Pet Owner vs Breeding

[voodoolamb]

But what if you just want to own a ball python as a pet? Does your ball python really care if he has aspen bedding vs paper bedding? Or if his hide is a certain texture? Or if he has an all white interior? Or things to climb on?

This may come as a surprise, but no. Your ball python DOESN'T CARE what bedding he has, what shape of hide he has, OR what his surroundings look like. IF there are no birds, no claws, no predators... If your snake is being fed properly... If things are comfortable for him (in other words, meeting the criteria in the care sheet provided HERE)... If you are doing your job as far as your ball python's basic needs, and he is not stressed or showing signs of stress (such as fasting.) Then YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY 100% FINE.

Wrong.

Of course your Ball Python is going to "care" because the choices you make in your enclosure are going to effect its hygiene, temperature/humidity, security and safety.

Have you put any time into researching what these animals do in the wild? Are you aware they are mostly nocturnal ground dwelling animals? Putting a nocturnal animal into an all white enclosure is practically abusive. White reflects too much ambient light.

There are multiple ways to care for snakes but there certainly are RIGHT ways and WRONG ways.

For the record - my snakes are pets. 3 are in tubs. 1 is in a display tank. 1 never gets handled. 2 get handled occasionally like once or twice a month and the last one gets handled a few times a week and is allowed to free range a bit in the snake room.

Not all breeders are large scale, multi rack operations. Many pet owners breed their pets too. Many of the large scale people consider all their snakes to be pets. There's more over lap than you think.