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General information on ball python cages. If you are new to keeping ball pythons then I suggest you talk to other ball python keepers, pets shops that specialize in ball pythons and snakes and read as much as possible. You should also understand that it will cost money to set yourself up properly to care for your reptile. Our home page has snake cage plans designed to help you save money but there are other costs such as lighting, heat mats & lamps, thermostats, thermometers, heating & lighting power costs, accessories, substrates and food. Ball pythons are the terrestrial, preferring solid ground and live and hunt in that environment. Many people house their ball pythons in converted aquariums but these are generally not the best place to house a ball python. The glass does not insulate well and consequently loses heat easily and quickly. Smaller reptiles adapt quite well to this sort of environment and the heating costs are not really an issue as the tanks are smaller. Acrylic cages are common and are quite a good alternative. They are easily washed and lightweight. The better ones can be expensive, depending on their size and options. It is generally a lot more expensive to make moulds for large shapes. Wooden ball python cages are widely used. This is for a number of reasons:
You will need to provide at least 3/4 square foot of living area per foot of ball python housed within. This means that for cages measuring 2ft deep (wide) the length of the cage is roughly 2/3 the length of the ball python to be housed in it i.e. 4ft ball python has a 3ft x2ft cage, a 6ft ball python requires a min 4ft x 2ft cage etc. Ball python cages also need to be secure. Ideally your ball python cage should be lockable to prevent people removing your animal without your presence and risking the chance of being bitten or in the case of a large reptile, potentially injuring or preventing fatalities in the case of young children. Your ball python cage will also need to be ventilated. The ventilation should allow a free flow of air through the ball python enclosure, without being too much. ball pythons have a low metabolic rate and hence do not require a massive air flow. The vents for your ball python enclosure will need to be made from plastic, rather than metal to prevent abrasions. You will also need to clean your ball python’s cage thoroughly at least once a month, including disinfecting the floors, to keep your ball python healthy and in good condition. Ball pythons regulate their temperature in the wild based on a variety of factors and they need to be able to do so in the artificial environment you provide. Your cage will need a temperature gradient and adequate provision for the ball python to regulate its temperature. Heating can be provided in a number of ways, for example heat lamps (incandescent bulbs) and heat mats. You need to monitor and regulate the temperature of you ball python cage in a number of locations in order to keep you r ball python comfortable. If you use incandescent globes, make sure they are not able to be accidentally touched by the ball python. Any branches should have the high end at the other end of the cage. Ball pythons naturally live in the savannah, so do not require a high humidityrequiring humidity to provide the optimal environment. Thermometers should be placed at multiple locations within the ball python housing to monitor the temperatures throughout. The temperatures should be about eighty to eighty-five degrees during the day and drop down to about seventy five to eighty at night. Decorations and cage accessories such as rock formations, hollow logs, or other hiding areas can be placed at different temperature locations within the enclosure. Your ball python will definitely require hiding places in its cage. The ball python cage will also require a substrate (base material). There are a wide range of these such as Aspen shavings, commercially available substrates designed for ball pythons newspaper and recycled paper material such as kitty litter. You will also need a sturdy ceramic or plastic water bowl in your ball python cages. They need to have a flat base and be reasonable wide as ball pythons and reptiles will move around freely and knock poor water containers over. The water containers should be at both the warmer and cooler ends of the cage. Some species of ball python like to have a larger water container that enable them to immerse themselves.
Mark Chapple is the Author
of "How to build enclosures for reptiles"
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