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| Ball PythonEnclosure Selection Health Feeding BreedingEnclosure Size Suitable Materials Substrates Décor Temperatures Lighting Plants Maintenance Enclosure size While hatchlings can be kept in a 10 gallon comfortably, an adult requires at least 36" x 11" x 18" or a 30 gallon long aquarium. Ideally, the enclosure should be long enough for them to stretch out fully but this is not always possible. Two or more snakes require much larger enclosures. Material A variety of materials are available, the most popular being glass, plastic and wood. Glass and plastic are usually the cheapest, and commercial plastic vivariums are usually available purpose built for snakes. Glass tanks can be picked up much cheaper if they no longer hold water, as they are useless for fish keeping but since water tightness is not an issue for snake keeping, you can usually find a good deal here. While plastic is much lighter than glass, it is also a lot easier to scratch and of the two, glass is preferable. However, if you are going to a black plastic option then scratching is not likely to be an issue. Wood, which is my personal favourite, is the best of all. If properly constructed and sealed they last for many years and look a lot better than both plastic and glass. They are generally heavier and more expensive, but it is also a lot harder for snakes to escape, provided the glass doors are properly closed. Consider using a wedge to ensure determined snakes cannot get free. There is a tendency for temperatures to fluctuate quite quickly in glass tanks as there is such poor insulation. The problem arises not only from heat loss but also from heat gains, so it is preferable not to locate the enclosure in direct sunlight. If you are using an aquarium, you should use a screen top properly fixed down. Straps are the best method, as pythons are incredibly strong and will easily push off a lid held down with a brick. Substrate Substrate is and will always be a topic of great debate. Some substrates, such as cedar mulch, are toxic to snakes while other such as sand will often cause impaction. Suitable substrates for Ball pythons are newspaper, astroturf, aspen mulch, pine mulch, cypress mulch, and sphagnum moss. If you are using astroturf, consider having a spare piece handy so that it can be put in place while the other is cleaned. Newspaper printers will also often sell you the ends of rolls if you do not want to use printed sheets. Décor At least one hide is required, which should be just large enough for the snake to fit into so it can feel secure. In the wild, ball pythons sleep in burrows, often those of whatever animal they just ate, and this can be recreated in captivity using a variety of pots, pipes, and cardboard tubes. Ideally, there should be one hide at the warm end and one at the cool end. Consider adding ropes and other structures for the snakes to climb. At least one rough rock should be added, and the snake will use this when shedding to rub against. Wood and rocks can, of course, be bought at rather extravagant prices. Depending on where you live this may be your only option but if you are lucky enough to have access to a public forest where you are allowed to remove one or two suitable branches this can be more economic. Various rocks and stones should also be collected and cleaned in the same manner as the branches. If you cannot source natural materials locally then a local aquarium specialist or reptile supplier will have dried and cleaned sections of wood in many interesting shapes which can be cleaned as below and used to furnish the enclosure. Recently there has been a significant rise in the availability of fake rocks and structures that you can purchase and place directly into the vivarium. These can look very realistic and are worth considering, since they are very lightweight compared to their natural counterparts. To clean items for use in a vivarium, use a stiff brush to remove all loose material, and in the case of wood strip it of its bark. Mix up a 5% bleach solution and thoroughly scrub the surface, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Rinse well and allow to dry completely before use. When setting out, make sure branches cannot slip and that rocks and structures cannot topple over. Temperatures The proper thermal gradient can be provided using a variety of methods. The most common is the heat mat, controlled by some sort of thermostat, to provide a temperature gradient of about 90F to 82/85F. The gradient is important, as it allows the snake to thermoregulate. Being reptilian, they are cold blooded and therefore take in heat from their surroundings, unlike mammals which generate it internally. In order to control body temperature, they move from warmer areas to colder areas to cool down and vice versa. To allow them to do this, we must provide the proper gradient. The easiest way to do this is to heat only one end of the enclosure, using a heat mat (as mentioned above), an incandescent light fitting at one end or a Ceramic Heat Emitter. The latter two can be fitted to dimmers to allow a degree of temperature control. Which method you choose will depend in part on the size and layout of your enclosure. If you have a relatively small area then it is likely that an incandescent bulb will not allow for a proper gradient, resulting in overheating and inability to thermoregulate. Bulbs should really only be used with fully ventilated screen tops to ensure adequate ventilation and heat dispersal. For smaller enclosures, heat mats can provide a lower amount of heat and are more easily regulated. There are a few manufacturers of thermostats, and the heat mat manufacturer may recommend the one that works best with their product. To gauge the size of mat needed, aim to cover at the most about 25% of the floor of the vivarium. For glass tanks, the mat should be placed externally with a small amount of ventilation space underneath. This can be achieved using a small piece of cardboard or wood under each corner. Providing air movement reduces the risk of the glass overheating and cracking. If you have a wooden vivarium however the mat will have to be placed on the inside, preferably under the substrate. Care must be taken not to allow the snakes to come directly into contact with the mat, and I personally fix the thermal sensor for the thermostat directly to the surface of the mat to prevent it becoming too hot. I strongly recommend avoiding hot rocks. They are unreliable and in some cases can cause serious burns to your new pet. There is a high instance of faults developing within them, resulting in hot spots in excess of 100F. All temperatures should be measured using a digital thermometer with a probe. If possible, it should be left in place with high/low alarms set if available. This will provide an immediate alert to any problems that occur. Lighting Lighting can be simple, but it important to provide at least some form of light. This can be gained from a basking lamp, or a fluorescent fitting. Various LED lights are available also, however whatever method you choose you should consider putting them on a timer. 12 hours on and 12 hours off is usually recommended, and the timer helps take the hassle out of switching them yourself. They can be picked up relatively cheaply in most hardware stores. A regular day/night cycle is important, even though they are nocturnal. No UVB is required for ball pythons. Plants Plastic plants should be favoured over live plants, as there is a tendency for them to become damaged. A vast number of different styles and sizes is available, so look online and in your local pet shop for ideas. Maintenance Remove any faeces as soon as you spot them, and several times a year you should clean the entire enclosure thoroughly using a 10% bleach solution. Daily checking of temperatures and spot cleaning will ensure you have minimum amounts of hassle in caring for your snake.
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