What can and cannot go in an enclosure

[GhamMagsBaird89]

Hey Guys,

Im new to having a snake and i was just wondering if there are any types of rocks trees ornaments that may cause harm as i have only just learnt u shouldnt put sand in because it can cause gut issuess?

Also i was wondering can u place 2 snakes of the same species (or even differant) in the same enclosure or could this result i fioghting and possible death.

any help would be great cause i wanna jazz up her enclosure so shes not so bored and its attractive to look at

Cheers

 

[happynagini]

Also i was wondering can u place 2 snakes of the same species (or even differant) in the same enclosure or could this result i fioghting and possible death

..waits for it

 

[someday]

fake grass you can use but i prefer newspaper for my coastal and i use a barky type substance for my bhp and olive thats washable and reusable because they like to get under the newspaper.
with logs and stuff just make sure there is not anything sharp poking off them otherwise it can cut the snake from experience
i use fake vines from "ebay" there cheap imports for wedding decorations only like 3$ a pice for 2m in length.
if you cruize around few threads theres heaps of neat tanks you can see
heres a pic of my coastals tank bit messy because she was a struggle to get out last night




good luck with ur set up ect

 

[GhamMagsBaird89]

thanks heaps Currently i got a rock that would make a great hide but she hides behind it and atm i have newspaper in there with her but she doesnt like hiding under that either.
also can u put 2 intogther when they are young or is this a bad idea cause my snakes the last thing i talk to at night and first in the morning so i would hate to get her hurt

 

[Chanzey]

Better to keep them in seperate enclosures.

 

[borntobnude]

we were told not to use Eucalyptus because of the sap i was lucky to find a well washed mangrove stump that then sat on the garage roof for two years clean and smooth is all you need old grape vines look good . 2 snakes that should fire up soon -- we have a stimson pair together ,12 mnths now 1 yr difference in age 5-6 but i would not recomend it due to the snake circle risk

 

[loungelizard]

And always use Light cages to protect your pythons from burns .

 

[GhamMagsBaird89]

can u put any plastic aquarium plants in or do they have to be made of a special material

 

[Leeloofluff]

+1 for using light cages, they are really important. Snakes burn themselbes easily as they are not too sensitive to the pain of being burnt.

Also dont uses and heating source that in in direct contact with the snake, and never uses a heat rock!!
Keep murcury thermometres out too.
After all that, live plants can be a pain but worth it if you look into it, but plastic plants are so easy. Pretty much everything is fine, ceramic water bowls are good cos they keep the water cooler, and if you use branches from your yard or outside put them in the oven for a few minutes, to kill any ticks, mites or other bugs..

Hope that helps! Good on you mate

Oh and i might ad that ideally you should keep them seperate. Although they may seem to get along, it is more work for you and makes diagnosing health problems harder. You will have so seperate and clean the snakes at feeding time, and if one gets sick the other will too, plus hard to tell if a poo looks funny or has blood in it, or who is regurgitating ect. Much much better to seperate them

 

[thomasssss]

, and if you use branches from your yard or outside put them in the oven for a few minutes, to kill any ticks, mites or other bugs..

dont bother with this , its unnecessary and a little dangerous imo , just cut growing branches with leaves off trees with no cracks or loose bark for anything to hide in and let it dry out

 

[GhamMagsBaird89]

What is funny poo cause i thought they poop somthing similar looking to what they eat and mine has done like 6 small Bird droppings

 

[Leeloofluff]

You will get used to whats normal and abnormal,
Things to look for are blood, green, grainy poos and really runny poos. As this could mean somethings wrong. Normal is usually a big white bit ( the urate) and a long poop. But im no expert

 

[Pythoninfinite]

No problems with eucalyptus either - who tells newbies this stuff??? What's the most common type of tree you see in the Australian bush? Eucalyptus of course. No need to sterilise or dry out before use - pick a good one, cut it down and use it straight away. This bloody nonsense about "ticks, mites or other bugs" just goes on & on - how the hell do these people think snakes survive in the wild???

And guess what - you can actually put sprays of fresh gumleaves in the enclosure a couple of times a week - it even adds a bit of environmental enrichment for snakes... without risking their health!!!

