anybody keep water snakes?

[annulataarethebest]

From what I've heard, water snakes don't usually too great in tubs in snake racks? I'm about to be working with some green water snakes and hopefully breeding them next season. I'm thinking probably a 55 gallon tank with a screen lid to keep the enclosure well ventilated, a heat lamp, a water bowl... What's a good substrate to use for water snakes? Would some type of reptile bark substrate be better than aspen or sani chips?

[guidofatherof5]

I use compressed aspen pellets.
Seems to work fine.
Gentle Touch Products - All Natural Pet Litter and Bedding

[Cfleming]

I have a juvie redbelly. Awesome little guy. It is eating f/t pinkys and silversides. I have him in a 20 long with a heat lamp over some branchs that over hang a large water bowl. I use a combination of materials for my substrate. First is a layer of eco-eart followed my a thin covering of cypress, and finally half of the tank is coverd in moss. I mist the tank maybe once a week, letting the moss dry in between mistings. I will catch him basking on the branches sometimes.

He was pretty chill when I first got him, but now that its gotten some size on him it is turning into an evil little thing. lol His attidtude is worse than my Western Massasauga's.But that is part of why I love them.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

From what I've heard, water snakes don't usually too great in tubs in snake racks? I'm about to be working with some green water snakes and hopefully breeding them next season. I'm thinking probably a 55 gallon tank with a screen lid to keep the enclosure well ventilated, a heat lamp, a water bowl... What's a good substrate to use for water snakes? Would some type of reptile bark substrate be better than aspen or sani chips?

you can use newspaper pellet, carefresh, aspen... anything really. i don't like aspen because it sticks to the water snake's food to easily. For snakes that like to eat wet things, I find newspaper pellet to be idea because it is heavy and doesn't stick to things easily. Aspen pellets might have a similar effect. I avoid bark because of it's molding tendencies... unless you fork out the cash and buy reptibark. I like that stuff and it smells like *heaven*. I have kept water snakes in the standard tub setup just as you would any other colubrid.... but it tends to work better with CB animals. Field collected animals will thrive much better initially when set up with the traditional basking light... etc. The major difference to my tub setups, is that I set my tubs up just like I do tanks, with fake plants and branches to climb, and fairly large bowls, the only difference is the basking light is substituted for a heated room and daylight through the windows. The snakes don't mind either way, most of them, the ones that do, especially my coachwhips and racers, have lights overhead. It gets very bright in my snake room during the day, and that's the key.

[annulataarethebest]

Thanks Shannon, Scott Felzer said you'd be the person to talk to about keeping the water snakes.

I heard the key to success is keeping them dry, blisters are a no-no. I also have to switch this snake over to mice but I assume it'll be easy enough since she was already feeding on bullfrog tadpoles placed in a bowl. I'll just give her some of those a couple times, then start adding rat pinkies in the mix and I'm sure she'll eat them right up.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Thanks Shannon, Scott Felzer said you'd be the person to talk to about keeping the water snakes.

I heard the key to success is keeping them dry, blisters are a no-no. I also have to switch this snake over to mice but I assume it'll be easy enough since she was already feeding on bullfrog tadpoles placed in a bowl. I'll just give her some of those a couple times, then start adding rat pinkies in the mix and I'm sure she'll eat them right up.

You will likely be met with resistance even in years from now. I find that water snakes tend to be texture sensitive, pinkies are not such a problem but the furry mice.... they seem to just "know". I have some CB florida water snakes I am raising and they will eat totally unscented pinks and fuzzies, and those seem to be okay with it just because I imprinted it on them starting like, their 3rd feeding. But even water snakes that have been eating mice for a long time sometimes spit them out after having almost eaten them. Mostly when they are eating adult mice... I find that even if they will eat it unscented, if you scent it, and offer it to them soaking wet, and flop it a little, they are SO much more satisfied with it. But even so, I still rotate thawed silversides into their diet. You just can't deny a water snake fish.... they just love them too much!

Just keep them exactly like you would keep a garter snake. Water snakes do not spend all of their time in water and should not be forced to do so in captivity... they do poorly just like a garter would. Dry cage, with a large dish of water. For a larger water snake, even using a large cat litter pan if you have the space, will enjoy having a large place to swim. I have done that before and added an little in-tank filter to help keep the water clean. But always offer a bowl of fresh water in addition for drinking. If she is not comfortable with a water dish, the litter pan with a filter may be the key to making her content. But you will need a BIG cage to do it and have all taht dry land still.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

100% natural cypress mulch works good for water snakes too.