Pythons need a warm, safe habitat with plenty of room for them to move around. We’ve put together a guide to help you set up a safe, comfortable terrarium for your pet python.
Pythons are one of the most popular pet snakes but they grow very large so it is vital to pick a terrarium that is going to be large enough when your python is an adult. Until about two years of age a ten gallon tank would be adequate. An adult python will need a minimum of 30 gallons and preferable a 50 gallon tank. Pythons are notorious for escaping their cages so make sure the terrarium you buy has a proper lock.
Pythons need comfortable bedding. Some suitable bedding materials are astroturf, aspen mulch, butcher paper or newsprint (newspaper that has not been printed on!). Provide shelter and a place to hide for your pet with an artificial cave or a wooden box. Objects that can also be used include broken terracotta plant pots, cereal boxes, pet water bowls etc. It is a good idea to provide a few different hiding places at different temperatures. Pythons, being cold blooded need an external heating source for body temperature regulation. Provide a heating source under a part of the base of the terrarium for a warm place for your pet to bask and a cooler place away from the heat source. Place a light above the heated area to simulate the light of the sun and to provide gentle, localised heat. Some pythons, notably nocturnal ball pythons, do not enjoy or need bright light.
Carefully monitor the humidity and temperature inside the terrarium. Place gauges in the terrarium but away from the heat sources. Humidity should be at least 60%, more inside the hide box, as too low humidity will cause dehydration and incomplete shedding. Humidity can be increased by adding a larger water bowl or you could use a mister. The basking area should be around 90F.
Also provide rough areas to help with shedding and some things for climbing such as branches or PVC pipes to make a kind of ‘jungle gym’. Silk plants are a good idea as real plants do not stand up well to a python laying on them! Place a shallow dish for water, a natural rock dish would look good.
Image by Lutz-R. Frank
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