Tom's Snake Enclosure

[Didymus20X6]

Here is a pic of the enclosure I made for my recently captured snake.

http://i31.tinypic.com/zwjd4y.jpg

The substrate (which probably isn't as thick as it ought to be - I'll work on that) is mostly crushed dried leaves.

That thing in the middle is a cheap piece of hanging flower basket I picked up at a dollar store (I'd prefer something smaller and more natural looking).

This enclosure is currently in an unused side room. I just took temp readings, and it's 87F in there right now. That's only slightly cooler than outside shade temps (91F). That room will get down to 80F at night, but not much cooler than that.

Some of the lessons I've learned so far: if you need to move the enclosure, remove the water dish first. Do not leave the enclosure outside in the sun for any longer than about two or three minutes.

[Didymus20X6]

Okay, I got a new hide for him. I took a clay flower pot and broke a hole in the side for him to slither through. Unfortunately, the flower pot broke in the process, and I had to glue most of it back together. I also used a good portion of the old hide to make a cover for it. so it looks like a little grass hut. As soon as the glue dries, and it's safe to put into the enclosure, I'll pic it. (Yes, "pic" is now a verb).

[Didymus20X6]

http://i29.tinypic.com/32zj7f7.jpg

[jitami]

What a pretty green! Nice job on his/her enclosure as well. I like the mossy/grass hanging planter. It would work well for my two adults. Nice idea.

[Didymus20X6]

Thanks. :)

I wanted something a little smaller, more cozy. This is what I came up with:

http://i30.tinypic.com/1197xjb.jpg

It looks a bit like a thatch-roof cottage. Let's just hope Trogdor doesn't come along and burninate it.

[Didymus20X6]

A couple of my friends have lauded me for the cuteness of the Thatch-Roof Cottage. Many have likewise expressed the hope that Trogdor doesn't come along and burninate it.

But I am growing concerned for my little critter. He rarely if ever comes out of the hide now. Today, the only time he came out of it was when I removed it. I'm beginning to become concerned.

The internal temperature of the enclosure ranges from 78F at night to about 89F during the day. Considering this is a Mississippi Delta snake, do you think he might want it warmer?

So far, he hasn't eaten any of the minnows or nightcrawlers I've put in there. Hasn't even shown an interest. And I'm pretty sure he was hungry when I caught him, since he was poking around the bucket of nightcrawlers I had put out.

I've seen this before: a new snake owner worrying overmuch about their new companion, and I'm sure I'm falling into the same routine myself. But now I can see just how worried a new owner can be.

Anyway: Always in the hide. Rarely if ever comes out. He no longer shows the same energy he did when I first caught him (seems almost lethargic - although he avoids me, he doesn't struggle or bit at me when I pick him up). Is this within the parameters of a normal first week of captivity?

[Hornets23]

I wouldnt be concerned about the hiding. Maybe if you feel that he is overly lethargic i'd check into it.

[gregmonsta]

I would consider a different substrate. You don't know what beasties and possible mould problems these leaves could contain.

[drache]

I definitely don't think you need to worry about her needing it warmer
in the wild she probably spends the hot part of the day in some shady cool damp spot
for all you know she comes out more when it's a bit cooler
is her enclosure sufficiently well ventilated?
she's a beauty btw

[Didymus20X6]

I would consider a different substrate. You don't know what beasties and possible mould problems these leaves could contain.
Those leaves were dehydrated in a 220F oven. I'm fairly sure it kills most anything living in them. (made a huge mess in my kitchen, I'll say).


is her enclosure sufficiently well ventilated?
I have been concerned about that. Her enclosure's lid has like a bajillion holes drilled in it, but I'm not sure how much air that actually allows through. I've been considering replacing it with a screen, to see if that helps. I just need to find the right materials to make that happen, and they're kind of hard to find here. I'll come up with something, though.

But what you said about her probably liking it cooler: I did notice just now that she was out exploring her enclosure this morning. But when she spotted me, she headed straight for the hide. It is very possible that she does like it cooler, and that by keeping the enclosure warm, I'm making her think it's too hot to come out. I'll try keeping it in a cooler part of the house, to see if that will help.

[Mommy2many]

Tom,

She sure is pretty. Maybe try misting the enclosure. Mine seem to really like that, they all come out when we mist.

[Didymus20X6]

I caught another one this morning!

