Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First of all I hope your snake is doing better. I just read the previous post and have some suggestions for you. Since your Gopher is now a captive snake you really should provide hi/her with a more suitable environment. You should provide more floor space when you build the new enclosure and it doesn't have to be that high. I also think you should provide a more sterile enclosure by getting rid of the dirt and switching to shredded aspen. I've used every kind of substrate out there and this stuff is the best and safest for them to dig through. I would also get rid of most of those rocks and any rough furniture like the cement block. Also, the hide spot should provide cover while allowing your snake to rest on the comfortable bedding. The branch is a nice touch; one of my Gophers loves to climb on the vine in her tank. If you plan on providing some greenery I would stay away from any real plants and go with plastic. I would feed live mice one at a time and stick around to make sure everything goes smoothly. I also would feed in a separate tank, like a plastic tub, so that the furniture and substrate are not in the way. When I used to feed live I would hold the mouse by the tail and my Gopher would snatch it by the head, which made it a lot safer, but I recommend that you use tongues or tweezers. When your snake get used to a dangling prey you can easily trick him/her into snatching a dead one. These are just some of my thoughts on the subject. I am in no way trying to say that my way is the right way, just what has worked for me. Have a good weekend.

This is a pic of my Gopher's setup I was talking about.

I agree with nz. You should take out the rocks and other hard scenery. Pines are natural burrowers. I kept mine on 2-3" of shredded aspen (depending on the size of the snake) and they loved it.