Hatchlings enclosure question.

[stipe]

I just got my 3 week old mac and its a tiny little thing. I have a four foot tank ready to put it in. but i was advised by doing this i will scare him and he will not come out of his cave. Is he alright to be placed in that size enclosure (which will be his for life) or do i have to have him in a little container till he gains confidence?

[Aslan]

Get a click-clack set up...plastic tub is advised for a while, until they get a little more size about them

[stipe]

So it would be bad adding him straight to the big tank.

I just built a mouse holding tank out of wood to breed mice for him. I built two. SHould i put him in one with a heat lamp and water bowl? Olr leave him in the big tank?

When i first put him in that night he went out exploring. And he has does it for the past two days. At night he goes out. SO i think he is not scared. But people keep advisign me to put him in a small container. Why?

[hazzard]

Hate to sound boring, but please do some research before you jump into buying. As you have already bought the little fella please heed the advice you are given. Read through the Wiki section on the forum and get an idea of what your in for. From previous threads it sounds like you don't have much money to spend on a set-up so as mentioned set up a click clack.

Ask yourself this

Do you know what a thermal gradient is and what temperature to keep your particular animal at?
Do you have a thermostat or some means of controlling this heat?

You are probably better off with a heat mat rather than a lamp.

You've mentioned you don't even have anything to feed it. Even if it was eating skinks you will never be able to maintain it on these. You need to read through the tips in wiki on getting a hatchling to eat. If you do not provide the fundamentals it requires it will never eat.

I suggest joining a Herpetology society so you can learn a bit. Where are you located? There are a few on this week on Friday night.

Most breeders keep hatchlings in chinese containers for the first month or so of their life with a toilet roll as a hide and an up-turned coke lid as a water bowl. There is a reason for this. They feel secure and it is easier for you to feed it, clean it and control heat.

The best enclosures for small hatchies in my opinion are the exo-terra type or mini critter snap lock available at most pet shops. They are relatively escape proof if you keep the hatches closed. Or if you don't have the money, definitely set up a click clack.

Good Luck

Oh and read some books and get a care sheet.

[Tatelina]

10 points for hazzard!!! *cheers*
Knowledge is POWER!

And I would like to add to read over the threads about snakes escaping as they can get through TINY holes (so if you've got a 4foot aquarium type..becareful of the holes in the lids).

[Glimmerman]

But people keep advisign me to put him in a small container. Why?

Even though you have a 4ft tank to put him in, and in the wild they have lots of room to explore you say. Well this is quite a common question
.
In the wild a hatchling snake will usually hide itself under a log, rock, can, bark etc where it feels protected from predators. It then stays there for long periods of time and collects it's prey as it wanders past his hide. This is what you have to simulate in captivity, hence Hazzards excellent advise and mention of a Chinese container set up.
I to this day still use this principle for all my hatchies. Once your little fella feels comfortable and safe in its new surrounding then it should begin to eat fine.

Here is an example I just took for you. This tub set up minus heat mat owes me $4. It is a plastic chinese conatiner from GO-LO ($2 for a 3pk)

Best of Luck and please listen to our advise. We are only trying to help.

Cheers

[ZION]

Hey Stipe.
I'm only very new, like you, so everyone feel free to point out faults, but this is how my enclosure is set up:
I got a plastic terrarium (approx. 30cm x 20cm) and a small heat pad which covers roughly one-third of the base. I've lined the bottom with layers of newspaper (some people don't use a substrate at all) - the layers let your hatchy get closer to or further from the heat source as desired. I have a water dish, and I've opted for a couple of hides - one in the hot zone and the other in the cold. Frequently my hatchy will change hides according to body temp. I have two thermometers (both digital, probably would use mercury in future) which have long probes that I keep in the hides to tell me the exact temp as hatchy is usually in a hide. This also helps you determine your thermogradient.

Everything I've done has been pieced together from different sources, and just going by what he seems to like or dislike. He was feeding very quickly, and seems to be very inquisitive and active during handling, and not at all jumpy.

Hope it helps.

[PhilK]

But if he is out exploring and isn't stressed, he seems fine? As long as he has access to heat, water and a hidey-hole or two, it doesn't matter how big the cage is right? Because he can choose wether he wants to be in the secure safe spot or out exploring the 'open' area...

Correct me if I'm just talking gibberish.

[Chris89]

Hello,

I have my Stismon hatchy, when I first go ther she was in her orginal click clack for around 2 - 3 weeks after I got her.. I then moved her into her Enclosure which she's going to have for life.. It's around

65cm Long, 50cm wide and 65cm high..

She hasn't had a problem with it and doesn't stay in her hide she spents 95% of her time on the branches and sleeping either directly under the heat lamp or she's on the branches that are in the cool end. She's eating fine and everything.. She's about 30cm give or take at the moment.. and appears to be fine, hasn't been snappy at all or anything.. But I could be wrong for doing this, but she doesn't seem to have a problem at all.. She has plently of places to hide aswell.


Here's a picture of the click clack that she was in for around 2 - 3 weeks when I first got her:




And here's her current enclosure, before I had set it up:



Enjoying sitting on the branch under the heat lamp:

[ZION]

I'm just going by what I've been told. It probably gives them more confidence when they can explore their whole environment. I dunno, seems to work. There are a lot of people who've had pythons a lot longer than me, so I'm inclined to listen to them, lol.

[ZION]

Wow Chris, she's beautiful, nice one mate

[Chris89]

Someone with more experience might be able to help you out.. But if your snake doesn't seem to be acting like he/she is stressed out and is happily exploring, instead of trying to hide away. I think that could be taken as a good sign? Just monitor them for a couple of days.. Ziggy has been in that enclosure around around 4 days now.. I'm always checking on her to make sure that's ok and not stressed out and she appears to be happy and fine. She still loves to come out, even though I think she loves to make it difficult when she's wrapped around the branches. lol

[gold&black...]

Question, is it necessary to have a hide in a click clack???I have my new hatchie in a ten by five inch CC and its opaque........ The snake spends most of the day under the paper right above the where the heat cord runs and some amt of time on the perch in the night..... They seem to b feedign fine too......

[Chris89]

I dont' know if it's necessary.. but I heard that it was a go idea, somewhere dark and safe for them to hide in? I knew that Ziggy liked to spend alot of her time in it.

[gold&black...]

I'm sorry but just out of curiosity, how old is Ziggy now Chris??? At what age did u move her out of her CC and into the VIV in the second pick??? Did u get her in the CC in the first pick??? U have mentioned most of what I'v asked but I was hoping u could explain in a lil more detail....