Marnie's Snakes

[chris-uk]

I recently added a small Philadelphia tub with a hole cut in the side and filled with sphagnum moss. The plastic is thick enough that the edge won't harm them on the way in or out, it's certainly no more likely to harm them than the edge of a rock or a the edges of the logs they slither over. That's sitting in the checkered/blackneck viv permanently now. As I don't press the lid tight I can just lift it to see if anyone is in there and to keep the moss moist.

So far Binky has shed perfectly every time, the moist hide is there more for Bethan's benefit (she's never shed well).

[EasternGirl]

I will try that Chris...thanks...we have a lot of little plastic tubs around here.

[EasternGirl]

Okay...so here's one for you guys...I made the moist hide for Hermes, since he has been having the shed problems. I started thinking that maybe that last shed may have been a retained shed...looking back on some pics I have of him, he may have had a retained shed. So I went ahead and made him a moist hide...I took a plastic container with a lid...cut a little hole in it and filled it with moist moss and put it in his enclosure before I went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night and found him sleeping in it! That can't be good right? I mean, he could get scale rot and other skin problems if he sleeps in the moist moss, couldn't he? So I took it out. So now what do I do? He obviously wants to be in there...which makes me think something is up...that he needs the moisture or something. But I am afraid to put it in there and let him just lay in it all the time. Help please!

[chris-uk]

......
That can't be good right? I mean, he could get scale rot and other skin problems if he sleeps in the moist moss, couldn't he? So I took it out. So now what do I do? He obviously wants to be in there...which makes me think something is up...that he needs the moisture or something. But I am afraid to put it in there and let him just lay in it all the time. Help please!

These are intelligent animals, if he's spending time in a moist area that he's free to come and go from it's probably because he knows he needs more moisture.
Sure spending time on a permanantly wet substrate is a bad thing, but (and I stand to be corrected if I have this wrong) the issue with scale rot is when they don't have enough dry space to get dry. I see moist hides in the same way as hot and cold, where you give them the option to regulate their own moisture in the same way that they thermoregulate themselves.

[kibakiba]

I think he just needed the humidity. Scale rot only happens from prolonged exposure to damp environments. Scale rot is also from bacteria, so if you change the moss every once in a while he should be fine. It's not like his whole tank is wet.

[EasternGirl]

Okay...good deal then. Just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to hurt himself. I'll put it back in there for him...I think he was a bit miffed that I took it out!

[BUSHSNAKE]

garters chilling on moist moss...they dig it

[InsanePirateDragon]

He shouldn't have a problem. He's probably loving it. And probably keeping him from taking a dip. I know my older Leo loved hers.

[mikem]

yep, just chiming in on what everyone else is saying. moist moss is a-okay. if you don't want to keep it in there all the time, just add it when he's going into the blue.

[EasternGirl]

Now Joe...you just have some on top of the other substrate? Not in a container or anything? Because I was thinking about doing that in Cee Cee's enclosure. Seeley likes it a lot too...and I put some in Possum's viv last night and he was having fun burrowing in it. But so far, Cee Cee is not having it. I wanted to put some in her viv because she is getting ready to shed...and the container might be the problem...she will not go in a moist hide. So, I was thinking about just putting a little pile in the corner.