Snakes on newspaper...

[Markus Heinsohn]

First off, let me say that I am relatively new to this hobby. What got me was the idea of keeping an exotic animal in a surrounding that is similar to the natural enviroment of that animal.

Now, when I see pictures of a beautiful 4 ft BP in a plastic tub, laid out with newspaper and with a plastic box as a hide, it just makes me feel uncomfortable. There is nothing natural at all about this...

I do know that the snake probably does not care, as long as the temperature and humudity is right, it gets well timed food and the tank/tub is big enough and cleaned in a timely manner. And I also agree that it would make sense for people who keep 50+ snakes because it is cheaper to use newspaper than for example coconut substrate... but why in the world do people who just keep a few BPs not try to have at least one natural part in the snake enclosure?

The only thing I'd keep in newspaper & plastic is fresh fish I picked up from the market and put into the fridge, not a beautiful pet...

Sorry, just had to vent.

[Monty]

exactly for those reasons you said but i have 7 snakes a couple in tubs and some in tanks set up to be naturalistic

[jotay]

I use to feel some what like yourself. I had my bp in a beautiful AP cage decorated to look very natural, it was a great display case.
I switched to a rack system before I purchased anymore bps for several reasons.
1. That cage was very hard to clean and keep clean.
2. My bp spent 99.9% of his time in his hide and seem to care less about all the natural things I had in there for him.
3. If they are CB or CBB as most are then they have never known anything different then a tub and I would dare to guess that they feel most secure in a tub. BP's spend most of their time in tight dark quarters not out on display.

My biggest reason was keeping clean. Unless every time your bp urinates you completely remove all substrate then you never really know if you got it all. Where in a tub w/ newspaper ( I use unprinted type of paper ) you can pop the old out, clean, and pop in fresh.
I now have four bp's and the tub/rack system is the only way to go IMO.

If your bp has hides, water, a cage not to big for their size and good temps and humidity then you have all you need to make them happy, anything else is more to please yourself then them.

[rabernet]

I use tubs because it is almost flawless in keeping perfect temps and humidity for me. I have perfect sheds without having to bump humidity - it's 55% all the time.

I use newspaper because I hated just spot cleaning with aspen. Every time they defecate, the paper is changed and it's truly clean.

To truly have a naturalistic enclosure for a ball python, you'd need to have a termite mound or deep underground burrows. All the aesthetics are for the keeper, not the snake.

[Markus Heinsohn]

All the aesthetics are for the keeper, not the snake.

I agree of course, the snake couldn't care less. I just wanted to know if I am alone with my personal feelings... I just prefer the natural look, and feel somewhat depressed seeing a snake in such an unnatural surrounding.

[littleindiangirl]

If you've kept any other snakes besides BP's, you will understand just how much BP's hide, and how difficult their temp, humidity, and secureness requirements are.

We have a beautiful orange corn snake that never uses his hide, he's active during the day, and we have him in a nice natural set up that's easy to fill his needs. He doesnt need high humidity, or high temps. He has a tree he likes to chill in, and he also likes to burrow through his substrate. He get's a lot of stimulation from being in a nice natural set up, and he's out for us to view him all the time. He's a great display snake and easy to take care of in a tank, whereas the BP's aren't.

Plus, like someone said earlier, it takes a lot of effort to keep those large cages clean.
Your BP will thrive in a nice tight space where the requirements are met. This is easily met in a tub, but can be made in a nice enclosure.

When designing an enclosure for a snake, you have to put their needs first, and our desires last. A tub is a great way to fullfill all of their needs simply, but tanks are a harder to get the hang of to fullfill those same needs. That's my theory behind tubs.

[Markus Heinsohn]

Your BP will thrive in a nice tight space where the requirements are met.

Well, the requirements (a law introduced in 1997) here in Germany are that the space needs to be at least 1.0 * 0.5 * 0.75 (length, depth, height) the size of the snake. So a 4 ft BP would need a tub with the dimensions of 4 ft * 2 ft * 3 ft... I don't know if they even produce plastic tubs that big

[littleindiangirl]

Well, the requirements (a law introduced in 1997) here in Germany are that the space needs to be at least 1.0 * 0.5 * 0.75 (length, depth, height) the size of the snake. So a 4 ft BP would need a tub with the dimensions of 4 ft * 2 ft * 3 ft... I don't know if they even produce plastic tubs that big

I still think your not thinking about the BP's requirements. BP's live in burrows, tunnels, termite mounds. Underground 90% of the time. THEY require a tight space for their comfort. BP's like something touching them on all sides, this isn't a carpet python... Just because Germany says BP's require more room, doesn't mean it is beneficial or correct husbandry for the species.

I'm not bashing your dreams of a nice enclosure, you must understand the delicate mannerisms of BP's in particular. They are very easily stressed with large enclosures, if you meet their requirements of nice tight hides, thermoregulation, good ground cover for them to feel safe moving around, all the while providing perfect temps and humidity, then you very well could have a large nice natural enclosure.

My post was merely stating that we humans too often put our desires before the snakes NEEDS. Think about what any snake need first, and plan around that.

[reptile3]

I was just talking to my friend about this... I switched to newspaper, cause I had found 2 mites on my bp, and so far so good. NO MITES, & oh it's so much easier to clean the cage up. My bp has a natural background, a some fake plants, 2 hides, and climbing wood. he is in a glass cage.

But I understand that most of these ppl on here breed, & keep more than a few snakes... If I was to have more than the one, I would more than likely switch to a tub too.

[littleindiangirl]

I was just talking to my friend about this... I switched to newspaper, cause I had found 2 mites on my bp, and so far so good. NO MITES, & oh it's so much easier to clean the cage up. My bp has a natural background, a some fake plants, 2 hides, and climbing wood. he is in a glass cage.

But I understand that most of these ppl on here breed, & keep more than a few snakes... If I was to have more than the one, I would more than likely switch to a tub too.

I hope you are treating the enclosure with a mite killer like PAM, and not just wishing the mites or their eggs away