Enrich your snakes life
Unfortunately, many snake keepers don’t actually think about the psychological problems of their snakes. It is well known within the hobby that a large number of snake species are somewhat ‘lazy’ creatures, perhaps only venturing out from their lairs for food, water, or a mate. This is a true statement for many species, and the habit will certainly be the same in the wild as well as in captivity. In the wild, however, a snake may spend hours or possibly days foraging, may travel some distance to find water and may spend weeks courting females and possibly fighting males in the process. This article outlines the many possible ways to keep your pet snake healthy and active, ensuring that there are very few chances of them developing obesity or behavioral problems from boredom or lethargy.
The first and most important point is to make sure the basics are in place. that it; An appropriately sized aquarium, proper temperature levels that allow for thermoregulation, adequate humidity levels if needed, and enough food and water and a hiding place where the snake may retreat. Once all of that is in place, each area can be expanded upon, making life more interesting for your snake and therefore a more enjoyable viewing experience for yourself.
No doubt many experts in the reptile industry will spend a great deal of time explaining to the uninitiated and interested that snakes don’t actually need a lot of space. It is widely accepted that snakes will live happily in a land smaller than their length, and I don’t entirely disagree with that statement. In fact, many individual snakes will suffer severe consequences when placed in a tank that is too large. They often get too jittery to feed, become very shy, rarely get out of their skin, become overly aggressive and won’t control their body temperature adequately which leads to more problems. It is important when resizing your terrarium that you are comfortable with the feeding habits of your snakes, and that you are comfortable with you as the handler. If so, I urge everyone to expand the size of the terrarium provided to their snake. The larger the aquarium, the more hiding and decorative areas there should be. This will allow more interest and opportunity for more exercise. If the snake does not move well and refuses the food, do not immediately return the snake to its original enclosure. Instead, try letting the snake settle for 2-4 weeks, making sure heat levels are appropriate and that there are enough hiding areas. I suggest in the initial step that the decor and masking areas be moved from the old terrarium to the larger one. This will make your snake feel more comfortable and speed up the transition period.
Terrarium furnishings will play a very important role in enriching the life of your snakes. You can try offering different depths, types and levels of substrate. For example, you could build up to 20cm deep substratum at one end of the fence, perhaps anchored with some natural cork bark or rock, and then have a 3cm deep substratum towards the other end. Offering more than one substrate within the terrarium will allow the snake to move around on different surfaces. possibly to the rainforest species; Bark flakes can be mixed with soil and dried leaves. Fake plants are perfect for snake enclosures. It washes easily and doesn’t get crushed if a heavy snake decides to sit on it. These plants can be hung from the ceiling or back wall, wrapped around sticks across the terrarium, or simply placed in bundles on the floor to mimic small shrubs. The presence of a number of basking sites within the terrarium is particularly important for diurnal species. These should be open areas under a heat source, preferably more than one area and can be directed on a flat stone, overhanging branch, or even over a hiding area. It is important that any heavy items of decor placed in the sink are securely attached. However, allowing slight movement of light objects such as small branches and plants is normal and will certainly stimulate the snakes’ natural responses.
It is important to be aware of not only the temperatures your snake will have to be exposed to, but also the manner in which they are served. In the wild, they gain heat using the sun, but that doesn’t mean the snake has to have a basking area with heat or light from above. You must first find out where your snake comes from and what daily habits it naturally goes through.
Almost all diurnal snakes bask in the sun. So it’s only natural to offer a spot kind of heat. This will simulate the sun and should allow the snake to lie directly under the area indicated by the lamp. The Sun also moves throughout the day, which means that every so often, the Snake will also have to move. Often, diurnal species do not bask during the middle of the day; Instead, they will have fun in the early morning and late afternoon. By placing two spot lights in different areas of the terrarium wired to a timer, you can simulate the effect of the sun and give the snake the opportunity to search for a new, better basking site. If you have a big budget and a terrarium to play in, you can offer more basking spots at different times of the day. You can also set up the lights with timers on the dimmer thermostats so that the temperature output can go lower or higher depending on the time of day.
Many nocturnal or rainforest species will not bask in the sun, but must be exposed to higher temperatures during the day. Although it is recommended to offer varying temperatures, there should be an overall air temperature. This can be achieved using a power board. The Power Pad is a 75-watt heater that attaches to the ceiling of your terrarium and provides a wider range of heat from the top, making it more efficient at raising the actual air temperature than other heaters. Lighting must continue to be provided for these species, even though it is in the form of a fluorescent tube. At night, a red or moon lamp can be used to heat the background and to allow for better viewing of the snake.
