little zoo together

[Dracoluna]

ok so i have another tank to set up for siss. i want to set it up but i am sticking to my soil and nateral plants. sorry in 6 years that is one thing that i want to keep. so with that is what is called cat grass ok to put in her tank or what are some ideas of plants that can go in with her.

I've been following the thread a bit and was actually kind of intrigued by your idea of a 'natural' setup for your bp. I've done natural setups for leopard geckos and corns and though the maintenance is higher, it can be very rewarding.

First thing to consider is researching what the habitat looks like and this includes soil. You mentioned you want to keep soil so you may want to look at a properly draining soil such as what's found in the African grasslands. It doesn't stay very moist on top which will also help keep your snake happier. You would also want natural plants for the enclosure which would include mostly grasses and maybe a small bush (depending on the size of your new setup). To find out what soil and grasses would work best, I'd recommend talking to your local nursery. Explain that the soil will need to be able to drain well. You could also include branches (bake them first to ensure they don't have any bacteria, etc.) and rocks stacked up for hides. There are plenty of dead branches, sticks, and twigs on the savannah. Also, if you use the rocks to support it, you could even dig little burrows for your girl that I'm sure she'd love exploring. In the wild, they go hunting, eat the inhabitants, and then sleep there many times so think small. She should be able to curl up and almost fill up the entire space. The rocks provide structure so that it stays more stable.

For water, I like using 'natural' looking water dishes and will even bury them essentially in the substrate so that they look like a pond of sorts. Yes, you have to rebury them every time you need to change the water but if you want the natural look, this works better than a pump/filter system.

Just remember when you go to clean up after her, you will have to dig out some of the soil underneath and replace it to make sure you aren't leaving bacteria/etc. behind.

You will also need to ensure that she's getting the proper heat/humidity requirements with this setup. Use a simple digital thermometer/hygrometer combo to measure and then you can always find ways to adjust that as needed. The plants will need a UV/plant light so that will help with heat but that won't be on all day so you'll need a separate heat source for night time. The heat source may be rough on some species of plants so you'll have to experiment to find plants that live well in a dry warm environment. You may go through several before finding grasses that do well but once you do, they should be self-sustaining.

This will take a little while to setup and get everything right, but in the end, your snake will be much happier with her base requirements met. Also, if you could post pics as you set it up, I think it would be nice to see you recreating her natural home. It's too much work for most breeders and even plain pet owners, but it is neat to see when someone does it right.

Here are some links that might help with your research:
http://www.ehow.com/list_7444313_pla...rasslands.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibit...grasslands.php

Here are some shots of my leopard gecko setup to give you some ideas for 'burrows'. Instead of sand, you'd be using a well draining soil. The rocks can be found at home improvement stores in spring/summer in their landscaping areas and give you plenty of design options.
This shot shows how the rock was supported (in a 150 gallon tank setup). That ensures it doesn't fall on your animal.


This one shows one of my boys digging his own hole. This rock was supported with smaller ones that stayed buried under the sand.


The result? A nice comfy place where they felt secure.

[BallPythonLove]

This can't be real right? Either way, it was a good laugh for 10 minutes.

[The Serpent Merchant]

This can't be real right? Either way, it was a good laugh for 10 minutes.

Unfortunately it is indeed real, there are pictures to back it up

[BallPythonLove]

Unfortunately it is indeed real, there are pictures to back it up

From what I've learned about snakes, this is not good is it?

[BallPythonLove]

I've been following the thread a bit and was actually kind of intrigued by your idea of a 'natural' setup for your bp. I've done natural setups for leopard geckos and corns and though the maintenance is higher, it can be very rewarding.

First thing to consider is researching what the habitat looks like and this includes soil. You mentioned you want to keep soil so you may want to look at a properly draining soil such as what's found in the African grasslands. It doesn't stay very moist on top which will also help keep your snake happier. You would also want natural plants for the enclosure which would include mostly grasses and maybe a small bush (depending on the size of your new setup). To find out what soil and grasses would work best, I'd recommend talking to your local nursery. Explain that the soil will need to be able to drain well. You could also include branches (bake them first to ensure they don't have any bacteria, etc.) and rocks stacked up for hides. There are plenty of dead branches, sticks, and twigs on the savannah. Also, if you use the rocks to support it, you could even dig little burrows for your girl that I'm sure she'd love exploring. In the wild, they go hunting, eat the inhabitants, and then sleep there many times so think small. She should be able to curl up and almost fill up the entire space. The rocks provide structure so that it stays more stable.

For water, I like using 'natural' looking water dishes and will even bury them essentially in the substrate so that they look like a pond of sorts. Yes, you have to rebury them every time you need to change the water but if you want the natural look, this works better than a pump/filter system.

