Husbandry of breeders

[alan12013]

What are some opinions of housing ball pythons without a hide in a tub about 1/3 of the length of the snake and even smaller width where the sun can beat down right on them and they have no way to escape the light? I am finding more and more breeders who seem to think that this is okay husbandry.

[Eric Alan]

I have a feeling this is more of a rhetorical question. At least I hope it is...

[alan12013]

More of a statement then a question so yes you're right.

[dr del]

Tubs can be really well setup or badly set up.

Done right I have zero problems with them.

In such enclosures then it is possible for the whole enclosure to become their hide or you can use a substrate that lets them feel more secure ( I use newspaper as they can go under it and move around to get the temps they need ).

Any enclosure exposed to direct sunlight however is likely to be a no-no as the temps can build up to dangerous levels really quickly.

This ( aside from the sunlight thing ) is pretty species specific though - I don't think small tubs work well with active, arboreal snakes for example.

[bcr229]

I am finding more and more breeders who seem to think that this is okay husbandry.

And who might some of these breeders be?

[alan12013]

I use tubs myself and generally recommend them if some one asks me since they're easy to create a good environment like you mentioned. I just believe that they should optimally be housed in a large enclosure with small hides. There's a few reasons why I think it's important that they can stretch out and move around. A muscular snake will lay more eggs then a fat one and a picky eater will eat more readily once housed properly. Those are just some of the facts that make me believe we should house them in larger enclosures.