Getting a ball python tomorrow!! Advice??

[vintageflow]

I ordered a thermostat and some clips to lock the lid on amazon. I couldn't find any of either at the petsmart by my house and that's where I went to get all my supplies. Right now im running it to see where the temperatures and humidity lay so I can figure out how often I need to mist ect. Thanks so much, you guys have been really helpful!!!

[dillymann]

Ok I have another question! I got all the stuff and am putting it together right now. Does the water dish have to be on the extreme cold side? Because even though I've got a 20 gallon long it seems like the warm hide and cool hide are close together. Alternatively, I could switch the cool hide and the water dish to give my lil guy a bigger choice in temperatures! I've attached a picture of the current setup, with the water bowl on the extreme cold side.
I've got cold to the left, hot to the right.
And I took you guys' advice and got a UTH. I have a black light on top in case I need to adjust the heat gradient but have it off while I'm testing the baseline with just the UTH on

EDIT: The water dish is kind of hidden in the plant vine thingy, but its in there on the left!

Technically speaking you really didnt need to buy a UTH in my opinion its not worth the 200+ after you buy a thermostat too... Honestly think about it, there aren't any UTH's in the wild a heat lamp acts like the sun and warms the substrate its more natural in my opinion.


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[Anya]

Technically speaking you really didnt need to buy a UTH in my opinion its not worth the 200+ after you buy a thermostat too... Honestly think about it, there aren't any UTH's in the wild a heat lamp acts like the sun and warms the substrate its more natural in my opinion.


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*sigh*

Please do not listen to this person.

Let me explain something to you. Ball Pythons, in the wild, spend the majority of their lives living in rodent burrows in hot, hot Africa. The heat of the sun warms the ground, while the ball pythons snuggle in their warm, slightly-humid burrows. These snakes do NOT bask, and they do NOT like bright lights. If you were talking about a colubrid like a Western Hognose, or even a Kingsnake, I might agree. But not all snakes fit the same profile. Any heat lamp that is warm enough to make a hot spot of 90 F is going to suck your humidity, and you'll end up with a dried-out, unhappy snake.

Edit: Not to mention, it is not 200+ for a basic hydrofarm thermostat and a UTH. Try more like 60 bucks And it's going to save you in electric bills.

[dillymann]

*sigh*

Please do not listen to this person.

Let me explain something to you. Ball Pythons, in the wild, spend the majority of their lives living in rodent burrows in hot, hot Africa. The heat of the sun warms the ground, while the ball pythons snuggle in their warm, slightly-humid burrows. These snakes do NOT bask, and they do NOT like bright lights. If you were talking about a colubrid like a Western Hognose, or even a Kingsnake, I might agree. But not all snakes fit the same profile.

THERE ARE NO HEAT PADS IN THE WILD if you use an infrared lamp its not bright because they can't see that spectrum and it acts as the sun and warms the air aswell as the substrate EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN THE WILD!!


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[dillymann]

THERE ARE NO HEAT PADS IN THE WILD if you use an infrared lamp its not bright because they can't see that spectrum and it acts as the sun and warms the air aswell as the substrate EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN THE WILD!!
I know they don't bask and it proves my point even more because they don't have an option in the wild other than the sun!

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[Anya]

YAY CAPS LOCK PARTY HOW ABOUT THERE ARE NO INFRARED LAMPS IN THE WILD? GUESS WHAT OUR BALLS DON'T LIVE IN THE WILD.

Do what you think is best, bro. How many BP's do you have? You run lamps for all of them? How are your sheds?

[dillymann]

I have perfect sheds every time. And in captivity we are supposed to replicate their environment in the wild the best we can. I know for a fact that a lamp is more like their wild environment than a heat pad


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[Anya]

I have perfect sheds every time. And in captivity we are supposed to replicate their environment in the wild the best we can. I know for a fact that a lamp is more like their wild environment than a heat pad


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Yay good for you!

If anyone needs me, I'll be busy importing some dirt, insects, wild rodents, and bacteria from Nigeria. Or maybe Ghana... Choices, choices.

[satomi325]

Actually an UTH simulates the 'wild' better than a heat lamp. Ball pythons keep warm by residual ground heat. They're nocturnal animals. They don't go out in the sun and bask. A UTH simulates residual ground heat the best.

A heat lamp is more suited for an animal that needs sunlight and arid conditions in my opinion....

If you use a heat lamp or UTH, it doesn't matter. Just do what works for you and your animals. I personally think an UTH is better than a heat lamp. But that's just my opinion, which I am basing on certain known facts.

And snake's aren't living in a glass box in the wild either. :\

[dillymann]

Actually an UTH simulates the 'wild' better than a heat lamp. Ball pythons keep warm by residual ground heat. They're nocturnal animals. They don't go out in the sun and bask. A UTH simulates residual ground heat the best.

A heat lamp is more suited for an animal that needs sunlight and arid conditions in my opinion....

If you use a heat lamp or UTH, it doesn't matter. Just do what works for you and your animals. I personally think an UTH is better than a heat lamp. But that's just my opinion, which I am basing on certain known facts.

And snake's aren't living in a glass box in the wild either. :\

I'd rather my snake live in a glass box than a plastic tub and i try to replicate the wild the best i can i understand your point about residual ground heat but the sun does it in the wild not heat pads.


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