Question about size of tank

[squidlike]

Hello

I plan on getting a 2 year old pastel ball python sometime within the next month. I had a question about the tank I have available to keep him in and figured this would be the right place to go.

The tank I have is, I believe, a 70 gallon terrarium. I would estimate that it is approximately 4' wide x 2' deep x 2.5'-3' tall. My mother had purchased it for chameleons that she had in the past. When her chameleons passed away the tank just stayed in my house doing nothing for a few years. So, I cleaned it up and am working on preparing it for my snake. I was just wondering if the tank is possibly too large for the snake or if it is possible to have a habitat that is too large for a snake. I know that some people keep them in large Rubbermaid containers and things like that, but I figured I would just use that tank since it is very nice and it's doing nothing in my house.

[Neal]

I would say because I don't know the size of the snake, but assuming it's around the normal size that the tank is quite large for the snake.

[Kaorte]

Too big.
A ball python can become easily stressed in a big open space like that.
The only way to make it work would be to clutter it up with lots of fake foliage and lots of hides. And that means once a month you have to disinfect ALL of that stuff. Pain in the booty if you ask me.

Another concern is heating that monster. You have to maintain a temp gradient of 90-80 through the whole enclosure. That is a TON of space to heat and cool and 75% of it won't even be used by the snake. Ball pythons are terrestrial and they don't climb. The max height I give my snakes (in tubs) is 5". Honestly that is about all they need.

[Hock3ymonk3y]

Chameleons should be housed inscreen enclosures that are taller than wide. The same sort of houseing would not be appropriate for a ball python.