What are the chances of my ball python climbing in her enclosure?

I made my ball python an enclosure that is 2 ft tall so that i can put a ledge in that is close to the heat lamp what are the chances of her climbing up to it


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BP's are mainly ground dwelling snakes. When they are young they are more likely to climb, but generally they won't utilize the extra height. I have both 2' and 1' tall cages. I keep by BP's in 1 foot cages since they didn't utilize the 2' cages.

If i put the ledge in will she bask on it?


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Mine only climbs when it's feeding time, and she's trying to find that rat! Bahaha!!!

I dont feed in the enclosure


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Originally Posted by dillymann

I dont feed in the enclosure


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I do. I don't really see much of an advantage to feeding outside the enclosure. I know some will disagree, and I guess it's a personal thing.

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Originally Posted by dillymann

If i put the ledge in will she bask on it?


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Ball pythons don't really bask...they live most of their lives out in tiny holes in the ground.

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Ball pythons don't really bask...they live most of their lives out in tiny holes in the ground.

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Do you think she will go on the ledge if i put it in thought?


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Originally Posted by dillymann

Do you think she will go on the ledge if i put it in thought?


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She might go up there on occasion, but BP's spend 99% of their time in their hide.


Feeding in the cage is really best, you are actually more likely to get bit feeding in a separate container

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Originally Posted by dillymann

Do you think she will go on the ledge if i put it in thought?


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She may. You can try it out and see if she likes it. She may also like curling around it or hiding behind it.

I hope she uses it


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Ill keep you guys updated on my build


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I recently purchased some of that malleable repti-vine stuff and have it connected from two small trees inside my enclosure, and my guy climbs on it every night. I've even seen him coil around it and lower himself to his waterdish, its actually quite cool to see. Granted he's still just a little guy and the vines do only sit a few inches off the ground. I also have leaves intertwined on the lid of the tank that he crawls around in every night. Not speaking from any level of expertise but probably just depends a bit on the snake and I don't think it would hurt to try.

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Originally Posted by Jswan

I recently purchased some of that malleable repti-vine stuff and have it connected from two small trees inside my enclosure, and my guy climbs on it every night. I've even seen him coil around it and lower himself to his waterdish, its actually quite cool to see. Granted he's still just a little guy and the vines do only sit a few inches off the ground. I also have leaves intertwined on the lid of the tank that he crawls around in every night. Not speaking from any level of expertise but probably just depends a bit on the snake and I don't think it would hurt to try.

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Thanks for the info :)


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Originally Posted by Jswan

I recently purchased some of that malleable repti-vine stuff and have it connected from two small trees inside my enclosure, and my guy climbs on it every night. I've even seen him coil around it and lower himself to his waterdish, its actually quite cool to see. Granted he's still just a little guy and the vines do only sit a few inches off the ground. I also have leaves intertwined on the lid of the tank that he crawls around in every night. Not speaking from any level of expertise but probably just depends a bit on the snake and I don't think it would hurt to try.

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Whatever works for you and your snake is fine. Ball pythons do climb in the wild and they do it enough that it's been documented that avian prey can make up a large portion of their diet.......and no ladies, I'm not going to do your research for you - I've passed out the link to that darn study enough over the past few years. Expand your minds and think beyond the plastic tub with the one hide, the water bowl and the flexwatt. Experimenting intelligently is often a good thing for both the owner and the snake.

Again, if it works for you and more importantly, your snake, go ahead and do it.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Whatever works for you and your snake is fine. Ball pythons do climb in the wild and they do it enough that it's been documented that avian prey can make up a large portion of their diet.......and no ladies, I'm not going to do your research for you - I've passed out the link to that darn study enough over the past few years. Expand your minds and think beyond the plastic tub with the one hide, the water bowl and the flexwatt. Experimenting intelligently is often a good thing for both the owner and the snake.

Again, if it works for you and more importantly, your snake, go ahead and do it.

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I agree with you on everything, the only thing is the sample size for that study was so small that i don't think it's appropriate to draw any definitive conclusions from it. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I agree with you on everything, the only thing is the sample size for that study was so small that i don't think it's appropriate to draw any definitive conclusions from it. :rolleyes:

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...how large was the sample size for the studies that:

1. Showed that they like indented kraft paper?
2. Bask on flexwatt at a precise temperature of 91 degrees?
3. Hate glass cages with screen tops?

I think they were considerably smaller than the study that PROVED that they CLIMB trees in search of AVIAN prey.

Just out of curiosity, in your professional opinion as a wildlife biologist, how large should the sample size have been?

How big was the same size??

And the matter of sample size has nothing to do with wildlife biologists; that is actually a statistical problem, and it has been seen time and time again that some scientists ignore the statistical side of things in order to obtain "results"

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

...how large was the sample size for the studies that:

1. Showed that they like indented kraft paper?
2. Bask on flexwatt at a precise temperature of 91 degrees?
3. Hate glass cages with screen tops?

I think they were considerably smaller than the study that PROVED that they CLIMB trees in search of AVIAN prey.

Just out of curiosity, in your professional opinion as a wildlife biologist, how large should the sample size have been?

