Quote Originally Posted by Ash View Post
- Keeping ball pythons on calci-sand substrate
This I haven't tried, since I find newspaper or paper towels easier & cheaper (plus I'm allergic to anything wood-based). But the only thing I've heard about sand is that a BP can accidentally ingest it...

- Using heat lamps rather than under tank heaters
My pastel has always lived in a wooden/glass enclosure with a heat lamp, since the base is too thick for a UTH... so far it hasn't been a problem, except that it's a little tough to keep the humidity at 70+ during a shed. But otherwise my temps & humidity are always perfect, and he's a very healthy guy.

- Feeding a ball python mice it's entire life (this one has to do with me personally. The pet shop I used to get feeder rats from recently went out of business and now I can only get mice, and one of my BP's will NOT take frozen/thawed, only pre-killed at best).
My Delilah is a mouse-only girl, and will reject rats of any size, frozen or live. We tried, but she just hates them! So for now she gets 2 adult mice per week, and I guess we'll add more as she grows. I asked once if that was healthy, and got responses that it's fine for them to live on mice - as long as the size & amount are appropriate.

- Not using a thermostat, only a thermometer, to monitor and (manually) control temperature.
I can't afford thermostats at this time, so I only use dimmers to control the heat (and Acu-rite digital units to monitor). If your inside temperatures are fairly stable, as mine are, this shouldn't cause a major problem. I think thermostats are only necessary if you have major fluctuations, like somebody who lives in a seasonal climate without A/C or central heat.

Bottom line - Not everyone will use the same exact methods, and as long as the snake's needs are being met, that should be alright. We all probably adjust things to suit our lifestyles/preferences, and there's nothing wrong with that! I'm sure everything you listed is the BEST way to care for them, but it's certainly not the ONLY way.