Top 10 Best Ball Python Hides That Your Ball Python will Love

Before you bring home a pet ball python, you will first need to set up their habitat. Your goal should be to duplicate their natural environment as much as possible.

The enclosure you’re setting up must have a good humidity level, natural aesthetic, well-regulated temperature, water providing system, and hideouts.

These hideouts are very important for ball pythons as they are primarily terrestrial and crepuscular creatures, which means they hide from the sun during the daytime. The ball python like spending their time in dark spaces and hanging out in burrows.

The hides provide precisely the type of space that your ball python desires making it feel secure, safe, and comfortable. Below we will discuss the best-recommended hides for your ball python, the criteria of a good hide, and the number of hides that you need to keep your reptile healthy and happy.

Best Hides for Ball Pythons

1. Pangea Reptile Hide Box

No products found.

The Pangea reptile hide box is an ideal hide for the ball python, with one door gives a sense of security to the reptile. It also helps in reducing stress and is an affordable and durable option for hides.

The hide is made of thick and sturdy plastic, which means it stays firm while your reptile snuggles, climbs, crawls, or moves in the hide.

The hide is non-porous and smooth, which makes it easy to clean and maintain, and comes in various sizes in accordance with the age and growth of the ball python.

2. Niteangel Natural Coconut Reptile Hideouts

No products found.

The Niteangel natural coconut reptile hideout is made of natural coconut shell, which gives it a natural look that your reptile will love. It’s very suitable for both damp and dry habitats and provides a feeling of security to the reptile.

This hide comes in natural sizes that vary slightly and provide a safe and comfortable area for your reptile to snuggle in.

3. Zoo Med Reptile Shelter 3 In 1 Cave

No products found.

The Zoo Med Repti Shelter is a hide that is easy to install and use. The hide can be made humid by adding sphagnum moss, which can help shed your reptile. The hide is easy to clean and maintain as it’s made of durable resin and comes with a removable lid, which can help you check on your reptile. However, it comes in a big size of 12” X8” X8”, which might not suit baby pythons.

4. ZILLA Den Rock

No products found.

The Zilla Den Rock is a hand-crafted natural-looking hide made of non-porous material, making it easy to clean and maintain. The non-porous texture prevents the growth of bacteria as it doesn’t retain moisture.

The hide is sturdy because it’s manufactured from a solid foundation, enabling your snake to climb, snuggle and curl in the hide without falling it over.

In addition to this, the hide gives a natural aesthetic to the enclosure and absorbs foul odor through its non-porous texture.

5. Exo Terra Reptile Cave

No products found.

The Exo Terra Reptile Cave is an excellent and secure hiding spot for your ball python in the enclosure. It gives a natural aesthetic to the enclosure that will please your reptile and provides security to reduce stress.

The hide is made of food-grade resin, which is coated to prevent bacterial growth and is easy to clean. It is sturdy, and your pet python can easily explore this space without tripping it over.

6. ZILLA Rock Lair

No products found.

The Zilla Rock Lair holds the moisture and humidity well because of its side entrance and the heavy top, allowing the flow of air and reducing the light. It’s made of heavy material, which makes the hide sturdy and minimizes the risk of tripping; it’s made of natural materials giving it a look that is close to nature.

It comes in three sizes to fit the needs of your python and has a rough texture that can help the reptile in the skin shed. This hide is expensive, but the features that it comes with are worth the price.

7. FTVOGUE Reptile Basking Hide

No products found.

FTVOGUE Reptile Basking Hide is a safe hide for your ball python, as it is made of non-toxic resin. The slope allows the snake to get in the hiding spot, climb on the top and snuggle inside the hole.

The size of these hides is a bit smaller, so ensure to get the right one for your python to make him feel secure.

8. Exo Terra Snake Cave

No products found.

The Exo Terra Snake Cave is a sturdy hide that won’t trip easily and provide a secure and stress-free hide for the reptile pet. It has a natural look and can blend in the enclosure well. As this hide is made of moss, you must mist it regularly to provide a moist hide to the ball python where he can nest.

The hide is easy to clean and provides a stable and natural-looking hiding spot to give a sense of security to the reptile.

9. Zilla Herp Hotel

No products found.

The Zilla Herp Hotel provides a spacious area for your ball python to bask and compliments the tank size. The non-porous material that it is made of prevents bacterial growth and also absorbs foul odor. The hide is easy to clean and maintain because of its manufacturing from a non-porous material.

