5x2x2. Is two at each end too many or just right?

Having it made with two low on the cold side end and two high on the warm side end rather than on the back.

Just hoping someone wise can tell me if it'll be ok or I I should switch to one at each end. Or something else.

The holes are 77mm.

Hi! I am looking for a good online frozen rat breeder to buy frozen rats from. Pet store rats are super expensive and I don't trust those big stores. Thanks.

He just shedded btw

I’ve had her for a couple weeks, I woke up this morning and her eyes were blue/grey.

There are some LED plant grow lights that advertise that they provide UVB. Would these be suitable for snakes? The lights appear cheaper and more energy efficient than the fluorescent bulbs, and have better spectrum for growing plants. Would they provide enough UVB and is there any danger in using them? I’ve read people express concerns that they’re too intense to look at but said they weren’t sure how that works for snakes.

Are these “spots” normal? I was thinking it might’ve been substrate stuck to his body but I’m not sure!

I was thinking of attaching this to the wall of my pvc enclosure for my BP, good or bad idea?

Sorry if this question is redundant. You all have provided an amazing wealth of info to help me get started! I'm getting my daughter an enclosure set up as a Christmas/Birthday present as she's been pining for a BP for the last two years.

I'd love to do a RHP and halogen flood combo for the lighting/heating. But I'm also feeling salty about having to get multiple thermostats. Also it looks like Vivarium Electronics is out if business, so I'm hesitant to put money into their products knowing there will be little to no support.

Does anyone have thoughts on a better heat/light combo, or alternative to VE for radiant heat panels?
The enclosure will be 6x2x3,HDPE, northern Illinois in an older house. I'd like to be able to do day/night cycles without worrying about it getting too cold at night. Or having to crank the whole house temp fir the cage.

Thanks so much for this awesome community!

Hi guys, i just recently got a juvenile ball python and i’ve had him for about 3 days now. He was sold (inconveniently) one day before his feeding day and now HES NOT EATING i’m assuming due to the relocation stress. I’m keeping him in a temporary baby enclosure using one of those PVC plastic bins, cypress as the substrate, two hides, and a basking spot during the day with temp gradients in the enclosure. During the night the air temp drops to 75 and during the day 85. The humidity was giving me issues the first day and it was 40%, which i fixed by day 2 and now its consistently 65%. Is he just stressed out from the new environment and how long should i wait to try feeding again? It was very inconvenient the breeder was selling him right before his feeding day, but oh well. Drop some advice please and thanks! 💜

Hi there!

I am very new to this group. I am fostering a ball python while my dude is deployed. BP is like 10 and I wanted to jazz up his digs a little. He's got a glass tank right now with the dual heat lamp thing (one 100 W infrared and one regular basking spot 75 watt thing). The tank itself is 36"x16"x18". The top is a screen that slides in

I was looking at a PVC enclosure from Reptile Kages that is 48"x24"x24". Is this a good option for a ball python? There are lighting options for the top... I think if I'm reading things correctly I'll need one screen on one side and the other can be a solid PVC top? I have read they like a hot side and a cool side? Do I just do back vents only? Back and side vents? Seems no belly heat is recommended by reddit?

Right now we've only got two hides and a climbing stick. It's been a few days and he mostly stays hidden. I got him some cool new things, but I'm giving him some time to acclimate before I add a bunch of new stuff.

Anyway- I wanted to order this new cage, but I don't know what I'm doing. I don't want to inadvertently stress him out, but I am reading his current cage might be too small. Is a PVC cage a good option? Reptile Kages comes recommended on this sub so I just wanted to double check I'm getting the right specs for a BP.

Right now he's on aspen snake bedding and I leave the lights on all day to one side of his cage.
Thanks in advance!

So my juvenile bp has been sneezing for the past few days and wheezing a bit. After reading online there's no discernable way to tell if it's a respiratory infection or just a dry enclosure.

She doesn't show any other signs of a respiratory infection like opening her mouth often, straightening out or increased saliva.

I have no idea what to do as it's my first time having a snake fall ill, any advice would be greatly appreciated

So I am researching ball pythons and thinking I may want to own one, and out of curiosity I am wondering if ball pythons need to eat rats specifically or if there are other non mammalian alternatives that are just as good for them. If not does anyone know why rats specifically are like the perfect food for them? I am just super curious on a more nutritional level as to why rats are the staple food, like is it because they are cheap and easy to find or really the best thing out there. Just super curious and I appreciate anyone who has an idea!

Just ordered 2 4x2x2 enclosures for both my snakes what's the best way to stack them ?

Hello, I am looking into getting a thermostat for my heaters, as I will be away more hours for work and cannot manage the heat as much. What are some of the best thermostats that I can get for my boy? Thanks

have a question you think isn't worth its own post? well, this thread is exactly the place for that question, so ask away!

a new Q & A thread will be posted every day at noon eastern time. this is the place where you can ask that question that might feel like it isn't a big deal but it's been on your mind, or ask basic questions that probably have a simple yes or no answer, or maybe you just want to have a casual chat and get some quick opinions on something. these threads are a group project, everyone is invited to both ask and answer questions here.

reminder: a lot of simple questions are answered by the care guides and other resources linked in our welcome post. if you're not sure which link would be most helpful to you, tell us what you're looking for and we can direct you to the right link[s].

I don't even have a snake. I'm just genuinely curious.

There are so many options here, especially for the lighting, that it's making my head spin. Can somebody help me choose the best customization options for my adult BP?

What else should be added

i wanted to show my new tank and get thoughts its not entirely done but here it is

My hot side is like 31 to 29 degrees and my water (when I put the heat gun on it) is 29°. Is that normal? My water is on the hot side. Sorry im a tad bit paranoid

I still can't believe it's true. My boyfriend and I went to an exotic pet expo yesterday and he decided to take a snake as a Christmas gift for me (even if he was supposed to keep me from taking any pet while we were there), so here is my beautiful, 3 months old, Cypress Crypton Ball Python!

Of course she will get appropriate bedding, hide and decorations in her enclosure, this is a veeeery temporary setup (especially since she seems to enjoy climbing and exploring around), I'm just waiting for my paycheck to buy everything (yes, that red hamster hide is horrible, I know, please don't hate me for that, I couldn't find anything else at the pet shop that could resemble a hide for snakes and I forgot to buy one while at the expo).

I have a question: her breeder gave me a little booklet with basic info on how to take care of her and he wrote that heating bulbs are not recommended because they can dry up the air inside the enclosure, so heating mats are a better solution. I've been following this sub for a while now and I've seen what heating mats can cause to snakes, but this breeder told me to put the mat outside the enclosure and that everything would be fine. So what's up with the "heating bulbs dry up the air" thing? Is this true? What is everyone's experience and recommendation on this? Also, any suggestions on "humidity detectors" to buy are very welcome and appreciated! (I live in Italy)

Okay, so, my baby's temperatures and humidity have been the same from the start (cold side around 26°C, warm side 28°C, basking spot 32°C, humidity 70-80%) Now, Claudius used to go out from his hiding spots and explore, or just to hang out somewhere else, he also used to be quite the climber.

However - for almost two months, he has not been fully out of his cool hide. When he's awake, his head is at the entrance watching us. His water dish is on top of his hide (the hide is half underground) so when he wants to drink, half of the snake will go out of the hide, he drinks and goes right back in. He also did not stop eating, looks the same - I offer a rat, half of the snake leaves the hide, he grabs the rat, and eats it inside his hide.

Is this normal? I figured maybe it's because it's winter, less sunlight in the room his enclosure is in, so he's less active?

Idk, I will be grateful for your opinions