| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Bethm01 |
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 00:37:39
I have not got a snake yet, but if I get my way, I will have one by January next year. I know about what to put in Vivariums, and I know quite a few things, and I know not to take the snake out to handle for a week. I have a few questions though...
1: When will I need to move the snake into a Vivarium? (I will probably buy a hatchling)
2: What is the best substrate?
3: When do I need to clean, etc?
4: When do I need to handle the snake? (I've heard from another internet source that you should take your snake out of its Vivarium four times a week, for around fifteen-twenty minutes. True or false?) |
| 4 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Bethm01 |
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 14:05:27
Thank you, for all the answers! |
| johno |
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 12:47:06
lotabob, isnt it when they are the length + width or the viv your meant to start thinking of rehoming them into a larger viv? i have a hatchie around 3 month old it gets handled usually everyday (except 36-48 hours after a feed) sometimes only for a few mins sometimes il have him out for half hour and he seems happy with it i often struggle getting him back in lol he stays rapped around my finger sticking the top half of his body up to get back out the faun : |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 07:57:01
1: When will I need to move the snake into a Vivarium? (I will probably buy a hatchling) depends entirely on how fast it grows
2: What is the best substrate? for youngsters i use kitchen roll, our adults are on either newspaper or aspen though i've also used beech chips and had no problems with that either
3: When do I need to clean, etc? our youngsters on kitchen roll i clean twice a week, adults on paper i do every week or 2, adults on aspen get spot-cleaned as neccesary and a full clean every few months
4: When do I need to handle the snake? (I've heard from another internet source that you should take your snake out of its Vivarium four times a week, for around fifteen-twenty minutes. True or false?)  absolute *****!!! and handling more often or for longer doesn't necessarily make a snake more handleable either. our youngsters are handled maybe once a week for a few minutes and the adults about once a fortnight and some even less and they're all good to handle |
| lotabob |
Posted - 31/07/2011 : 00:57:58
1 - It depends, I moved a hatchling straight into a 2 foot viv though thats not reccommended, the guide is the snake's enclosure should be width+depth=snakes length so a 2 foot viv is around a foot deep so the snake should be 3 foot for that viv. A hatchling will do fine in a faunarium for a good while giving you a nice bit of time to save up and sort out a vivarium.
2 - There isn't a best substrate. When you first get a snake use kitchen roll, its easier to keep clean, and will allow you time to get used to its poop and also as part of the quarantine period will make mites more visible. There are lots of substrate available though, I use beech chips but aspen is another popular one.
3 - I check every single day for poop and clean as needed and once a month totally strip and disinfect the vivarium and all hides, floiage etc. A good reptile safe cleaning fluid is best.
4 - You dont need to ever handle them, snakes dont like been handled, they tolerate it at best. When little I would say to get them used to handling a few minutes once a day is fine, increasing the time each hold but watching to make sure the snake isn't getting stressed out. Its best to get hatchlings used to been handled so as adults they are easier to deal with. I dont have a schedule though, if the snakes are out and about or i'm doing something in the viv, weighing them or something like that I'll hold them, if they are hidden away then I just leave them alone.
You cant go wrong with the caresheets and stickies on here for all the important info you need to know before getting a snake. welcome to the forum by the way, you'll love it on here, any questions just ask, even ones you think might be silly. Good luck picking just 1. |
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