Snake Vivarium

[j-man]

Hello folks!

I've been thinking heavily into creating a semi-tropical vivarium with a stream in a 45-55 gallon tank for my snake. But I've been doing some research lately and havent found a whole lot of people that have created one for snakes. Usually its for frogs, turtles, etc. Im mainly looking for ideas (photos, etc), maybe some advice from someone who has experience with this. Can anyone help?

thanks!

-j

[davefan13]

i think that it depends on the snake. some snakes will hate the higher humidity and some will love it. if you can find a snake that will fit in with the params that you are looking for in your viv, go for it. if not, don't try to put a snake in that won't do well, switch the conditions of your viv.

[Naja002]

davefan13 basically has it right. The vast majority of snakes--including watersnakes--cannot handle that type of wetness, moisture, humidity. They develop skin blisters that will eventually kill them.

The Acrochordus in my signature are fully aquatic--they live in the water 100% of the time and don't need a basking area. But they are not easy to keep and won't work in a vivarium,etc.

The Homalopsinae snakes are what You would be looking for. Even though many are a nuisance in their native lands--they are not often imported. They are eaten by the locals and their skins used for the skin trade or used for crocodile food on croc farms--they are that abundant!

In a little over 2yrs of searching, I have managed to acquire 9 Homalopsis bucatta, 2 Enhydris chinensis, and passed on a group of Enhydris plumbea because the price was just too high. These snakes are purchased by importers for about $4 each. I'm not going to pay $60 each or more to a gouger (sp?).

Anyway, if You can keep the humidity/moisture down--you might be able to get something to work. Otherwise, you are just asking for trouble.

HTH

[j-man]

Do you know of any way that i could integrate living plants (and hopefully some type of water system) into the habitat without making it extremely humid though? Or would I have to leave out the water system?

I would really like to eliminate (as much as possible) the whole concept of an artificial habitat.

[Naja002]

What is Your main Goal? Keeping a snake? Having a vivarium/terrarium? ? ? ?

[Mangala]

Wouldn't you just use terrestrial plants then? Most snakes would love terrestrial plants, as long as they could get out of the muck at the bottom. You'd think you'd want a bigger tank than a 55gl, though....... and I don't know how effective plants are at absorbing snake fecal matter. I recall the snake feces being quite repugnant for my corn snake.....

[Wilder]

The idea of a natural habitat for snakes is a nice one, but it doesn't really work so well. In the wild, if a snake defecates it can move away and let nature do its work on the poop. In a closed habitat, you are the one that must remove the poop; the only problem is, you cannot completely remove all traces of it and it will eventually build up until it is unhealthy. Switching out the substrate every so often would help, but then you'd have to tear apart and re-do the habitat each time.

Another issue with live plants in a snake's enclosure is that eventually the snake will get big enough to crush the plants. And as someone else said, depending on the snake high humidity can cause serious health problems.

I do agree that a snake enclosure with some wood shavings and a water bowl is boring; I use driftwood, rockwork, and natural looking hides, along with fake greenery to make the habitats for my snakes look more natural. It's not the wild... but so far the snakes haven't complained.

What sort of snake do you have?

[j-man]

Ive got a desert-striped kingsnake. He (or she?) is just a baby though, approximately a year old. I'll round up a couple pics and post them soon if anyone is interested. Its a bummer that I cant make a more natural environment, but the reasons are fairly logical though. Thanks for the help everyone!

[dufus]

Research it's agbitat, does it live in an Arid desert, forest, or jungle typ?
I geuss a desert by the name.

Your best bet for a nice easy desert viv. is a simple and bottom, a few big peices of sandstone, and some small, non prickly succelents for the main plants. you can also add other desrt plants, grasses, spinelss cactus, and such.

[BenScoobert]

Snakes are strong and will uproot almost anything