What to Get? :: Future BP Owner

[Regius_049]

If you are a first time snake owner and getting a baby ball python, as the previous person mentioned, I would definitely start with a polypropylene tub. I use slightly larger ones that other people for the snakes to grow into a little bit, but you can use smaller and gradually move him up if you so desire.

As such -

Tub: xxxxx

For substrate I would just use paper towels and replace them when soiled, but if you are going to use a "snake substrate" I would go with shredded aspen.

For UTH: The ZooMed UTH you linked is specifically for glass enclosures and is more difficult to use with a thermostat as you can't take it off once easily once it is attached. I would go with an ultratherm UTH. They are plug and play and are the only UL certified UTH to my knowledge.

The Thermostat you linked is fine, but for thermometer/hygrometer, I would just get one like this. It has all the information you need. You just put the unit on the "cool side" and the probe on the "hot side" where your UTH is.

For water, I would get something made out of stainless steel, glass, or a known plastic. The type of bowel you linked is made out of unknown plastics, which have been reported to leach chemicals into water. Look for plastics such as polypropylene or high density polyethylene. Generally they will be FDA approved for human food usage, where as most pet bowels say "for pet use only". In my personal opinion, glass is best as it is heavy (unlikely to be tipped over), non-porous, and very easily to clean. Depending on where you live, I would buy two: one larger one and one smaller one. The reason for this is: in the summer, humidity will be high and a smaller water dish is likely to give you optimal humidity. In the winter, humidity will drop and you will need a larger body of water to compensate. I am not a huge fan of misting enclosures that do not dry out over the course of a day as this can led to problems.

I would not bother with the decor unless you personally like it. It can aid in "cluttering" the cage to make a snake feel more secure, but crumpled newspaper or paper towels serves the same purpose. I personally do not bother with a "pretty" cage until my animals are fully grown.

Aluminum tape is fine, as are the tongs, but personally, I prefer these as they are easier to manipulate.

For hides, just buy two of these black polypropylene hides. Just put one on each end (hot and cool). They are cheaper and you know exactly what you are getting. I have never trust those mystery wood hides because you do not know what kind of wood it is.

For the IR gun, be careful and try to get one that is rated to +/- 1 degree. I do not see on your link what the rating of that one is, but be picky here otherwise you are just wasting your money in my opinion. The acu-rites. zoo-meds, and others are already rated to +/- 4 or 5 degrees, so you aren't gaining anything for calibration here.

Keep in mind you will also need a soldering iron for punching holes in the polypropylene tub.

Hopefully this has been helpful and informative.