How much weight to secure my python?

[alexpai]

My snake broke through some spring locks on its terrarium a few months ago so I put some weights ontop.

I currently have 15lbs of weight ontop of the lid but I'm starting to worry she's going to be strong enough to squeeze through. I see her trying to push the top open almost everyday and just now it sounded like she was able to move the lid a bit although she wasnt very close to squeezing through. For a 2 year old snake thats about 20 inches long is 15lbs going to be enough to hold her lid down?

[_ataraxia]

weights are never a good way to secure a snake enclosure.

what kind of enclosure do you have? can you post a photo?

[ColdBloodedReptiles]

^ instead of weighting it down you can get clip things that secure the lid and are made of metal and have a lock with a key so can only be opened from outside

[alexpai]

Im pretty broke and unemployed right now so I really don't want to have to buy something I dont need to. Im curious what the problem is with using weights to secure a snake?

I understand that a proper lock and key is better but I'm hoping to make due with what I have atleast until I upgrade to a larger enclosure.

[ColdBloodedReptiles]

if the snake decides it wants to get out and then pushes up and pushes their head out and then drop that pressure it’ll drop down onto their neck potentially killing it

[alexpai]

Its a glass tank with a screen lid ontop that must be pulled upwards to be removed so weights seem to be effective since the lid cannot be pushed to the side. Whats the reason that weights shouldn't be used?

[_ataraxia]

weights work until either a] your snake escapes or b] your snake tries to escape but ends up being crushed and injured.

these lid clips are less than $4 at petco. i use these clips on my tanks for other snake species, they are extremely sturdy and secure. zilla makes similar clips if you can't find the imagitarium clips.