Well, i figured a hatchling ball python wouldnt need a huge heat source, and id deff. Be putting in a much larger enclosure when my leaae is up and im free to move, but until then, the 10 would be convienient. Would a hatchling. Be ok with mulch, and a few hideaways, maybe an extra or two, until we can get into a rubbermaid. I suppose i could get the container, as i have both time and money, but i figured a baby ball would be less ok with handling vs a larger one, so this way i could still check em out every so often.