Quote Originally Posted by SoCaliSon View Post
I know a lot of things in this hobby are done with keeper convenience a high priority, and that is where the whole rack system is derived from.

I am yet to move to tubs as I have not expanded my collection to that point yet, and while it is a widely used caging method, I am not sure how I feel about it.

Like clockwork everynight at 9:30 my 2yr old BP girl(4 foot) is out climbing and exploring every nook and corner of her 2'x3'x1' cage. She was recently moved into this as 20 gal long she was in didn't seem like it was giving her enough space to do her thing. I would like to switch to tubs, but having witnessed how much she seems to enjoy her space to explore I would almost feel guilty confining her to such a small area.

I thought in keeping captive animals happy the key was options. Giving the options to the animal within their enclosure. So that if they are hot they can cool down, if they are cool they can warm up, if they are shy they can hide, and if they are restless they can stretch out. We know that thermoregulation is a must for their health, so we create a tempurature gradient, and let the animal regulate on their own.
I would imagine in a small confined tub, If the animal ever felt the need to roam, whether it be for hunting or mating reasons, and only a small percentage of time, they would not be able to exercise this behavior, and I am sure the inablity to do that would definately cause some level of stress, whether or not that stress is apparent to us. Like was said, the snakes can't tell us what they want, So instead of hoping he is not cramped, or assuming he is happy while in tight quarters, why not provide space for both, and let the snake decide?

Just my thoughts on it.

~Joe
If it works for you, why change? I've personally noticed more activity with balls when I used display cages, even with plenty of hides. I also think, how many BP's escape their display tank, just to be found in a tight nook or cranny somewhere? I've had a BP escape once, and I've had two corns escape. The corns were eventually found cruising around the floor, and the ball was eventually found in a ball in a tight crevace. Just something to think about.