Hide size VS snake size

if you're anything like me, spatial recognition does not come naturally so figuring out what size hides you need can be tough!
i had a great discussion with some fellow members regarding the size of a hide in relationship to the size of the snake using it. i was hoping to spread some of that knowledge with a thread dedicated to this topic so that others might better know what hide sizes they can use and how long they will last.
for now we've only discussed RBI hides, but i'm hoping others will share their experience with other brands (Exo-Terra, NatGeo, etc.)

first up is Spaghetti in her medium RBI hides. she's almost 600g and has plenty of room to grow.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...626ff3e9fa.jpg

next is Yellow in his large RBI hides. he's over 900g and has PLENTY of room.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...c764dd279a.jpg

user @MmmBanana shared his experience with his almost-1200g male who fits into medium RBI hides. as someone who sucks at spatial recognition, this threw me for a loop!
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...82882ed566.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...c14572558b.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...bf438a8f0c.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...d837c1324a.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...b3776d5dc4.jpg

so i put Yellow into a spare medium RBI hide i had and, well whatdayaknow
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...79136b8058.jpg

here he is after i lifted the hide off of him. nice and snug!
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...6418176dd3.jpg

so i replaced one of Yellow's hides with a medium one and will be checking if he uses it throughout the week. i will also be updating this thread with a small RBI hide comparison with Coffee Bean later today.

thanks for reading!

I use exo-terra stone hides. Small for monty, he needs an upgrade but still fits. Medium for Clyde, he has room to grow in it yet. Large for Bonnie fits her perfect. I like the exo-terra above the rbis, they tend to flip my rbis but not the stone hides.

Sent from my LG-M151 using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pezz

I use exo-terra stone hides. Small for monty, he needs an upgrade but still fits. Medium for Clyde, he has room to grow in it yet. Large for Bonnie fits her perfect. I like the exo-terra above the rbis, they tend to flip my rbis but not the stone hides.

---

do you have pics? i'd love to see them! i used to use Exo-Terras and i do like them over RBIs for their weight. i still have them! with a growing collection tho, price has been a factor. :oops:

Excellent write up! Really helpful to see visuals of size versus snake.

I recently bought a new hide for the cold side and this one was a little different than the old one where the front of the hide was a lot lower than the back. It has turned out to be the favorite place for him to hide. I would definitely say that height is as important as width in getting a good hide for a burrow dwelling species like a ball.

If you want to know a highly recommend one for an adult, this one is what i bought a little while ago

Exo Terra extra large reptile cave

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...1&pcatid=36191

Check my post history I wrote one about it a month ago or so. Drs Fosters and Smith have great deals on reptile supplies and always have some sale or the other.

Damn, I wish you posted this sooner! I just ordered 2 lg RBI hides yesterday, turns out my Mediums will last much longer than I expected ;)

Clydes hide. I'm not going to bug Monty or Bonnie until after feeding (and 48 hours after that lol).https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a4e7a2695f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...12e26afb0e.jpg

Sent from my LG-M151 using Tapatalk

All of my dudes show a very strong preference for RBI hides over exo-terra. Sad for me because the exo-terra looks nicer, but I gave in long ago. I'll see if I can't get a decent picture of how my 1250g boy fits in his medium soonish, but he's in shed right now although in a surprisingly good mood anyway just skittish (He gets hissy sometimes when his eyes are completely blue).

Thanks for posting this! I've been wondering about this lately on what size hides I may have to move up to when it's time for Tapioca to use his full cage, so this is super helpful! I'll keeping an eye on this thread for more comparisons :P

Small RBI vs 140g juve, might just be her but she likes to "stretch" out in her hide lol


https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...55bf7a1a94.jpg

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kcl

All of my dudes show a very strong preference for RBI hides over exo-terra. Sad for me because the exo-terra looks nicer, but I gave in long ago. I'll see if I can't get a decent picture of how my 1250g boy fits in his medium soonish, but he's in shed right now although in a surprisingly good mood anyway just skittish (He gets hissy sometimes when his eyes are completely blue).

---

I use both but my guys like flipping the rbis. Don't know if it's them just playing or if they dislike them. I also use straw huts originally designed for rodents as moisture hides stuff it with paper towels and spray down every couple days.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8abf38c073.jpg

Sent from my LG-M151 using Tapatalk