![]() ![]() Roomier hides just make them stressed out. In other words, the hides that you choose for your ball python must be small enough that your ball python will feel “squished” inside. Humans might get claustrophobia, but there is nothing that a ball python loves more than to be cramped in a space where its whole body is pressing against walls, because that means that a predator can’t get in. They prefer to spend the majority of their time in a cramped, dark space, and accommodating that preference is the best way to keep your snake healthy and minimally stressed.Īnother factor that needs to be considered here is thigmotaxis, or the tendency to hug walls. For best results, fill one or two of the hides with moist sphagnum moss to facilitate shedding.īall pythons are primarily terrestrial and crepuscular, which means that they need somewhere on/in the ground where they can hide from the sun (and predators!) during the day. But it’s better to offer as many as you can possibly cram into the enclosure. HidesĪs a rule of thumb, ball pythons need at least 2 hides: one on the cool end of the enclosure, and the other on the warm end. Choose a heavy ceramic bowl or equivalent so the snake doesn’t accidentally knock it over and soak their substrate. Aside from drinking a lot, they also like to soak on occasion, especially before shedding. Anyone who claims they spend their whole lives in termite mounds needs to go take a look at Loxocemus and Calabaria to see *real* burrowing morphology, then defend how balls can have that lifestyle claimed with zero morphological adaptations.” Heavy water dishīall pythons thrive when they have access to a large water dish full of fresh water. Their skulls have no reinforcement or digging adaptation, their eyes aren’t reduced, they have distinct ‘necks’ (as opposed to the robust ‘train locomotive’ morphology of most burrowers), and have no specialized digging rostral scales. “Coming from my background (snake biomechanics) NOTHING about the ball python morphology is consistent with an animal which ‘spends all their time in a termite mound’. According to snake biologist Henry Astley: But ball pythons are terrestrial, not fossorial, and their morphology (the way that their bodies are built) looks nothing like snakes who actually spend all of their time underground. Many people believe that ball pythons in particular don’t need enclosure décor or even a spacious enclosure because they “spend all their time in termite mounds” and never venture beyond them. They are complex animals that science is just beginning to understand. And since ball pythons like to hide, feel free to clutter it up! Contrary to popular belief, snakes are not stupid creatures that can be perfectly content living in a virtually empty box. While they can serve an important aesthetic function, they enhance a reptile’s quality of life by mimicking their natural environment and providing mental stimulation (or as zoos call it, “enrichment”). Ball python terrarium decorations are more than just furniture or accessories to make a reptile’s terrarium look prettier. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |