36x24x12

my bp is in need of an upgrade cage soon as she is rapidly growing out of her baby cage. i was looking at the animal plastic terrestrial cages. she is a climber and so i was thinking about adding a basking shelf. do you guys think it would be better to purchase the 12 in high cage or 24

12" high. Ball pythons will climb if offered the opportunity but in NO way need it. They are not terrestrial. So if you have the money to spend, by all means go for the 24". But if money is tight, get the 12".

I would personally go for the 12". It'll be easier for you to access your BP with 12" so you're not reaching in 2 feet to grab him. (I am a shorty, though.) Your BP will climb higher if given the chance but they always fall.. They aren't very good climbers. A 2 foot fall may do some damage. And plus, it's cheaper.

Just my $0.02. :)

Go with a 36x24x15. I have a divided one for my balls, and it's great. They make anything you want.

Later, Matt

oh i just saw that in the specialty tab. i like that deal.

I've been looking at enclosures like that. I'd go with the 12" tall cage. Ball pythons are terrestrial, not arboreal. I've heard the juveniles may climb a bit, but usually stop that behavior once they get a bit bigger. They really aren't graceful snakes...

Wouldn't that be about the same floor size as a 40 gal breeder tank?

thanks for the input i know bp's are terrestrial animals. my girl however is always climbing her branches and io was just wondering if the basking shelf would seem crunched in a 12" high cage.

How old is your snake? They really don't need that much room. I would be a little concerned about moving the snake to a bigger cage. Is she active very often? Being active, contrary to popular belief, is not a sign that the BP is happy in its enclosure. It usually means it is stressed and looking for a way out. If you snake is hiding most of the time, then chances are it is quite happy.

12" is the way to go. The 24" is too much space and so is the 15" in my opinion.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sarin

I would personally go for the 12". It'll be easier for you to access your BP with 12" so you're not reaching in 2 feet to grab him. (I am a shorty, though.) Your BP will climb higher if given the chance but they always fall.. They aren't very good climbers. A 2 foot fall may do some damage. And plus, it's cheaper.

Just my $0.02. :)

---

agreed :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jglass38

12" is the way to go. The 24" is too much space and so is the 15" in my opinion.

---

Agreed

The extra space is not necessary. Ball pythons spend most of their days hiding in a borough, termite mound, or other dark tight place in the wild. That is why they do well in the rack systems that most breeders use. The confinement and dark gives them more security than a large wide open enclosure does

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

How old is your snake? They really don't need that much room. I would be a little concerned about moving the snake to a bigger cage. Is she active very often? Being active, contrary to popular belief, is not a sign that the BP is happy in its enclosure. It usually means it is stressed and looking for a way out. If you snake is hiding most of the time, then chances are it is quite happy.

---

she is a year old. she is only active at night and not everyday. when she comes out though she will climb on her branch sticks.

When the snake gets older and heavier, you will notice that they will stop climbing. They really just get too heavy to hold themselves off the ground.

Night time cruising is fine, but if you see her out and about during the day, do a husbandry check.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lpnaz480

thanks for the input i know bp's are terrestrial animals. my girl however is always climbing her branches and io was just wondering if the basking shelf would seem crunched in a 12" high cage.

---

Its up to you whether or not you listen but what people are trying to tell you is that your snake will grow out of climbing branches and even if she didn't its potentially dangerous for her to do so. You may think that she enjoys climbing but snakes don't "enjoy" things. They want safety and food. If they are not looking for one they are looking for the other.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Egapal

Its up to you whether or not you listen but what people are trying to tell you is that your snake will grow out of climbing branches and even if she didn't its potentially dangerous for her to do so. You may think that she enjoys climbing but snakes don't "enjoy" things. They want safety and food. If they are not looking for one they are looking for the other.

