Would a male ball python reach 5 feet

[Regius_049]

After Regius_49 did the calculation, he found out that your enclosure 48" x 24" x 15" is 17,280 cubic inches and my enclosure (2' x 2.62' 3.30') is ~29,880 cubic inches (43% difference) for me . So i have much more space than yours, even though floor space is more important. I would prefer my enclosure over yours because my BP won,t be happy in a glass tank. Even my floor space is bigger than a 40 breeder tank. mine is 744 sq and a 40 breeder tank is 648 sq. Additionally for comparison, an IRIS CB-70 (37 qt tub) is 33.5" x 17.8" or 596 sq. inches of floor space. I have quoted these numbers from Regius_49.

As foolish as I am likely being, I feel I should clarify a few things since I am being quoted:

1. Even though your tank has 43% larger volume than a 48" x 24" x 15" enclosure, your tank has less usable space and does not have as great a single dimension. Since volume is not directly usable by the snake beyond a certain threshold, lets go back to sq. inches as maybe that was a better way of putting this. While some "air" space is good for mobility and convenience, a snake can't lay on it. His tank has 1152 sq. inches and yours has 744 sq. inches (again). If we add in your 21" x 14" board and branches we would get approximately 1138. So the 48"x 24" x 15" is a little bigger, but not by much, enough that I could call them more or less even. However, he has a flat 48" area (or ~54" diagonally) and all level, flat surfaces. So to say your tank has "more space" is objectively true, but again, a good deal of it is wasted as is the unavoidable caveat with most taller / conventionally arboreal style setups.

2. The enclosure SDA posted is a plastic PVC enclosure from reptile basics, not a glass tank. This style of enclosure is, in my opinion, the current best available enclosure for captive snakes. They are lighter, insulate better than glass, have front-open doors, and are already opaque.

As I have said before, the ideal enclosure for a ball python is probably around 4' x 2-2.5' x 1-2'. If I had unlimited space, I would probably do 4' x 2.5' x 2', or larger for abnormally large females (I have seen a few push 6kg). The 4' x 2-2.5' is obvious, but height is more subjective. I prefer height for two major reasons: (1) This one is mainly for me; I don't like dealing with 12" enclosures because the door opening is too small for manipulating the cage and it's contents. (2) When a ball python swallows, most of the time, you will notice them raise up the front 1/4" of their body to aid in swallowing (presumably to let gravity assist them in consuming their prey item). A 6" tub is not high enough for this (assuming an adult snake). Clearly they can consume prey in a 6" tub, but I feel their is a quality of life improves with taller cages. Like I said, before, I am not opposed to the addition of more height beyond this (though controlling heat and humidity become more complicated the taller you get), but under no circumstances would I sacrifice length and floor space for height regardless of ball python gender or size. This is effectively what you are doing. If you are so concerned about enriching your snake's environment, why not give it a 4' x 2' x 3'?

It seems telling that some of the most experienced arboreal snake keepers in the world still recommend a 3-4' x 1.5-2' x 2' cage. Even for snakes that are arboreal by nature, and don't just temporarily adopt the title for hunting purposes, these are the dimensions they have come up with. I have given you some reasons already, such as usable space, but there is also the thermal gradient to consider. I would type it out but it would be easier just to quote Maxwell on green tree python caging:

"Cages should be approximately 24 inches tall, 18 to 24 inches deep, and 30 to 40 inches long. This size and shape allows the establishment of a thermal gradient, which should be about 82 to 88 degrees. A horizontal aspect makes this easy; therefore cages should be oriented horizontally rather than vertically. While this may seem counter-intuitive for an arboreal species, the fact is that most chondros will use the highest perch in a cage regardless of temperature. In a tall, narrow cage the highest perch will also be the warmest, and the animal will choose height over thermal preference. Avoid small cages such as the common 24-inch cube; these are not large enough to provide an adequate thermal gradient"

In regards to glass tanks, I think glass tanks are less ideal as in my person experience, a variety of snake species seem to feel less secure in them and displayed increased aggressive behavior when given (essentially) identical furnishings, temperatures, and humidity. However, this is not to say people have not successfully kept snakes in them for years though and they can be relatively easily modified to increase the feeling of security by using black contact paper to "black out" the sides and back of the tank. Glass aquarium style enclosures used to be the standard for decades.

In short, your cage is not "better" than a 48" x 24" x 15" to really anyone experienced with keeping boid snakes and it would be unequivocally better if you turned your enclosure on it's side. If you wanted to argue a 4' x 2' x 2-3' cage, was an improvement on the proposed 4' x 2' x 15", you would have some ground to stand on. However, to be complete, a 2' x 2.62' 3.30' is again arguably better than a standard 40 gallon breeder assuming 36" x 18" x 16" (though 31.5" is still cutting it pretty close for a good thermal gradient) and definitely better than the conventional 32-41 qt. tubs ball pythons are conventionally kept it. If we lambast him for his cage, we should really have the same standard for adult ball pythons in these tubs. Though I suspect as this point, it is more your attitude that is drawing ire and not your enclosure.