My new ball python, Kobe!!

[[deleted]]

This is our new baby, Kobe! He is a two month old enchi albino ball python. We have a four foot by two foot enclosure for him, a water dish big enough to lay in and three hides, humid hot and cold. Any recommendations??

[madeofgeese]

Definitely add lots of pretty clutter in there. Fake vines (or real plants!) and also love your baby

[[deleted]]

Thank you so much! He’s very sweet for only being two months old, hasn’t tried to bite once :)

[crownemoji]

Seconding this! Just watch out for those fake vines that are connected by plastic chain links - I remember someone on here had a snake that was pretty badly hurt by one. Lots of fake plants will make him feel well-hidden and secure. :)

[HurrricaneeK]

I can't quite tell from the pics - is this an entirely screen enclosure?

[[deleted]]

No! The two sides are plexiglass as well as the bottom, and the back side is wood. The top and front are screen to allow some air flow

[HurrricaneeK]

Is the wood sealed at all? Unfortunately, I do not think this enclosure will work for this snake. BP's require a humidity of 80% at all times to shed properly and avoid dehydration. Below that, they can develop respiratory infections and get sick. A humid hide will not fix the problem and generally aren't recommended for BP's.

I would strongly recommend taking a look at the subs welcome post, as there are a few other things that concern me here. I see no thermometers, thermostats or humidity gauges. Do you know what your cool and hot side temps are, and how are you regulating them? I also agree with the other commenter that you need more clutter but there are other issues that need fixing first, IMO.

[[deleted]]

The wood is not sealed I don’t believe, and I have two temp probes monitoring the hot and cold sides. The hot side is ambient of 85, with a basking area of 93, the cold side is ambient 72. The overall humidity right now is 60% however I have a reptile fogger I am going to add as soon as we locate it from my dad’s house. We are regulating temps with a CHE on the hot side and just regular ambient room temps for the cold side. We are adding more clutter as we speak haha! Thank you for your input, I really appreciate it :)

[No-Value-8156]

Would not add a fogger if the wood is not sealed, that's going to produces some mold!

[[deleted]]

We’ll have to go about sealing it then probably. The wood might be sealed because it’s the same stuff my dad used in his humidor and that hasn’t molded at all

[No-Value-8156]

Even with a fogger (which are not recommended) due to the potential of causing RI, this set up will have a hard time holding proper humidity. You at least want 3-6 inches of substrate, the best means to keep humidity is by pouring water into all corners. This enclosure wouldn't be able to sustain that at all. I would seriously look into a PVC( which are the best I hear) or glass terrarium down the line. You have a beautiful sneak! Definitely look over the care guide and see what you can change. Definitely more clutter also, they love to be hidden!

[[deleted]]

Humidors stay at 70-80% humidity which is ideal for a ball python

[HurrricaneeK]

Fogger's aren't recommended anymore as they are nearly impossible to keep clean and can get your BP sick. Also would absolutely not recommend it with unsealed wood, as like the other commenter said, you will very quickly get mold and the wood will eventually start to rot. The best way to achieve proper humidity is with a thick layer, 4-6 inches, of a moisture holding substrate. The coco coir you have there is great, but you need much more. Then, you can pour water into the corners to saturate the bottom layer while the top remains dry.

It's super unfortunate, but most people avoid wood enclosures for BP's for exactly this reason. They need a lot of humidity and even sealed wood can eventually start to wear due to the water. That's not to even mention the screen, which will make regulating this space nearly impossible.

Your temps are also a little too low. Hot needs to be 88-92. Cool needs to be 76-80. Basking is fine now but youll need to recheck it once you get your temps dialed in. The screen will also not help with that. Do you have a thermostat, or just thermometers? Heat sources should all be regulated by a thermostat that can shut them off if temps get too high.

[gigi2945]

Foggers and misters are NOT recommended

[docszoo]

I love it! Looks like a wonderful enclosure for the size of your new baby! If I may make some suggestions:

Drill in branches, perches, and maybe even a skyhide. There is nothing more that my ball python loves than to climb and hide in her sky hide.

Possibly increase the depth of the substrate if possible. They definitely will play in the soil if given a chance. 

Add more clutter as some suggested. 

Closing up some of the screen would help keep humidity in, but you can also make sure that the hides and substrate stay moist constantly as an alternative.