It comes with some shallow stairs that help your python climb easily and reaches top and bottom areas. This hide is available in sizes for all ages.

10. Zilla Reptile Habitat Décor Hideouts

No products found.

The Zilla Reptile habitat decor hideout provides a space for your ball python where it can climb, bask and burrow easily. The handcrafted design is so realistic that it can provide a great aesthetic to the enclosure.

The hide is resistant to bacterial growth because it’s manufactured from the non-porous material, which prevents bacterial growth, absorbs odor, and is easy to clean.

Its surface is rough, which helps the python in skin shed, and the non-toxicity of the hide gives a safe and secure environment to the python.

Why does a Ball Python Need Hides?

As mentioned earlier, ball pythons are terrestrial and crepuscular reptiles who like to be somewhere inside the ground or on the ground, where they can hide from the sun and predators.

These reptiles love to cramp up in dark spaces when they are in the wild. The ball python takes to hide in the dark congested space when it’s ready to shed or feels threatened. Hiding spots give it a sense of security.

In captivity, as an owner, while you are setting up the cage of the ball python, you must arrange hiding spots to make your reptile feel secure and comfortable. You can also make the hiding spot damp to provide a more humid environment for your ball python.

How many Hides does a Ball Python Need?

For your ball python, a general rule of thumb to add hides in the enclosure is one hide at each end, i.e., one hiding spot at the cool end of the enclosure and the other one at the warm end of the enclosure.

However, you can add more hides in the enclosure; as your ball python loves to spend most of its time in cramped space, adding more hiding spots will make your reptile happier.

It’d be icing on the cake if you make one out of the two or more hides more humid by making it moist and filling the hide with sphagnum moss; this will help the reptile in smooth shedding.

What Make Good hides for Ball Pythons

Now that you know why hiding spots are essential for the ball python, you must be prepared to find the best for your reptile. You must use a criterion to see the effectiveness of the hide that you’re purchasing or considering at the moment.

These standards will help you select the best from the market. We’ve discussed each one of the standards below in detail to help you choose the best hide.

Security

While looking for a good hiding spot for your ball python, you must ensure to buy one where your reptile feels secure. For this reason, you may choose a hide with one opening to provide a sense of security to the pet reptile.

Ensure to buy the hide, which is slightly bigger than the size of your reptile, where it can curl up and feel snuggled and secure. Roomier hides will stress your ball python.

In addition to this, as the reptile doesn’t like roomier hides, you cannot buy a giant hiding spot for a baby python; and need to purchase a newly upgraded hide for the reptile as it grows.

Easy to clean

It’s essential to maintain the cleanliness of your reptile’s enclosure, and so it’s essential to clean and disinfect the hide of the reptile regularly. So you must find a hide that is easy to clean and disinfect and place back in the enclosure easily.

Safety

The hide that you’re choosing for your ball python must make him feel secure. Check the hides for sharp edges as they can harm your reptile. Before placing the hides inside the enclosure, perform a thorough inspection, check all the sharp edges, and use sandpaper to remove them.

Sturdiness

The hide that you’re selecting for your ball python has to be sturdy, given the fact that your python will climb, crawl, curl and snuggle in it to explore the surroundings. So the hide should be sturdy enough not to fall over immediately.

Natural look

The ball pythons come from a place that is very rich in natural resources, and in captivity, the same environment is required to keep the reptile happy and healthy. You must choose a hide that imitates nature; it may look like natural wood, stones, or anything that can give a natural aesthetic to your reptile’s enclosure.

Help with shedding

Choosing a rough hide for your ball python will be beneficial in the skin shedding process. However, the hide should only be rough and must not have sharp pointed edges to injure your reptile pet.

Summary

 While setting up the enclosure for your Ball python, you need to add hides in the enclosure to give a sense of security and safety to the python. This will help your python to engage in its natural habit of climbing and snuggling. It’ll also provide enough humidity to the python if moisturized regularly.

The moist hide can help the ball python in skin shedding and give him enough room to replicate the habit of burrowing. While choosing an appropriate hide for the ball python, you need to check its sturdiness, safety, security, aesthetics, and how it can help your reptile shed skin. With these parameters, you’ll be able to find the perfect hide for your python’s enclosure.

Finally, be patient during the process, follow the guideline, and you’ll be able to spot the perfect hide that will keep your python happy and stress-free.