Getting ready to make a better enclosure

[fish_4_all]

Likely a Western Garter snake, not ID'd positively yet. Baby, only 6 inches long.

I need the basics for a 10 gallon tank:
Heat: what is best, small heat pad under one section and water bowl?
Lighting: now: full spectrum compact flourescent, will a full spectrum 2 foot T5 be enough? With lots of hiding places to get out of the light?
Bedding: I have coconut coir and peat already but bedding right now is corn cob bedding, maybe not the best idea but was first thought to keep cage clean and dry. I know it sucks the slugs dry I feed the snake now in less than 12 hours. Tells me it is maybe not the best for snakes but so far no ill effects and no eaten kernels.
Top is window screen over egg crate for lots of air exchange.

Please take it easy on me to start off. I know I need to provide a lot more but I wasn't sure I was going to keep it. Snake is happy and healthy right now and I want to take it slow to improve it's habitat and not change things so much that the snake is out of it's element.

[gregmonsta]

Sounds like you've got the right ideas. I think you'll find that people here use a variety of techniques and really these choices are up to you.

Here's an idea of what I use -
Bottom heat - Heat-cable on a thermostat
Lighting - non-UV standard energy saving spots (There is enough UV in my living room from the velux windows and it's not as important for snakes as it can be for lizards)
Multiple hiding opportunities.
Bedding - Supreme Carefresh - perfect for burrowing and safe if accidentally swallowed. - and repticarpet over the heated areas.
A waterbowl large enough to fit the largest snake in each of my set-ups.

[fish_4_all]

Well I got rid of the corn cob, simply not worth the risk. Got the Carefresh and the snake is running around the tank like it is a comletely new home. Either that or it doesn't like the paper. It was kinda dusty though which was kind of expected. Hopefully not enough to worry about.

I have a water bowl in there and I am going to put another bowl in there with Coconut coir fior a wet spot if the snake wants to play in there or needs it for shedding. Gonna build a feeding platform out of plastic shims for construction to keep the food off the bedding.

Do I really need a heated spot in the tank? The snake is happy now and ity stays right around 72-75F. I may put in heated water once in a while to see if it prefers that but it won't go into it's water now when it is warm.

[kibakiba]

Garters enjoy warmth, mine will take every chance they get to be under a warm lamp it even in my shirt when I hold them. I'd say you should have at least a little bit of heat on one side. My carefresh is not dusty at all it's just newspaper chunks pretty much.

Also, how do you know that your snake is happy? I cant tell whether mine are happy or upset, especially when they don't show emotion on their faces.
When I was holding Snap today and giving her a little neck rub she could have been hating it, but not wanting to move... Or, loving it and not wanting to show it. She hates being held and will usually fight to get out of my hands until she's tired.

[guidofatherof5]

Garters enjoy warmth, mine will take every chance they get to be under a warm lamp it even in my shirt when I hold them. I'd say you should have at least a little bit of heat on one side. My carefresh is not dusty at all it's just newspaper chunks pretty much.

Also, how do you know that your snake is happy? I cant tell whether mine are happy or upset, especially when they don't show emotion on their faces.

I'm surprised by that question, Chantel.
You are very much in-touch with your snakes

[kibakiba]

Well, perhaps its the strong painkiller I've had to take 3 days straight for back pain. I can tell by the way they act when they see me or are interacting with me, but just looking at them, it's hard to discern what they're really thinking or feeling. When Snap see's me, she panics and hides, it's obvious she's scared. but just when I'm looking at them they aren't showing emotion, they usually lay around in the heat lamp area. I can tell when Ember is excited and expecting food when he sees me because he rushes over and rubs his nose on the glass, or on the finger where the food normally is. It's easy to tell when Squirt is feeling curious when he approaches my hand and has his tongue flicking a lot. It's hard for anyone to say that their snake is comfortable, especially when they don't know the snake as well. I'm more in-touch with Mama and Snakey, I've had them for almost 2 years and they know me. With Snap, Ember, Tiny and Squirt, I've had them for no more than 2 months and it's still hard to figure out what they like, other than lots of food in their bellies. I also cant say that my snakes are happy with or without a heat source, I don't feel what they feel. I'm not cold-blooded and I enjoy heat, but simply saying that its in the 70s in my room and that they are content with it may as well be completely false, each one of my snakes is different and has different preferences for heat. Tiny seems to enjoy being the closest to the lamp, as does Ember. Runt enjoys being away from the light and near the water dish where its coolest, and Snap stays, for the most part, under the lamp and under the sticks.

[fish_4_all]

I have to go with what I read and what I understand. The snake is not hiding under a log, not buried in a hole trying to stay warm and not trying to escape the cage. Tells me that something has to be "right" and keeping the snake from feeling like it has to hide or try to flee. Also, a stressed animal normaly won't eat as readily is this one, in my experience anyway and my readings. I know I can not know how the snake is "feeling" but with the reading I have done and my experience with a Python over 7 years I have learned a little bit I hope. Gtanted rodents are not cold blooded but they had about the same set of indicators when they were stressed out and not "happy". I do not believe the snake will ever be truly happy, this is not it's normal habitat and it not going ever act like it would have in the wild. Hopefuly I can just keep it feeling happy enough that it doesn't mind being in a cage instead of the great outdoors.

Jippers hates to be held, being so little it is really hard to even keep a hand on it but it definately prefers not to be held at all. This could be just because it is so young or something else but is the way it acts now.

[kibakiba]

My snakes all hide and burrow, its a natural instinct for them, or so I'd assume. All of them are different and act differently. Their temperature range is 70-80 degrees. Probably lower due to it being near winter. My adults sit out in the open also, but they are more used to me and are both old enough to have endured 2 winters, so I doubt they mind not having a lamp. My babies on the other hand, burrow and curl up together once the light is out and the heater in my room is turned off.


As for hating the handling, I know where your coming from. My concinnus, Snap, musks, poops and bites sometimes when try picking her up. Of course, I hold her anyway because if I just leave her alone all the time, she might think that she can always act like that. I'll hold my hand in their tank to get them used to it, and I feed my snakes by hand also, except for the adults, they will only eat from a dish. The babies all get sort of skittish if I don't handle them much. I try to keep a balance with them in order to keep them from hating me. They do know my hand as the source of all food though, so Ember, Tiny and Runt know not to bite me unless I have food or smell strongly of food. Snap could care less. She's learning to be more calm and not poop on me as much. She seems to have the idea that pooping on me will make me put her down... but I just keep tissue on hand and wipe her bottom when she tries

[fish_4_all]

Jippers doesn't poop or musk but she does not like to be held at all. Always trying to slither out of my hands even if she has no where to go. Hopefully she will get used to it and not be so skittish but naming her Jitty Jippers may not help that cause.

What kind of light do you use? I have used a lot of different ones for my python when I had him but never dealt with anything this small.

I am really glad I decided to make the kids catch a baby. I think it will be easier to get it used to being in captivity. I think an older snake would be much harder to get accustomed to being handled and in a cage. Now to get it top eat mice and fish fillet and I will be set once I get it a proper light

[kibakiba]

I use this with a reptasun basking bulb at 40 watts for my 20 gallon.



I've found that the "3500 hour life span" isnt always 3500 hours. Mine worked for a month and then died. At least they aren't too expensive. It was around 8 dollars with the tax at bridges pets. I would advise against going to any Jones' pets stores if you have any near you. They had the same lamp and bulb as me for double the price. Almost 40 dollars for the lamp and 20 dollars for the bulb.

In my experience, adults are easier to "tame" Mama was a mean girl when I got her, but she's calmed down into the sweetie I have today. She takes naps with me all the time and just likes hanging out. My babies haven't been so quick to take to me. Runt, whom I've had for the same amount of time, really hates being around me. She calms down when held, but she takes the first chance she gets to dart.