Nocturnal terrestrial species that do not live in a rainforest environment often get their heat from the surface of the earth, usually on flat rocks that have been exposed to sunlight during the day and allow them to heat up. This temperature is maintained for a few hours throughout the evening. Hot rocks are available to mimic this behavior, although it is only suggested that they be used for a few hours at a time; Generally when the lights go out even after 4 hours.
Water is generally offered in a small water dish that does not even allow the snake to fully submerge itself. Although this is preferable for many desert-dwelling species, other species regularly travel to streams, ponds, or ponds to drink, bathe, and swim. Offering water in a larger dish away from the heat source will motivate the snake to bathe and swim more often, allowing for more exercise. Be sure to watch for feces in the water, as many snakes usually excrete while bathing. Allowing water movement through a pump, air bubbles, or even a small waterfall will also stimulate the snake to bathe and drink regularly. For rainforest-dwelling species, especially arboreal species, a drip and/or misting system will simulate rainfall in the wild. This can be very important for some species that drink mostly from droplets of water that collect on leaves or twigs.
A major part of the life of all snakes is feeding. In the wild, snakes will have to hunt for a variety of live prey. Some snakes may ambush their prey; Others will use sight and stalk their prey, while others will use scent. In captivity, feeding live prey is frowned upon except in extreme circumstances where the snake simply rejects all other methods of feeding. Feeding live prey to captive snakes will, of course, stimulate their natural feeding behaviour; However, it can be dangerous and is almost certainly not necessary. Despite this, it is possible to recreate some of the snake’s natural feeding responses and make them exercise for food.
Unfortunately, a large percentage of reptile enthusiasts are not educated enough to realize the importance of stimulating a reptile through feeding. Snakes get most of their exercise through hunting and breeding, so if a snake isn’t used to breeding and is fed by putting dead rodents in its mouth, it won’t get much exercise. This has caused a large number of reptiles in captivity to become overweight and obese, and their owners are usually unaware. There are a number of methods you can use to stimulate the natural senses to hunt and also to force the snake to move around the enclosure in order to feed it.
If your terrarium has a lot of decoration and hiding areas, try hiding the food under foliage or in hiding areas. By rubbing food on different surfaces of the terrarium, it is possible to create a scent trail. Try to make this path as intricate as possible, this will undoubtedly confuse the snake but it will make it move more and do more exercise. You can also try hanging food from the ceiling of the terrarium. It is not wise to bind food with string or other indigestible material; However, a mouse’s tail could for example be trapped in a terrarium lid or some kind of clip. With the strength of the snake pulling in the food, it must break free. This will make it more difficult for the snake to strike, as it will swing the food around as it tries to bite it. If the snake has a routine feeding regimen, for example every Monday evening, there is a good chance that it will begin to associate this time with food. This has been most commonly recorded in large snakes and is a very dangerous situation. Not only is this unnatural, but it can result in the snake hitting anything entering the enclosure at this particular time, even your hand. Many guards will see this as aggression, but it may just be a stimulated feeding response. It is normal to feed your snake at random intervals and at different times during the day or night (depending on whether your snake is diurnal or nocturnal). Try to keep an eye on your snake regularly, if it is lazy and hiding all day, don’t feed it. Wait until the snake has started to come out and forage without any food already, this will encourage the snake to forage more often if you are only feeding while the snake is roaming. Repulsion feeding is an excellent way to recreate the movements of wild animals. Using a pair of long tongs, you can grasp and move the food around, mimicking the animal’s movements in the wild. If the snake shows interest, move it away and around the enclosure, enticing the snake to chase and catch the food. Once the snake strikes; Shake the food violently to simulate a struggle situation. At this point, the snake must wrap itself around the food and exert a great deal of energy choking the prey. This method is the closest to seeing a snake’s natural feeding methods and can be very exciting to watch.
Handling your snake on a regular basis is a similar situation as taking your dog for a walk. It is a way to remove the snake from its usual environment to provide exercise and a range of unusual scents. Many wild-caught snakes or snakes that are not used to handling will have restrictions on the amount of time you spend handling. The last thing you want to do is stress the snake out by over-handling it. Individuals born in captivity who are handled regularly will enjoy human interaction and the opportunity to move around different surfaces. On a warm day, take your snake outside in the garden and let it roam the grass. Be very careful not to take your eyes off the snake, the last thing you want is for it to quickly burrow into the ground or even worse, be grabbed by a passing predatory bird. Being able to handle your snake will not only allow for exercise and scent stimulation, it will also allow for easier maintenance and veterinary care if needed.
It is hardly recognized that snakes require mental stimulation to stay healthy in captivity. This article, along with your ideas, should prevent your snake from becoming obese and from having any behavioral problems.
We’d love to hear if you’ve tried any of our methods, or have your own that you’d like to share with us. Please visit our website and let us know how you and Snake are going!
