Enclosure too big for my spotted python??

[Zali Ash]

Hi there,
I am soon getting a spotted python, he is currently 14 months old and 40cm long. The breeder recommended keeping it in a 45x60x60cm enclosure since he is still small and to wait to get a bigger enclosure until he is bigger.
However, I have this 80Lx50Wx50cmH enclosure, that of course I’d rather use if I can. Is double the length simply too big for now? Even if I include lots of hides and plants etc to fill it in?
I know the community is so divided on this topic in general, for baby snakes. Is he still a baby being more than a year old though..?
I really don’t want him to be stressed, and would be willing to get the recommended size, but I’d rather use what I have if I can.

 

[Python]

If the one you have is too large, is there a way to make a wall for the small space? Then, as he grows, you can move the wall to accommodate his growth.

 

[Sdaji]

It should be fine. If you're concerned and want to use something smaller, the ideal size to keep a snake that size happy is about a 30cm plastic tub, which will probably cost you about $5-10 and an hour or so to modify (or maybe a bit longer to learn how to modify a tub and a few minutes to actually do it). Some snakes just don't care and are comfortable anywhere, some are more particular and will stress if things aren't right. If you fully clutter the enclosure up the snake will feel more secure, but that stresses you and the snake out every time you want to interact with the snake, especially if you don't know where it is and have to tear the enclosure apart looking for it, which the snake interprets as you being a predator trying to find it so you can eat it, so overall it can be significantly worse. Overall a simple design is usually better, but in a larger enclosure that can freak out the snake (you'd never find a wild Spotted Python under a small rock in the middle of a field and this would be all sorts of a terrible place for them to live).

If your snake is only 40cm long at 14 months of age it has either been neglected or it was a reluctant feeder, so it's likely to be a snake prone to stressing out and not feeding if things aren't right.

Python: That's bad advice, partly because it's a task which would be far more work and expense than just cheaply and easily setting up something better, and partly because it's outright dangerous and when people do this snakes are prone to getting stuck in the gaps and being killed - I've seen this several times. I know you own this site, which is questionable enough for someone who isn't in Australia and knows nothing about keeping snakes, but that being the case you probably shouldn't be offering advice.