The other day I was looking on the internet for a good Ball Python care
sheet. To me, I think a good care sheet explains the best you can offer
your snake, and not what will just “get them by”. Of the hundreds of
care sheets I found, there were so many consistent errors that made me
wonder, “Has anyone actually studied these animals ?”
Today we’re going to talk about the top three misconceptions that are commonly found in Ball Python care sheets.
The
first is the suggestion to keep a Ball Python in a fishtank. There is
much debate over the correct size of the fishtank to keep your snake in.
Unfortunately, there are few care sheets out there advising Ball Python
owners to avoid keeping their snakes in fishtanks. The truth of the
matter is simple – Ball Pythons should not be kept in fishtanks, since
they are not fish.
Many breeders are aware of what is required,
but most breeders today use elaborate rack and wall systems. It is the
Ball Python pet owner who is suffering with a lack of guidance. As a
good example of this problem, walk no further then your local pet store.
The store employee will tell you that the fishtank is okay for a Ball
Python, “Look there is even a snake on the picture,” they say.
Ask the clerk if they own a Ball Python and most often the answer is
no. Fishtank’s are easily available and don’t cost very much money, so
what is the better enclosure? I’m glad you asked (you did ask, right?).
The correct enclosure for a Ball Python must have a few
characteristics. It must lock, be moisture resistant and it must be
able to retain both heat and humidity. This leads me into the second
most common misconception.
Ball Pythons require a hot area, and a
cool area in the enclosure. Ball Pythons are cold blooded animals and
they require an outside source of heat to maintain the correct internal
temperature. They need heat in order to metabolize food properly, among
many other daily bodily functions. The most common heat source
recommended for reptiles are heat lamps. Heat lamps come in coloured
bulbs (some labeled as night and day) and also in non-light emitting
ceramic bulbs. Both are great sources of heat for many reptiles, but
are not suitable for Ball Pythons. They require belly heat, not basking
heat. In northern Africa you will never see a Ball Python on top of a
log or rock basking in the afternoon sun. They like to spend the day
hiding under branches and rocks in the dark, with their bodies on the
warm ground. In the wild they will hide all day, and if your Ball
Python is healthy it should do the same. The solution, since your snake
doesn’t bask like other snakes and lizards, is to use an Under Tank
Heater (UTH). There are many types of UTH’s available today such as
heat tape, heat cable or heat pads. All of these perform the same
function and should be regulated with a thermostat. Do not use a heat
rock with a Ball Python. It cannot be regulated properly with a
thermostat and will burn your snake.
Now, let’s return to the
first misconception and tie the first in with the second. So let me
explain why a fishtank is not a good idea in regards to heat. Let’s go
back to grade school science for a moment. Hot air rises. If a Ball
Python is kept in a fishtank the hot air will rise and escape,
disappearing into the room and becoming of no use to your snake.
Because your fishtank is wide open on the top, the ambient air doesn’t
have the opportunity to heat up in the enclosure. It’s important to
maintain a consistent belly heat for your snake, but it is also
important that the ambient air not be too cold.
A Ball Python
enclosure is designed to retain heat. Our enclosures have been made
from a material that acts as an insulator. Also, the shape of the
enclosure is designed to stop heat from escaping. When your Ball Python
is kept in an enclosure which has been specifically designed for it,
your snake will be much healthier.
The final misconception is the
most misleading. Every care sheet teaches the importance of humidity,
but none of them explain why humidity is so difficult to attain in a
fishtank. So now I’m going to explain what you need to do if you have a
fishtank as an enclosure. Maintaining humidity in a fishtank is
actually not that difficult, and only requires you to spray down the
substrate with water. Easy, right? Oh wait, did I forget to mention
that you will need to do this as many as 21 times a week! Ball Pythons
are tropical snakes that require tropical enclosures. The humidity
within a Ball Python enclosure should never drop lower then 50%, and at
times should be as high as 70%!
Now, to tie the top three
misconceptions together. So let’s assume that you have now gone out and
replaced your bulb with a UTH, but kept the fishtank. Even with the
correct heat source the warm, humid air just floats out of the top of
the fishtank leaving your Ball Python dry and cold. By using the correct
Ball Python enclosure, the humidity would remain inside warming up
rather then escaping. Having the correct enclosure for your Ball Python
not only keeps your snake well hydrated and warm, but also relieves you
of having to work so hard. Spraying down your fishtank 21 times a week
is impractical, which is why having the correct enclosure will change
your life. Keeping humidity around 50% would only require 2 or 3 sprays
a week in the correct Ball Python enclosure!
Keeping a Ball
Python in an enclosure that has been designed for Ball Pythons will
allow you to enjoy your snake rather then having to constantly worry
about the heat or humidity.
You wouldn’t keep a reptile in a
birdcage, so why would you keep it in a fishtank? ™ Moving your Ball
Python into the proper enclosure is expensive; so many owners choose to
stress out their snakes instead. It saddens me greatly when I hear
people say, “Yes, I know a fishtank is wrong but I don’t have the money at the moment”. To the owners who keep their Ball Pythons in fishtanks I say, “Don’t buy a snake, if you cannot buy the correct enclosure”.
Keeping a Ball Python in its correct enclosure will allow for the
perfect heat and humidity, which results in perfect sheds, proper
digestion, better eating and a less stressed and happier snake.
By Ricky’s Reptiles
http://www.rickysreptiles.com
Source: http://www.worldofballpythons.com/articles/three-common-misconceptions/
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