Natural Born Killers
CNN has a great story about how people have introduced non-native species of animals to various regions in order to control bothersome pests. More often than not, the consequences are worse than the original problem. The new invaders will often times destroy entire populations of native species which were never intended to be the target.
One case in the CNN article is the cane toad which was introduced to Australia in 1935 to control scarab beetles which were wreaking havoc on sugarcane crops. The toads didn’t have much effect on the beetle populations, but are having a severe effect on crocodile populations. The toads are highly toxic so when the crocodiles eat them, they die of heart failure. “Crocodile populations that have come across these new pests have been dropping like flies, in some places by as much as 77 percent.”
This story brought to mind a few instances of how non-native invasive species have changed our environment here in Florida where I live. I rarely see green anoles because they have been replaced by the Cuban brown anoles that hitched a ride here on shipping containers. Cuban tree frogs have also been a huge problem, since they eat anything that will fit in their mouths. Not just bugs, but mice, small birds, and native tree frogs. Burmese pythons have established a substantial population in the Everglades from pet owners who no longer want them. The list of invasive species that were introduced to Florida, both by accident, and on purpose is huge.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “Over 400 nonnative fish and wildlife species and 1180 exotic plant species have been documented in the state.”
So this is a great opportunity to remind everyone who owns any type of exotic animal that you have a great responsibility to make sure your pets don’t screw up our environment. Make sure your enclosures are secure. If you no longer want your pet, don’t let it go. Find someone to take it off your hands, no matter how long it takes.
Corn Snake Cages
Corn snakes are one of the best snakes for beginners to keep. They are very forgiving with mistakes that inexperienced herpers tend to make. They are also very tame and rarely bite. I have a snow corn snake named Fluffy and she is definitely the easiest snake in my collection. She never has a problem with feeding, shedding, or being aggressive.
Corn snake cages should be very small when the snakes are young. They will be less stressed in a smaller cage so don’t get a huge cage for a neonate. Many people use small plastic shoe boxes for corn snake cages while they are young. Just drill holes in the side for ventilation. These are great if you have a rack system because you can set up a lot of snake cages in a small unit.
You can also use 10 gallon aquariums for corn snake cages. They will be able to live in a 10 gallon for about a year or so before having to upgrade to a larger cage.
The minimum size for adult corn snake cages is the 20 gallon long aquarium, which is about 30” long by 12” deep. Corn snakes will grow to about 4’ – 5’ and you want to give them a little room to roam. Bigger is always better. My corn snake cage is about 36” long by 18” deep and I think it’s an ideal size for an adult corn snake.
You may think about putting some kind of branches and things in your corn snake cages. Corn snake are terrestrial, but they do enjoy climbing as well. Not to mention it adds a more natural look to your corn snake cages.
The best substrates for your corn snake cages are something they can burrow in. Aspen shavings are the best for young corn snakes. They can make little tunnels in it and hide and feel secure. I use cypress mulch for my adult corn snake and that works very well too.
Heating your corn snake cages with an under tank heater is the best bet in my opinion. They need a basking spot of about 85 to 90 degrees and under tank heaters will provide this easily. The rest of the enclosure can be basically the temperature you keep your house, 70 – 80 degrees. No less than 70.
Always provide hides in your corn snake cages. One on the warm side of the cage and one on the cool side.
Corn snakes are masters at escaping. If there is a way out of your corn snake cages, they will find it. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. And that when is usually very soon. I have a sliding glass front on my corn snake cage and when Fluffy was younger, she was able to squeeze between the two doors and she escaped on me twice. I’m very lucky I found her. Once they escape, most people never find them again. So make sure your corn snake cages are very secure.
So if you have or are thinking of getting a corn snake, I hope this gives you an idea of what you should be looking for when purchasing corn snake cages.
Florida Exotic Pet Owners Face New State Rules
It’s good to see that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is taking a sensible approach to the problem with people letting their exotic pets go into the wild. Too often when problems like this arise, the knee-jerk reaction from many government agencies is to ban the animals from being owned at all.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated today that they will offer amnesty to anyone who wishes to give up their exotic pets. They will hold a series of events in various cities where people can drop them off without penalty. The animals will then be taken to zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.
Many reptile owners find it very difficult to find homes for large snakes like Burmese pythons. They’re cute when they’re babies but when they get to be 15 feet long, they are too much for most people to care for. So if the owners can’t find a home for them, they let them go.
Because pythons originate from tropical climates, they have adapted very well in the Florida Everglades where they are growing in numbers. Hopefully this will be another positive step towards solving this growing problem.
Kewl Snake Cage Room
I found this guy’s video on youtube and just thought you might like it. He’s got two rooms set up for his reptiles. One has a rain forest theme and one has a desert theme. His snake cages are all in the rain forest room. The neat part about this room is the pond he has set up with plants around it and chinese water dragons running loose.
Very cool set up he has. I’d really like to do something like this some day when I get a bigger house. Anyway, here’s the video.
No Sand in the Snake Cages
Unless you have a snake that originates from a sandy, desert environment, like a Kenyan Sand Boa, then sand is a terrible substrate for your snake cages. Most common snakes in the pet trade come from forest type environments and are not suited to live in a sandy environment.
The sand can get into their nostrils and in between the scales, causing all sorts of health problems.
