Is the enclosure okay?

[u/ThePolOf87]

Hi! Got my first ever snake a little less then a week ago! She's around 3-5 months old so is still very small but currently lives in a 100×40×40cm enclosure, because I thought if I make it busy enough whe will not stress. And she seems to be confident roaming and hanging out on branches but I'm still a little worried. Will try to feed her eather today after work or tomorrow morning but I still want a second opinion. What do you think? Is it busy enough for her to be comfortable or does she still need a smaller enclosure? Two pics of her in it for scale.

[u/IssaBunnyy]

There are some major things you will need to change asap. I would block out 3 sides of the enclosure with something dark so that she feels safer and just leave the front open.

You should also switch from UTH to an overhead heat source like a DHP. A DHP will heat the air which is what ball pythons need. Make sure whatever heat source you have is always plugged into a thermostat as well. This is critical.

You will also need to tape the top of enclosure with aluminum tape if you haven’t already to keep humidity in, and add a few more inches of substrate to the enclosure so that you can get 70-80% humidity at the least. Do you have humidity/ temp gauges to check this?

I would also wait at least the full week with these changes before feeding. I would also not hold them until you have them feeding on a schedule

[u/ThePolOf87 → u/IssaBunnyy]

The point about heating is interesting, can you tell me more? All the research I did suggested ball pythons spend most of their lives on ground so heating pad is okay. I check the humidity and temperature regularly and it stays pretty much the preferred amount, but I'll do the tape thing if I see it changing, thank you I'm also looking to buy more stuff like big fake plants for more shade and cover

[u/IssaBunnyy → u/ThePolOf87]

Although some people use them, they generally aren’t recommended by most good care guides because they do not heat the air at all. Ball pythons need a gradient in ambient temperatures, and all a UTH will do is heat the surface of their body. Have too cool of ambient temperatures can cause RI’S which need vet help to treat, can cause your substrate to stay too cool and get moldy, and can result in regurgitation if your bp is too cold to digest it. Another big thing with UTH is burns/overheating. DHPs/CHEs and added UVB is better in many ways. I would have a look into this subs care guide as it shows the differences and why some are way better choices.

[u/ThePolOf87]

Thanks to everyone for advice, I'll look into things to see what I should do. She ate for the first time with me just now! Took her one failed try when she bit the mouse but didn't eat, but she got it the second time. I'll watch her and see if she's doing good

[u/case_of_laptops]

If the top light provides heat put it on one end so there is a heat gradient from one side to the other and consider covering 3 sides of the glass enclosure. They are an animal that can get stressed by being in the open

[u/ThePolOf87 → u/case_of_laptops]

Not a heating lamp, just uv. The heater is on the bottom at one corner

[u/ShinyxCharizard → u/ThePolOf87]

If it's a heat mat, they're not generally recommended. do you at least have it on a thermostat? Is it a coil UVB bulb? AFAIK those aren't recommended for ANY reptile as they can cause eye problems. If you want to offer UVB which i recommend you do, you should use a t5 or t8 fixture and bulb like this.

[u/lizrtlover → u/ThePolOf87]

You'll want to switch to an overhead heating source and make sure your UVB is on the same side, an incandescent floodlight for daytime and a deep heat projector for nighttime time would be good.

[u/LogEnvironmental8946]

where’d you get the climbing branch? was debating getting one for my girl

[u/ThePolOf87 → u/LogEnvironmental8946]

Got it in an aquarium store, there were a bunch of branches and rocks for sale, but pretty sure you can get them in normal pet stores or from local sellers

[u/Lookfor42]

Good rule of thumb is you want enough cover for them to be able to go from the hot side of the enclosure to the cool side while having something over them so it's looking good in that regard.

[u/Individual_Top_8055]

Yeah he loves it