How to design a Naturalistic viv for garters

[ConcinusMan]

This 20 gallon long setup was designed by yours truly for baby garter snakes, and to look natural (makes a nice display) while providing an ideal habitat for their needs, all while being inexpensive and easy to maintain.

First I filled the tank with about an inch of reptibark/coconut fiber mixture, some dried loose moss, and added 3 cave hides (used, cheap, from craigslist) lined up from one end to the other (cool side to warm side)


Then, I used a chunk of knotty mopani wood ($10) and added a dollar store plant to it by poking it though one of the holes and tying it off so it's secure.


Since mopani wood is extremely dense and heavy like stone, I was able to stack it on top of the caves in a stable way without fear of being toppled (very important) by small snakes. It's odd shape provides pockets under it, on top of the caves for snakes to hide in. Again, this wood is very heavy so the snakes can't move it and get crushed. Be careful of that. I arranged it in such a way as to keep the plastic plants on the cool end. You don't want heat melting or softening them.