Creative items for ball python terrarium?

Hey all. So I’m actually basically brand new to snakes! And I just got my first one a couple months ago he is a mojave. Now tomorrow I am getting another one that’s about 5 months old! A BEL. Im so excited. This post is basically for me to ask, is there anything that ball pythons like to use/have in their tank not including the obvious items that come with starter kit? I have the 2 hides, leaves all over, small wooden cave, water dish and bedding. I want to add things to embelish their tanks and I don’t want to overdo it with leaves because I don’t know what else to use! Help! Lol even a decorative idea. I was thinking maybe a big decorative branch like you see in some tanks but I know my ball python doesn’t quite AT ALL climb in his branches like my boa does so I’m seeing if theres any better ideas first. Any suggestions would be great thanks!

Decorating an enclosure is more for you, however some things I know some balls in the past took an interest in:

Sticks, fat, skinny at the top, secure ones that won't fall if they climb onto them
Logs for hiding and rubbing (not to be used as their main hides)
Moss
Plants, leafy coverage

They are really curious snakes tbh, anything you put in there they will check out and try to get into it, juts be sure it;s safe for them.

That’s actually another question I had is if a python would climb a branch if I put one in that was thick enough to hold his weight? I think that’s what I will try

Just be careful, nothing too long or flimsy. A nice fat one with some places to rest their head is plenty, plus they don't climb, balls stick to the ground.

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Originally Posted by jazchanlev

That’s actually another question I had is if a python would climb a branch if I put one in that was thick enough to hold his weight? I think that’s what I will try

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Some images of my BP climbing:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/GE6c4UD.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...79432008_n.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...21257728_n.jpg

She's got a coil flung over a branch in her enclosure right now, so she's not stopping anytime soon.

Let me retract my statement, my apologies, they do 'climb', males in the wild are known for climbing to catch birds. However depending on your set up being careful is best, as they get older and develop they can be quite the climbers, but always remember to keep an eye on them.

I didn't mean to come off as "No, no climbing at all, they get only hides and a water dish and should be grateful!" I am 100% supportive of giving great stimulation in enclosures. What I meant to say was, "Just don't pick any old stick off the ground and toss it in there, something thick and good for holding onto would do wonders."

My bp really likes to dig (like alot hahah) and mine likes to soak and he likes going thu my har so i would think they like to go thru plants as well

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Originally Posted by Jasmijn

My bp really likes to dig (like alot hahah) and mine likes to soak and he likes going thu my har so i would think they like to go thru plants as well

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He would enjoy a "humid hide" filled with damp sphagnum moss, & it will help keep the humidity up so he sheds well too. The earthy scent of moist moss is clearly
enticing to many snakes, not just BPs. For a humid hide, you can buy large enough food storage container, or even modify a clean plastic gallon jug (as long as it's
only held something harmless like white vinegar, never re-use a bleach or detergent bottle...never!); either way, cut a big enough doorway into the plastic, & install
the moss...fill with water & let soak, then pore off all the excess water (on your plants outside).

As far as adding creative things to snake enclosures, always think SAFETY first: never use anything with a hole big enough for a snake to get stuck in, because they
will. (In the wild they get stuck & die from bird netting/chicken wire used in gardens, because they think they can go thru & try, but get stuck midway & with directional
scales, cannot back out.) Don't use those molded decor (castles & such) sold for aquarium/fish use, as they often have very sharp projections left inside that don't
bother fish but will cut up your snake that tries to snuggle inside. Cholla logs (often sold in pet stores) are also dangerous & not suitable.

I'm a fan of using branches also, diagonally from corner to corner, so they don't slip. They are easily zip-tied or wired together as needed too.

Nice ideas! my snake does have a humid hide with spagnum moss, his humidity is always good so I don’t know why he likes soaking/swimming so much. I wonder if it’s bad if i put him in a larger tub every so often with a bit of warmish water he can swim in? Maybe he thinks he’s a water snake who knows :P i have (ofcourse safe) sticks in my terrarium too now which he uses alot

I've been wondering about this too, great thread and suggestions above! I really want to get my BP something to climb because I have seen him climb before and it seems like he is great at it. I've been on the hunt for some good branches but it's tough since most seem to be too unstable for climbing. I do like the look of the pipes and ladder that Starscream posted though! Might just have to try that.

My ball python loves climbing at night, I always give him something to climb. However, addressing the climbing issue, they do like to climb to explore, but no, many of them aren't too great at it. Their heavy bodies are susceptible to injury should they fall. They are ground dwelling snakes that enjoy the occasional climb, but are far from being even semi-arboreal. Due to the risk of injury, I limit the height of climbing branches to about 6-8", and always assure that the branch won't break, shift, or fall under the weight of the snake.

