What do all of the snake owners suggest for a snake habitat? I am getting a yellow rat/corn snake hybrid. This is my first snake and I am getting it for free from the Zoology dept. It is one and a half years old and is a little over a foot long.
At a foot long, I would just recommend a 20 gallon tank with a heatlamp on top. Do a search on the web for correct temperatures, Bob Clark has a great website. Throw in a hidebox of some sort, a shoe box or almost anything work. I use cypress as bedding for most of my snakes, newspaper would work fine though. Just dont use cedar, there are toxins in cedar that are harmful to the snake. Good luck with that lil guy, snake are some pretty sweet pets.
You need to have a cage that is at least 1/3rd their total length, but clearly that isn’t very nice. I would get something he can grow into. Corn snakes do not get that big. If you got a large glass enclosure, maybe something about 3-4 feet long and a place for him/her to hide you should be good. Corn snakes are easy to keep. You will either need a heating pad for under the cage or a heat lamp for above. You will need a large enough water container for the snake to cuddle up into when they are shedding (which they like to do occasionally). As far as bedding I use this crushed walnut mix stuff that is easy to keep clean, its absorbent, and it looks ok. Some people love using shredded newspaper; whatever, as long as it can absorb stuff. If you don’t care what the habitat looks like then a shoebox and a small dog bowl will work. You can get stuff that looks “natural” as well. I seriously doubt the snake cares.
The most important thing (especially for your larger snakes) is to make sure the container is large enough to shake your hand wildly about after the snake has latched onto your finger and not sling it across the room.
haha, just kidding, I love snakes. They taste like chicken. haha, just kidding about the just kidding. I really do like snakes.
As a completely unrelated side, does anyone know where you can go to get stitches for cheap?
Just don’t put natural shit in the cage with it (e.g. ferns, leaves, branches). That stuff often has mites in it that will multiply on your snake and eventually kill it. More evidence of a mispent youth…
I have a ball python and keep it in a 30gal aquarium with a screen on top. One thing to be sure of is that your enclosure is secure; snakes are excellent escape artists. Generally, you’ll want about a 10 degree variation in temperature from one side of the cage to the other so the snake can warm/cool himself. I have a heatlamp and heatpad on one side with a hide space on both sides as well. Also, put in a water bowl big enough for the snake to get into, but that he can’t flip over.