How to hide?

[M.bredl.mad]

Hi guys, just wondering what you guys use as hides for adult pythons.
Need some ideas, dont really want to spend so much money on the commercial ones which are quite expensive from the pet shops.

Thanks

 

[Kristy_07]

Ice cream bucket with a door cut in the side. Ta da!

 

[user 16446]

I've built a wooden frame with an entry hole and put a piece of slate on top. I position this under the heat lamp, which heats the slate through the day and provides some warmth underneath at night. The wood is 19 x 90mm pine and the slate is 300 x 300mm. This will accomodate my largest snake at the moment, which is just over 6 feet long and about 50mm in diameter.

 

[M.bredl.mad]

Thats a great idea kingsirloin. What other essentials do you have in your enclosure besides a water bowl?

 

[joanna_maryanna]

I have been using a shoebox

 

[user 16446]

My two largest snakes are bredli's which are the size mentioned above. They both have a pine/slate box, large sandstone or similar rock and a large hollow log. All natural stuff, nothing paid for. The bigger the box you have (shoebox or otherwise) the more weight it needs to keep it still when the snake is out and about. I have some ice cream boxes for the smaller snakes, but have to put a rock on top to keep them down.

 

[Choco]

I use plastic tubs from warehouse/'cheapie shops' that slide into rails screwed to the roof.

Cheers,
Allan

 

[barbed_wire_dove]

awesome idea choco!

 

[TigerCoastal]

any plastic garden pots, drill a hole in the side with a hole saw, can make em as big as you need and come in some different shapes, or large plastic bowls from op-shops or the $2 el-cheapo shops,

 

[cris]

A carton of extra dry platinum, three smaller hides and the carton (i only drink it because of the snake hides, not the wastedness). It also sounds like a cool designer python.

 

[pythrulz]

empty cardboxes or upside down dishes with holes cut in the side

 

[Octane]

Cheap Terra cotta pots from bunnings. Crack a section out of the rim and turn it upside down.
Seal it with something like bond crete or similar.
Cheap, heaps of different sizes and the snakes don't tip them over or walk them around the enclosure like the light plastic/cardboard ones.
You can make the drain hole larger for another entry as well.

Cheers

 

[Colin]

I've posted these pics and idea several times but for those who have'nt seen them.. I use these arboreal hides for all my morelia and its there prefered hide box by far for all my animals. the plastic tub sides in and out of the aluminium channel (thats been filed so there are no sharp edges) for easy removal and cleaning.

The black plastic tubs used, cost around $4 and are available at most of those $2 shops or Go Lo etc. The hide is snug enough to hold the weight of the snake and still able to be slide in and out for easy cleaning.

I used 1.5mm x 1.5mm x 1.6mm aluminium channel (available from Bunning’s) and drilled three small holes through each piece of channel the thickness of the screws. On the underside of the channel (that faces the cage floor) I drilled out the holes slightly wider so I could fit the screw head and screwdriver through to tighten the screws up. The main thing to watch for is to screw in the first piece of aluminium channel closest to the side of enclosure, and then fit the tub into the groove and slide on the second bit of channel. Squeeze it up close, but not too tight, as it needs to slide in and out for cleaning. Mark with a sharp tool through the screw holes, the position for drilling the holes for the screws of the second piece. If you have one, use one of those plastic drill guards to prevent drilling too deep into the roof, otherwise you can go straight through. The round hole in the tub was made with the largest size hole saw drill attachment, but you could just cut a square one out with a knife too..

 

[cris]

I use plastic tubs on rails much like those above only i use starmaid tubs in 3 sizes that stack inside each other, the largest ones are 52l and the middle size is 30l(and the smaller size is smaller). This also works well as insulation.

 

[Choco]

awesome idea choco!

Thanks, but I can't take credit for the idea. I think I originally got the idea from Colin, which I see he has explained them above.

Cheers,
Allan

 

[zuesowns]

How important is it to have a hide in the heat area?

My Bredli never hides, he will perch during the day at the highest point - which is usually dark, because it is behind the frame of the door. I have a hide in the cool area, but he will just go behind it or behind some rocks.

Any ideas?

 

[1issie]

well i don't own a snake,but i would use a large rock hide.

 

[bfg23]

but i would use a large rock hide.

Given that rocks are not hollow and he does not want to buy the expensive stuff from the shops. What large rock hide do you refer to?


I have found several hollow logs after searching through bushland and now most of my snakes have them to hide in. I prefer the natural look rather than a plastic box (sorry to those who use them)

 

[J-A-X]

i thought taking hollow logs from 'the wild' was a big NO NO ? !

 

[shellfisch]

Given that 1issie is only 9, don't be too hard on her