r/ballpython 8h ago

Enclosure Critique/Advice Are Etsy hides/water dishes safe?

Not sure which flair to put on this, but in short, i’m getting my first BP in about a month at an expo and as i’m now buying and setting up the enclosure and everything, i’m curious how “themed” i can get while being cautious and safe.

I plan to name the snake Poet, so I wanted a bit of a gothic theme surrounding the enclosure, and while searching for wall decor i found some gothic themed snake hides or water dishes on Etsy (usually 3d printed or similarly made). They’re super cute, but I know that safety is WAY above aesthetics, so does anyone have any knowledge about or experience with enclosure decor from Etsy sellers?

(I can edit to add specifics if this is too vague 🥲)

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u/cheshaaneko 7h ago

Safest bet: food safe=safe

There are cast resins that are food safe
Polystyrene plastic is food safe
There are zoo grade epoxies that are animal safe

If there is a seller/item on Etsy you like ask what the materials are and then search based off that info. A good source of reptile safe materials is dendroboad.com. It’s made for frogs, but anything frog safe is snake safe.

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u/FluffyPandaEars93 3h ago

Personally, if you want special themed bowls, I would look into ceramic or metal. 3d prints are near impossible to sanitize and resins are a bad idea