Depends. I have both. If the snake will leave them alone and not kill them I prefer live but I have more fake because my snakes like to be destructive. They are the reason they don't have nice things.
KMG
0.1 BP 1.1 Blood Python 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 1.0 Aru Green Tree Python
0.1 Emerald Tree Boa 0.1 Dumeril Boa 0.1 Carpet Python 0.1 Central American Boa
0.1 Brooks Kingsnake 0.1 Speckled Kingsnake 1.0 Western Hognose
0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa
I use fake. My enclosure sits in the middle of my living room, and I think they make the enclosure look more alive. I am careful to keep them up off the ground where he poops and pees because they are a pain to clean.
Last edited by Homebody; 12-31-2021 at 09:50 AM.
Reason: clarity
I don't have a ball python but I would use fake. They provide cover and make the enclosure look more natural. Live plants would be quickly destroyed unless they had months to root and grow (like pothos which could be crushed and might still survive).
I use some fake plants in my enclosures -- in the glass-fronted PVC tanks more for looks than anything (hide the water bowl from my view, etc), and in tubs just for a tiny bit of enrichment.
Most captive snakes are expected to drink water from a bowl rather than droplets on surfaces, and most snake enclosures hold the appropriate amount of moisture without depending on plant transpiration, so real plants are in many cases simply an avoidable complication for snakes. For other taxa (arboreal geckos and frogs) it is an entirely different situation.