Keep snake outside?

[tclem]

I have a very healthy 10 year old ball python that lives in a good-sized aquarium. Would it be okay to keep him in an outdoor pen during the summer months. I live in Central Ohio where June, July, and August temperatures run from upper 70's to mostly mid-80's and occassionally into the 90's.
Wondering if my snake would enjoy a much larger space and some fresh air for a few months. I would of course make sure it is protected from predators (raccoons) and rain. I could include a heat mat and/or a heat lamp.
Do I put him at significant risk to parasites? Anybody ever try this? How'd it go? Thanks for whateveer advice you can offer.

[3skulls]

First thing that comes to mind is mites and ticks.

[interloc]

No. Balls don't really like change. It would also introduce more non native things to him. Not to mention if he escaped. There could be 1000000 ball pythons living in Ohio in a year! Lol. I personally wouldn't. To many what ifs.


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[RaskaNeil]

If you have a bay window thats a good bet, I have one that the Sun heats up all day and that could work.

[dav4]

If you have a bay window thats a good bet, I have one that the Sun heats up all day and that could work.

Keeping an enclosure in a window that gets summer sun all day long isn't a good idea, particularly if it is constructed of glass...pretty good chance you'll cook your pet. As far as keeping the snake outdoors during the summer in Ohio, I'd be concerned about night time temps being too low. Even here in N. GA, night time temps will typically fall into the mid to low 70's F in July/August, which is borderline too cold. I wouldn't risk it.

[Valentine Pirate]

I don't see why you couldn't get a mesh cage (like the reptariums) and take it outside in the summer months if you want to, but night time temps would be a concern. We do a daytime cage for our iguana where he can bask all day and we take him back in at night (when it's warm anyway, no way we'd do it this time of year). The thing is that it MUST be escape proof, it's still a snake, and they would escape from any sort of "pen". It would need to be a fully enclosed mesh, chicken wire would probably be too wide (and I imagine sharp). There's also the consideration for a shady spot, so that if it gets too hot there's somewhere to cool down.

Whether or not it would benefit your python is somewhat speculative. People are going to talk about how it will stress your snake out and all he'll want to do is hide, and maybe so. I know my balls hate bright lights, when I take them out for photos in the summer all they want to do is hide in my skirt or in my shadow, or just away. If you feel confident in being able to tell if a snake is stressed then by all means, experiment. I personally wouldn't recommend it, my iguana example above is for a diurnal lizard who is a sun worshiper, so he loves it and it gives him the vital D3 he needs to grow.

[Herpetology]

In my personal opinion, I do not believe that it would be a good idea. There are so many factors that can affect the snake's health, and it would be harder to control the temperature for the cage, which can lead to other issues. Also, parasites are a risk, and you know that once you get parasites, they are hell to deal with.

I have seen people who kept snakes outside, and they always were having health issues, especially ball pythons, since they are a much more tropical species.

Also, I know this may sound weird, but almost all snakes I encounter that were overly stressed developed tumors. Or maybe it is just my luck.

Overall though, it was a nice thought on your part to try to benefit your python, but maybe you should look for something else. One thing I used to do was have a ball python climbing room from an extra closet. It was like a giant ball python tank. I put my most active one in there and he seemed to love it, always climbing about and trying new hides. But then again, most ball pythons just like a nice rock to sleep in

[Flikky]

Doesn't sound like a good idea at all. Yes to the mites and ticks but also he won't have a chance to regulate his body temp except for going into a hide. And why make the change at all? He doesn't need the sunlight

[TheSnakeGuy]

I wouldn't dare. Simply too many uncontrollable variables that can effect the health of my animal. If I lived in West Africa I would do it.

[DooLittle]

Personally, I see absolutely no reason to do that. Let alone all the issues that could come with it.

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