My Heart Beat Theory

[Garter_Gertie]

Well. It was a thought(s). The sleeping more wishful thinking than anything.

You guys are so nice in the way you word your wisdoms! I like that you don't say, "Don't do it," but rather, "IF you DO do it, here's what's gonna happen..."

Yes, Wayne, I definitely want to talk more about the psych health of snakes. I understand there are some folks that keep their kids in stacks of sweater boxes on rolly-things. I also understand snakes are like, in the book I read as a child, "Avoid large places, keep to small." BUT... would not a snake, with lots of hideys and grasses and chips and rocks and bark like enough room to move around in? Isn't it better to have a larger enclosure - giving the snake what it needs and approximating nature as much as feasible - than keeping them a plastic box too small for them to go any where, unable to use all their muscles and stay fit, and not getting any natural light whatsoever?

Back to my theory. What do you guys think of that?

[Garter_Gertie]

P.S. LOVE the pool idea! Wonderful idea. Never thought/considered that. Will do, Wayne. And I'll also be able to use it for the Pigglettes to cool off in. Well, me too.

And the snakes, right? Or would the chlorinated water hurt them?

[adamanteus]

... would not a snake, with lots of hideys and grasses and chips and rocks and bark like enough room to move around in? Isn't it better to have a larger enclosure - giving the snake what it needs and approximating nature as much as feasible - than keeping them a plastic box too small for them to go any where, unable to use all their muscles and stay fit, and not getting any natural light whatsoever?

I couldn't agree more if I'd written it myself!
However, that said I know that many people use various rack systems without any problems.
For me the whole reason I keep the Garters is for my viewing pleasure, for this they need to be 'show-cased' in a large, attractive 'natural' looking viv.

[Stefan-A]

Or would the chlorinated water hurt them?

It would, the chlorine should be allowed to dissipate before it's safe for snakes.

[Garter_Gertie]

See, James. That's just it. I'm getting these guys as pets to play with, watch, enjoy, etc. If it were that I had to keep them in a rack system with no other alternative I doubt I'd get a snake(s). Why bother? I LOVE aquariums and the beauty and peace they give. They're wet art. I view my snakes' home(s) the same way. I want them where I am and to be attractive as possible. The more attractive, the better for the creatures living in them.

It is SO REFRESHING not to get slammed about my views. I take a lot of heat at the MN (Minnesota) Herp Society forum and just a little less at kingsnake.com for wanting 90 gal tank (4 feet long) for an adult Hoggy that's going to reach 3 feet or a little less. In my mind my tank's is still to small!

THANKS, JAMES!!!!!!!!!!!

[Garter_Gertie]

It would, the chlorine should be allowed to dissipate before it's safe for snakes.

Thanks! That is so good to know so that I set out water [for drinking] a day before I clean water dishes. And/or buy distilled water.

I'm so glad I asked!

[Stefan-A]

See, James. That's just it. I'm getting these guys as pets to play with, watch, enjoy, etc.

They are indeed great to watch and enjoy, but don't try to play with them.

[Lori P]

Gertie, you are after my own heart. One of the things I had to realize about my snakes is that as much as I looooooooove them, they don't really looooooooove me. They have come to accept me as part of their environment and seem to do best, overall, when handled less and simply provided with the very best environment I can give them.

I have come to understand, too, that snakes are most secure when they have plenty of small, size-appropriate hiding places. But I've never come to believe that keeping them in tiny tanks is the answer... rather, in my opinion, providing them with a multitude of different types of hides (from thick greenery to actual hides of different size and textures, to branches and other climbs) in a large enclosure still gives them their feelings of security while allowing them to move, explore, and excercise. If they want to hide, they can; if they want to creep around under the greenery, they can.

Of course, the more detailed the tank, the harder to clean. Or at least, the more time consuming it becomes.

I do see merit in your heartbeat-as-a-soother theory. Altho I think perhaps, a mother snake's heartbeat would sound different from a human's... what's the normal bpm for a snake????

And trust me, if your puglets are anything like my puglets, there'd be no bed sharing... they'd keep us all up all night snuffling the snakes non stop. lol

[Snake lover 3-25]

wow i missed alot.... okay... so what i ment was that i hold them around my neck all the time and that your neck has a pulse too so you may be on to something....

but i agree with the others on the whole sleeping and leash thing.... i just let mine go around my yard and make sure that they don't get too close to the road or the porch....2/3 are wc so they enjoy being outside...... i take the turtle out too... esp when it's raining!!! but i've personally made a leash for an adult turtle and taken it down to the creak for a swim...... but it's basically imposible to do that for a snake... without injuring it....

[infernalis]

We keep our animals in the largest possible enclosure I can come up with.

My friend Suzanne built a huge glass sun room for her Iguanas

I like woodworking, and have a good supplier of safety glass panels, so I build a box with glass on the front, and a locking cover.

I will take some pictures from further back, so you can see.

Here is one I took today, She is getting plump

Not so much time right now, but I will agree, KS is a forum mostly dominated by breeders, and they tend to get a little snotty.

I will NEVER house an animal in a sweater box with old newspapers on the floor.

Regards,
Wayne