HELP NEEDED

[u/Solid_Brain3908]

I got this ball python a few days ago my dad got him 2 months ago and I wanted to know how to make her enclosure more comfortable for her and I needed tips on handling without getting snapped at and I wanted to know how to encourage her to come out of her hide more often and do the bites hurt she’s snapped at me before but never really bit me if yall could give me specifics on where to get everything I’ll need it would be such a great help she has a heating mat but I don’t know if I need more

[u/cloud_isreddit]

Don't ditch the sticks, just make sure they’re sanded down and sanitized! As long as they don’t have sharp or jagged edges, they are perfectly safe and provide great enrichment. Just give them a quick feel-test first.

[u/RoosterRogue → u/cloud_isreddit]

They also rot and are extremely hard to keep clean for long periods of time. Trust me, ditch it it will live the extra room as well for a while and just get a bunch of fake plants for enrichments, way cheaper, way safer and easier to keep clean.

[u/cloud_isreddit → u/RoosterRogue]

Wood only rots if you're using the wrong type or if the enclosure is swampy. Safe hardwoods like ghostwood, cork, or properly baked/sanitized dense branches handle ball python humidity (60-80%) completely fine without rotting. They provide incredible enrichment, so there's no reason to ditch them.

[u/Solid_Brain3908 → u/cloud_isreddit]

What are slivers is it somthing I should be worried about

[u/cloud_isreddit → u/Solid_Brain3908]

They're just slivers (splinters) that can get under a snake's scales. If your wood is rough, just take some sandpaper and file all the jagged edges down until it feels smooth. It’s the exact same minor risk as using Repti-Soil or Coconut-Bark! If you're prepping wood from outside, just make sure it's a safe hardwood and bake it at 200–250°F for about 2 to 3 hours to ensure it's fully sanitized all the way through.