There are some fish tank decorations that work really well. Just make sure to seal all holes so your snake doesn’t get stuck.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...158fa464a1.jpg


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Originally Posted by MarkL1561

There are some fish tank decorations that work really well. Just make sure to seal all holes so your snake doesn’t get stuck.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...158fa464a1.jpg


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And make sure there's no sharp projections inside, where your snake might snug up against & get cut. I've seen "castles" & such made for tropical fish...swimming thru
they don't get hurt, but a snake might very well.

I like driftwood, if I can find just the right shape & size. Also, if you use 2 or 3 parallel branches, it's much easier for heavy-bodied beeps to climb them. Leave a space
between them big enough so your snake won't get stuck, but so he can wrap around & thru both for stability. If you can't find branches, you can also buy bamboo poles
& cut them to fit (& secure them); some people make them into low climbing ladders also...they work & look good too, & are very stable if sized so they fit angled in cage.

Another thing I've used for snakes are some terra cotta pottery, like those large "strawberry pots" with little balconies for separate plants. Just make
sure all openings are more than big enough so your snake won't get stuck, & take it out of the cage when they start getting too big. They're very easy
for snakes to climb in & thru...they seem to have "fun" with them? :snake: You also need to make SURE anything you use cannot be pushed over by your snake-
they can get hurt if it falls on them: what I did in the past was secure such things to a wood base for stability. (these can also crack a glass aquarium if they
fall over...I've used glass tanks "forever" & never broke one, nor did my snakes...just a little planning will keep them safe)

Bogertophis brought up a good idea by using a base. When I was big into aquariums, some decorative wood was sold with slate bases attached to help it stand up in the tank. I did that once in an enclosure with a really cool piece of wood I had. It was a chunk off a tree's root system, so it provided sort of a half log, with a large, solid piece of root extending off one side. My BP who loves climbing would venture out on the root and would cause the whole thing to pivot downward. I solved this with a thoroughly scrubbed piece of slate. I just siliconed the slate to the wood and it became extremely stable, and then the slate is buried in the substrate. You never see it.

Used this method on my girlfriend's pesky guinea pig's food bowl she kept tipping over too

Thanks Treeman...I still have some driftwood mounted on a slate base (it's super heavy, the base I mean). I've also glued otherwise questionable rocks to
a heavy tile or heavy terra cotta shallow plant saucer (inverted to serve as a base). Many things can be used creatively to make safe "snake furniture"...;)

My tank is a bit taller, but I have a hollow log zip tied to some branches that he loves to hide in. He can crawl completely inside of it and poke his head out. I also have some "shelves" made out of cork bark for him to climb and rest on. All of the climbing materials are safely secured. He comes out almost every night and climbs, and during the say comes back down to his hot hide.

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Originally Posted by Alex Lehner

My tank is a bit taller, but I have a hollow log zip tied to some branches that he loves to hide in. He can crawl completely inside of it and poke his head out. I also have some "shelves" made out of cork bark for him to climb and rest on. All of the climbing materials are safely secured. He comes out almost every night and climbs, and during the say comes back down to his hot hide.

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I don't currently keep any BPs but I do something similar for my rat snakes: they have branches that are secured diagonally & criss-crossing each other in the center
of the cage, & I use pieces of coated wire (not sharp & easy to bend) to secure a rounded basket up on the branches. My snakes love them & even sleep in them during
the day or night, but still use their regular hides too. Sounds very similar to what you do...nice to know that BPs appreciate similar things. Rat snakes don't hide as
much as most BPs do...I think it means that yours is very "comfortable" (feels safe with you). :gj:

Mine climbs, too. I guess it depends on personality.
Mine is curious so one thing I do is change things around slightly every so often. I leave the hides in place and the water dish, but I move branches, fake leaves and will stick a basket or something in there to check out and explore.

Mine enjoys his live potted plant. It's a hardier plant and it raises the humidity nicely too.

I bought some fake vine plants and I have those spread all around like underbrush, so he can crawl around under them and explore.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I don't currently keep any BPs but I do something similar for my rat snakes: they have branches that are secured diagonally & criss-crossing each other in the center
of the cage, & I use pieces of coated wire (not sharp & easy to bend) to secure a rounded basket up on the branches. My snakes love them & even sleep in them during
the day or night, but still use their regular hides too. Sounds very similar to what you do...nice to know that BPs appreciate similar things. Rat snakes don't hide as
much as most BPs do...I think it means that yours is very "comfortable" (feels safe with you). :gj:

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Thanks! I sure hope so. It's not something I would have really thought to do until he started climbing so much so I figured I would offer him the chance and he seems to enjoy exploring. I love the basket idea, that sounds so cute! Just had a a little heart attack when I couldn't find him in the tank, only to realize he was between the foam backdrop and the glass, so I'll have to secure that backdrop tomorrow.

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