I was getting into my truck, when I spotted a hardly noticeable black movement by the back fence (from its head sticking up and looking around). I knew, I guess by instinct more or less, that it was a snake. I grabbed my trash can, went out and snagged it. I had a time getting her away from the fence. Currently in the same enclosure with the other. They're both just about 27 inches, and since others refer to the one as "her", I'm going to presume they are females.

Pics of the new catch as soon as I can get them.

Mommy:

I'll try that. I was under the impression these guys like it warmer, but considering that I tend to see them when it's a bit cool and damp outside, you may be on to something.

[Mommy2many]

Good luck! Can't wait to see new pictures. Hope the misting works for you. It really gets mine all active and busy around their homes. I thought maybe they come out because worms/slugs will come out when it rains, and maybe it's easier for them to hunt. Just a thought.:D

[Didymus20X6]

When I went in to get pics, this one was sitting on top of the Thatch-Roof Cottage. I presume probably trying to find a way to escape.

http://i27.tinypic.com/t50ugp.jpg

I would have loved to have gotten that pic unobstructed by the plastic, but as soon as I touched the lid, he slithered off the thatch roof, and right into the cottage. Here's a pic after I removed the cottage:

http://i28.tinypic.com/9k7dpt.jpg

And here's a closeup.

http://i25.tinypic.com/12660ax.jpg

This one is a bit smaller than the other one. The green one is right about 27 inches long.

I am hoping they are both the same gender. If not, I will definitely have to let them go; my landlady would go through the roof if she thought I was breeding them.

[Mommy2many]

Can't you hide them? They are both so pretty! I love it when snakes snuggle;)

[Didymus20X6]

I think I figured out why I don't see my snakies out and about much:

Yesterday, after I finished up installing a screen in the lid to their enclosure (these guys better appreciate all the hard work I put into their home, that's all I got to say), I decided to put the enclosure in the living room, since it's a bit cooler at night than the side room. Whenever I turned on a lamp, I would always spot one of them exploring. They'd usually go back into the thatch-roof cottage if I left the light on too long.

Also, if you don't get the "thatch-roof cottage" reference, WATCH THIS (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html).

[Didymus20X6]

Yesterday, I found one of my neighbors put a whole bunch of bamboo out on the curb. Supposedly for trash pick-up. I snagged a fairly large section and cut a couple of tubes from it, to make extra hides/tunnels for them to explore. The red one seems to like hanging out inside one of them.

[count dewclaw]

Also, if you don't get the "thatch-roof cottage" reference, WATCH THIS (http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail58.html).

Oh, that also explains the Trogdor and burninating references! Very interesting......:D

[Didymus20X6]

More pics of my snakes in their enclosure. Here they are, climbing around. The green things are the bamboo I found the other day.

http://i30.tinypic.com/i3i89e.jpg

http://i30.tinypic.com/dg41g0.jpg

[jitami]

They're both very pretty! I love the differences in color. You may want to try leaving a shallow bowl of live fish in their enclosure overnight. Guppies are your best bet, but rosy red minnows would be ok for one meal. If they eat those you can begin scenting other things with them and wean them off of the feeder fish. Good luck :)

[Didymus20X6]

Thanks! ^_^ Both of these guys are wild-caught, and I came this><close to having a third this afternoon.

I have only tried fish once with these guys, and they didn't care for them. I do leave a small bowl of nightcrawlers out for them every night, just in case they want a snack, but I have yet to see any of them eaten. My guess is they're still adjusting to captivity. Considering that I caught both of these guys while they were nosing around a bucket of nightcrawlers I had out in the back yard, I'm figuring this is their food of choice.

Finding feeder animals is nigh impossible in this town. The closest pet shop is over an hour's drive away. Wal-Mart sells feeder goldfish, but I've heard that's not a good thing to feed garters. I'll stick with nightcrawlers until I'm certain they are eating, then I'll try other foods, like fish or pinkies.

[jamromhem]

goldfish aren't bad in and of themselves, but I would avoid making them a regular diet. Also in rural areas there tend to be bait shops with minnows. Same case there.. a few feedings on occasion with them are good, but not a staple diet.

These might be a good way to get them started though.

[Didymus20X6]

Okay, I redid my snakes' enclosure. I put a layer of ground clay kitty litter in the bottom, mixed with the baked mulch I had in there previously. I also put in a large shallow plastic pan of water.

