01/18/2026
Baby it's cold outside! 🥶 Let's talk about heat and humidity for our cold blooded friends. A long but good read.
This time of year we see many, many posts about ball pythons not eating and tanks getting cold or dry. Here's how to fix ALL THREE issues at the same time if you're using a glass tank.
If you're having just one of these issues and you use a glass tank or more airy PVC with a screen top, still do all of these suggestions. Trust me, it will help. These products and modifications are targeted toward animal mental health (through feeling more secure and hidden, which helps eating habits) as well as heat and humidity retention. SEASONAL FASTING IS NOT NORMAL for ball Pythons. Their eating habits are directly related to temperatures and stress. They are not affected by barometric pressure or other seasonal weather changes.
tl;dr: deep clean, use deep coco or cypress substrate, box hides, insulate sides and top, don't use lights for heat, don't keep the enclosure on the floor.
First step, completely strip and clean your enclosure and all decor. It should be done at least every 6-8 weeks for the health and well-being of your snake. More often if you aren't spot cleaning both p**p and all bedding surrounding urates very regularly.
Your enclosure should be on a table or shelf, NEVER ON THE FLOOR. It's drafty and cooler at ground level and being at ground level can be mentally stressful. Animals feel more vulnerable with giant predators walking around above them.
Prep and add substrate. You want to use 4-6" of chunky coco husk or cypress mulch. Do not use fine dirt-like coco or coco fiber. They're not good choices for ball pythons. Do not use Aspen, pine, or "bark" substrate.
Push chunks of the moss down into the substrate at the corners of the enclosure. You can pour water here as well as throughout the rest of the enclosure once or twice a week to keep humidity levels consistent.
If you're using a 40-gallon breeder size tank or larger, get a 150 watt ceramic heat emitter bulb or 100 watt deep heat projector and a dimming thermostat. This is what you need to use for heat 24/7. Plug the heat dome into your thermostat. Hang the thermostat probe 2-3" above the substrate on the hot side and set it to 87⁰. You want your cool side upper 70s to 80⁰ and the hot side upper 80s, day and night. Ball pythons do not need a night drop and getting too cool at night can be stressful or even detrimental to the health of your snake. You may need two heat domes if your enclosure is large or your room is extra cool.
No lights! Ball pythons do not need UVB or lighting at all if your room isn't pitch black during the day. If you need supplemental lighting because of a dark room, use LEDs that can be dimmed low.
Use hides appropriate for snakes. They need to have only one small opening. They need to be large enough to fit the snake but not too large or tall. Ball pythons like to feel snug and hidden. You can add some moss inside larger hides but avoid tall hides like fake tree stumps or lizard basking caves. My favorite are the black box style hides. The opening is offset so the snake can feel hidden.
Half logs are fine for extra decor but they are not appropriate hides for snakes. Move them to the middle or don't use them at all.
Cover 3 sides of the enclosure on the outside with black foam board. This insulates the glass to keep heat in and cool room air out as well as gives the snake a sense of privacy.
Cover almost all of your screen with HVAC foil tape or a silicone mat. Or use both if your room is drafty or cooler than 68⁰ regularly. Leave room around your dome, about 1", for ventilation. That's all you need.
Covering the sides and screen lid helps your snake feel safer. Animals do not recognize screen or glass as protective barriers. Feeling exposed can negatively affect eating habits, causing snakes to be picky about their food or refuse completely.
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***TIPS***
If you're using a compressed 10 lb block of coco, don't follow the directions on the package. It will be way too wet. Instead, keep the block in the packaging, cut just the top off. Place it in a big tote bin and slowly pour one gallon of warm water into the bedding. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes, then cut the plastic off and fluff the bedding. Use the amount of bedding you want and let the rest dry out before bagging up for use next time.
If you're still struggling with humidity, try resetting your humidity gauges. And never rely on those archaic dial gauges. They're frequently incorrect.
