0, 1 or 2

I’ve seen people on the forums saying they like to offer their ball pythons two hides. One hide on the cold side and one hide on the hot. I’ve seen YouTube videos with adult ball pythons having 0 hides, and some baby snakes getting offered 0 hides as well. I’ve also seen the majority of breeders offering 1 hide on the hot spot. What’s your stand on the issue?

Thanks, Nick

In my racks, each snake has one hide. In my cages, each snake has two hides :)

Depends on the snake. I have a rack system and I offer all three options. Some snakes are ok with one others none, and some NEED both in order to feel secure. Its all a matter of getting to know your animals and picking up on their individual preferences.

I do not offer hides, but that is because I do not feel they are necessary in rack systems. That is my personal opinion. I do feel, on the other hand, that they are very necessary for people that keep their ball pythons in glass aquariums.

I used to have two for my BP, one on each side of the tank, but never used the cool side hide. He always just hung out under the plants on the cool side so I took it out to give him a bit more room.

I offer one -- they move them around to where they want them. ;)

It depends on your setting.

2 in a glass tank, as glass tank do not provide much security.

0 or 1 in a rack.

Personally I like to provide 1 even if some of my snakes do not use it. (I would rather have one not being used than not have any and the snake needing it)

As for youtube videos not really the place I would look for advice in most cases :rolleyes:

I house my bp in a pretty large glass tank so I actually have 4 hides. I've only seen him using 2 but I know he at least goes into the others.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Depends on the snake. I have a rack system and I offer all three options. Some snakes are ok with one others none, and some NEED both in order to feel secure. Its all a matter of getting to know your animals and picking up on their individual preferences.

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Ditto that. I have some girls who won't use them regardless of what type of hide it is or where it is placed, and then I have some that like a hide in each end of the rack. They are all individuals and I treat them as such.


~kat

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Originally Posted by Deborah

As for youtube videos not really the place I would look for advice in most cases :rolleyes:

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I just watch Ralph Davis, and Snakebytes.

Thanks for all the opinions everybody!

Also, for snakes nobody really offers moist hides do they?

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Originally Posted by Mischke

Also, for snakes nobody really offers moist hides do they?

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There might be some people that do again it depends on the enclosure (in a tub it is not necessary) in a glass tank well it depends on the option the owner choses and a humid hide can be one of them.

I have a tub rack system, and all of my adults do not have any hides. My year old spider does get two hides though, and hopefully if I hatch out some babies this coming year they will all get two hides as well.

i only give them if they wont eat without one

In my rack system I offer all of my snakes two hides until they weigh around 1000g-1200g+. At that point, I just offer them one hide.

The only time I don't offer a hide is when I'm pairing up snakes for breeding. As soon as I take the male out, though, I put a hide back in.

I voted 2 - because my guy likes 2. I know that I only had one before I found this site and since he would go on the cool side occasionaly I figured he was fine but as soon as I put an identical hide on the cool side he spent *way* more time over there - he obviously liked it more but didn't feel secure without a hide.

But really, I guess it depends on the needs of your snake and its personality.

I do think saying 2 for people new to the hobby is a good idea - as they may be working out the kinks in their husbandry and what not and it gives the snake the maximum number of "outs" until they can get their system working correctly.

I tried using 2 hides in my tanks but they only used the hot side. So i made 1 hide that is long enough to cover the hot and cold side.

The four people who said 0 are crazy! BPs really need at least one hide. Two is preferable (I use 2), but if there isn't enough room in your cage or something else like that, one is absoultely fine.

Underneath my girl's warm hide, it is normally between 89-93F. In her cool hide, it is 74-82F (way too cold, but I just switched her to a bin today, which holds heat better). Her warm hide is perfect, but she is so crazy, she sometimes chooses her cool hide. Some snakes don't enjoy heat as much as others, I guess. And its not hide preference. I tried switching them and she still sometimes goes in the cool hide.

But anyways, if the UTH blows up or something and suddenly the warm hide is way to hot (while I'm out of the house), my girl will not have to choose between burning up and being exposed. She needs to be able to feel safe at whatever temperature she wants.

I use 1 because 2 will no fit in my 10 gallon! Once I get a 20 gallon I'll put in 2.

