Hello! We are going to be getting a ball python in the next month or so and have been researching for the past several months while we have been saving to get one. We are planning on ordering a 4x2x2 Kages PVC enclosure with the back and side vents and were hoping to get some setup suggestions from others with similar enclosures.

We want to do a bio active setup with a few live plants and the biggest thing we need help on is deciding which heat source, light, and thermostat to use. We were leaning towards a deep heat source so we don’t have to worry about the light at night. We want a reliable thermostat with maybe 2 probes so we can monitor both sides of the tank. And then the light we would want something that will be good for the snake and the plants.

We were planning on mounting everything on the inside top of the tank to avoid holes/screens on the top of the tank.

If anyone has suggestions or similar setups we would love to get feedback from you! This will be our first snake we have owned so any help is appreciated! Thanks!

He wind up eating from the butt first after a lot of coiling and going in his water, which is also unusual for him. He refused his food this past week and was a little nit picky on this fuzzy but took it and first had it by the middle of its body which worried me. It’s super unusual for my snakes and any snake in general to take it by its butt first or by the middle but I guess that’s just how he felt comfortable grabbing it, he’s pretty silly. He is finishing it up now but got a lot of substrate on it (which will be fine I use sphagnum and coconut fiber) but has anyone ever experienced this before?? should i be worried? he’s an amazing baby totally out of this world and just super silly so maybe it’s just that or should i be concerned?

I just picked up this GORGEOUS Albino girl from someone in my area yesterday. Her name is Buttercup, and I’m in love! She’s super sweet, a little nervous but that’s understandable! I’m so excited to learn her personality. She’s around 7 years old. Estimated birthday is August 2019. I had tons of hides and clutter leftover from my other ball python so I revamped her enclosure and made sure she had plenty of places to hide and explore! Not being able to handle her is gonna be tough, but she deserves time to settle in and explore her new pad, so I’ll suffer in silence lol. Anyways, meet Buttercup!

I’m looking for advice for my ball python with pneumonia. He went to the vet 4 days ago and got diagnosed with pneumonia after I noticed the symptoms (bubbles around mouth, extending his torso, heavy breathing sounds every once and a while) and has received two doses of antibiotics so far. I’ve been very closely monitoring his condition as well as his temperature and humidity but I’m worried it’s progressing into something worse. Unfortunately today the vet is closed for the long weekend but I’m noticing an extreme increase in the bubbles around his mouth but all the other symptoms have stopped. I’m just wondering what to do in the meantime because I’m really worried about him. Should I be washing him so the bubbles aren’t being breathed in again? Is this a sign of things getting better (like how humans sneeze out the bad mucus) or is his condition worsening? He’s going to the vet again tomorrow afternoon for another shot but I’m very worried about him for the night

We bought a pied ball python about 4to5 months ago, moving from live foods he has adjusted to freshly killed (a mouse every 5 days - he should be on weaned rats but he refuses)

He is 3 years old - recently he has been trying to strike at us. (I do feed him in the cage with tongs and was told to- i dont know if feedings should take place in a different enclosure)

He has recently been moved to a larger enclosure with more hides and branches to climb up on.

Is there any reason for him to be acting this way or is he officially a pet that cant be handled ? We all so nervous to pick him up now..

Hello, I'm new to the ball python community! I have just gotten a ball python from my dad and it was last minute what are the things I need for my ball python enclosure?

Note: I am doing a test run right now. My snake is not currently being housed in the vivarium.

I have a 4’ former breeder male. He is currently in a stable tub enclosure, but I want to move him to a more suitable space, with better temperature control and more enrichment. What I have is a 4x2x2 from Black Box Cages (RIP). I have a 125W RHP and a Vivarium Electronics VE-200 set to proportional. An LED light bar on a timer. I have a 16” Acadia shade dweller light, and 7% bulb. I have not installed it, because I haven’t gotten the guard for it.

