cage size inquery

[TingsPaPa]

That's how Mona's tub is, and I thought the same thing... so I removed one of the hides, and she seemed a little uncomfortable with the change. I put the hide back in, and could tell she immediately felt secure again. They just like cramped quarters! Here is Mona's setup:

(Toby will be sharing her tub on & off for the breeding season )

i can dig it that bp's like close quarters, ting seems to like to cram himself in under the smallest things. hopefully he can stay in his same home, and dont have to build a new one!

[Kaorte]

I would not move him. From what you describe, it sounds like he is still stressed from his little adventure outside the tank.

Ball pythons are not particularly active snakes and roaming a lot, climbing the walls, is a sign that they don't feel safe in their home. They want to get OUT and find somewhere that they think is safer.

You cannot really compare captivity to in the wild. They are in your care which means you need to provide them with an environment that will make them thrive. Giving them tons and tons of space is possible. It is possible to set them up in a realistic enclosure. The problem isn't that this will stress the snake out. It is improper temps and humidity and inadequate hides that cause the problems. A bigger tank means more air to heat cool and maintain proper humidity. A bigger tank means the snake feels more exposed and needs more places to hide so it can feel safe.

Setting up a large tank will cost you hundreds of dollars. if in the end the snake is happy, it will most likely be spending ALL of its time hiding and you will NEVER see the snake moving around the cage. Makes for a kind of crappy display, don't you think?

So what looks to you like your snake wanting more room to "roam" is actually his way of telling you he doesn't like his house and he doesn't feel safe.

A Tank will fit a ball pythons needs as long as it has two tight fitting IDENTICAL hides and a water bowl. That is it. You can add fake plants and more hides, but that is really all they need to be happy and healthy snakes.

[TingsPaPa]

i trust you kaorta. it's been a couple months since his escape, do you think that he is sill stress from this experiencce? it just seems to me like he wants to escape again. i couldnt imagine why he wouldn't feel secure in his home. there are plenty of hiding places. his humidity box, a hollowed out log, i find him burrowed under his humidity box, under his driftwood, and he burrows in his bedding. i guess i'll keep his cage for another year or so. how do i know if he needs a lager enclosure????

[rthamilton]

i trust you kaorta. it's been a couple months since his escape, do you think that he is sill stress from this experiencce? it just seems to me like he wants to escape again. i couldnt imagine why he wouldn't feel secure in his home. there are plenty of hiding places. his humidity box, a hollowed out log, i find him burrowed under his humidity box, under his driftwood, and he burrows in his bedding. i guess i'll keep his cage for another year or so. how do i know if he needs a lager enclosure????

Too be honest sounds like he doesnt like his hides.Got any pics,that would make this alot easier.He would rather burrow than be in his hides.All my bps stay in there hide most the time and hunt from inside their hides.

[TingsPaPa]

well i know he likes his hides, but at night, he tends to wander about and climb his driftwood. he used to be in his humidity box all the time, but not so much anymore. only when he sheds do i find him in there. mostly under his hollowed out log. i can take some pics.

[Kaorte]

i trust you kaorta. it's been a couple months since his escape, do you think that he is sill stress from this experiencce? it just seems to me like he wants to escape again. i couldnt imagine why he wouldn't feel secure in his home. there are plenty of hiding places. his humidity box, a hollowed out log, i find him burrowed under his humidity box, under his driftwood, and he burrows in his bedding. i guess i'll keep his cage for another year or so. how do i know if he needs a lager enclosure????

He may not be stressed from that particular experience, but he could be stressed out from his environment.

He has two non-identical hides. Hides are very important to ball pythons as they spend nearly all of their time in hides. You need two IDENTICAL and tight fitting hides. This means low to the ground and hugging the snake on all sides and with one small opening. Half log hides do not cut it. The hide should also be completely opaque. Place one hide on the hot side and one on the cool side.

[k2l3d4]

He may not be stressed from that particular experience, but he could be stressed out from his environment.

He has two non-identical hides. Hides are very important to ball pythons as they spend nearly all of their time in hides. You need two IDENTICAL and tight fitting hides. This means low to the ground and hugging the snake on all sides and with one small opening. Half log hides do not cut it. The hide should also be completely opaque. Place one hide on the hot side and one on the cool side.

I have to ask why you say the hides have to be identical. I have a larger tank and so I have six hides in it. .... Lets see two identical rock hides, two identical small rodent hides, a over turned cereal bowl that has a entry cut out, and a half log..... Now most the time he will hang out in one of the two rock hides, then the majority of the time after that he hangs out in the over turned bowl, and if he just ate he likes to hang out under the half log...... He very rarely uses the small rodent hides, and will ocasionally hang out under the bushes that are in his tank..... He still has not chosen to use the matching rock hide......

[quinten]

i must first say i am a inexperienced bp owner,only had my guy for 3 weeks.i got him and the set up from a guy who had no time for him for 150cdn!ultra cheap,the whole set up is exo-terra very pricy up here in canada.the enclosure i know is way bigger than he needs and i got a second hide for him for the cold side.unfortunatly i did not reasearch prior to getting the second hide so my hides are not the same,but i plan on fixing that.however he does use both hides,and he is quite active by times at night.the set up even had a waterfall in it witch he seems to enjoy,he climbs on it often.he is out sometimes during the day,usually when its getting close to feeding day,and i have seen him looking for a way out sometimes.heat was an issue till i got higher wattage bulbs,and i have a uth on the hot side.so far he has been feeding great,but i was concerned the enclosure was too large from alot of info i have been reading.i too find it hard to get my head around the fact that a too large enclosure can stress them out,due to the fact the great outdoors has no limits,but i want to provide my snake with the best care and lowest stress enviroment that i can.most experienced bp owners seem to agree smaller is better and they should know better than i ,but im still confused!thanks for starting this post,its good to see different thoughts and ideas.

[TingsPaPa]

He may not be stressed from that particular experience, but he could be stressed out from his environment.

He has two non-identical hides. Hides are very important to ball pythons as they spend nearly all of their time in hides. You need two IDENTICAL and tight fitting hides. This means low to the ground and hugging the snake on all sides and with one small opening. Half log hides do not cut it. The hide should also be completely opaque. Place one hide on the hot side and one on the cool side.

so identical hides? i only have the half log which has one open side up against a wall. he seems to like it a lot in there. if you think it's best to have identical hides, i can trust that, but i was wondering what might make that the case. is it because they like repetition? he seems content with his cage but i am more than willing to hook him up with whatever he needs.

[Nae]

Identical hides are recommended because the snake won't have to choose security over heat regulation. They may come to prefer a hide over another and stay there regardless if they need to be warmer/cooler.