Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just wondering what most use as a homemade hide? i currently use two plastic coffee jugs. each 16 ounces of the maxwell house. not sure if these too big or not, but snake has room to coil up in. but they seem alittle tall and i heard snakes like something there backs touch. any ideas of a homemade everyday use object that i can use? thanks

I use cardboard boxes - pizza, poptarts, frozen dinners, cereal, etc., even an empty cigarette box (she loves it). Depends on the size of the snake. They love them and I can easily replace them.
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Amy Claiborne

'A government big enough to give you everything...is a government big enough to take it all away.'

I buy Rubbermaid tupperware containers, the ones with the red lid. They say "EasyFind Lid" on the side. Target has them. I use hole saw blades on a cordless drill to cut a perfect hole in the lid. You can get a set of 6 different size hole saws for about $15 at Home Depot, etc...

After I drill the hole I trim the edge with a razor blade, and sometimes I'll use a little sandpaper. Then I fill the container with moist New Zealand sphagnum moss. I haven't found a snake or gecko who doesn't appear to like these hides. Just make sure the hole is big enough that the snake can still get through after it's eaten. Plus it's good to allow some room for growth.

I use a variety of things from small ceramic planter pots for the smaller snakes to big plastic bowls for the large snakes. If you have a grinding wheel or a dremel? You can grind to get the perfect size hole for your snake/snakes.

Scott

I have a pretty unique setup with acrylic front loading cages. They are nice because they are easy to see the critters and easy to clean. I cant very well use aspen bedding, front loading the stuff would go everywhere. I find the LAYS potato chip can(similar to pringles only plastic)and fill it with aspen. I use regular paper towel substrate on the rest of the cage. Cleaning the chip cans is easy. These cans arent easy to find so I buy 10-15 at a time....I tell the clerk I'm having a party.

I try to use things that I have available on a steady basis so I can replace them frequently. I have found that for juvenile snakes nothing I have tried can beat a Juice box!!! I open the back up and fold it closed again. This gives me access to the snake should I need to check em out. I enlarge the straw hole to the appropriate size for the snake as well. Having a child in the house makes these hides readily available. Cereal boxes are a favorite for larger snakes as a dry hide. I use small ziplock plastic containers filled with moist moss for ALL of my juvenile snakes to use as a moist hide. They use them often, more in the winter. I place these on the hot side and cut a hole in the top for them to enter/exit. The larger snakes get butter tubs, larger plastic containers, ect. for humid hides. I have found that their feeding response stays stronger when this option is always given. (definitely has helped with snakes that are kept up during the winter IMO).

While disposability has its place, being able to clean and reuse them isnt bad either. One thing I do a little different is, as they grow, I take away their hides. Yes, it cuts down on their feeding response. But by this time they are adults and I like my adults manageable. Removing the hides as they grow they get more tolerant of you, movement, people in general. So when you take them out there isnt a feeding response, there isnt a squirting mess to pick up, etc. Now I still have some animals that were purchased as adults from other people so I can appreciate the difference. I have found the best time to swap em out is going into the first brumation. Anyone else do anything like this??

I know there are folks with big snakes that like to work without hides so the snakes don't get insecure and use the hide as a security blanket, feeling a large constrictor being insecure is a BAD BAD thing.

There are some on the Indigo Forum that advocate (stressfull as it seems) putting a new snake in high traffic areas of the house to get them accustomed to lots of movement in and around them with the benefit of becoming a compliant easily handled animal. You see that in petshops sometimes where an ordinarily nervous species gets "adjusted" to whatever happens around it.

I have noticed over the years that some of my animals have developed attitudes when given lots of hides and larger cages when before they were docile animals.

Of course we all realize some animals HAVE to have hides to feel secure enough to eat.

I have often wondered if its good for the animal I keep in a large hide rich cage when it goes beserk when I go in to clean and change water. seems very stressful as opposed to the ones that you can just pick up set down somewhere safe and clean and they stay relatively put till done, not rattling,thrashing and hissing. sometimes easier to enjoy the animal.

Good and interesting topic.

Since I'm in a small apartment currently away from my house, my newest addition (seen below) lives in her tub on the kitchen bar and gets to see all the action all day.

Right now I use a tea bag box, it works great since there's a little cut out already for you to use your thumb to open the box and get your tea bag out... or the snake

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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

Funny how I never put 2 and 2 together on this subject. I've seen it here. The animals in big cages get more flighty when I open the cage compared to the animals in smaller cages.

I've seen many no-hide cages at a major pet dealer, and the kings and milks in there are completely tolerant of throngs of people looking in.

Great subject. Social conditioning (them to us).
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Mark

Jeff, I pretty much do the same. I use hides (toilet paper rolls usually) for babies/juvies to give them a comfort zone and less stress so they eat. Same with new snakes that are not eating or picky eaters. Once they grow out of the tubes/become establisehd, the hides usually go. Some still get them, but I am not religious about it. I threw some in with a couple of aggressive female corns I have just to help with chores. Easier to change water or spot clean soiled bedding when the snake is tucked away in a cereal box LOL!!

Jeff, I used top keep my adults without hides. I don't have any adults yet at this time as I just started back to snake keeping. But I am pretty sure I will keep them like this again. I agree with you about how they get used to you. I did not find it to hurt there feeding response at all. I tap train mine. You tap on the box to let them know it is feeding time and they will learn to get ready for food when you tap the box a few times.
I think if I use hide boxes it will be clear ones.
I do find snakes to have different personalities so they all do not act the same. But for me keeping them so they can either see you or at least handling them at least once or twice a week doesn't hurt anything.
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Noah was the first snake collector. ~Eric~

Doesn't always work; my male retic has a hide for MY benefit; if he's in his hide while I'm cleaning he's not trying to kill me. Without a hide he freaking comes towards me to bite as sooon as I open the cage. It's freaky.

