Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Thanks to everyone who gave input on my other post. I've decided we're going to get a Ball.
So, now that we know what, let's move on to habitat. I know I need to maintain a humidity level, and they make a gauge to measure it. How is a good way to do this? I seen misting the substrate. I've also seen waterfalls. Do the waterfalls help maintain humidity or are they just an expensive decoration that the snake could care less about?
Hides. Are the 1/2 logs I've seen good for that or would some flat rocks stacked together be better. I thought the rocks might serve a dual purpose in giving them a basking spot as well.
Substrate. wood shavings or paper? I know cedar is off limits since it makes them sick. But there are some wood ones that are safe. Do the snakes seem to prefer one over the other? Weird as it may sound, I want to create a comfortable home for our snake. It stands to reason it will be easier to work with if it's not stressed about its habitat.
Again, I appreciate all the input. Daniel and I are really trying to think this through before we make the commitment.

Congrats on your decision. It sounds like you want to go with a terrarium set-up. I would get an ABS or PVC plastic reptile cage with belly heat. This will be better for humidity purposes versus an aquarium with a screen top that will allow all the humidity to escape. A good natural looking substrate for ball pythons is cypress mulch. I'd get it at a pet shop to avoid getting something at a nursery with pesticides, fertilizers, etc. No water falls, or rock formations. Too dangerous and not necessary. Those hide logs can be used, but they don't really give the ball python a full sense of security since they're open on either side. Something with one way in/out would make them feel more secure. You can find various "hide boxes" in the classifieds section. A water bowl big enough for the snake to soak in is important in my opinion, but will probably garner some opposition from others. No basking spot since you won't use a light of any kind. Think that addressed your questions.

You can really go a lot of directions with the type of aquarium/terrarium setups for the snake. Any type really will work. If you use an aquarium, use a zoo-med heat pad underneath for the heat source and you won't have a need for a bulb of any sort. I prefer to use paper as a subtrate. I find that the easiest for me. The hide should def have only one entrance/exit. It will make the snake feel the most secure/comfortable. The plastic hide boxes are the best in my opinion. The nice thing about newpaper is they can also go in between the layers to hide as well if they so choose. The water bowls I prefer to use are ceramic "dog/cat bowl" types. They are heavy enough to not get tipped over and are nice and smooth to make for optimum clean-ability. Wanna stay away from anything rough like rocks and such so they can't injure themselves with those "decorations". Hope all this helps. Good luck.

I wanted to chime in on the humidity question. The closer the waterbowl is to the heatsource the more humid it will be in the enclosure. Also like the others said use an undertank heat pad and not a heat rock. It's best to use a thermostat for your heat pad. You can also use a reostat they're much cheaper, but they're not nearly as easy to set the proper temp. Congrats on choosing balls they're the perfect snakes for beginners or experts. Start with a normal or less expensive morph like pastels and you'll be hooked. Chris Hall