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Re: A new snake Requirements


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Posted by CulebraOnna on March 01, 2003 at 11:33:51:

In Reply to: A new snake Requirements posted by 4m4t3ui2 on March 01, 2003 at 08:31:53:

:I wanted to purchase a snake, but has not yet decided on what species to buy. Just want to find out what is needed for a snake. Besides a cage with branches in it, do i need lighting, heat humidity etc, ? And also do I need to bath it or anything like this ?


You'll need a cage with a properly fitted top, with some sort of "lock" on it so the snake can't escape. Branches may not be needed, depending on the species. You'll need a substrate. For substrate, you can use a variety of things such as aspen, carefresh, newspaper, astroturf, etc. Again this will depend on the species. If you decide on something like a sand boa, you won't want to use newspaper or astroturf, but something they can burrow into. Something else you have to have is a water bowl (though rosy and sand boas shouldn't have it in the cage all the time), preferably big enough for the snake to fit into entirely and always have water. You will need a heating source like a lamp or an Under Tank Heater (I use an UTH for my snake, because it's easier to maintain humidity with it) on one end of the cage. You'll also need two thermometers placed where the snake will lie (One on the hot spot, and one on the other end of the cage where it's cooler) so you can check the temperatures. It's important to put them where the snake is, because it could be a great deal cooler a couple inches above the substrate. I suggest getting a hygrometer (measures humidity) so you can tell if it's at an acceptable level or not. Lastly, you need at least one hide box, preferably two. Put one over the warm spot and one over the cool. They should be just big enough for the snake to fit in, but not too big. In my limited experience, snakes prefer boxes that aren't very high.

Hope this is a good start, and feel free to ask any questions!


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