Just remember when you go to clean up after her, you will have to dig out some of the soil underneath and replace it to make sure you aren't leaving bacteria/etc. behind.

You will also need to ensure that she's getting the proper heat/humidity requirements with this setup. Use a simple digital thermometer/hygrometer combo to measure and then you can always find ways to adjust that as needed. The plants will need a UV/plant light so that will help with heat but that won't be on all day so you'll need a separate heat source for night time. The heat source may be rough on some species of plants so you'll have to experiment to find plants that live well in a dry warm environment. You may go through several before finding grasses that do well but once you do, they should be self-sustaining.

This will take a little while to setup and get everything right, but in the end, your snake will be much happier with her base requirements met. Also, if you could post pics as you set it up, I think it would be nice to see you recreating her natural home. It's too much work for most breeders and even plain pet owners, but it is neat to see when someone does it right.

Here are some links that might help with your research:
http://www.ehow.com/list_7444313_pla...rasslands.html
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibit...grasslands.php

Here are some shots of my leopard gecko setup to give you some ideas for 'burrows'. Instead of sand, you'd be using a well draining soil. The rocks can be found at home improvement stores in spring/summer in their landscaping areas and give you plenty of design options.
This shot shows how the rock was supported (in a 150 gallon tank setup). That ensures it doesn't fall on your animal.


This one shows one of my boys digging his own hole. This rock was supported with smaller ones that stayed buried under the sand.


The result? A nice comfy place where they felt secure.

The last picture the gecko is a badass.

[Cherrys2r]

It's a wonder anyone new ever posts in this forum! All of you with the exception of one or two have not given any viable advise. She obviously wants to have a "pretty" set up and all you do is say she and her vet are idiots. How about giving some tips on how to set up a natural looking set up is stead of berating her. Not all of us want to act like breeders and keep rack systems. I am with her in that I want a Healthy yet eye appealing setup. I understand many of u love your rack systems but I for one think they are hideous. I have one Bp currently and am interested in having another species as well (not housed together) as more of a show piece. I personally have no need for racks because I only plan on having 2 or 3 snakes so I want them to be seen not tucked away. Most all of you have been nothing but rude and mean GROW UP you are acting like you are 12! Any of you that has constructive ADVICE instead of just being rude it would be appriceated.

[Slim]

Cherrys2r,

This thread is actually fairly old, and most of the issues addressed in these posts have been put to rest.

I think you'll find the membership of BP.net to be quite helpful and accommodating

While there are many acceptable ways to keep and house ball pythons, some aspects of husbandry are recognized as standard practice, regardless of the type of enclosure you choose.

[BFE Pets]

Sorry for all the people who are making fun of you here.

BP's are solitary creatures from the African savannah. They have very specific care requirements for best health and comfort. Your current setup could lead to long term problems. Look at the care sheets here and elsewhere for best practices if you want your bp to be happy and healthy. Cool setup, but inappropriate for that particular animal. Good luck!!

ok so i've been reading through this thread and was very disappointed in most of the responses in here until I got to this message. So far it is the only one that seems appropriate! Y would people call this person a liar and such? sure ask for proof but you dont have to be mean about it folks. They need guidance not to be made fun of. none of us knew everything there was to know when we got our first reptile and we all know the kind of info the pet store clerks offer. I was told that I could keep a beardie and water dragon in the same setup as long as they were near the same size. Glad I did the research before just listening to the kid that worked at the pet store. Seeing the responses to this thread makes me second guess if i'm in the same friendly herp community that I thought i was in.

[interloc]

True that the comments were not very nice, but when you hear/see something that's so out of whack, do you not think all of that stuff in your head? In reading the OP's post, are you telling me that you didn't think this was the worst thing for all those animals? Sure the comments could have been put nicer, but realistically, these people are just speaking their minds. I personally have no problem with that. I would much rather people speak their minds to me than hide behind "political correctness" and "politeness".

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

[BFE Pets]

True that the comments were not very nice, but when you hear/see something that's so out of whack, do you not think all of that stuff in your head? In reading the OP's post, are you telling me that you didn't think this was the worst thing for all those animals? Sure the comments could have been put nicer, but realistically, these people are just speaking their minds. I personally have no problem with that. I would much rather people speak their minds to me than hide behind "political correctness" and "politeness".

Sent from my BlackBerry 9800 using Tapatalk

wow I just finished reading all of the post on this thread and feel like an idiot for even trying to be nice about it. was gonna edit my first reply to it but was to late. I'm completely at a loss for words. I understand being misinformed. i've been there but after all the quality advice I just dont know what to say.....