Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I want to get some juvenile snakes and house them in the plastic exoterra critter carriers. Since I don't want to use a lamp(don't want the enclosures to melt) I thought about putting the snakes in a spare room and adjusting the ambient temp.

In the early morning 75f, then around noon up to 86F, late afternoon down to 80F, then evening 74F. Try and simulate natural temps.

I would also provide a cool glass water dish at one side of tank. If the snakes are to warm they can soak, coil around, or crawl under the cool glass. Would this work?

It depends on the species....

Glass 10 gallons are only 10 bucks at that big discount department store.

Neonates of most smaller colubrid species would fare OK in a critter keeper, but not for long.

Regards,
Wayne A. Harvey
our critters

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1.0.0 Ball Python - Python regius "Cane" Rescue
0.0.1 Eastern MilkSnake WC "Carmello" adult super sweet temperment
1.2.3 Storeria dekayi Casper, Xena, Athena, & Kids (30 plus released!)
0.0.2 Thamnophis marcianus - Checkered Garters "spot" & "Zig"
2.2.0 Thamnophis radix Snow, Iowa snow & christmas snow het.
2.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis - eastern Garters
0.0.1 Thamnophis sirtalis - "Flame" red and white stripes
1.1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis CB "Flame" & Melanistic
1.0.0 Thamnophis pickeringi - Puget Sound Garter "Sky" (adult, Sky blue)
0.0.1 Nerodia sipedon - Water Snake - "Aqua" adult WC
0.1.0 Storeria occipitomaculata - Red Belly snake (Her children were raised & released)
0.0.1 Amelanistic Corn Snake "CY" Juvinile CB
1.0.0. Pueblan Milk snake "Oreo" adult CB
1.0.0. ASIAN GREEN SNAKE 3' WC Cyclophiops major"Limon"
0.0.1. Savannah Monitor "CHOMPER" Growing fast!
0.1.0. Green Anole "Crystal" WC
1.0.0. K9 "ACE" Black Cockapoo
0.2.0. Feline"Felix"(R.I.P. 4/27/08) "Kaja" & "Silver"
2.1.0. calico RATS
2.4.?? Mice - Feeder farm - Crickets / fish
More herps than I could ever list out back on the land.

Housing them in Critter Keepers, no problem. I raised hatchling kings in those, well, raised them until they outgrew those.

Controlling ambient air like that, called "ramp and soak" control, is rather expensive and very hard to do with ambient air. With heat tape it is easy, but the controller is expensive. I think they are about $250 or so for an 8-point ramp and soak. Cool idea. I almost got one myself, but then I realized that the ambient air temp in the snake shed changes anyway throughout the day, so why pay for it.

My advice is as follows: Get a wire shelf unit, the chrome ones. Thread 3-inch-wide or 4-inch-wide Flexwatt across the shelves. Get a temperature controller, proportional is best, but ON/OFF will work. Set boxes so some of the back is over the heater. Done.
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Mark