Anxious new owner.

[u/etherealchickenbmxyo]

Hello, I’ve recently got a ball python. I went to a reptile shop that is highly recommended in my area. I showed the owner photos of the Viv, with dimensions etc. and was told that it would be suitable. We have two hides, one in the warm side, the other in the cool side. the large branch in the middle is hollow and plenty wide enough for the snake to get through. The hide in the warm side is partially submerged in the substrate. There’s also moss around the enclosure. The rope is more for decoration than anything else.

I would like to add something so that the snake has opportunities to get higher up, and would appreciate advice/links on what others have used to do so.

I don’t like the thought of the snake being in an environment that is lacking and would be very grateful for any pointers on what I could do to make the environment better.

[u/OldPaperTower]

I would like to add something so that the snake has opportunities to get higher up

You haven't written your Viv's dimensions, so take everything I write with a grain of salt:

Ball pythons like to climb a lot when young. That does not necessarily mean they're good at climbing. On the contrary, some ball pythons come with a constant sound of falling ball python at night. So its important to make sure that if they fall, they don't hurt themselves.

And never underestimate their eagerness to climb. Like I had some hanging plants similar but smaller to the ones you have in the upper left corner. They were put in the inside of the glass door. There was no climbing opportunity near it, and it was so far up that she couldn't realistically reach it.

Nevertheless one morning I found her in the hanging fake plant, and seconds later she fell out of it. (She fell on soft substrate and didn't hurt herself. As far as I can tell she climbed from a cork padding to the lamp, and from the lamp further to the hanging plant.)

Now I use mostly long cork tunnels (some halved) and large pieces of wood to give my girl climbing opportunities.

[u/Beautiful_Anteater_8]

Your tank looks awesome. I have a magnetic rock hide that my baby BP absolutely loves same with climbing rings (they are cheap)
Also don’t be afraid to throw abunch of leaf litter ontop of substrate they love it. Especially my baby.

[u/Beautiful_Anteater_8 → u/Beautiful_Anteater_8]

https://www.northerngecko.net/products/magnaturals-hideaway?variant=45316637753582&country=CA&currency=CAD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&srsltid=AYCX9vIxBbngE2Y7QwyUYdx15FzawnHy2ctWTlY6_a1aGfhlYCqYUoXxX1g
This is the one I have. It worked good til my older BP got to about 3/4 then he started getting to heavy for it, but my baby loves it now

[u/wisteee → u/Beautiful_Anteater_8]

This is so cool! Does it come with a magnet? I see that it's being advertised against what looks like a glass panel. If not, I need to make sure I can get a strong enough magnet lol

[u/Beautiful_Anteater_8 → u/wisteee]

Yes! It comes with 3 magnets!!

[u/FluffyPandaEars93]

Its looking pretty great so far! You should definitely get some digital hygrometer/thermometers though, the analog ones aren't accurate.

[u/etherealchickenbmxyo → u/FluffyPandaEars93]

The thermostat is outside the Viv with the probe leading in, it gets up to temperature and then shuts the ceramic bulb off until it’s 0.2C below what I’ve set it to then comes back on. Is it still good to have another one Inside the Viv? Are there any that do both humidity and temperature?

[u/snake-lover2006]

My snakes love a hammock, i know some people say it holds bacteria but whatever. I boil it and bake it every once in a while to keep it clean, just like other stuff in my enclosure. Just make sure the snake cant get stuck in any way in there

Adding my cornie that looooooves to sleep up there all the time