I'm just curious; I repeatedly hear that 2 hides are necessary, one on cool side one on hot side, but how come breeders with rack systems don't have any hides in their tubs? And recently someone suggested that hides make them more defensive and likely to strike at you, and recommended that I don't put a hide in my tub. I still do keep 2 hides in my tub though, just cause my little dude is pretty timid. Do ball pythons absolutely need hides?

Ive been browsing this forum for months now, researching about balls before I got one. I've had just about every kind of pet imaginable, but this is my first snake so I'm fawning over him like crazy. He is from Petsmart, I know, I know, pet stores bad etc etc...I went in for a UTH and saw him with his little face pressed up against the glass, and couldn't stop thinking about him for 5 days...so on the 6th day I went back for him. (I did look for breeders in the area, and mom and pop pet stores, believe me a big chain pet store would not have been my first choice, all my other pets are rescues) But with this little guy it was a chemical thing, love at first sight, I couldn't help myself. He is doing wonderfully, had a perfect shed 2 days ago, and eating fuzzies twice a week (a little too small for him, upgrading to hoppers next week) I just HAD to brag about him, and wanted to introduce myself as I'm probably gonna be on her a lot as a newbie xD I didn't believe people when they told me snakes are addicting, but holy moley I cannot believe how in love I am with my little guy! He's just a plain ol' normal, but in my eyes, there doesn't exist a single morph on this planet that exceeds his beauty =D My little Eros <3