And get this: yesterday, I put a few minnows from the bait shop in the water, just to see how the snakes would react. And just a moment ago, I caught the green one "gone fishin'!" I would have got a pic, but I didn't want to disturb her dinner - this is the first evidence I've seen that she's eaten anything I've put in there so far! I'm sure she ate at least one (I could see the bulge in her belly after swallowing it), and she looked to be going back for seconds. Again, I really didn't want to disturb her since this is the first time I've seen any evidence of her eating at all.

[jamromhem]

you have to watch them sometimes too depending on the size of the fish. :P my checkered ate 4 fish at once at one point. While I don't think it was too much for her because of the size of the fish I would be cautious in-case they decide their mouth is bigger than their stomach on that subject.

Bait shops are a good spot to get temporary food for the snakes.

Earthworms and minnows are a decent diet. I wouldn't have the minnows be too much of their diet over all, a couple here and there with some earthworms in between.

(people correct me if I am wrong)

The minnows are good because they have bones, if there isn't a place to buy pinkies near by then the minnows will be able to supplement the calcium that the worms lack.

The earthworms will be able to make up for the fact that the minnows could be potentially dangerous if made the main staple of their diet for very long periods of time. That also depends on what exact type of "minnow" they are selling as well. It can be hard to know what exact fish they are selling as minnows. Often they aren't really minnows.

[mtolypetsupply]

Hi there! I LOVE That Trogdor the Burninator thing, btw.

I never used the cat litter, but I'd stay away from that. I'd be concerned that it would cause impactions if swallowed during feeding. Try fir bark, or any of the commercial preparations for reptile bedding.

Good luck with the new babies, and keep a sharp eye out for Trogdor!

:)

[Didymus20X6]

I appreciate the advice! Thanks!

Unfortunately, I've had no end of trouble finding good supplies around here. About the only good place to find supplies is Wal-Mart, and the stuff they had was pretty limited. I was hoping for more of a natural soil substrate, or maybe peat moss, but all Wal-Mart has was "enriched" stuff (meaning it was either full of dangerous chemicals, or full of animal crap). The kitty litter stuff (which is essentially just ground clay) was about the closest thing to natural soil I could find. The next time I'm in Greenville, I might check with Lowes to see what they have that might be better, but for now, I'll have to settle for what I can get.

But I'm not using the kitty litter by itself. I topped it off with a layer of baked leaf and grass mulch, and that's mostly what the snakes are in contact with.

AND THE TROGDOR COMES IN THE NIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHT!!

[Didymus20X6]

I put a lot of time and energy into making those Thatch Roof Cottages. And where do the snakes spend most of their time? In the bamboo tubes I put in there! They seem to love those for some reason. Maybe because they're a tighter, more secure-feeling place for them.

Here's one poking her little head out of one:

http://i28.tinypic.com/2ztbu6g.jpg

Actually, that's kind of convenient for me. If I need to adjust the enclosure - fix the lid, change the water, clean up poop, etc. - I can just take the bamboo out and put it in another container. No having to chase them around the enclosure and try to catch them.

[Didymus20X6]

Gone Fishin'!

http://i28.tinypic.com/1zu35i.jpg

[Didymus20X6]

In the peasant land of Peasantry...

http://i32.tinypic.com/1zebgic.jpg

[Didymus20X6]

On Steve's advice, I decided to put my small snakey in an empty tub with a few minnows. Got a few decent shots of him eating, too!

http://i31.tinypic.com/dqpumv.jpg

http://i28.tinypic.com/23ifdp0.jpg

He gulped down three good ones. That last one he didn't even fight; he just swallowed that baby right on down. Right now, he's napping in his favorite bamboo tube.

[guidofatherof5]

Not sure what minnows you are using but I would suggest Guppies. If you are using safe minnows than you're fine. If you don't know than Guppies would be the best bet.
Glad to see the little scrub is eating. It's a good feeling when they start.

[jitami]

Nice job getting the little one to eat :) I love the bamboo tubes :) My yearlings and adults all seem to love anything tube shaped. I don't know how they do it, but my two large adults cram themselves into a paper towel tube together all the time. There will be loops bulging out of both ends, but they seem content <gg> Like you, I pick up the whole thing and move it around, snakes and all. Will have to look for bamboo :)

[Didymus20X6]

Steve:

The only other feeder fish I can find in the area are rosy-reds and goldfish, both of which are not safe. For now, I'll risk the minnows until I can get a better food supply for them. After this batch is gone (the bait shop sells them a dozen for $1.35), I'm switching back to nightcrawlers for a while. For now, I'm just glad they're eating.

