Enclosure For A Ball Python

[ShaggyRS6]

Hi everyone. Well if you had read my intro you would no that I am not rushing into this hobby. I want to do my research, make sure snakes are for me then do the best thing for the animal I choose to keep.

I think I am pretty set on a ball Python, I think their temperament and handle-ability is going to suit me as a beginner. I actually called Garret and Constrictor designs and spoke at length with him about keeping snakes and specifically the right environment for them. He assures me that a visually pleasing setup is going to be fine for a ball Python, I was concerned because I see a lot of people keep them in the drawer type system.

So this bring me on to my next question. What enclosure? Now I see the Zoo Med products seem to be good and would like your opinion on those. I really wanted a 48" enclosure, just so I could keep the cold and hot spots further away. I dont see them doing a 48" starter kit, but assume they must just do a 48" tank then I buy the rest of the gear I need.

Do you have any other suggestions on an enclosure? i am also toying with where I want to put it. I actually want it in my basement but am worried if I will be able to keep it warm enough in winter. The basement is a nice area, its my man cave, where I spend most of my time, but has no heating. I am in North Jew Jersey. I would like to hear you thoughts on that too? Maybe cover the mesh top with acrylic?

Sorry for all the questions.

[Aaron_S]

Just ensure you find a quality snake that's well established. Don't hesitate to buy a slightly older one than just a hatchling.

My suggestion is to find a PVC one and bring it home. Put it in your basement and test out the temps. Stay away from the floor and exterior walls and you should be okay I think.

[ShaggyRS6]

Aaron ref setting up and seeing is a very good idea. never thought of that to be honest. Too obvious for me :) Thanks!

[Wdnesday99]

Hi everyone. Well if you had read my intro you would no that I am not rushing into this hobby. I want to do my research, make sure snakes are for me then do the best thing for the animal I choose to keep.

I think I am pretty set on a ball Python, I think their temperament and handle-ability is going to suit me as a beginner. I actually called Garret and Constrictor designs and spoke at length with him about keeping snakes and specifically the right environment for them. He assures me that a visually pleasing setup is going to be fine for a ball Python, I was concerned because I see a lot of people keep them in the drawer type system.

So this bring me on to my next question. What enclosure? Now I see the Zoo Med products seem to be good and would like your opinion on those. I really wanted a 48" enclosure, just so I could keep the cold and hot spots further away. I dont see them doing a 48" starter kit, but assume they must just do a 48" tank then I buy the rest of the gear I need.

Do you have any other suggestions on an enclosure? i am also toying with where I want to put it. I actually want it in my basement but am worried if I will be able to keep it warm enough in winter. The basement is a nice area, its my man cave, where I spend most of my time, but has no heating. I am in North Jew Jersey. I would like to hear you thoughts on that too? Maybe cover the mesh top with acrylic?

Sorry for all the questions.

A little trick I learned was to tape aluminum foil over most of the cage, this keeps the heat and humidity in better. I only use this in the winter cause it gets too cold. Be sure to still allow ventilation and it works pretty well. A room heater might bring your basement up to the right ambient tempatures.

[chairman]

My reptile room is in my basement and is about 15'x13'. Sans climate control, my basement runs about 65F in the summer. It has never dropped below 55F in the winter but it does get heated at a minimum level (I'm in IN so we get cold but probably not Jersey cold).

I don't have temperature problems in the summer. For the winter, I use a space heater to keep the room 70-75F. I have all-glass, wood, rubbermaid tubs, AP T10s... my heating approach changes to meet the requirements of the animals and the limitations of the cages but none of my glass enclosures require insulation.

Guess that's a long way to say that your basement should work and it shouldn't be hard to find a combination of cage and heating solution for a snake.

[drewvliet]

Don't worry about asking lots of questions, it's the only way to get information :)

I used to have ball pythons a while back. I gave them up for larger constrictors, but that's aside the point. For an enclosure, a doored one works great, as it's better to pick up snakes from the side than the top. My personal favorite for ball pythons (when kept as pets, not breeders) is the model 415 Vision Cage. They're like 400 bucks, but super tough and they last forever. I custom build a wood stand for mine and made it a cabinet to hold extra stuff.

For heating, lighting, and other stuff, there's a pretty basic list. I used a 24 inch aquarium food, with a daylight bulb inside of it (just for lighting to make it look nice). A dome lamp was used with a 150 watt red reptile bulb (don't want bright basking lights), and I placed a piece of eggcrate over top of it so that the snake couldn't get burned. An analog thermometer/hygrometer is a necessity (digital works too, but I never used them), and I also used a thermostat for the light. I installed my own lock system, as they can be thick, strong snakes. Lastly, I used aquarium silicone to seal the inside walls of the enclosure (just the ones where the door piece is installed).

After that gets set up, you really just need some decor. You really can go crazy with whatever you want. In my tank was:
-40 pounds of beech chips so that there was a lot of substrate for burrowing
-Large Exo Terra reptile hiding cave for the warm hide
-Extra large Zoo Med Habba Hut for the cool hide
-A medium piece of grapewood (not the bird perch-like stuff, thick stuff) for a basking perch
-Large Exo Terra snake cave for an in-the-middle hide (between warm and cool)
-Large Zoo Med repti shelter 3 in 1 cave for a humid shedding hide
-Large Zoo Med water dish that the snake could come pretty close to soaking in until it was about 2 or 3 feet long, maybe longer
-Medium Exo Terra silk ficus plant near the top of the grapewood perch for hiding in
-Medium Exo Terra boston fern, mostly for decoration and an extra little hiding spot

Aside from that, I just bought a book on ball pythons (because I was kinda a newb) and the appropriate food every once in a while. I usually bought food for the month when it was growing, and when it stopped, generally I bought for the year. Ball pythons should be fed hopper mice until they reach 100 grams, large mice until they reach 200 grams, hopper rats until they reach 350 grams, weaned rats until they reach 500 grams, small rats until they reach 925 grams, medium rats until (if) they reach 2,800 grams, and large rats if they get any bigger than that.

Hope this helps!

[Sasha2]

I had vision cages and the bottoms were bowed so it was impossible to heat evenly with a uth. I like boaphile cages and they run under 300 shipped, I had several I picked up used and they are awesome.
Also I have used Reflectix for insulations on the top,back and sides.Its that stuff that look likes bubblewrap with foil on it.

Glass is almost impossible to keep warm in a cold room. You will end up insulating the whole thing including the bottom.Glass stays cold, even when air temps are warm. Makes for unstable temps.I know people do it but in a cold room its going to be a challenge.

Dont use those stupid analog thermometers, its only a few bucks more for a proper digital one with a probe(walmart ones for 12 bucks are the best as they have humidity as well as temps). The biggest problem with the ball pythons Ive rescued over the years is keepers that refuse to use a proper thermometer and either over heat or under heat their animals and then dont understand why it wont eat..