Hey everyone,
I attented my first reptile expo a couple weeks ago where I handled a ball python and fell in love.
I am doing my research to eventually buy my first BP and I hear a lot of conflicting information about their enclosure type and size.
What I hear the most is that a 4x2x2 PVC enclosure is what’s optimal for an adult BP. However, I see many breeders with animals that seem to be thriving keep them in racks or tubs and say that smaller & tighter enclosures are better, even for adults.
I watched many videos, but the more I research, the more I feel unsure about what would be best for my future snake.
What type of enclosure and what dimensions do you use for your BPs(hatchling, juvenile and adult - male & female)?
Any advice is welcome!
The tricky thing with racks in my opinion is that while yes an animal may seem to “thrive” regardless of the enclosure, it all depends on the reptile themself with how they use the space given to them. Also though, breeders typically use racks and such for maximum space optimization and shouldn’t be taken as the norm in pet settings, again just my opinion. I keep my male in a 40 qt tub currently as he’s got a wobble and doesn’t seem to like climbing nearly as much as my female who is in a 200 qt bin but she’s also almost 5ft long. My female BP is huge (almost double the size of my male as she’s 7 and he’s just over a yr old) and she uses all of her space in the current tub and will be upgraded to a 5x2x2 when I move whereas my male BP will be put into a 4x2x15 but I will also have the space to accommodate for that size which not everyone does. I love both my BPs but they have different needs and wants so I try to accommodate the best I can. I recommend doing a tub quarantine bin setup then add and try new things out with your BP but it’s all up to what you decide
I’ve done both, though since I do have a breeding collection I do currently keep many in tubs.
For me the real answer boils down to the snake itself. They can all react differently to the same scenario.
Not every snake is comfortable in an open front enclosure. One of mine will smash the window at any movement outside. She stresses out far too much and is happy in a dark burrow of a tub.
Others of mine have done absolutely fine with the space as a baby. Some will just freak out.
I do tend to recommend a small tub and paper towel as a starter enclosure if you are starting with a baby. Heck even for a juvie it’s not bad.
It’s easy to clean and pretty low maintenance while you spend the first few weeks learning the personality of your snake and getting them to start on a good feeding regime. It also makes it easier to check for parasites or abnormal stools. You can still provide a bit of a gradient for heat with a pad on a thermostat and a couple of hides so they’re more cozy as well.
Once you feel they’re eating well and you know the personality, that’s the best time to try and move to a longer term setup. If they stress out or stop eating for a long period you’ll be better armed to recognize it and can take a step back to a smaller space until they grow a bit more and have more confidence.
Quick followup as well. A few more thoughts.
-Make sure to never use tape inside an enclosure. Snakes are great at tangling up in it and that can be deadly
-Make sure the snake cannot reach a heat source directly (RHPs are a bit of a grey area)
-All heat sources need to be regulated by a thermostat
-Be very careful about what sealant you use if needed or foam if building a naturalistic setup
There isn’t really a true right or wrong for the best setup. The most important thing is meeting the temperature, humidity and feeding requirements. And of course…as snake proof as can be. They are escape artists.
There’s ups and downs to almost all enclosures. There are some very opinionated groups who will try to call animal abuse if you don’t do certain things.
UVB is one of the most debated ones. BPs don’t require it for metabolizing the way was a bearded dragon does… But it can have small benefits overall to a good day/night cycle and some health benefits towards healing. Don’t use high uv bulbs because they can cause stress and eye damage to a BP.
In addition to what @armiyana has said, don’t use Facebook or Reddit as go to’s for this question. Trust me, you are way better off listening to the people here who offer solid unbiased opinions…….
You want the real answer? It’s my opinion we should not be keeping wild animals (and there are no domesticated snakes) in captivity, with rare exceptions for science, rehab, conservation, etc… It’s my opinion we should not be keeping wild animals in captivity for our own general amusement. How arrogant and self-centered as a species are we? It’s my opinion, for the most part, we should leave nature in nature and marvel from afar. I’ve come to this opinion after years of reflection.
I realize this is not a popular opinion on this board. I’m not looking for any legislation in this area. I support US ARK. I’m not looking to alter anyone’s rights. I believe in laissez-faire and the open market. And I try hard not to judge those who choose to keep pets. I’ve struggled with this opinion more and more as I grow older, and hopefully wiser. I too love most of the creatures of this Earth (I do NOT understand you spider people, but to each his own) and I greatly enjoy the husbandry aspect of keeping pets. It’s very rewarding and psychologically beneficial, I get it. And I don’t think it’s hypocritical to say I don’t have a problem with keeping dogs and cats (or farm animals) as they are domesticated. It’s not the same thing as caging a wild animal. Yeah, it’s a real struggle in my head to have it both ways.
All that aside, the folks above are right. Steer clear of Facebook and Reddit for BP information. They are very toxic environments. And I can personally attest to NEVER use any kind of tape inside the enclosure. And yes, BP breeders and many keepers with a large BP collection go the rack-and-tub route to save space and for ease of maintainability. Luckily BPs seem to fare well in that kind of setup. Many keepers who have one or just a few BPs go with a standard 4’x2’x2’ PVC enclosure. If I were you, I would work toward a 4x2x2 for your eventual adult BP. I phrased it like that because a 4x2x2 might be too intimidating to a hatchling to feel comfortable in. And a new acquisition should be kept in a basic (tub) quarantine setup for some time. You may need to get a smaller PVC enclosure for a hatchling and scale up as it grows.
