Quote Originally Posted by Trisnake View Post
While I can respect that many people have many different ways of keeping their animals, there is a difference between successfully keeping an animal in a new or experimental set up, and an animal adapting successfully to a sub-optimal setup. Enduring and thriving are not the same things. I don't believe there's any way to make a screened cage an optimal environment for a ball python, not even a good one, unless the majority of it is covered to retain humidity and maintain a stable temperature gradient. The house humidifier is not enough, and the temperature will swing with day and night-time temps because there is no capacity of the enclosure to hold heat. This is why he animal sits on top of his hide close to the lamp for heat and has to choose between security and thermoregulation. I don't deny that OP did some research, but I don't think he did enough, otherwise the screen cage would be a major red flag bad idea to him just like it is to most of us.
While I agree that a mesh enclosure isn't ideal, it has been brought to my attention (I already was aware of this, but it was reiterated) that there are more ways than one. He does have a humidifier that is providing the proper humidity. (I'd bump it up just a bit though to get better sheds, 50% on the dot will almost always lead to a multi piece shed) and his temps are good.

So to the OP. I am very sorry for coming across as hostile. I, as well as others I'm sure, kind of get into this mindset that the animal should be kept in the same exact way that we keep ours... and that's just not the case. If what you have is working, keep doing it. If you start to notice changes, then we can help you address it from there.

Welcome to the best ball python forum on the internet, and we hope you stay.


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