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ball python ?

H

herphandler

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Hi, i have a 3 foot ball pyhton i have him in a 30-35 gal tank, is that big enough?
and how big does his water bowl need to be?
thanks


Herp
 
it kind of depends on whether it is a "long" or "tall". I haven't dealt with aquariums in quite awhile, but I remember that the 30 long is 36" x 12". That is acceptable for your snake. As for the water bowl, the size is a matter of personal preference (and setup, IMO). It should be big enough to hold enough water for the snake to drink if it is thirsty (bigger snakes need bigger bowls because they can/will consume more water). Some people like to have a big enough bowl to allow the snake to soak in it. If you are having a difficult time maintaining humidity, that is a good option...but remember, the bigger the bowl, the more water can be spilled. Also keep in mind that bigger bowls take up considerable floor space, and may leave your snake without enough room
 
The tank you have is a good size(it can fit an adult BP), for a water bowl you want something that the snake can soak their entire body in. For a 3 foot snake a dog food bowl works, it is what I have in one of my tanks(12 inches round and 4 inches deep), when the snake is full grown you will want something bigger(I have a plastic shoe box for some of my adult BPs).
 
soaking?

I have read in a couple areas to only give ball pythons a big enough bowl to soak when he/she is shedding or has mites. They say that ball pythons that soak too much can get scale rot. So I only give my ball python a small drinking bowl. Size of the cage seems fine with all I have read.
 
Personally, I also use smallish bowls for most of my snakes, at least proportionally...(note that I said "some people like", lol)...but I typically soak the smaller ones for several hours every two weeks or so. The bigger ones get soaked also, but for shorter periods. (my wife loves coming home to find boxes of snakes in water all over the place...NOT).
 
As for me, I live in the desert, so humidity is tough to maintain sometimes. I have noticed that all my BPs only soak while in shed. I give them a big enough bowl if they feel like going for a swim. I have never had a problem with scale rot in my BPs. I guess it depends on where you live.
 
Many times a BP, or any snake for that matter, will stay in its water dish becuase it doesn't have a place to hide and feel secure. I have seen snakes that got water blisters from doing this.
 
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