There are virtually no problems putting rocks, branches or any other ornamentation you choose, as long as it meets the parameters already mentioned here - nothing sharp or poorly placed so that it can fall and crush your snake.

Don't put snakes into shared enclosures if you don't have experience, and this especially applies to youngsters - they have a strong feeding response and will inevitably come to grief with each other.

Jamie

You will get used to whats normal and abnormal,
Things to look for are blood, green, grainy poos and really runny poos. As this could mean somethings wrong. Normal is usually a big white bit ( the urate) and a long poop. But im no expert

The last 4 words... so why offer advice?

Jamie

 

[Leeloofluff]

I meant im no expert on snake poo, im not a vet. But i have had snakes fall ill, and know what looks concerning.

Snakes in the wild can move around, they arnt stuck in a box with any bugs that have in from branches. Even ants get irritating in a confined space. Im just offering advice from my experiences, no need to jump down my throat.

 

[Pythoninfinite]

I meant im no expert on snake poo, im not a vet. But i have had snakes fall ill, and know what looks concerning.

Snakes in the wild can move around, they arnt stuck in a box with any bugs that have in from branches. Even ants get irritating in a confined space. Im just offering advice from my experiences, no need to jump down my throat.

I'm just making a point that there are so many 10 minute experts here, who start with "I'm no expert, but..." but who go on to offer incorrect advice such as you have done with regard to branches and cage decorations, and this perennial poo problem that APS newbies seem to worry about... This only perpetuates nonsensical assumptions about the fragility of our snakes. Leeloofluff, if you have read any of the threads on APS about "mites, ticks, bugs and germs," you will have read the universal opinion of those who have been in the game for decades - that there is NO PROBLEM using fresh bush branches and rocks in your reptile enclosures. And SURELY you wouldn't put branches which were crawling with ants in the cage in the first place...

Jamie

 

[Leeloofluff]

Whatever mate, i will continue to be cautious, you havnt run into the troubles that i have so excuse me for being over protective. I wish someone had offered me the advice i am now giving, my animals would have never gotten sick.

While we're at it, dont bother with light cages, thermostats or any of that stuff, cos some people think things work fine without them

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Whatever mate, i will continue to be cautious, you havnt run into the troubles that i have so excuse me for being over protective. I wish someone had offered me the advice i am now giving, my animals would have never gotten sick.

While we're at it, dont bother with light cages, thermostats or any of that stuff, cos some people think things work fine without them

So you compound your poor advice with even more poor advice? If you're suggesting I've ever told people not to use heating or other husbandry management devices, you're wrong.

Perhaps, Leeloofluff, you can tell me what you put in your enclosure that made your snakes sick, and we'll see if it wasn't just a poor understanding of reptile husbandry rather than something natural but toxic that you've added inadvertently. Did your snake get ticks? Did it get mites (the snake mite, Ophionyssus natricis I mean)? Did it get "bugs" that made it sick?

Please tell me who actually diagnosed the problem and gave you the solution?

Jamie

 

[JustinV]

we were told not to use Eucalyptus because of the sap i was lucky to find a well washed mangrove stump that then sat on the garage roof for two years clean and smooth is all you need old grape vines look good . 2 snakes that should fire up soon -- we have a stimson pair together ,12 mnths now 1 yr difference in age 5-6 but i would not recomend it due to the snake circle risk

I have used several eucalyptus branches in my jungle pythons enclosure. Just chopped them down, cleaned them up, let them soak in some hot water for an hour or so, put them outside to dry out and then wak em in. Had no problems so far.

 

[Variety]

On Topic.. haha umm just use your common sense mate. If you have to question if something will or wont hurt your snake then its probably best not to use it. I get alot of my decorations from a reptile shop in my area because they not only look better then anything i could find, I know its reptile friendly. Try keep your water in the cooler spots of the enclosure and try to avoid sand.

Honestly thin mulch subtrate looks 10x better and is alot easier on you when it comes to cleaning it.
Hope this helped & good luck!

 

[Cypher69]

[/QUOTE]

*cough* DUDE LIGHT CAGES DUDE!!!