Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a choice of cages for my ball, one is long and one is tall. Are these guys ground snakes or do they like climbing branches? Everything I find about them on the net seems to be aimed at keeping them the cheapest /easier way possible. I'd like to set up something with some stimulus besides a hide box, and don't mind moving cage furniture to clean it... whichever tank the ball goes in my corn snake gets the other. What do ya'll think?

my opinion is they do like to climb but would do better in the long viv. i have a 20 long with a couple of branches in there for my bp to climb on. i catch her on them at night.
brian n chrissy

I also think that a "longer" cage would be better for the ball python. The longer area is better for them to grow, and putting in a branch or two will give your snake all the climbing he should need.

I'd recommend that you go with the advice that others are giving you because I'm not very experienced. I'd also say that most of the time, my ball python isn't a climber. However, tonight is an exception. Just half an hour ago, I was sitting in the room by her cage and heard a big splash. I looked over to find that she had just landed in her water dish. The crawled out and went back under her hide for a few minutes. A few minutes after that, she was back to her climbing. She's developed an interest in climbing the probe cord for the thermostat that I installed. I caught her in the act in this picture. She's on the rim of the aquarium and seems happy for now. Unfortunately, she's in a place where she won't land in her water again. I'll get her down in a few minutes. I'm getting ready to feed her anyway.

Bill

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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

When young it won't hurt to have something for them to climb. They are inquisitive. As they get older though, their interest in climbing is usually in relation to finding a weak point in the lid as an escape route . They are terrestrial by nature, but as I said the young will enjoy a climb now and then.

Quig

Balls are basically terrestrial snakes and would prefer a long tank over a tall tank. Babies do appreciate a good climbing aparatus, and some are more inclined to continue climbing in their old age than others - but they aren't very graceful and can injure themselves with a bad fall so you need to be careful.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Thanks for all the great replies-I'll give her a short climbing branch to avoid the "thud" thing cause it's true, chunky little snake! And I've discovered how determined they are to get out, her lid is secure but I still don't trust it LOL.. am thinking of investing in a plastic strip to tack under my door in case either she or the corn gets out they won't be dog food.....

Thanks to all that replied, and so quickly! The books I've read (usually in about 15 minutes flat they are so short) don't talk much about this .