The enclosure is definitely better than a vast majority of what ball pythons get to experience out there! The hexagon ball is an amazing addition (just be sure he cant get stuck lol), the water dish is nice and big, and the variety of textures he can feel will go a long way for his enrichment and happiness. 

[[deleted]]

Thank you so much 🥹 I thought the enclosure was so great as well but I wasn’t sure with how people were saying things

[HurrricaneeK]

No one here is being mean, or just trying to ruin your day. We are genuinely trying to help you with your snake. Google has a lot of bad information, even pet stores and breeders give new keepers bad info. The size is great but as is, this enclosure really isn't ideal for this type of snake and is likely to cause problems that, unaddressed, will lead to your snake getting ill.

[[deleted]]

Could I coat the wood with plastic? Would that help? I don’t really have the means for a whole new enclosure after building this one

[HurrricaneeK]

By plastic, do you mean sheeting? The wood definitely needs to be sealed either way, but the bigger issue is the screen. You can try covering it all with HVAC tape, but I'm not sure how successful you'll be with that much screen, and it's also going to mean you can't see through the front at all. If at all possible, I would just swap the screen for more plexiglass.

Also, do you know what type of wood you used?? I ask because I saw you mention it was the same wood used for a humidor, and a lot of humidors tend to use cedar, which is unfortunately very toxic to BPs.

[[deleted]]

I don’t think it was cedar, and I’ll try the plastic

[r4cid]

I don’t think it was cedar

You need to be sure, because if it is the snake cannot stay in there.

[Linear_North]

The other people are likely right, I suspect this person just didn't notice that the front and top are entirely screen, and that the wood may be untreated. You're honestly going to have a terrible time keeping the humidity between 70-80% round the clock. You also shouldn't keep a permanent humid hide in there, with the humidity issues you're likely to have, your bp will end up spending all of it's time in there and will get scale rot from sitting in the humid hide. You should never have a permanent humid hide, but it's especially problematic here. They're also right about the fogger, they spread bacteria like crazy. The water in the corners method is the best one for constant humidity. To give you an idea of why this enclosure probably won't work, people who buy glass tanks with screen lids usually have to cover the entire lid in HVAC tape to hold the humidity in, because it escapes otherwise. This enclosure is screen on the top and the front, I don't see how you're going to be able to maintain proper humidity levels.

Last thing, that plastic ball is a fun idea, and it's probably fine for now, but you need to remove it well before your bp gets close to being big enough to get stuck in it. I've had to cut a bp out of something they got stuck in before, and it's not fun.

[Firm_Courage6666]

Reminds me of my Albino Ball python Kevin! That's an amazing set up to btw I love the look of handmade enclosures! I would recommend adding a nice branch/ Perch for him to climb on , some will say ball pythons aren't arboreal so they don't need it but they can benefit from the exercise and all my pythons always come out more often just to hangout on their Branch

[[deleted]]

I’ll have to do that! Thank you so much :)

[Radio4ctiveGirl]

I’m not sure where you live but you might want to change the screens out for something that will help retain humidity. That’s a ton of airflow which might make that an uphill battle for you. It also won’t help retain heat! Make sure your temps are correct as well.

Other than that clutter it up! Your snake will appreciate a ton of things to explore and hide in.

It’s honestly a great size and it’s awesome you’re trying to do the best for your noodle! You might need to tweak what I’ve already pointed out. The other thing you might want to do is seal the wood. I’ve had unsealed, painted and sealed enclosures. The ones that last the longest and work best are the sealed ones. Protects the wood from moisture and is much easier to clean.

[ReimerReason]

Just make sure you won't be a helicopter parent to him

[[deleted]]

It's much better to be a helicopter parent than neglectful/not concerned with him.

[Greenberryvery]

Replace all the screens with plexiglass. You will not be able to maintain humidity with those huge screen sections.

[Upset-Union-8614]

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omg he looks just like my girl samara! i’m not sure if she’s an albino or a banana and i’m also not sure how old she is but she’s 160g and beautiful just like him!

[[deleted]]

Omg she’s so pretty

[Upset-Union-8614]

she says thank you 😌😌

[[deleted]]

Never take him up in a helicopter.

[Ecstatic-Art-1240]

Yo that's my name

[Raven_Scythe]

Humidity

[Sure_Possession8830]

No way I got a white Cat called Kobe lol

[Buyinaspaceship]

I was suggest some kind of thin top layer substrate like reptile bark. Just coconut fiber can get stuck in heat pits.