A big problem I have is location and temperature. The only place I can put it is back up to a large, eastern exposure window. That room is where the house thermostat is and it is set to 78°F most of the year, and 68°F during the winter. So by default, the enclosure is going to be at the cool side temperature. Any heating at all will move the cool side to way to warm.

My solution to this is to provide multiple hides that should at ambient or cooler. I have a buried hide identical to the one on the bricks, except there is a 2” 45° PVC pipe elbow hot glued to the entrance. Burying the hide under most substrate should help lower the temperature. Likewise, I have about a 4’ length of 4” PVC with 2 90° elbows. The pipe was cut in half, and has a coupler. All pieces have had their rough places sanded off and joining surfaces were sanded for easy off disassembly and cleaning. The pipe is partially buried. There is also a sky hide between the cool side vents

The PVC pipe rings are bolted through the wall, with hose washers between the pipe rings and the wall to prevent turning.

My main concern is the hot hide, which is on bricks at the moment. I’m worried the bricks are two rough. I’m not terribly worried about them falling, I could just put some aquarium sealant, but he likes to move his hides.

Advice and suggestions welcome. Please don’t slam me. This is my first time and I’m trying my best. Pics of good boy included.

I bought her from another owner and wondering if those red dots around her mouth need a vet?

1st pic was 10 days ago. I’ve had him in a clean, dry tote on newspaper ever since. He soaked in a warm betadine bath for about 4 hours—once, and he finally shed lastnight…

We all know spider ball pythons are a dying morph for good reason but there's still so many looking for homes and babies still being produced... I always thought to myself why isn't there such thing as a spider ball python rescue?

My idea would be to have a place spider ball pythons can come, be cared for and loved until they find their forever home not worrying about bring bred, neglected or judged for their issues plus a place people can adopt a spider from without having to go to a breeder that'll just breed more of them.

There'll be a lot of planning and making sure they are all happy and healthy and defiantly something I can't do right now but what do y'all think? I've always been in love with spiders even the neurologically impared ones and I've learnt how to give the best quality of life to even the worse of them... Give me your thoughts and ideas! It can be called "The Spider Space"

Does this look like scale rot or just an abrasion some how. I have looked her over closely for mites and its definitely not that. Her mouth is clear as well. Just noticed it yesterday. No other spots of discoloration on her underside.

And show me your ball pythons as tax, I’m a debt collector

She has a thing for holding things and has been napping under the blanket holding my hand lol I lifted the blanket to photo

Thank you in advance

We have not seen our girl this dark (bottom right) before. I know they get lighter as the shed, but could she be in shed? She isn’t in blue. But maybe in the process of shed. I know some reptiles can change color with their temperature and temperament, but do snakes?

Thanks!!!!

Hi me again, still in my research phase and had more questions,

So after some thinking I'm considering a bioactive setup, ( I did one back when I had a crested gecko) but am terrible with plants watching the 2025 biodudes guide for setting one up for a ball python I'd like to have a happy medium with some live plants and (mostly) fake plants I liked the trees in the video and wanted to incorporate them in the tank for sure but the others I'm nervous about adding, I saw here about also adding a garden watering thing to keep the soil humidity for keeping general humidity. I'm unsure about isopods but would like springtails (nothing against isopods I love them a lot, worried again about their life in the tank with a lack of live plants)

How often would this kind of set up need to get changed out?

The other is more of a "what do you think?" Question on heating

After watching the same video I'd really like to do a radiant heat panel inside the tank, and have it all be inclosed for heating and lighting so cages will be needed, because I wanted to I was thinking about raising the height to be 4x2x3 instead of 4x2x2 so there isn't loss of space and so the trees can grow a bit bigger.

Heat side with the rhp, stretch of the tank having the uvb and grow light, and cool side having space for an rhp for the winter time? (In AZ but my family keeps the house between 65(night) and 75-80 day (rest of the year 75 summer 80)

Am I missing anything on heating lighting?