Hides

[Halley]

I’ve been watching some videos on youtube, and it shows a guy not using hides for the adult ball pythons for most of the year. However he used them for females that have just laid and hatchlings. Is this common practice?

 

[Tanner505Geckos]

My friend alan who has been breeding for like 4 years use hides for his bps

 

[Nigel4less]

For babies I definitely use hides, but Adults its really your choice, but I prefer to give my girls a hide.

 

[Halley]

Well I know have another question. If you do prefer to provide a hide to your BPs would you want this to be a moist hide, such as ones used for geckos, to make it easier for the BP to shed? Or just a dry hide?

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Nigel4less]

I really don't have problems with my Ball Pythons shedding with just a dry hide. I just inspect them very throughly to make sure that they don't have any stuck shed especially around the eyelids.

 

[SPJ]

I’ve been watching some videos on youtube, and it shows a guy not using hides for the adult ball pythons for most of the year. However he used them for females that have just laid and hatchlings. Is this common practice?

It all depends on the individual snake. Some of mine have hides and others have no hides in the tub. There is no set way to do it. It all depends upon the snake and what type of setup you use. For a rack, you may not need one but in an open cage, you may have to have one (or more).

 

[SPJ]

They can breed fine with no hides.
All of my hatchlings are in 6 qt tubs with no hides.

 

[nevinm]

i agree with steve, i dont use hides for adults of babies. in breeding racks they just dont need them, they are hides in them selves.

 

[nevinm]

ps. for my smaller snakes in open cages i do make sure they have hides. but my boas and burms done use them any way

 

[WftRight]

I provide all of my ball pythons with multiple hides. If I were using a rack system, maybe I wouldn't, but for cages, they are nice.

 

[Jorgevill]

I prefer to use hides in babies/juveniles and for adults I prefer to not, they move it a lot, and there's no problem on having or not having, I would use if I have it on a terrarium, but in a rack I wouldn´t.

I use Zilla or Esu Reptiles Type, like Ralph Davis, I prefer to use with babies because sometimes they can be stressed and it helps them.

Jorge

 

[Alliemac]

My bp has two identical hides that we made out of cut down rubbermaid containers. We also have a large water dish that he can fit in if he needs a soak to help shed.

 

[THE WHISPERER]

Our BP's are in a rack, we took out the hides becuase they didn't go in them. They did like to wedge under them though.

 

[paintedlizards]

I first did not use hides at all- my breeder friend just uses tanks, bowls and papertowel so thats what i did.

however, i had one of my new females go into shed ( and show some signs of blister disease-she's also a he all in alll not very happy with the breeder i got her from)
so i put her in a tank with a hide and a bowl and shes much happier and i think on the mend ...

so i changed the other ones tanks and guess what? not a snake to be seen...so maybe they like them?

 

[Hock3ymonk3y]

If they are in a rack then its your choice, since they are already basically in a hide but if its a tank or something then you definately need hides for all ball pythons.