BPs #1 top priority is security. They value it over the right humidity, temperature or, yes, even food. If they don’t feel secure, they will be stressed. And stress commonly leads to feeding issues. If you put a BP in a large PVC enclosure, you’re usually going to need lots of clutter to provide cover for that sense of security. And multiple hides, think at least one on the warm side and one on the cool side. And those half logs you see all the time at pet stores do NOT qualify as hides. Think a totally enclosed hide with one appropriately sized opening. The tighter the hide the better. Cramming into a tight hide where the BP can feel the sides of the hide pressed up against their body gives them a great sense of security and lowers stress. This great need to feel security is probably why they do so well in the seemingly too tiny and tight tub-and-rack system. It’s not “one size fits all” when it comes to BP enclosures; it’s more “there’s more than one way to skin a cat”.
I encourage you to do as much research before you acquire a BP. Get your enclosure setup and dialed in before you acquire a BP. There are many great YouTube channels you should explore to do your research. Some are BP specific, some are snake specific, some are reptile specific. Some of my favorites are Green Room Pythons, Snake Discovery, DPR Coldblood, LEVIATHAN, Chris Hardwick (recently out of retirement), Balls2U, KINOVA, Mutation Creation, SNKE LTD (retired), Lori Torrini, Robert Barraclough (temporarily retired) and Olympus Reptiles (retired). The retired individuals still have tons of valid content on their channels. I gotta say, (YouTube) research in itself is a fantastic voyage and can be quite addictive. Just stick with the well-known, seasoned, experienced channels (and they go far beyond my personal preferences I listed above) and avoid those fly-by-night knuckleheads.
And, of course, feel free to pick our brains here at the MorphMarket Community for judgement free advice.
On a side note, what morphs or combos strike your fancy? It might be too soon in your journey for you to answer that, which is understandable. I think if a keeper is going to keep only one or two, and not get into breeding (at least not immediately), they should get something flashy. Banana, Pied, Lavender Albino and BELs commonly fit that bill. Or a combination of those morphs like a Banana Pied or a Dreamsicle (Lavender Albino Pied). There are TONS of other visually striking morphs, Clown, Spotnose, Leopard, etc… Of course it’s all personal taste at that level. As you do your research you’ll figure out your personal taste.
I believe where you purchase your BP is just as important as what type/morph of BP you decide on. Years ago I acquired a BP at an expo that turned out to be sick which required vet attention. I believe the animal was purchased and then flipped by the seller at that expo. Back then I trusted everyone……
Since you are already here in the community you might as well check out the MM side if you haven’t already. There are thousands of BPs listed by reputable breeders who have reviews to prove it that you can check out. If you do decide to purchase a BP at an expo, be careful. I for one never bought another snake at an expo. I’m not saying not to purchase from expos, just make sure you are buying a healthy animal.
I said the same thing but after a little encouragement from @spottedbull David, I bought my first T, a Curly Hair, and I was hooked from then on. Now I have 14 beautiful T’s and an Asian Forest scorpion. T’s are really cool, ya just half to get over that first hump! They are fascinating to observe, the way they redecorate their enclosures after you have decorated the way YOU like it! 
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If you can catch them devouring their crickets, that’s pretty cool too. But I like watching them drink from the droplets of water that cling to the enclosure walls after you spritz the best. True the very word “spider” turns people away but keeping Ts can be rewarding without expensive feeding and time consuming maintenance.
If I digress on this thread I apologize. I will get off my soapbox now……
Wow, thanks everyone for the super detailed answers.
I’ll keep reading the subject.
I guess, as in many things in life, there is not a clear cut answer that can be applied to every situation.
From what I understood though, as a general rule, hatchlings and juveniles will probably fare better in a smaller enclosure.
Then, as they grow, if they seem to be a confident snake, they could benefit from a larger enclosure such as 4x2x2, but if they are a shy/nervous one, such an enclosure would probably stress them out.
For the morphs that strike my fancy, I found Super Mojave, Axanthic, Suma and Dreamsicle pretty cool, but I’ve never seen those in person.
Thanks so much again guys
It certainly sounds like you are on the right track with all of the advice/information you have received. As long you have the basic husbandry correct you can add the extras later. There are some (experienced) folks here who have been successful with raising a baby ball python in a huge setup from the start. There are others who start with small tubs and work upwards.
Keep us updated and good luck 
Sounds like you get the idea. =)
As far as the morphs go, as a general warning an adult BP will never look like they did as a baby. They will typically ‘brown out’. The colors dull or turn more brown as they age. But the amount can vary with different genes.
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Super Mojave, they do tend to turn a light yellow as they age. Or the purple on the head darkens and gets more grey. Mojave Lesser will keep some brighter white or if you like yellows look up Mojave Specials
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Axanthic, people will tell you that one line will be brighter than the others, but it really depends on the quality of the genetics and what other genes are involved. They usually will lose that stark black and silver as they age.
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Dreamsicles and Sumas will keep some nice color as they age. Just a lighter orange color or lighter brown as they age.
Welcome to the world of ball pythons
They are wonderful snakes. Kudos for not making an impulse purchase at the expo and i applaud your active approach to research nefore you aquire your futute snake.
Id like to start with enclosure size. I always suggest the biggest size enclosure you can accommodate. Bigger is always better in my opinion. Allow your snake enough room to fully fully extend and stretch out if it needed. Bigger enclosures facilitate the hot/ cold side temperature gradient for your snake to regulate its body temperature. As with any size enclosure, monitor and maintain temps using thermostats and digital thermometers and hygrometers to aid in proper husbandry. Also clutter the enclosure with decor and enrichment. Ball pythons do not do well with empty enclosures, so multiple hides, foliage, branches, etc will help.
As for enclosure type: pvc, other plastics, tubs, melamine, glass, etc all depends on what you can afford or willing to spend. They each have their pros/ cons and keepers have successfully owned and cared for pythons in various setups. Most important is keeping up with temperatures and humidity requirements. In enclosures where humidity is difficult to maintain, i suggest utilizing a humid hide. Good luck!