I have three snakes in a rack system, and I offer them all one hide. I have one girl in a tub, and she's given two.

1 - Rack Tubs.

2 - Tanks.

I use one in my tubs but when they are in shed I add a moist hide.

I say 0 mainly because I have never ran into any problems mainly I feel because they are in rack systems.

I offer my two corns one hide but I offer my rat snake two hides because she is smaller and more nervous and I offer my RTB two hides because he has a longer tank.

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Originally Posted by TheMolenater2

I use 1 because 2 will no fit in my 10 gallon! Once I get a 20 gallon I'll put in 2.

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Actually, two hides will fit just fine in a 10g tank. :) See:
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...BP10gtank1.jpg


I offer all my snakes two hides regardless of the enclosure. The adults in the 90qt rack have two, juvies in stand-alone tubs have two, and all snakes in tanks have two. Even my little corn girls in their 16qt tubs had two small coconut halves (GREAT for small snakes!) until they outgrew them. :)

Also, when it seems like a snake "only uses one hide"...more often than not they are actually using the other but prefer the one you see them in the most. That's why I give everyone two hides - to be sure they have that refuge to go to should they wish it.

It depends on the setup and the snake. Right now in my racks I've got a couple that use 2 hides but most of them just have 1 which they move around the tub as they need lol. It depends more on the snake though.

i offer them hides but i also remove he hides if i feel they stay in it too much or I see they don't use it .. I got one female who will strike at me from in the hide and outside of it . which irks me cause she he most violent bp i got even for a hatchling. THe ablino I have never used his so I remove it .. I thik he used it for a crapper only. lol. now i offer my corn and black rat oen and they don't use theirs at all. but that could be from years of being with out one too.

I had 1 in my 10 gallons(that was all that could fit) but now that I have larger setups for the snakes I use 2 hides so they won't have to pit comfort over temperature.

Why does my post keep coming back???:confused:

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Originally Posted by Mischke

I just watch Ralph Davis, and Snakebytes.

Thanks for all the opinions everybody!

Also, for snakes nobody really offers moist hides do they?

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I do~ during a shed. I provide a humid hide for my snakes whether they are in the cages or in the racks :)

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Originally Posted by Deborah

There might be some people that do again it depends on the enclosure (in a tub it is not necessary) in a glass tank well it depends on the option the owner choses and a humid hide can be one of them.

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I live in the high desert where the humidity is usually around 25-28%, and my racks still need a humidity bump when the snakes go into shed. It really depends on where a person lives :gj:

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Originally Posted by Mischke

I just watch Ralph Davis, and Snakebytes.

Thanks for all the opinions everybody!

Also, for snakes nobody really offers moist hides do they?

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Since i have a screen-top enclosure, it's hard to keep up the humidity. I moisten the moss under the bottomless wooden hide i have in there. He seems to love it. It keeps it nice and humid in there . I only offer the one hide, but i have a large flat basking rock that is raised that he enjoys and he can crawl under that whenever he wants. Good subject, i often wondered myself how many hides are best, but like someone else posted, there are all individual. I agree !

I have my snakes in a rack system and use only one hide on the warm side.


Moist hides??? Like a moss box or something?? I wouldn't, you would chance scale rot if they hung out in there too much. If you need more humidity just spritz the cages.

I use a rack system in the basement with a space heater. The room humidity is 30%, but the tubs stay an almost constant 60% with the water bowls on the cool side.

Mine has a few, but only uses the huge one. He's weird.

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Originally Posted by Tosha_Mc

I offer one -- they move them around to where they want them. ;)

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i seen this first hand i have a 1000g girl who moves her hides back and forth i just never seen her in action but to answer the ? i offer 1...:gj:

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Originally Posted by starmom

In my racks, each snake has one hide. In my cages, each snake has two hides :)

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I have the same setup.

Tubs = 1 hide.
Tanks = 2 hides. :cool:

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Originally Posted by starmom

In my racks, each snake has one hide. In my cages, each snake has two hides :)

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co-sign

Depends on your setup. In a rack system , u really dont need a hide. But can use one regardless. In a glass tank setup I suggest having 2, one of each temp side.

i keep my balls in racks so i dont offer them any hides, unless they are problem eaters. if they do not eat i give them a hide for a while.