Ball Python cage 5 Feb 06

Welcome to the latest edition of my ball python cage. I've made a few changes from the last edition. I'll show and explain them here.

The most important addition is a Johnson thermostat that I bought from MGReptiles. I called Matt a few weeks ago, and he persuaded me that the Johnson on/off thermostat would be ideal for my needs. I also talked to a friend who is a good control systems engineer. She made me feel even better about this choice. After my removing the old bedding and cleaning all the cage accessories, the cage needs time to reach steady state temperature again, so I don't know yet how well the thermostat will work. If the thermostat works as advertised, I'll be very happy.

Another addition from MGReptiles is bubble wrap with reflective surfaces on each side. While the picture doesn't show this change, I've added a layer of this material on the underside of my screen in several places. Matt said that the reflective surfaces are like space blanket material and will help reflect heat back into the living area. The bubble wrap is also an insulator which will keep heat in the aquarium. This material will also keep humidity in the aquarium. Again, if this stuff works, I should get better, more consistent control of my temperature and humidity, and I'll be very happy.

Another change with heating consequences is that I put newspaper on the floor of the aquarium before adding the bedding. The primary reason for this change was to keep the bedding from sticking to the bottom of the aquarium and staining. Cleaning should be easier next time. A secondary benefit is that the newspaper may spread heat more evenly and minimize hot spots in the bedding. If the newspaper doesn't work well in this regard, I may use aluminum foil under the bedding. The aluminum foil would certainly spread heat.

In the past, I've kept my warm side water dish on the floor because warming the water would lead to greater evaporation and therefore greater humidity. I've recently heard that warming the water is risky for several reasons. To reduce the water temperature, I've put tiles under the warm side water dish. This change should reduce the water temperature.

One of my new ideas came while I was walking through Wal-Mart. I found a shower cup that's made to stick on the side of a shower and hold shampoo, razors, soap, or other shower items. I stuck this cup to the side of the aquarium for a week or two, and it held well. I've now added the cup inside the aquarium and filled the cup with Spanish moss. The moss should help control cage humidity, and having one more item overhead may help reduce my python's feeling of overhead exposure.

I've added a second climbing branch to the cage. My ball python occasionally likes to climb. I'm glad to see her exercise, so I try to provide opportunities. My only concern with this branch is that she'll have better access to the upper rear corner of the aquarium. The upper rear corner is where the light bar holds a black light bulb for extra heating. The bulb heats the rim around the aquarium pretty severely, and sometimes she likes to try to crawl along the rim in other places. To prevent her from crawling on the hot rim, I've rolled aluminum foil and taped it on the rim to block her access. The foil also keeps the rim from getting hot. The foil doesn't feel hot, and she doesn't have room to sit on anything hot. To hurt herself, she'd have to push her head upwards against the hot screen. If snakes had a problem with being burned this way, any overhead heat source would be inappropriate, and people would warn strongly against heating with light bulbs. The average python is in an enclosure that is low enough for the snake to push his head against the screen under a heat lamp. I've read somewhere that snakes are pretty good at avoiding overhead burns but tend to let their bellies burn. This tendency is why hot rocks are a problem. I'm going to watch her carefully. If she appears to be pushing against the screen, I'll move the climbing branch or not use this light bulb. I've not used this bulb for a couple of months, but I'd like to use it again.

I've added a big mound of aspen bedding to the cool end of the cage. I've elevated the cool end water dish in the past by adding extra bedding, and I want to continue this practice. I had some aspen that I wanted to finish and was low on Repti-bark. I also like the idea of having something soft underneath her new climbing branch. She's not a great climber, and I hope she'll land on the soft bedding when she falls. She hasn't been using the cool end much recently because the cool end has been a little too cool. If I can burn the black light bulb more, then the temperatures should increase enough to bring this end into a better range.

I've kept the half-coconut hide that she's been using frequently during the past few weeks. I've added a second one on the cool side of the cage. Again, her using the one on the cool side may depend on my increasing the cool side temperature slightly. I've kept the tile hide that used to be her favorite hide. She's used the tile hide much less since I added the half-coconut. The log hide is in its usual place, and I still have the log hide partially filled with a tile and with bedding. The smaller fake plant is near one end of the log hide and gives her another place she can go where the overhead exposure shouldn't be too bad. She likes to use the log and the plant to move across the cage without being in the open.

About three hours after my returning my ball python to her cage, she's still trying to understand the changes. While everything looks nearly the same to me, I'd guess that she senses changes and is wondering about them. If nothing else, everything must smell different than it did a few hours ago. The cage is also a little colder than it's been because the new bedding hasn't had time to warm. I'm hoping that she'll be settled again by the end of the day.

As always, I'm curious what others think of my changes.

Thanks,


Bill