandable.

In the argument of the snake's "happiness" with one or the other... I'm not so sure there's really much of a difference. Snakes are very basic-needs animals and as long as they've got heat, water, food, hides, a clean environment, and enough ground room to comfortably move around, I don't see the difference between plastic and glass. To be totally honest... by the sounds of it, that's exactly what's being argued.

Nobody who takes their animals as seriously as the owners on this website would sacrifice the fundamental needs of their pet by putting them in a tupperware container, if it really came down to that. However, that's not the case...

At the end of the day, if we're going to have an argument like this, let's start one on mozzarella vs. cheddar, and rock vs. rap... now THERE'S something to agrue :)

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I vote mozzarella..... just because i love string cheese..... haha oh and i refuse to vote on the container issue. I keep my boys in sterilite 34qts and they are both very content.... does tupperware make something big enough to put snakes in? hmmm..... i think im going to go buy some string cheese now. oh and ROCK all the way.

TBH space is space. You snake doesn't care if its in a lovely looking wooden viv, or a sacure tub. Aslong as they have somewhere warm and dark, a bowl of fresh water, a weekly meal and maybe something to climb on, I don't think they care.

Vivs are meerly for our benifit, they are nice to look at.

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Originally Posted by Arsinoe

I've never pretended to like bins for animals. Sure the tanks are more work, but they can have a better quality of life in then and not just exist in a plastic world. The wild guys at least have a choice to hide in a hole, but they also have the choice to come out when they want also. Pet snakes don't have any choices other than what we give them and I just do not agree in a sterile plasticine lifestyle for any living creature.

:taz: Rant Over :taz:

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then put your snake in a glass tank or an African termite mound

I still want to see a custom Viv designed to look like a termite mound, lol.

By Bob Clark. One of the leading snake specialists..

"While the main purpose of a cage is to contain the snake, it must also enclose a suitable environment for its inhabitant. Proper temperature and humidity levels are essential for maintaining a healthy ball python. The ball python comes from a more arid environment than most pythons. Even so, it still requires a fairly high level of humidity. Ball pythons spend most of their time in burrows where it's more likely to be a little damp. When they leave, it's usually at night when temperatures are cooler and the level of moisture in the air is greater. The wild snakes do not expose themselves to the dry conditions that their natural environment presents. In captivity, when given a choice, they will do the same."

http://www.bobclark.com/aAN_02.asp

Hmmm... They do not expose theirselves to their natural habitat in the wild.. Interesting... Maybe thats why the people that go hunting for BPs for export never find them anywhere other than in their burrow...

Asthetically speaking, a "habitat" as you put it, is only for you. NOT the snake. Think realistically. A BP is actually going to be more nervous in an aquarium. Sure you can fill it with cool stuff to make it feel more secure but then you just made it into something for you to look at. If your snake comes out alot when you can see it and roams around, this is a sign of stress for BPs. You're not talking about a retic here.

You make it sound like a plastic tub is a horrible life and the snakes are not happy. That if they had a choice they would choose a tank over a tub.. That my friend, is completely wrong. We dont care if you like it or not. People who own tree pythons have branches or cage perches for their snakes and foliage. Yes even the big breeders who have alot of them. Because they know it is what is best and most natural for the snake. Racks are not cruel and if those of us who have racks could read our snakes minds we would tell you that they are very happy and healthy. They feel safe, secure, they shed perfectly and they eat. SO please stop it with your loaded posts. We are aware of what you like and dont like. We are also aware of the natural history of these snakes and we know what is most comfortable and natural for them.

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I've never pretended to like bins for animals. Sure the tanks are more work, but they can have a better quality of life in then and not just exist in a plastic world. The wild guys at least have a choice to hide in a hole, but they also have the choice to come out when they want also. Pet snakes don't have any choices other than what we give them and I just do not agree in a sterile plasticine lifestyle for any living creature.

Rant Over

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I dont believe you actually understand the workings of your snakes. Our snakes dont look at their tub, custom enclosure, or aquarium and think it is boring or aesthetically pleasing. All they really "want" is their needs met. They are survival machines. As long as their heat, humidity, privacy, space hunger, and thirst are met, they are pretty much perfectly content. Whether it is provided by a tank with a heat light or a rack with tubs and heat tape. Our snakes have almost no cognitive thought, and you need to realize that. If you think your snake is loving its enclosure because its roaming all the time, then you just have a stressed out BP as stated before.

Our snakes, in reality, are just like new born babies. They dont care what their home looks like. Whether it be a cave, wooden shack or mansion, they just dont care. They are acting out of reflexes and instinct. They have little to no cognitive thought. As long as the babies and the snakes needs are met they are content. So we who keep our snakes in tubs are doing great things for our snakes.

Dont come on here bashing us who use tubs. WE ARE DOING WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR SNAKES. No matter how much you disagree, plainly you are wrong in this instance. You are basically bashing a huge portion of the community.

You are truly over anthropomorphising. You are treating your BP as if it was you. Your BP doesnt care what its enclosure looks like. All it needs is its needs met, and in your aquarium style habitats, their needs in the heat and humidity department are most likely fluctuating on a regular basis.