Most doctile snakes? I think not.

[Meghan]

I keep my (approximate) 2 foot BP in a 10 gallon and she is as happy as a lark. All she really cares about doing is snoozing in her half-log hide but she most definitely comes out at night and takes a dip in one of two of her water dishes, lays on her rock stack, or cuddles up next to the heating pad (side-mounted). I keep the temp around 88 during they day and around 80 at night. And the humidity is anywhere from 55-70 (depending on if it's shed time or not). This works for Mas, but I'm sure she'd be happy with any size tank if it had somewhere to hide. I'm not an expert, just as hardly anyone else on here is an expert. To whoever originally posted this thread, remember that just because some people on here have "elite" member statuses, doesn't mean they know everything. I don't know about this forum, but on others the more you post the "higher" your status gets. More posts don't make your knowledge better, necessarily. Listen to what the moderators and administrators say above all, and of course to those who have owned herps for many years. I've own LOTS of animals in my life but that doesn't make me a dog, cat, rat, or fish expert. Apologies to anyone who may get offended, but it's ridiculous that no matter what forum I go on, there are always those who repeat what's already been said a dozen times, and it makes the poster feel inadequate. If one person already said "your tank is probably too big" can't we not say it 12 more times?

[Jason Bowden]

Ball pythons don't need added lights. The light from your windows is fine.
Ball pythons will climb around. Just don't let them climb too high, because they may fall.

[Faber]

yea i thought about the tank size when i brought the baby home, would a tank divider do the trick? idk how it can be much different. Also i dont get my having a smaller tank is superior to having more variety with more hides, more things to climb on, and everything else. and about the b-p's falling, i know it haha they always try to scale the walls and fall over, it can't hurt much though. And the vines only go about half the height of my 110

[addsdad]

We all stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Also, i fed him a frozen fuzzy.

Aside from the husbandry issues which are one of the major factor when it comes to stress you might also want to address feeding.

Fuzzies and I assume mice fuzzies (correct?) are way to small for a BP most hatchling are started on hoppers and quickly move to adult mice.

The reason I am addressing that point is that underfeeding your snake is an other factor that can explain his behavior in addition to the rest.

Here is some good reading and a good place to start working on your issue.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules/...warticle&id=59

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56846

[Kaorte]

I don't think you all see the point. By putting your BABY BP's in a gigantic enclosure, you are not doing what is best for them. You might think that your temps and humidity are fine and you are offering enough hiding spots but trust me, you aren't. People don't reccommend housing in large enclosures because BPs have very specific humidity and temp requirements. These requirements are EXTREMELY difficult to keep correct in a large enclosure. 2 UTHs and a heat lamp will not cut it. Faber, you will find in the winter months that that enclosure will be impossible to keep warm. Remember you can't just keep part of it warm you have to keep the WHOLE THING warm. That is a lot of space. A lot more than the snake will ever use.


Also, keep in mind the HEIGHT of these tanks. They are usually well over 12". I would say that a height of 12" is the MAX for a BP. I keep mine in tubs that are 5 3/4" tall. They thrive. If given the option to climb as babies, they most likely will do so but once they start getting heavier, they will almost never leave their hides. Thats how ball pythons are. That is their nature, you can't fight it. They don't need the extra space and you shouldn't torture yourself by giving them the extra space. It just means way more time and money that is not necessary.

k2l3d4, I know you are a new owner and I know you aren't new to herps but please listen to the advice given on here. Look at the dimentions of a 55 gallon. 48 x 13 x 20.
This gives you 559 square inches on floor space.

Now a 30g long is 36 x 12 x 17 which gives you 432 square inches. This is the BIGGEST tank I would recommend for a ball python and the floor space is not that much smaller than your huge 55 gallon.

Just some food for thought.

[Jason Bowden]

I think that your snake will eventually calm down. I've had some nicknamed "the little devil" because they acted like yours, biting, hissing, etc..
Don't let the hissing bother you too badly. Alot of mine hiss and are fine after being picked up.
I think you can keep your snake in whatever enclosure that you want as long as all husbandry needs are met. I will say its easier to keep ambient temps and humidity regulated in a smaller enclosure.
I hope to see more posts from you. Let us know if you snake calms down, etc..

[Faber]

yea but if you look from my view of the spectrum, what am i going to do with this gift of having a 110 gallon, and if i put him back in the 20l idk what i even did with the screen for it and also idk if his huge bowl will fit in it, or his jungle gym ( http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752733 ), and you're right, its a pain in the winter, but i have 5-6 months to worry about it getting cold, also the uth's only stuck once so to downgrade i would have to invest over $40.

[Faber]

oh yea and from the sounds of things i shouldn't try to handle my way out of this? I should wait about another month so he feeds better or something?

[2kdime]

Just go get a new top for the cage from a pet store.

Wait till he gets real stressed and get sick with an RI.

Your going to spend alot more than 40 dollars to get him back to health.

When in all actuality, you could have just spent the money before hand to do it right to prevent the issue in the first place.

You did take this animal in as a rescue, and a lot of people commend you for that.

But he's YOUR responsibility now, and you NEED to do what is best for him from now on. It's people that cut corners whose animals end up needing rescued most of the time.

yea but if you look from my view of the spectrum, what am i going to do with this gift of having a 110 gallon, and if i put him back in the 20l idk what i even did with the screen for it and also idk if his huge bowl will fit in it, or his jungle gym ( http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752733 ), and you're right, its a pain in the winter, but i have 5-6 months to worry about it getting cold, also the uth's only stuck once so to downgrade i would have to invest over $40.