Questions about what you personally enjoy about your animals / just general questions

[zina10]

I enjoy animals for many reasons.

The whole tank/tub/cage thing has been discussed and argued to death. To me it comes down to this. Do the best you can. For any animal.

BUT, do NOT anthropomorphize.

What exactly is enrichment ? Would it be the same for a dog and a snake ? Or a Retic and a Ball Python ?

No, it is not.

Most people here keep at least some Ball Pythons, hence the forums name. Many (but not all) Ball Pythons are kept in rack/tub systems. Why? Because it works for them. It works very well for them. In the wild they spend a large part of their lives hiding in a tight dark spot. They lie in hiding, waiting for food to wander by. They do not go out and actively hunt like some species do. Even when found in trees, they were usually seeking out hiding spots, because they were often found in tree hollows. Which are just above ground dark and tight hides.

They do move around, esp. during breeding season, but a large part of their life is spent in a dark, tight, private and low traffic space.

When you have a BP that has feeding issues, which is not rare in this species, you can often remedy that by giving them a smaller, darker and tighter space. Given that everything else is on par and the animal is not sick, they often just crave the safety of just that.

So perhaps "enrichment" for a BP is the safety of a small space.

Of course you can still keep them in cages and tanks. It ALL can be done right and it ALL can be done wrong. Husbandry always has to be spot on. Which is harder to do in tanks, then cages or tubs. But it can be done. Privacy should always be given, with hides and solid back, sides and tops (mostly covered tank lids, too).
And yes, there are individuals, too, as with every species on earth. You will have the bolder or shyer ones, the more curious or laid back ones and the more nervous and high strung ones. But all in all you should look at a species needs, before you can decide what is right or wrong.

A room sized enclosure might feel more confined to a species that is used to travel for miles in the wild, then a tub is for a Ball Python that spends 95% of its life in a tight, dark space.

I only keep 6 Ball Pythons at the moment. I have the space and means to put them all in big cages. I choose to keep 5 in a rack system because it works and I feel they are doing exceptionally well in a system like that, after years of keeping that species and also doing rescue and rehab of them, years ago. I do keep one of them in a beautiful display cage. But honestly, it is more for my pleasure then his. He does come out of his hide at times, and he does climb on his shelf. But I believe he climbs on it because it is there. Not because he thinks its fun to do and looks forward to do some climbing.

Long story short, Ball Pythons do well in tubs. They can do well in cages/tanks. I don't knock either one, because there are some awesome keepers that do it either way and do it right. And the animals are thriving.

I do handle mine, all of them. I let them stretch and move about supervised. I try not to do it to much, I don't feel they look forward to it or particularly enjoy it. But they don't seem to mind it either, they are used to it, they are used to me, they know they won't get hurt.

I would also like for my horse to live on 400 acres+ to roam on, with streams, lakes, woods and grass land. But I can't. Most people can't. Doesn't mean that we can't give them a good life in a far smaller space then what the species is used to.

Well, here you have my 2 cents

[pbenner]

Snakes,

I enjoy snakes because other people do not. I learned to love snakes because my Grandmother was deathly afraid of them, and she needed someone to relocate them from her yard and garage. They didn't bother me not one bit.

I got my first snakes at 10 years old. Wild Caught Garter Snakes from my yard. I had 1.1 for a long time, they had babies once or twice which I released back into the wild (I was a dumb kid, yes).

At 12 years old, my parents traded a local guy the parts he needed to upgrade his computer for his Female Ball Python (wild typE) and gave her to me for Christmas, I was thrilled. Looking back I had no clue. The internet was new, and did what I as told. Husbandry wasn't right, but she ate and I had her for 2 years until my parents divorced and I had to give her up because neither one wanted to have her while I was at the other's house. It sucked.

When I graduated High School, I went big. I got Retics and Burms. Loved them. I had them from 18-21 and had many large snakes in my house. Again, I was a dumb kid. One sick snake came in and I didn't quarantine like I should and then everyone was sick and I lost all my snakes over a period of about 6 months. Broke me.

A couple years later I got another Retic, had her for a year or so, got married, and the wife made me get rid of her. Didn't want something around that could eat the kids.

Now that I'm divorced I'm back in. I came back into this with all the learning I did as a younger man taken hold.

I use racks for a number of reasons.

1) You can clean a plastic tub a hell of a lot easier than you can a glass aquarium. They're lighter, they're made from a single injection molded piece, and are super light in comparison.

2) It's much more efficient when you plan on having multiple snakes. In less space than the (3) I have now were in their original tubs, I have space for (10) hatchling/juvenile ball pythons.

3) Single Thermostat for the rack. Instead of individual heat for each enclosure, one setup, one thermostat. All my spots are checked 2x a day with the laser probe, but temps are holding well.

4) As above, cramped dark spaces are NORMAL for a Ball Python. They aren't open land area hunters. Health of the Snakes > all in my book.

I interact with my snakes 2-3 times a week. I check on them more, but don't bring them out more than this. They're hand tame, but they're more there to look at and hold occasionally than they are to play with. I have a dog to have a pet to play with.

Best,

Paul