Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently purchased some Corsican mint to add to my corn & rat snake vivariums. It looks smashing but is quite pungent. When I returned both snakes to their homes post-feeding, they were both extremely active, the corn almost to the extent of being nervous (digging her nose under the substrate, contstantly moving, etc) which is strange b/c usually after feeding they go hide and digest. Has anyone used this mint in their vivariums and do you think it could be harmful/irritating to the snakes? Could the pungency of the mint override their sense of smell (i.e. she couldn't find her hiding place b/c she couldn't smell it?)

i dunno, but most of my snakes go under their subsitrate and rub up against the walls of the tank like they are wiping their mouths. i know sometimes theres "gunk" on the sides of their faces and they wipe it off, but i have no clue about mint... sorry
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNAKIES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corns:
.1 Normal (Gertrude)
1. unknown hypo? normal? (Romeo)
.1 Miami Phase (Emily)
1. Amel het Blizzard (Dunesbury)
1. Classic het Hypo, Anery, poss het Amel (Cobra)
1.1 Classics (Henry VIII, Cassy [Emilys babies])
.1 Amel (Pepperoni)
1.1 Hypo zig zags poss het Caramel (Bernard, Abegail)
.1 Classic het Hypo, Stripe (Gracie Lou)

Rats:
1.1 Black rats (Cecily, Willard)

Cal Kings:
1.1 Striped Cal Kings (Skunky, Dweezil)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEOPARD GECKOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Normal het Midnight Blizzard (Mr. Spot)
.1 Blizzard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TURTLE~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 white cheeked mud (Opel)

Why would anyone put any type of mint in a reptile cage?If you have an odor problem,sounds like you should clean cages more often.The mint I've always seen had a pungent aromatic quality better left in potpourri or tea.Just my opinion.On second thought,this is a joke, right?

The vivarium itself is a cyclical bioactive environment that remains quite clean. The mint isn't there to cover up odors - the mint is a small leaved herb that I planted in my vivarium as ground cover and nothing more. I'm not even totally sure that it could be used _as_ mint (it's not broad leaved like mint you'd use in, say, a mojito for instance), but it is mint nontheless.

That snakes seem to have calmed down and readopted their hiding spaces as of late, so I'll be keeping watch for any other strange behaviors. If anyone has further knowledge of any potential harm, please let me know. Thank you!

right?

I am not sure but it would seem that it does bother the snakes.......so I would switch it out for a non-arromatic plant.....

good luck..........

some mint is strong......some really have a bad smell.....

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JYReptiles

Scales-N-Tails Reptiles ltd........Pa

I have a huge mint plant in my front yard, I planted in there when we moved in about 4.5 years ago and its grown like a weed, Western Skinks absolutely love it, My son and I observed several skinks in and around the rocks under the mint and collected and adult male as well as a little Sharptail snake. The sharp tail snake was found by me under a large piece of slate right next to the mint plant. Maybe providing more ventilation for better air exchange might help you?
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