Tami:

Thanks! I still have one more section of bamboo I can use. I had saved me a good long piece to use as a staff - for walking or whatever - unfortunately, it fell off the back of the truck one night, and all but one section of it splintered. I'll cut it up later. I really wish I had looted their trash pile a bit more thoroughly: there's all kinds of cool things I can do with this stuff.

[Didymus20X6]

I'm working on an expansion to my snake enclosure.

Basically, I was concerned about the water splashing in the enclosure and making a mess. So I came up with an idea: why not have a separate enclosure as a water feature? That way, the snakes can go back and forth between a tub big enough for them to swim in and a nice, dry enclosure. I could even put my feeder fish in there, so they won't be eating the substrate.

Here's the basic gist of my plan:

http://i28.tinypic.com/qrg1w8.png

Of course, I would need a way to connect the two so that, if necessary, I can separate them for transportation, cleaning, etc. I've already got a good idea how to handle that, and I've even got some preliminary supplies.

I even had plans to attach a spigot to it for easy draining, but I can settle for detachability for now.

So what do you think?

[Didymus20X6]

http://i31.tinypic.com/1409r38.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/3444gud.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/esq6uv.jpg

So what is this, might you ask? Is he building a new, improved version of his snake trap? NO! This is the water section of my enclosure, just completed!

The next thing I have to do is install a similar flange pipe on the current enclosure, hook them together, and fill this one with rocks and water, and we're in business!

[count dewclaw]

Looking good, Tom. I like the idea of a water section you can remove for easy cleaning.

Would you mind showing better pictures of how you attached the screen to the lid, please? Maybe an inside and an outside of the lid shot? I have put screen on a couple tote lids using hot glue, but the glue tends to pop after the lid is twisted or bumped a few times.....Thanks.

[guidofatherof5]

Very nice. You have a lot of time in this. You're not a cobbler. My first runs of anything new lean towards cobbled. The first one is just to get a feel for the whole project to see of it's worth the time to finish it to specs.
Nice job.

[Didymus20X6]

http://i28.tinypic.com/2ljmb2s.jpg

http://i30.tinypic.com/2dvr1w3.jpg

Supplies:

1. 3/4 inch #6 size machine screws with bolts.
2. washers to fit the bolts.
3. screen (of course).
4. screen trim.

The procedure:

1. Cut a decently straight rectangular hole in the middle of your lid.

2. Cut your screen trim to fit the holes. Be sure to allow for overlap on two parallel sides, or cut them slightly longer at an angle so they fit together.

3. Use cow clips to hold the pieces of screen trim in place on the lid. Make sure they are aligned properly.

4. Drill holes (about 9/64 or 5/32 bit size) about every 2 inches, making sure you go all the way through the trim and the lid. Suggestion: start by drilling a hole on each end of each piece of wood, then use the bolts and nuts to hold them securely in place while you drill the rest. Leave the cow clips on, as they will help keep the holes drilled straight.

5. Remove the pieces of wood. Make sure you know which piece went with which side of your lid, as you need the holes to match up later.

6. Put your screen on the top of the lid. If you give yourself plenty of slack, you could use cow clips to hold it tightly in place.

7. Put your pieces of wood on top of the screen, making sure you pull it tight as you bolt them down. Just push the bolts firmly through the screen, with a washer in place, and the nut on bottom.

8. Tighten the nuts firmly, but not too tightly. Trim any excess screen, if you like (I always leave just a bit of slack on each side, just in case it tears).

[Didymus20X6]

Very nice. You have a lot of time in this. You're not a cobbler. My first runs of anything new lean towards cobbled. The first one is just to get a feel for the whole project to see of it's worth the time to finish it to specs.
Nice job.
Actually, that's pretty much how the main enclosure went. I tried stuff, figured out what did and didn't work (drilled holes don't work nearly as well for ventilation as a screen). It started out with a smaller screen at first, with screws instead of bolts (didn't like those sharp points too much, though). Then, once I kind of had a feel for what to do, I replaced the smaller screen with a bigger one.

By the time I got all that squared away, building that snake trap went pretty smoothly. And as you can see, the water enclosure drew heavily from what I learned from the snake trap.

[Didymus20X6]

Okay, I got the flange pipe installed in the old enclosure. Probably traumatized the snakes in the process.

(I had to transfer them to the other container, and they were not the least bit cooperative. I'm surprised they didn't escape: when I was done, I discovered I had left flange pipe uncovered. They could have just crawled right out, and I would have never been the wiser. But thankfully, they all just stayed in the hides.)

