Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Howdy all! I have a young blood anery corn. Once I get her adult home, I want to make it as natural looking as possible. I need to know a few things first.

1. Can I use potting soil as substrate?
2. Has anyone ever used grass to cover the substrate with?
3. Am I crazy to try this?

Anyways, I felt that being able to put together the best habitat possible would be a plus the snake and the over all looks. Please feel free to express your thoughts. Thanks!

PS> Only reason why I want to use a grass instead of wood shavings is because the shavings don't look very natural. Thanks!

>>Howdy all! I have a young blood anery corn. Once I get her adult home, I want to make it as natural looking as possible. I need to know a few things first.
>>
>>1. Can I use potting soil as substrate?
>>2. Has anyone ever used grass to cover the substrate with?
>>3. Am I crazy to try this?
>>
>>Anyways, I felt that being able to put together the best habitat possible would be a plus the snake and the over all looks. Please feel free to express your thoughts. Thanks!
>>
>>PS> Only reason why I want to use a grass instead of wood shavings is because the shavings don't look very natural. Thanks!

A couple of problems...
The main problem is cleaning..It is very hard to keep a tank such as you decribe clean.
It can be hard to find the "poop" especially if the snake burrows into the substrate and lets loose.
Another problem is the grass, there is a possibility of parasites if you just go out in the yard, dig up a clump of grass and put it in the tank. I'm not sure if I would consider this a "high" risk but it would seem, to me, to be a risk worth considering.
If your snake has a tendency to burrow under the grass, into the substrate, you will basically ruin the tank anytime you may want to remove him.
so think about it..
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"Resistance is futile"
Jimmy Johnson
(Draybar)
Draybars Snakes

_____

its entirely possible and with enouph room not as challenging as one would expect. i would check out the book "the art of keeping snakes" by vosjoli, its pretty much all about making ubernice naturalistic vivariums for snakes. i wouldnt use all potting soil, maybe a mixture of that, peat and sand with a layer of pea gravel on the bottom. live wheatgrass sold as "petgrass" in stores grows great even in low light and the seeds are really cheap if you wanted to use that, but the snake would kill that alot. it would probably have fun in there after being in a shoebox most of its life undoubtably.