---

i never said enjoyed just stating that she is always climbing on her branch at night. i think you mistook my thank you as some kind of sarcastic statement, which in no way did i mean for it to be interpreted like that. i was just saying thank you for the input

Get a RBI 48" with a divider. They are big enough for 2 snakes so if you get another one (LOL "If" LOL) you can use the same cage. I keep my albino, pastel, spider & mojave in 2 of those and it works great.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x4-Cag...h-p-16237.html

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lpnaz480

i never said enjoyed just stating that she is always climbing on her branch at night. i think you mistook my thank you as some kind of sarcastic statement, which in no way did i mean for it to be interpreted like that. i was just saying thank you for the input

---

I didn't misinterpret your thank you. Everyone is saying that the climbing is something your snake should grow out of and its potentially dangerous. So my question is if you don't dispute those assertions then why do you want to get a basking shelf in the first place?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Egapal

I didn't misinterpret your thank you. Everyone is saying that the climbing is something your snake should grow out of and its potentially dangerous. So my question is if you don't dispute those assertions then why do you want to get a basking shelf in the first place?

---

Not to speak for this person or anything, but even though the snake will probably grow out of it, it is something that is does now. So why not give it the opportunity to do so if it wants to? Is the fact that his snake climbs bothering you?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lpnaz480

thanks for the input i know bp's are terrestrial animals. my girl however is always climbing her branches and io was just wondering if the basking shelf would seem crunched in a 12" high cage.

---

It probably would be. My girl does the same thing and she is perfectly healthy. She also is in a 24" high tank and I have never seen her fall off of her branch. She seems to love just laying on it. They might not be arboreal, but they're not that clumsy! :P

I personally think that as long as other requirements are met (2 hides, proper heat and humidity, etc), having something for them to climb on is perfectly fine. I wouldn't go much higher than 24", but if you've noticed that she seems to like to climb, I would go with the 24" height if you have the money and the space :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DutchHerp

Go with a 36x24x15. I have a divided one for my balls, and it's great. They make anything you want.

Later, Matt

---

how do you go about ordering custom cages, and are they about the same prices?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JayBP

Not to speak for this person or anything, but even though the snake will probably grow out of it, it is something that is does now. So why not give it the opportunity to do so if it wants to? Is the fact that his snake climbs bothering you?

---

Of course not. I have my Ball Python in a 24" high and my snake climbs on occasion. I made my choice because I liked the look of the cage and it didn't come in a 12" or 18" (I would have liked 18"). My point is just that climbing isn't necessarily a good thing. I would not have a basking shelf installed just to allow for it. What I did was put a branch in the cage that allows her to climb a little while still keeping her low to the ground, but again this was more for aesthetics than for my snake. In the end each person has to do whats right for them and I would not be bothered unless I thought a persons actions were abusive.

Again my point is that if you are looking for a cage that will fit your snake as an adult why would you make that decision based on activities that are common to young snakes and uncommon in adults?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blushingball419

They might not be arboreal, but they're not that clumsy! :P

---

My Ball actually struck at a F/T mouse I presented from a branch, wrapped, constricted for a good long while and then swallowed it all while hanging from a branch over her water bowl. That being said she has gotten more clumsy as she has grown and now that I have seen an arboreal GTP and semi arboreal carpet python, I would say without reservation that BP are clumsy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by blushingball419

I personally think that as long as other requirements are met (2 hides, proper heat and humidity, etc), having something for them to climb on is perfectly fine. I wouldn't go much higher than 24", but if you've noticed that she seems to like to climb, I would go with the 24" height if you have the money and the space :)

---

Sometimes I suck at saying things in a way thats received well. I ment to say what blushingball419 said here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by raphymartinez

Get a RBI 48" with a divider. They are big enough for 2 snakes so if you get another one (LOL "If" LOL) you can use the same cage. I keep my albino, pastel, spider & mojave in 2 of those and it works great.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/2x4-Cag...h-p-16237.html

---

I like this idea a lot. Would this be a good setup for the rest of their lives? And did Reptile Basics provide a divider or did you make one yourself?