Cage Size

The cage size depends on what type of snake you have. If you have a relatively small snake then you should buy a 10-gallon aquarium, but if you have a larger snake for example King, Corn, Rat snakes, then you should buy a 20-gallon aquarium although they can get around in a 10-gallon. If you have a very large snake (such as Boids) a 55-gallon snake tank should be bought for the babies. Once they get older though, you will have to take a room from your house and customly build a snake cage. Whatever the size though, a rule that goes around is that your cage must be at least 2\3 larger than your own snake. Most people think that if you buy a small cage and let the snake grow to large for it will stop growing. This is not true. All animals grow to a certain length, it's like putting us in a jail when we are two years old and we will never grow up! Does not work!

Now usually you get a choice between a "high" tank which extends higher than your "low" choice. If you have snakes such as Kings and ground snakes then you should buy the "low" option. If your snake is partly arboreal like the Corn and baby Boids then you should opt for the "high" style.

The Lid

Lets get something straight. Snakes are good escape artists, so this means that you MUST have a tight fitting lid. Fish tank lids that have a built in florescent light make an easy escape route for a snake, they should not be used! Young boys that usually catch frogs or snakes and put a wire mesh with books or bricks on top, will not work. I tried and had a few escapees! A determined snake will push up a corner and escape. I started keeping snakes with a plain aquarium with a plastic lid with a couple of holes in the sides and this did not work. So, I have bought a cage which I will tell you about later.

The most commonly used "lid" is called a railed lid. This is a aquarium which is modified to have special doors on the side. The top is covered by glass while there are little sliding doors attached to a rail. Usually these are a bit expensive because of the modified aquarium but they are the best. These cages are virtually escape proof. If you attach a lock to the doors a snake can not get out and the lock will keep intruders away.

Tank Substrate

There are a couple of different substrates which you can use.

Newspaper: The best substrate to use is Newspaper. If you place layers of it in the Vivarium (snake cage) you will have the best substrate. Newspaper is absorbent. But that is about it. Unfortunately, it is not very pretty. It might be easy to clean up, but the look of it tends to turn people off. I must confess that I have not used newspaper. Newspaper is cheap and sterile. If you don't mind a not too good looking cage then newspaper is for you.

Pine/Cedar Shavings: This is the best substrate to AVOID. This is usually what mice and hamsters are kept on. The small particles of dust that are produced by these shavings are very irritating to a snakes lungs and mouth, and the volatile oils that are present can be very toxic to snakes. You should never keep snakes on Pine/Cedar shaving nor should you ever feed a live rodent that has been kept on this because the snakes will get poisoned (wash the mouse with water).

Corn Cob: Corn cob is my favorite substrate. It looks natural in the snakes cage, shows off the snakes color to good use and is quite absorbent. They are also very easy to clean, just scoop out the feces and place in a new handful of fresh corn cob. They also retain heat well and if you have rocks in your cage then the snakes can burrow under them or under a deep part to feel safe. There are some disadvantages though is that if you are feeding your snake slimy food such as earthworms or fish, you will need to feed it in a different tank since the corn cob will stick to the prey and cause internal blockages which could kill the snake, pre-killed mice sometimes are a bit damp and Corn Cob also sticks to them and that Corn Cob absorbs the moisture in the air. To fix these problems you should put the earthworms in a large container in the tank so that the snake will eventually find them when it is wondering around, feed the pre-killed rodents on/in another tank or container and if the humidity drops just place a bigger water bowl under the basking lamp or directly on top of the heating pad.

As soon as you find a fece you should scoop it out immediately so that the Corncob doesn't go moldy. This also applies to when you spill water. One other good thing about Corncob is that if you snake poops, the smell isn't as distinct as with Astroturf or newspaper.

Astroturf: Astroturf is the most common ( except for newspaper ) used substrate. This is a very good substrate, it even looks nice. The only problem is that you will need two pieces since Astroturf is plastic and is not absorbent. As soon as you discover a fece just swap the pieces of Astroturf and clean the other one. Simple! It also shows the colors of your snake on its dark green plastic.

The snake's Hide Box

Remember that snakes are predators as well as prey. Birds and other animals feed on snakes as well. Usually snakes in the wild will find a nice cave or rock to hide under to be safe from predators. In captivity we have to provide this shelter with a "hide box". This is something that a snake can fit is coiled body inside of and feel safe by touching all of the sides. Snakes deprived of hide boxes with become stressed in time and with stop feeding and will succumb to other diseases. Some pet stores sell hide boxes with a cable that will warm up. This is not necessary! You should get a hide box that is shaped like a natural rock or other feature to make it look more natural. A usual hide box can be created from cutting out a shoebox or (if you want to be creative) sticking pieces of bark together with a non-toxic glue. The entrance should be wide enough for a snake to get its head through. Some arboreal snakes prefer their hide box to be off of the ground. You could glue a certain hide box to a tree branch.

Cage Furniture

Most snakes can live with the basic cage requirements but most snake keepers like to add in some extras to make the cage look a bit natural. Remember that these have got nothing to do with the snake and are of no use to them, except for the climbing branch.

Climbing branches: All climbing branches should be strong and sturdy with enough strength to support and hold up the snakes weight. It should also be long enough for the snake to climb well. Pet stores usually have plastic climbing branches but you can find some outside. Make sure that they are properly disinfected first and completely dry before putting it into the cage. Remember that you should NOT use Pine, Spruce or any other resinous trees.

Other Furniture: Most keepers like to keep a small rock pile so that the snake may either hide under or bask in the lamps heat (see the heating section). You should make sure that when the snake is climbing on them, they do not fall over and crush the snake.

Most keepers like to keep plants (live or artificial) in the cages. I personally do not think that it is necessary for snakes to have plants. It is harder to keep clean and alive since most snakes like to uproot the (live) plants. You may use plants but do so if you really must.

I will briefly discuss what else you should have because it sort touches this section. You should make sure that you have a thermometer and a humidity gauge. Also make sure that you know what environmental conditions you snakes live in (like Corn snakes like it in 26ºC -20ºC and in the 50's for humidity). Also you make sure that you have a proper heater (see heat section).

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