Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone got any basic explanations of why snake racks are not inhumane for ball pythons, or any other snakes for that matter. I have a hard time explaining to my friedns and family who think thew living quarters are too small, they seem to think a juvenile ball python needs a 60 gallon aquarium.

Snakes feel more secure in tight spaces. Like humans in a fetal position, a snake coiled is in it's fetal position. That's when they feel the most comfortable and secure.

I've moved juvenile chondros from 15 qt. tubs to slightly larger enclosures and quite often they will get stressed and stop feeding. Same thing happened with a few of my balls pythons. I had my 800 gram pieds in 15 qt. tubs and decided to try to move them into 32 qt. tubs. They stopped feeding for about 4-5 months.

Do what works for your animals and don't listen to people that THINK they know what the animals need. Listen to the people on this forum. There are many ways we can all learn from each other.

Brandon Osborne
-----
www.brandonosbornereptiles.com

I used to have all my snakes in tanks, I have switched them to a rack, I feel they are happier in the rack , they shed better they eat better. And they act better. I had a few that every time I went to get them out of their tanks they would strike , now they just come right out no problems.

I've had the same reactions by people who pass judgment while also admitting that they don't know the first thing about keeping snakes. That's just ignorance on stilts if you ask me...

The average joe out there tends to anthromorphize (apply human needs, emotions, and characteristics) their animals, resulting in them to perceive locking a snake in a dark tub all alone as cruel; when on the contrary, this setup does a lot to meet the animals' basic needs for security along with temperature and humidity.

np.

See this:

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1360342,1360507
-----
~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

If you have ever seen the DVD Ball Pythons in the wild, which is actually a scientific research video about how taking animals from the wild has affected their population, shows that ball pythons live in termite mounds and holes in the ground that are minute in space compared to a CB70.

I have the belief that snakes have two functions in life that are geared towards their survival, and those activities are eating breeding.

I do not think that snakes have a personality as dogs or other pets, and I do not mess with mine except to clean, water, and feed, and I sometimes show them off.

These snakes are proven to do better in captivity than in the wild as far as reproduction, eating, and lack of disease and ticks.

I think you are doing the best thing you can for your snakes.

I have to slightly disagree with you, on the point that they do not have their own personality, I handle mine at least a few times a week and each are different in there personalities. Some like to just hang out and not move around much and some like to move around alot. I believe they are all different. If you have a huge collection I am sure it is harder to get to know each snakes personality but when you only have a few (20) it is easier to see the difference.

n/p

.right?

./..........best cage for a ball.........20,000 acres of African land...........
-----
.......................................................................................

People like to think "I like a lot of space, so the snake probably likes a lot of space" ... we all know that this is called anthromorphosizing ... which basically means putting human characteristics onto animals.

I agree with JYohe, that in theory the place where a BP would be happiest is in the wild, but since we do keep these animals in captivity, we have to provide them with housing that best suit their needs.

Tell your friends that if you put your BP in a 60 gallon tank, and put a hide in there, you'll find the snake curled up under the hide 99% of the time, not lounging out in his mansion.

Joel
-----
0.1 Ball Python
0.1 Corn Snake
1.1 Leopard Gecko
0.0.1 Blood Python

"anthromorphosizing"

"anthromorphize"

Guys...it's anthropomorphizing

www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=anthropomorphizing

-----
~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

LOL

that's one funny picture to use to present the correct spelling of a word. Anthropomorphism certainly isn't an easy word to remember how to spell.

I tell you all, get Firefox 2, built in spell checker....not the best spell checker but it certainly catches most words and you can add new words to it's dictionary...much like you can with MS Word.
-----
PHLdyPayne

I'm a spelling/grammar nerd, I won a bunch of spelling bees when I was in school and being an Army journalist made it worse.

-----
~* Jen *~

Pink Lady Constrictors

My personal experience is...Albino female eating, moved her up to the next size tub, she refused to eat for months. I put her back in her small tub, she ate that night. Same rack, Same place in the rack. Same everything except the size of the tub. Even the same tub manufacturer.
-----
2.1 Albino BP
0.4 100% Het Albino
2.1 100% het Caramel Albino BP
1.0 100% Het Clown
1.0 50% het clown
2.12 Normal BP
0.0.2 Western Hognose
alot of cornsnakes
0.1.0 Dumeril Boa
3.6 Bearded Dragons
1.0.2 Sulcatta tortoise
3.3 Russian Tortoise
1.0 Cockatiel
0.1 Rottweiler
0.2 Boston Terriers
0.1 White Boxer
0.1 Paint Mare
bunch of geckos
0.1 Cat
0.1 Teenage daughter
1.0 Husband who puts up with all my critters.

I think someone else said it: Ball pythons in the wild, spend 90% of their time, in rodent burrows or termite mounds! With so many producing ball pythons, all these CH babys, don't know any better! Living in rack systems is all they know! Oh, not to mention a meal 1-2 a week and no fear of predation! Trust me, these snakes have it pretty good!

Here is a link to a little write-up I did with my thoughts on caging for a friend when some government agency was saying they should be using aquariums.
Racks

Just tell them you put them in the snake-ball every day so they can roll and the house and excersise, just like a hamster.

Or tell them they are uneducated in the subject of ball pythons and if they feel the cages are inhumane to find you concrete, scientific evidence supporting their viewpoint.
-----
Astronomy Picture of the Day