Now all I need to do is put some water in the enclosure, and maybe get some more rocks to go in there. Also, decorate it with some plastic leaves or something, to give it a more natural feel. So it's not entirely complete, but all the really hard stuff is done!

[Mommy2many]

Can't wait to see the finished product! I like the idea of a seperate water area, easy for cleaning.

[Didymus20X6]

Here it is, near completion. I still need to decorate it.

http://i28.tinypic.com/33u3ibk.jpg

As you can see in this pic, one of my little guys decided to go for a swim. This one seems to really love the water enclosure, and I have often seen him going back and forth between the two.

http://i25.tinypic.com/mtunpu.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Great to see the pool opened with the rest of the complex. Many times the tenants can't use the pool, since it's the last thing to be finished.
Great looking setup. Keep us informed as to how well it works. The kid in the pool looks very happy.:D

[Didymus20X6]

Oh, they all are! I've seen one of the other two frequently splashing around as well. The only one I haven't seen in there is the green girl. But her eyes recently changed color to a cloudy pale blue, and you know that that means...

SHE'S GONNA DIE OF CLOUDY BLUE EYE DISEASE!!
AAAARRRRGGGGBLBLBLBLBL!!! :eek:

Actually, I anticipate that within the next few days, she'll be making plenty of use of the pool herself as well.

[count dewclaw]

Looks great! Thanks for the lid details.:)

[Snakers]

awesome!!!one of the best plastic enclosures i've seen

[drache]

awesome!!!one of the best plastic enclosures i've seen
one of???
you've seen others this good?

[Didymus20X6]

I've got good news and bad news:

First, the bad news. Remember when I said that one of my snakes had a severe case of the dreaded Cloudy Blue Eyes Disease? Well, here's all that's left of her after she wasted away:

http://i31.tinypic.com/2jcuao2.jpg

Also, that dreaded cloudy blue eyes disease is contagious. Little Dude (the smallest of the three) has also caught it.

The good news is that, apparently, a brand new snake that's an even prettier green has materialized inside the enclosure. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get a good pic to show her off yet.

[mustang]

hahahahahaha my friends snake got it to...he was screaming NNNOOOOOO my snake is going blind!!!!!!

[jitami]

Nice job on the water feature! It looks great! Cool that the snakes had no problems figuring it out, too! Oh, I could get carried away with that... said as I eye my fish tank that I really don't care for... hmmmm....

[Mommy2many]

Tami,

You just got me thinking along those lines too! I will have to ask my Husband (who is a wonder at figuring this stuff out, cause God knows I'm not!) If we could do the same idea between fish tanks! That would be sooo cool. Hhhmmmm...:D

[jitami]

Showed hubby the picture and he said it would be fairly easy. Have to get a glass cutter or have someone cut the glass. Then get 2 pipes w/ flanged ends and use aquarium sealer to glue it onto the inside of both glass tanks. Use a coupler in between, but don't glue the coupler together. Simply pull it apart and use an appropriate sized cap to close off either side for cleaning.

Does anyone know if a filter would pose a problem for garters? I'm thinking not. In my little brain I'm thinking snakes are stronger than fish and the fish don't end up stuck to the filter so the snakes should be ok ;)

Hubby was actually mildly excited about it... more so than he has been with anything else to do with the snakes or fish. Seems combining them is more his style <gg> Wonder if the guppies could sustain a healthy population with predators in the water? :D

Thanks for the great ideas Didymus!

[Didymus20X6]

You're very welcome! :)

Also, I used plumber's glue. Not only does it hold pretty decently, but it also helps to seal any leaks. I put a big dab on each of the bolts, too, to keep them from rusting. With glass, bolts probably won't be much of an option.

I do have a question: I recently bought some eucalyptus, which I had intended to put into the water section. However, that stuff has a powerful smell. I originally thought these were just scented plastic, but no, they were real. I ended up using them to decorate the outside of the water enclosure - to give the snakes a sense of privacy - but I'm afraid to put them inside for fear the odor would be too overpowering for them.

Have any of you had any experience with eucalyptus and garters? I've thought I might put a few of the larger branches in the main enclosure for them to climb on, if it's not harmful to them.

[count dewclaw]

I would be concerned that the eucalyptus oil in the wood might irritate the snakes skin and/or lungs (kind of like the cedar oils), but I have no proof that it is a problem.

