How to Build Realistic Hides for your Ball Python

[froggsong]

A new story entry has been added:

[drupal=57]How to Build Realistic Hides for your Ball Python[/drupal]

There have been a couple of requests for a how-to on how I built the hides for my BP (ball python), so I decided to write up an article on how to build them. The best thing about these hides is that you can make them look different on the outside without the worry that the snake will choose one hide over the other, sacrificing thermoregulation for security, because they will be identical on the inside and the doors will be in the same place on each hide.

Here is a picture of the finished product:

[darc]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

I'll have to build one of these pretty soon... as soon as I can eat a few pounds of butter : )

-darc

[froggsong]

LMAO, I ALWAYS keep the butter tubs. I didn't used to keep them all, but since I have so many herps, I find them to be one of the best supplies to have on hand for a number of things. They make awesome storage containers for different things, and you can even keep small amounts of crickets in one if you need to. So, I always have plenty of them lying around to do different things with. And well, I guess we do eat alot of butter, lol.

I really wish those pics were better... I used GE type I for those hides, and the peat moss doesn't stick as well to that kind, and it shrinks, which makes the peat moss start falling off. And of course, I could only find it in white, so when the peat moss starts falling off, it starts leaving nasty looking white spots. They do look ok in his tank though, since I don't ever have white light shining directly into the enclosure.

As soon as I get my house unpacked I'll see about making some fresh ones and adding step by step pics, ok?

Oh, and I'm glad you like them! I hope your BP likes them as well as mine does when you get some built.

You can also use just about anything that is bowl shaped too, btw. Doesn't have to be a butter bowl... You can probably eat two bowls of cool whip even faster than 6lbs (two tubs) of butter... rolf

[darc]

Originally Posted by froggsong

LMAO, I ALWAYS keep the butter tubs. I didn't used to keep them all, but since I have so many herps, I find them to be one of the best supplies to have on hand for a number of things. They make awesome storage containers for different things, and you can even keep small amounts of crickets in one if you need to. So, I always have plenty of them lying around to do different things with. And well, I guess we do eat alot of butter, lol.

I really wish those pics were better... I used GE type I for those hides, and the peat moss doesn't stick as well to that kind, and it shrinks, which makes the peat moss start falling off. And of course, I could only find it in white, so when the peat moss starts falling off, it starts leaving nasty looking white spots. They do look ok in his tank though, since I don't ever have white light shining directly into the enclosure.

As soon as I get my house unpacked I'll see about making some fresh ones and adding step by step pics, ok?

Oh, and I'm glad you like them! I hope your BP likes them as well as mine does when you get some built.

You can also use just about anything that is bowl shaped too, btw. Doesn't have to be a butter bowl... You can probably eat two bowls of cool whip even faster than 6lbs (two tubs) of butter... rolf

I'm going shopping this weekend with the sole purpose of finding suitable containers... I haven't had time yet : (
I work for a big tech company and run a web development company on the side and have huge projects due Monday at both of them : P

This whole "work" thing gets in the way of my fun... o well... can't argue with the money...
-darc

[everywomanshero]

What about putting some chia pet stuff on the bare spots... might look kinda GROOVY!

[froggsong]

heh, maybe so... I actually have some Chia seeds in my pantry. They are so beautiful for seeds. I think the plant eventually gets pretty big though. I never really thought about using chia in a vive...