Better alternatives for your snake cages are aspen bedding, coco bedding and cypress mulch. These substrates will give your snake cages a more natural look and your snakes will love them. Happy herping!
Top 5 Substrates for Snake Cages
You’ve gotta have a substrate for your snake cages. Substrates are the materials used to cover the bottom of your snake cages and they serve multiple purposes. They give the snakes something to crawl around on/in, they absorb the mess when the snakes do their business, and some substrates add a more natural look to your snake cages. This is a quick run down of the 5 best and most popular substrates for snake cages.
- Newspaper – The cheapest and easiest to maintain of all substrates is newspaper. Great choice for large snakes who don’t burrow. Just replace when soiled.
- Indoor/Outdoor Carpet – Still easy to maintain, but a little more attractive than newspaper. Cut it to fit the snake cages, and cut a second one to replace it with when soiled. That way you don’t have to wait for the soiled piece to be washed and dried before putting the new piece back in the snake cage.
- Aspen Bedding – One of the most popular substrates for snake cages is aspen shavings. It’s perfect for small snakes who like to burrow. Not so great for large snakes since the small particles can get in between their belly scales and cause irritation. Also not good for high humidity snake cages since it tends to mold quickly when wet. Use this instead of pine or cedar shavings which are toxic to reptiles.
- Cypress Mulch – This is a great substrate for large snakes. It adds a natural look to your snake cages and it’s mold resistant, making it perfect for snakes that require higher humidity. The other bonus is that it’s cheap. You can get it from your local garden center for about $2 a bag. Just bake it in the oven for at least 30 minutes at 250 degrees before putting it into your snake cages to kill off any little bugs.
- Coco Bedding – Made out of coconut fibers, this is also another substrate that adds a natural look to your snake cages. It comes in bricks that need to be soaked in water to make it expand, then dried out. It’s also mold resistant so it’s great for high humidity snake cages.
Depending on what snakes you keep or plan on keeping, one of these 5 substrates will be a great choice for your snake cages. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy herping!
Man Robbed From Inside a Snake Cage
This man has been living in a snake cage with 40 venomous snakes for 85 days in an attempt to beat the Guiness World Record. He’s sleeping with black mambas, green mambas and other very deadly snakes. But he’s not just doing it to beat the record; he’s doing it for charity. He is raising money for the Save a Child Foundation, which is cool. Still crazy, but at least it’s for a good cause right?
Well unfortunately, one evening, after the reptile park was closed, armed robbers came in and took all of the donation boxes, making out with around $6,000. I don’t even need to say what I think about people like that. I’d rather keep this blog “all ages” friendly. Know what I mean?
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what does green mamba mean? - GREEN MAMBA as NOUN Meaning green phase of the black mamba Hypernyms(s) green mamba is a kind of… Example: animal is a hypernym of mammal, plant is a hypernym of flower black mamba (what does black mamba mean? …
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Japanese man seeking aid for snake bite arrested - Nobukazu Kashiwagi, a 41-year-old port worker, was bitten on his finger by an eastern green mamba as he tried to feed it. The eastern green mamba is a highly venomous southeast African snake. Kashiwagi also had another of the world’s …
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Comment on Venomous Snake on the Loose by Scott Hornburg - A 10 inch snake?
Avoiding The Nasty Feeding Bite
A common subject of debate among herpers is whether or not to feed snakes inside their enclosures. Some say that feeding in the snake cages can cause the snake to associate opening of the cages with feeding time. For this reason, may people set up a feeding cage. This can be another cage, or a plastic storage container with holes drilled in the side.
By feeding in another enclosure, you can reduce the possibility of getting bitten by a snake that goes into that feeding frenzy when he knows food may be coming. You sort of “train” them that they only get food when they are in the feeding enclosure.
I feed all my snakes in a separate feeding enclosure except for one. My Western Hognose is a skittish little thing and she won’t eat if she gets moved to another container.
Many people who do feed inside the snake cages use other methods to train the snake to prevent bites. A common method is to use a snake hook and give a gentle tap on the head to let the snake know that you are going to pick it up, not dangle a freshly thawed rat in front of him. Many people have been very successful with this method. Happy herping!
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snake feeding at heard museum - Reagan was too tired to come. Jackson liked all the rattlesnakes. here is Jackson watching a snake swallow a mouse. Posted by ShoZu.
Take a Bite Out of Wrinkles With Snake Vemon Cream
People will do anything for their looks these days; botox implants, liposuction, stomach stapling, snake venom… That’s right. Snake venom. According to this article, the new craze in anti-wrinkle cream is one made from the venom of the Temple Snake from Thailand. Weird.
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Hey! You have a snake hanging from your car!
I love how sensationalized reptile news can be. Take this article for instance. I don’t even know why it’s made national news. This is one of those things that, if it happened to most people, they would go home to their spouse and say, “Something funny happened on the way home from work today.” They wouldn’t call the local news station because it’s not news! It’s just something funny that happened on the way home from work.
In the article, the author talks about a “three-foot python” as if it were some massive ferocious beast that could eat your children. It’s a ball python for Pete’s sake! Real scary creature there!
At the end of the article the author says “she now checks around her van before getting in.” Apparently, even though this is something that happens so very little that it makes national news, she thinks it could very likely happen to her again. Maybe next time it will be a deadly corn snake. Oh the horror!
Hey! You have a snake hanging from your car!