[Mommy2many]

I would use pothos. They like water and can grow fairly full. One of my garters likes to hang in them like "tree tops"

[Mommy2many]

Tami,

I am also thinking the same as you. I would like to get a supply of fish in one side, to be able to leave them there. I don't know if they would be around long enough though, to reproduce:eek:

But my snakies like to swim and soak, so that would be nice for them.

[jitami]

Le Ann, when I net guppies for my guys I sometimes get babies as well as the intended adults. I used to tediously remove the babies, but I've found that if I just go ahead and leave the babies in the container and place it in with the snakes they eat the adults and ignore the babies. Not sure if they're too small for the garters to see or if they're just not interested in the small size, but a day or so later I remove the bowl with now only babies left and put them back in the fish tank. I'm thinking with enough plants/hiding spots the guppies may be able to sustain a population? Would be interesting to find out :)

[Mommy2many]

Tami,

I think we should try! Couldn't hurt and worse case is they get eaten. I'm gonna have to get my husband working on something like this:D

[jitami]

I'm gonna have to get my husband working on something like this:D

I think it would be awesome! Mine's super busy and I've slowly learned (it was a painful process!) that tho he has good intentions I should not hold my breath waiting for help with something like this :o He really does have good intentions, but often takes on too much. Household projects, let alone fun extra stuff like this, seem to move further and further down the list :rolleyes:

Maybe in a year or two <gg>

[Mommy2many]

me too...:o

[jitami]

LOL... it'll be a race then :D

[snakeestate]

Gotta love snakes going after fish :).
Nice terrarium setup tom.

[Didymus20X6]

Thanks, everyone! :)

Today, I did a bit of work on the substrate. It was smelling kinda funny, so I thought I better do some work on it.

First, I took out a good portion of the clay and mulch that were in there before. About half of it. Then, I gave the remainder a good wetting down and mixed it up really good. Then, to top it off, I gave it a good layer of hardwood mulch (has a very strong hickory/mesquite smell to it). I figured since it wasn't a heavily resinous wood like pine, it'd be okay for the snakeys.

So that's basically still doing a two-layer substrate. Layer one: clay and leaf/grass mulch mixture, and layer two: hardwood mulch.

What do you think? Is this a good substrate combination?

[drache]

I don't know
myself, I always go for something that's easy to clean, but I do like looking at the more natural substrates

[SNAKEKEEPER]

I would consider a different substrate. You don't know what beasties and possible mould problems these leaves could contain.

I agree for the substrate might fave paristes.

[Didymus20X6]

Actually, I bake everything I put in my enclosure. Not only does this help to dry them out, but it pretty much kills anything. Those branches, the bamboo, the leaf mulch - all baked.

[suliman]

hey, im seriously considering using this method for an enclosure, not really because of cost, but it looks to be more spacious and would be easy to expand the enclosure by adding more compartments. This seems really good but i have to ask if there are any disadvantages to doing this instead of using a glass tank.

please reply with any issues that you might have had with care of your snakes while using this type of enclosure. also wondering why the two containers are diffrent sizes?

[ConcinusMan]

She's a beauty. I say she because that is a female. She looks an awful lot like elegans but you're on the east coast so i don't think so.


I would consider a different substrate. You don't know what beasties and possible mould problems these leaves could contain.

Definitely. That's a poor choice. I always used large pine shavings, but I had to make sure I take them out of their enclosure for feeding. Don't want them swallowing that stuff. My garters were so large after they were 6 or 7 years old, and so tame, they didn't care about a place to hide. They would greet me when I walk in the room.

I used a Plexiglass box, fairly low profile but large area. Heating pad and low wattage basking light on one side, water bowl and full spectrum flourescent on the other. That gave them about 90 degrees on one end, 70 on the other. They seemed happy. In 21 years, they grew from about 10 inches long to 3 1/2 feet.

[Didymus20X6]

Could have sworn I already posted these, but here they are again.

Updates to the snake enclosure.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/general-talk/5140d1337053793-just-making-sure-dsc00520.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/attachments/general-talk/5141d1337053819-just-making-sure-dsc00521.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

You did. Unless I'm having a senior moment......................again.:D

[Didymus20X6]

And here's the latest update.

I added some wooden dowels at about mid height, to give the snakies something to climb on.

I will probably put some leaves around them later.

5188

[guidofatherof5]

Post 17 of this thread. http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/general-talk/10451-just-making-sure-2.html#post210687

[Didymus20X6]

Thanks.

Did you see where I added the dowels? I'm hoping that pic doesn't get lost in the mysterious realm of page-turnover.