Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking to buy a cage for the snake i'm buying at daytona. Is a 40breeder too big? As long as I have plenty of hides.. would it be too big for a baby? Or should i go with a 20L. How long will it take for it to outgrow that?

The 40 will be ok, why waste the money, just go with the 40 and set it up nice one time. I would throw in a couple hides though and you can put some real or fake plants for a secure feeling.

Once the snake is inside the hide, I really dont think it knws if its a 20 or 40 gallon, or the whole country of Ghana outside...he feels safe inside the hide.

i would go with a twenty if it was me they get insecure very easy and to much space can stress them the twenty will hole him for at least 3 years i have a 2 and a half year old that is still in a twenty so a twenty would be fine

it will hold him for a long time 40 might be to big. Not sure I would go with a 40 for a hatchling even a 10 would be good.
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Vince Pramuk

I remember a few months ago someone posted about issues with a baby not eating and it was living in a 40 breeder. When I worked at a petstore, I also got complaints about baby snakes not eating (along with a couple returns from the more impatient). Most of the snakes started eating once they were in a smaller cage with an extra hide.
I'd go with the 20L. That'll last you the whole life if it's an average sized male, and if it turns out to be a hefty sized female, a 30 gal will hold her. My female lived in a 30 gal for most of her life once she 'grew up'. She now lives in a 41 qt tub and is fatter and happier than ever.

Rarely does a ball python actually need something the size of a 40 breeder. What does that snake do all day? Sleep. What does it do all night? Sleep. Maybe 5, 10 minutes of patrolling around. I'm a young college student, I get home at all hours of the night, and between that and late-night study sessions...I've rarely seen my snakes out and cruising, except for the night or two before feeding day. They don't need or use the extra space. You're almost never going to see the snake, so make the tank decorations pretty.

Good luck!

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!

20L will do really good for a couple of years. jus cover one side of the screen so not much of the heat escapes.
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There is only 2 things u got in this world, Your Word & Your Balls !

The smaller the better , I keep adult breeders in 42Q. tubs and they feel safe ,you ask how I know they eel safe ? THEY EAT EVERY WEAK FOR ME !! Thanks David of DS Reptile Rescue

my last was in a 20L and ate every week. he was CB from Brian Sharp. i loved that snake, but i moved and had to give him up

How secure are the critter cages made by Zilla. I have heard that they are not secure enough, but the 10 i have for my leo is pretty strng.. then again. he isnt a snake. They seem to have pretty strong hinge locks and the sliding track would keep snakes from pushing up and out right? any advice??
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Maybe its me, but I want to know (if at all possible) that my snakes can full extend themselves if they choose to?

The thought of the snake being stuck where it cant even fully extend its body...bothers me.

Whats the point of the hide if your making the whole encloser a hide box?

I use a 55 gallon display tank in my living room, and the tubs in my rack are very big also..like 48"x18"x9" and almost all of my snakes are awesome eaters,or I know their personalities and how to get the few picky ones to eat.

I keep less animals due to the extra space these setups require, and breed only a few every year for my own enjoyment.

I think some people (not everyone) go with the small bins to accomidate volume. There your snakes do as you please, but I see nothing wrong with a larger, more natural enclosure.

The snakes hide makes him feel safe.

I agree with you Zef. My first ball ever I kept in a very large 80gal display that I had given to me. I had read how they "didn't like large cages", but thought I'd let him be the judge of that. He ate fine! He also seemed to love the extra space, using it to "hunt", crawl about, and visit different hides.

I've never had a ball in a large tank be a problem feeder, EVER!

In hindsight, I wish I had the space to set up larger tanks for my growing collection. When people used to visit they'd say "oh, cool, look at that set-up!" now they say, "you keep your snake in a plastic box?"

I guess I'll have to get over it for now.

-John

I really appreciate the comments.

I like "rewarding" my favs by putting the into the big tank for a few weeks or month, so they can stretch out and wander if they choose.

It may be stressful to them in the end, I dont really know - and I may be a snake dummy, but the sight of them crawling around, snooping and exploring like you said; "from hide to hide " makes me feel good for them.

Also, with all the enclosures, I try and vary the temps, humidity and such. I may make it a really hot day sometimes (like almost 100) then I end the day with a cooling and torrential downpour.. Sometimes I let it drought for a week or two (I will even let the water bowl dry out for a day or so..nothing dangerous but like it must be in the wild for them), then make it rain on them and refill their bowls..they seem to come out after these climactic changes to explore..

Hah, I do something similar only I utilize the ambient temps around where I live. I also like to put stuff in the tubs that they might find interesting - my male, Darwin, seemed intrigued by a paper bag. He'd go in and out and in and out and crawl over it and under it and then back in and out... It was fun to watch!

My babies like cat toys. I laughed myself sick when I put in a mesh ball and Dot tried to climb on top and kept falling off.

~jenny
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"The python has, and I fib no fibs,
318 pairs of ribs.
In stating this I place reliance
On a seance with one who died for science
This figure is sworn to and attested,
He counted them while being digested."
~Ogden Nash

jenny.thegreenes.org

"If you're happy and you know it,
Bomb Iraq!
If you cannot find Osama,
Bomb Iraq!
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq!

>>I'm looking to buy a cage for the snake i'm buying at daytona. Is a 40breeder too big? As long as I have plenty of hides.. would it be too big for a baby? Or should i go with a 20L. How long will it take for it to outgrow that?

I'm not an expert like a lot of these guys, but here's my suggestion:

You can pick up a 10gal at Wal-Mart for less than ten bucks. Buy a screen top for it. Keep the snake in that until it grows a little, then put it in the 40gal. OR put it in the 40, and if s/he shows any problems, THEN put it in a cheap tank for a while. You could also get a plastic tub.
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