ball pythons

[dexter 1988]

what are some good non-toxic live pants for ball python enclosure and do you needed some kind of light and should i be conserned about mites.:yes:

[Chu'Wuti]

For a BP enclosure, you need tough but non-spiny plants. Don't use plants with spines that could injure your snake or you when you try to get it out of the enclosure, or plants with milky sap, as if the snake breaks a branch or leaf while crawling across the plant, the sap could irritate its skin.

I have pothos, Zamioculcas Zamiifolia (ZZ plant), Sempervivum, and sansevieria. Though pothos appears to be less strong than the other three, it is actually quite tough and is holding up even better than the Sempervivum (hen & chicken) is.

A useful text for creating a naturalistic vivarium is "The Art of Keeping Snakes" by Philippe de Vosjoli. If you don't want to try a natural substrate, you can keep the plants in pots and mound your substrate, such as aspen or cypress shavings, around the pots to hide them.

Your BP does not need daylight, as it is nocturnal. However, your plants will require light in order to grow, and those of us who have display enclosures set up usually have lights so we can see our snakes better. However, you may want a lighting system that offers you the option of fluorescent or other lights with a grow spectrum for the plants and a red or "moonglow" bulb for night lighting so you can see your snake when he/she comes out.

You should quarantine any new snake before putting it in your final enclosure with any plants into order to ensure that it does not have mites. If you find you have mites, the entire enclosure will have to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. It's far easier to check for mites first. If you determine that the snake does not have mites, then it won't get mites from being put in a naturalistic enclosure with sterile potting soil or substrate and plants that have been carefully cleaned and potted in clean soil.

Good luck!

[Chu'Wuti]

Someone just posted this link on another forum I'm on, and I thought you might find it helpful--it gives a lot more detail than I did above.

Edible and Harmful Plants (http://www.anapsid.org/resources/plants.html)

[dexter 1988]

thanks for all the info chu wuti :yes: