How to house your first snake.

[earthling]

Hi I shall be buying my first ever boa in a few weeks from a friend and I think I've planned it ALL wrong so far...

Firstly, it's a baby boa so I planned on putting him/her into an empty fish tank which is approx 18 ins long by 12 ins by 12 ins. I'm guessing this will last about 2 days so I bought a 4ft fish tank then read somewhere that baby snakes like to feel 'closed in' and secure ????

I've got 5 children (well, 3 under the age of 4 and the others are teens) so safety would obviously be paramount. For this reason, do I need a locking lid or would the flimsy effort that comes with most fish tanks suffice, providing I use cover glass, until he is bigger?

I've heard about using Aspen as substrate, providing a bowl of water for soaking, feeding baby mice/rats etc and having to keep one end of the tank a different temperature from the other but how do you do this ?

If I've got lights running along the length of the tank, surely the heat from these would prevent the tank from having a cold end ? Or does it mean use a smaller heater than you normally would so that the heat doesn't penetrate the full length of the tank ?

Any advice GREATLY appreciated as I've always wanted to keep a snake (after years of only fish and children !) and I've been offered a gorgeous little tinker !!!

[PrincessBlondie]

Very informative thread!!! Well done

[earthling]

In fact, scrap what I wrote above.....I've looked at various sites this afternoon and have decided to go with the OP and the RUB idea...mainly because it has a lockable lid (handy with inquisitive fingers around) but also, it will fit snugly underneath one of my fish tanks in a metal frame and this frame is large enough to hold a 4ft tank so as the snake gets bigger, I can 'upgrade' to a larger RUB or a viv !! WHoohoo...looking forward to getting him now !!

[rantasam]

Good choice Earthling. Fish tanks can be notoriously difficult to maintain correct temperatutres and humidity in, are very 'open' which could leave a snake feeling exposed and also have problems with their lids - snakes are expert escape artists and would have no difficulties pushing off a standard fish tank lid.

It is possible to house snakes in tanks correctly, but you'd need to be prepared for the above problems and find away around them if they did affect your setup. RUBs and wooden vivs are the choice for many people.

[dano76]

Good info for newcomers, but how do you get your snake to eat mince pies.........................?

[herpfreakuk]

thanks

[herpfreakuk]

would this basic care work for either a hognose or a baby coastal carpet?

[rantasam]

Short answer: yes.

For the hognose I would increase the depth of the substrate (i.e. aspen) sightly as they are keen little burrowers. Be aware however, then as you increase the thickness of the substrate, you may be decreasing the amount of heat that transfers from the heat mat into the viv. Make sure you monitor temperatures carefully to find the right balance.

Carpets are arboreal, or at least semi-arboreal, so in this case I would make sure they are some fairly sturdy branches or dowels in there so they can climb. Make sure they are fixed in a way that isn't going to fall and injure your snake.

[CoinOperatedGirl]

I really had no idea it could all be done so cheaply. *prints off thread to leave lying around in my parents eyeline '

[whitewitch]

Hi there people.im new to the site-it was recommended to me by a friend who has 8 diff snakes.I have two black cats,2rexcoat buck rats,a trop fish tank&my leopard gecko Bodiddly.Ive joined up for some tips as Im getting a viv ready for a corn for my sons 11th bday.Ive got my viv,thermo,heatmat,1 hide&waterbowl but still got a few bits to go..good job Ive got til October!Im wondering if anyone has any useful hints&tips for the best care to give a corn as Im new to the snake world.So many people on the web say so many different things and its sooooo confusing.What is the best substrate to use apart from newspaper?thanks for reading