A little exercise for the brain...

[Sputnik]

This is the task:

There are several snakes:

2 garters, same size, same sex

3 baby garters

2 corn snakes, same size, same sex, very fond of each other

1 older corn.


Also several tanks:

1 small plastic tank

2 larger plastic tanks

1 3ft vivarium, wood with glass front


Heaters:

2 A5 heat mats

1 A4 heat mat

2 100 Watt thermostats

- What would be the best way to organise the tanks and heaters to best accomodate all the snakes' needs?

- Would a heat cable be suitable for the large viv (in connection with pieces of slate)?

- Where is the best position for the heat sources?

All questions are of course hypothetical. (But all answers will be very gratefully received.)

[adamanteus]

Evening Esther. I would go:-
All Corns together in the large wooden viv.
Two larger Garters in the large plasic.
Baby Garters together in the small plastic.
No, I wouldn't...I'd sell the Corns!

I always use heat cable with my slate floors, it's fine as long as you use a thermostat of course. It is best to position the cable to one end of the viv, and so create a thermal gradient (warm end, cool end).

[Sputnik]

Thanks, James.

Does the heat cable need any kind of insulation between it and the vivarium floor?

I can't sell the corns as they are my childrens' snakes and actually have lovely natures.
My son said there's no way his snake is moving into his sister's room, where we have the large viv and I guess as the two corns he has in his room, are quite a bit smaller it might not be such a wise idea to put them all together. Might review that in a while though, as it would make things a lot easier. Do corns usually get on in groups, too?

[adamanteus]

I was kidding about seling the Corns! I usually put a few layers of cooking foil under the heat cable, just to reflect the heat upwards.

I guess you need to buy or build another viv Esther!

[Stefan-A]

Definitely not the answer you are looking for, but those corns will grow and so will the baby garters. I'd build bigger and practically identical enclosures with identical heating solutions for all of them and get sell the old stuff.

Why does that sound familiar...