Hi, Im new and i plan on

Purchasing a ball python in the future(a week or twoo from reptile city) and wanted to know if reptariums were good habitats for BP's and wanted to know if the BP's like climbing or would they rather stay grounded. im also planning on putting a few anoles in the cage wit it and wanted to know if the BP happened to get on would it be harmful to it\

Thanks

first off welcome to the site!

reptariums are the all mesh cages right? their not good, they dont hold heat or humidity well, and just leads to one sick snake if you ask me. get a aquarium and screen top at least. BPs dont climb, they are terrestrial, meaning they stick to the ground.

anoles in the cage with the BP? i wouldnt do it, you shoud house your BP alone, with no other snakes/reptiles in it. i dont know much about anoles, but they most likly have different requirments.

also, make sure to have a hide on the cool side and warm side, and be sure to have a big enough water bowl for the snake to soak in if wanted.

again, welcome to the site, any questions, feel free to ask!

Welcome to the site.

Before you get your ball python, you should do as much research on their care as possible. Once you know what all of the care requirements are, purchase your enclosure and heating elements and set them up. Once you have them running for a week or so at the correct temperatures. Then, purchase your ball python. A good enclosure can range from an aquarium to a rubbermaid tub(i can tell you how to make one if you would like :) ). I keep my animals in rubbermaid tubs which are cheap, easy to clean, and suit a ball python very well. It is not good to have any other animals in with your ball python...even other ball pythons. They are solitary animals and can become stressed by the presense of others. Here is a link to the caresheet on this site. http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=52 I recommend you read it over, buy your enclosure and heating equipment, then get your bp.

Glad to help...fell free to ask about anything :)

very good advice... one would be wise to take it into serious consideration ;)

Thanks to all who posted i will for sure take all of the information and put it to use.

Yes daniel1983 i would love to hear your instructions on a rubbermaid enclosure which seems very cheap the main reason why i was considering a reptarium so please post or email me at Hassan347@gmail.com

well actually marla has a wonderful DIY article on this site that will tell you just about everything about a rubbermaid. Here is the link:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....warticle&id=40

In my rubbermaid adventures I have discovered several things that might be helpful so I will just fill you in on those and let the DIY article cover the basics.

In order to easily heat the enclosure, I recommend buying something low profile (i.e. 5-7 in. high). The rubbermaids that I am currently using are 31'' x 16'' x 6'' and cost around $7.00 at Target. The low enclosure has several advantages: it is easier to heat due to less air space and it makes the ball python feel more secure. I heat each of the tubs with an foot long piece of 11'' flexwatt that runs off of a Ranco thermostat. If you need a good place to get heating equipment, I recommend Matt @ www.mgreptiles.com (it seems like i have been giving alot of matt recommendations lately...ha :) ). Also, If you are using an individual enclosure and want to make sure the top is secure, binder clips work very well. If you would like the front of you rubbermaid to look nice. Simply do not put any ventilization holes in the front and put a few extra in the sides. IMO..This shapens the appearance of the enclosure. Also when putting any holes or trying to cut the rubbermaid, I suggest using a soldering iron if you have one. This will prevent the tub from cracking and will save you alot of time...believe me. I hope that ramble helps a bit. IF you have any questions feel free to ask (i will not refer you to another page next time...I promise :) )

Here is a pic of my old setup when I just had one ball python. it was a 90 qt sterilite. Notice how I did not put any ventilization holes in the front and the binder clips on the top. This was a good enclosure, but it was a little hard to get the ambient air temperatures right because my room gets very cold. that is one of the reasons I switched to shorter tubs.

http://server5.theimagehosting.com/i...g=setup2.2.jpg

another thing you gotta know that i didn't... when you do get your BP.... DOOOOO NOT HANDLE FOR A WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i didn't know that & i think that's one of the reasons why he regurgitated after his first meal in his new home :(

good one pete, cant believe I forgot to mention that already....:)

Thanks again every one.

I have just Purchased a 50 gallon sterilite and plan on stating the cutting tomorrow and can some one just gimmie a quick list on what i need(i would look around the site myself but i dont have much time to do so at the moment):)

Also what is flexwatt and what does het mean. i have a lot to lear about the lingo that goes on here and on reptil websites such as cd cch.......all types of stuff if you think you could add the answers please help out

flexwatt is a type of UTH (under tank heater). Het is short for heterozygous.. ..genetics:). When a bp is refered to as a het it carries or may carry the gene for a certain mutation. A 100% het is a bp that definately has the gene for a mutation. If you read 50% het, that means a bp has a 50% chance of carrying the gene. The terms CH, CB, and WC refer to the origins of the animal. CH is captive hatched, CB is captive bred, and WC is wild caught. Hope that helps a bit.

We are also getting our first ball python shortly. The best advice we'd pass on to you is research, research and more research. Make the time now to read everything you can, comparing the housing/heating options for the snake, making sure you have a good source for a steady food supply, find a vet you trust with your snake (better you have one before any problems arise and you're in a panic), and join a good forum or two for support. We've been advised to set up the snake's home a few days prior to it arriving to get the temp/humidity stabilized. We really feel that all this work BEFORE that first snake arrives will pay off for both you and the snake in the long and short term.

There is a great care sheet on this forum. Also one on housing here as well. www.8ballpythons.com and www.joecompelreptiles.com (whose owners seem to be regular contributors here) have great sites to learn from. Markus Jayne www.ballpython.ca (a Canadian breeder) has a nice clear page on breeding basics. Like anything online we've found it just takes common sense and double-checking information against another source. Joe and Adam made a great point about that in another forum here.

Good luck with the new snake. Us "newbies" will have to compare notes along the way LOL.

I've found that bungie cords or some "click" straps also work well for keeping the lids on enclosures. Binder clips might be easier (probably much cheaper) to work with, but the cords work fine.

Thanks agin guys the help is appriceated:) anyone wanna shar i would to hear anything else

If you need one and have a Walmart close by they sell a soldering iron with 3 different size tips for around $11.00. Remember tho to always melt holes in a very well ventilated area. My husband and I priced out pretty much everything from hides to tubs to substrate to whatever for a nice starter set up at around $75.00 or less depending on sales and that includes somethings like the soldering iron that can be reused so not too bad really and I'm sure less than most any set up from a pet store.

Geesh I'm gonna tell Walmart I want a retainer for all the time I mention them!

Just a thought...the thread in this forum called Help Please started by Draculasgirl has a lot of great info from folks here that helped her get her housing for the snake sorted out so maybe that might help you too.