Enclosure Question (from a Newbie)

[Vasiliki]

Currently doing my research, as I am planning to acquire two hatchlings in 2012 from a local breeder. It’ll be my first time with snakes, although I’ve admired them from afar for years now. Originally I was hoping to get into Corns, but then I was handed a ball python by a local breeder to hold and it's been them ever since.

Spoke with my other half and we’ll be planning to get two. No plans to breed, and no plans to get more than those two. As such, we’re saving up our pennies and getting two morphs that we’ll both enjoy.

However, as I do my research, I grew curious about something. We are going to be getting young bps. When I started investigating what kind of environment to set up for them, I was faced with a curiosity. I don’t normally question the advice of people who’ve been doing it for so long, but I couldn’t help but tilt my head at this.

Since we will be limited for space for a few years, I wanted to keep them in tubs for the moment. However, I was told that young snakes often feel insecure with large amounts of space. Okay, that makes sense. An animal that is young and small would want to hide rather than risk getting eaten by predators. So I was told to invest in a smaller environment and upgrade as they get bigger. Sure, I understand that’s a financial investment and I will happily take that on.

But my question is, if too much space in a large enclosure makes them feel insecure, then how do ball pythons manage in the wild? There is unlimited space for them to be in there, naturally. Is it just a question, then, of having items around to promote security? In that case, would it be possible to invest in a larger set-up sooner and simply add items to ‘occupy’ said space within that enclosure?

I don’t have a problem with starting small and working my way up. It just made me curious, simply because there is much more space in their natural habitat than I can provide in my care. So, then, is it a matter if simply creating ‘less open space’, rather than the size of the tub in general? Meaning, if I were to add something to occupy an area of the enclosure, would that not, then, reduce the ‘open space’?

Hopefully this isn’t a ridiculous question.

Also: Hello :-)! I'm new to the forums, ha ha. Although I've been reading plenty as a 'guest'