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1. No idea, i've never heard they "like" that. Never heard of a study for it either. Over the years I've used a variety of different substrates and settled on newspaper for one reason: i like it best lol. Honestly though, if i kept my snakes in a hardwood floor or tiled room i'd probably use cypress mulch. I think it looks nicer but it get all over the floor and my vacuum cant handle the bigger chips lol.

2. I'm not aware of any studies for this either but if you have some i'd be happy to read. I don't keep mine at 91, thats too hot imo. Mine have a 87-88deg hotspot. Once again, from my experience observing their behaviour, they seem more content at those cooler temps.

3. They don't hate them at all! Way back when i only had a few snakes mine did just fine in them. I wasn't aware bps were capable of "hating" something, i think they're far too simple minded for those kind of emotions lol.

The sample size was like only 20 or 30 snakes right? Maybe i'm thinking of something else i read though. Sorry but going over in Africa and looking for balls, when there are THOUSANDS over there, and finding 30 in trees doesn't prove a whole lot for me lol. I DO believe they hunt birds in trees, i said i agreed with you about that and the climbing, but i don't think quoting that study to prove your point means its as common as you make it out to be.


None of that is science or studies^, my sample size is even smaller than the study being discussed, but experience counts far more for me than anything i can read in a book. And because i feel bad for making you try to interpret my scattered thoughts, here's a quote that will hopefully help you understand what i mean...

“I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing
than teach ten thousand stars how not to dance”- E.E. Cummings

I would not be surprised that they hunt birds at all. When I let mine loose in the house he always climbs as high as he can. He gets up on top of the door frame trying to work his way to the ceiling. He almost got in the attic once.

Some of mine climb, some don't. My ones that do climb, are not generally good at getting back down in a graceful fashion. They are however excellent at plopping awkwardly to the ground.

You can certainly try the basking shelf, it's not going to hurt anything as long as she can't burn herself on the lamp.

BPs hate screen-top cages? o-o I put a towel over 90% of the screen, does that help? my snakes have branches and rocks to slither over... my female has a plastic branch suctioned to the wall of her tank, she used climb on it but rarely does anymore. Their favorite thing to do is do from the hot to the cold side, back and forth... lol. Most of the time they sleep on the hot side (in their hides) because I have a slight temp drop at night but keep the under-tank heaters on.

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

Mine only climbs when it's feeding time, and she's trying to find that rat! Bahaha!!!

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LOL, this happened to me too! I put the rat on the top to thaw in a bowl and when I went to find her she was gone! I was so scared, I couldn't figure how she could get out, but she wasn't under any of her hides. Then I found her all up in the hanging "decorative" vines, she was quite well hidden!

OP - I'm not sure if she will bask, as I understand it, they are more accustomed to belly heat since they are nocturnal (or crepuscular? I'm not sure) and go out and warm themselves on warm surfaces at night, but don't really get intense overhead heat. I could be wrong though, I'm not up and up on the latest studies :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by snakelover91

BPs hate screen-top cages? o-o I put a towel over 90% of the screen, does that help? my snakes have branches and rocks to slither over... my female has a plastic branch suctioned to the wall of her tank, she used climb on it but rarely does anymore. Their favorite thing to do is do from the hot to the cold side, back and forth... lol. Most of the time they sleep on the hot side (in their hides) because I have a slight temp drop at night but keep the under-tank heaters on.

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Depends on who you talk to.

My advice would be to listen to your snake. If she eats well, poops well, climbs, doesn't climb and seems as happy as any snake can be, then don't worry what anyone else says.

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Originally Posted by kat_black181

I do. I don't really see much of an advantage to feeding outside the enclosure. I know some will disagree, and I guess it's a personal thing.

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I don't like to cause a lot of times they tend to strike at whatever comes in their enclosure. If yours doesn't, that's awesome.


J.Miles

SHe won't bask as bps don't usually but if she is a young snake she may climb up and be adventurous but older snakes will just ignore it.
Hope this helps. if it does plz thank:P:)

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Originally Posted by dgring

SHe won't bask as bps don't usually but if she is a young snake she may climb up and be adventurous but older snakes will just ignore it.
Hope this helps. if it does plz thank:P:)

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Mine will lay out and still climb and explore. Maybe you just have not seen yours do it.

All you can do is try it, if your BP utilises the shelf then great, if not no harm done :) Pictures would be great once you've completed the tank! :)

Also, I feed both of my BP's in their enclosure. One had never struck at me and the other has only struck defensively because of my own stupidity in hesitating when going to pick her up (and she is young). People with larger collection will tend to feed in the enclosure also as they wouldn't have time to move all of the snakes out, feed them and put them back.
I have always thought that feeding in the enclosure is the best way personally. If you shouldn't handle after feeding for a 24-48hr time period in case of a regurge I can't see handling immediately after feeding to put back in an enclosure a good idea.

I'm not saying taking them out and feeding elsewhere is wrong. Not at all! Everyone does things differently and all that matters is that whatever you do works for you :)

Ball pythons are primarily ground dwellers, but do occasionally climb a small bush or something.

You could put a branch or two in the cage, but not to many. They can climb, but are not the most nimble of climbers. She may climb and she may not.

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Originally Posted by dillymann

I dont feed in the enclosure


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I don't know why you wouldn't!!!

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

I don't know why you wouldn't!!!

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Agreed

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