I have been reading and asking questions about my BPs. I housed them together and was told that is not a good idea. So I moved them to different containers.
I have read that the hot side should be around 95 or so and the cool side about 80. I have also read that the hot side should be about 85-90. That humidity should be about 50% and some say 60%
That some people house their snakes together with no problems at all. I have had people tell me that UTH are no good and to use heating pads with auto shut off. Not to use real plants, to use real plants, not to use heat bulbs and to use heat bulbs. To house them in tubs instead of tanks and then I see photos of snakes in tanks and not tubs. To have a basking temp of about 95 in order to do that you need a heat lamp for the snake to sun itself.
About ten years ago I had a BP that I had for three years. I kept him in a glass tank with a florescent aquarium light and a water bowl. Nothing else. He ate well, shed with no problem and was handled with no problem. I lived in Texas at the time. I never had a UTH or a heating pad and had no problem with him at all.
So my question I guess is why all the differences in opinions? Snakes are wild animals and living in the wild conditions change daily. One day humidity could be as high as 100% or on the low side. If a snake is cold it will find a way to get warm, if it is to hot it will seek shade. Balls make great starter snakes because they are suppose to be kept easily. From what I am reading that statement seems to be very misleading as there seems to be a different degree of raising them.
I have no desire to breed snakes. I am a photographer and other then when either or both snakes will be out on a shoot or in the studio they will be left alone and do what BPs do naturally and that is hide.
So as a new owner of two pythons and what worked for me before is obviously not what should have been do I take all of what I read put it together and then decide for myself which is the correct way to raise them? All I want is happy and healthy snakes that I will be able to take a have photo sessions with maybe once or twice a week.
I also have a friend that has a ten foot Burmese that he keeps in a large wooden crate that he built. He has a normal heating pad in it and a heat lamp. He has a large water bowl and the snake weighs in the neighborhood of about 50 pounds I would think. He is taken out and does photo shoots at least three times a week, is not aggressive at all. He has raised and bred Ball Pythons and has told me other then keeping the temps right and humidity in the neighborhood of about 55% there is little or no care to caring for ball pythons that is why they make such great snakes for people to start with. One other question I have is stress on snakes. How does one tell if a snake is stressed out? With a dog or a cat it is fairly obvious to tell. What do snakes do that make people think they get stressed out?
Not trying to be combative but just totally confused with so many readings. My female hides in a dark corner behind plants and not in her hide. My male hides in the hide. They occasionally come out crawl around a bit and then go back to their hiding spots. Is that normal?