Like I said snakes can have different personalities. Most corns for example are very docile. It usually doesn't take much to tame them down. On the other hand I got a nice looking female corn from a guy that never would tame down. She was an adult grant you when I got her, but she still should have at least calmed down a little. She would thrash around wildly when held and slap you hard with her tail and bite the crap out of you and fling crap and musk all over the place and on you. When feed she would come out after you and bite your hand instead of the mouse. She would not eat while you were in the room with her. She would rather bite you instead. I called her my psycho corn! LOL I am telling you she was the corn from hell! I am glad it did not end up going to a first time snake keeper. They would have never kept another snake again!
Even my wild caught adults tamed down quickly, but not her.
I think temperament is individual and can be in part due to species some too. But in the case of the female psycho corn I have to wonder if snakes can have mental illnesses?!!!!!? LOL
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Noah was the first snake collector. ~Eric~

though sometimes it seems you can generally expect a certain kind of behaviuor from a certain species, all are individuals. plus sometimes you aren't aware of their history. I once visited a petshop I used to go to when I was a kid. I saw an outstanding looking adult snow corn for a crazy low price. I just reached in picked it up and admired it and bought it. When I got it home it was more ferociuos than some WC's and never tamed down ever! My experience prior to that, was that Snow corns were the reptile version of white mice. I was shocked and now I realized when I bought it they had a sillly look on their faces that was because I was able to handle it without getting bit in the store! Just when you think you know something......

I agree all snake are individuals and have their own personalities. My first corn was from a pet store that I bought mice from, I was 13 when I bought this snake. Think this corn hated me right from the start, it would musk and bite me everytime it had a chance. Good thing it wasn't that big. The worst snake I had was a Pacific Gopher, close to five feet in length. I caught it when I was 11 years old, right from the get go that snake would bite me repeatedly and musk me like water coming out of a fire hose, it never did chill nor did that corn. I have never seen this again in all the corns and gophers I've had since.

Scott

>>just wondering what most use as a homemade hide? i currently use two plastic coffee jugs. each 16 ounces of the maxwell house. not sure if these too big or not, but snake has room to coil up in. but they seem alittle tall and i heard snakes like something there backs touch. any ideas of a homemade everyday use object that i can use? thanks

In some of my cages I use the hallow wide based dog bowls....I even found some that have notches on the base edge.....These water bowls double as hides.......

But most of my enclosures have deep aspen and hide drawers (wet and dry) that allow my snakes to hide where ever they want....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Funny John, I forgot to mention the cool hides!! I use those dog bowls as well and they save room. Hide and bowl in one!!! Patton gave me that advice last year and they work AWESOME!

I use toilet paper rolls for the little guys. I just flatten them and toss 'em in.

For the bigger guys I'll use paper towel rolls or cut wrapping paper rolls down to size. Paper towel size works until the snake is about 3'. They get wrapped up in there really nice and tight.

All are disposable and easily obtained.
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Josh Loehr

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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

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Josh Loehr

That's kind of cool in a wierd sort of way!

haha thanks Bob I didn't even know that was in the background. The snakes LOVED the sneaker!! They can curl up inside or hang with their head out. I forgot about using that shoe...
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- Matt

1.0 Black Milk '04
1.0 Andean Milk '06
0.1 Eastern King '97
0.1 Bullsnake '09

I see that all the time over here Matt, they really like it. PVC tubes can work as well.
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Todd Hughes

I use those, too. They work great for the little guys.
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Amy Claiborne

'A government big enough to give you everything...is a government big enough to take it all away.'

Ever try to get a 3 foot bull out of a paper towel roll, lol, not happenin'! I use the water bowl hides, toilet and paper towel hides, combos of tupperware moist hides, plastic potted plant trays, cereal boxes, you name it. Whatever works, use your imagination and your would be trash, at least it gets reused before becoming landfill.
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Todd Hughes

Great suggestions all.

I think you will find that cereal boxes, etc are a good height and will make any kingsnake happy for a dry hide. The idea given for the moist hide is very effective. I have used PVC pipe alot too. Baby snakes do great with a section of 1" PVC pipe in the cage. You can mist right in the pipe, and it will stay humid in there for some time. Place one end over the heat and the other on the cool side.

And just for kicks, I had some of those small plastic igloos that are used for pet hamsters and such. I put them in some snake cages and was amazed to find them used, even though they are somewhat see-thru and are taller than what a snake hide should probably be.
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Mark

And you know, the young milks and kings snakes I tried these on prefered the 1" PVC pipe sections by far. A baby cornsnake loved these rock hides though. I tried them with another cornsnake - same thing.

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Mark

I use plastic flowerpot bases for most of my snakes. You can find them at Walmart or nurseries. I usually have a rock on top to way it down, or a 9 inch piece of ceramic tile.

Frozen dinner bases work good as well. After eating, just wash it out, and cut out the necessary holes. Also, for really big snakes, such as my over 6 foot white bullsnake, I found a plastic kitty litter pan that fits perfectly in his cage, and is the perfect size for him to get all the way in.

I also use additional hides in some cages, such as PVC pipe.
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Genesis 1:1

In the first picture are hides made from a litter box, water bowls and ABS end caps. When I pick things to make hides out of, I go for the darker the better and the lower the better. The snakes favorite out of all I've made are the water bowl hides like the blue one. I don't know the brand but the snakes can fit inder them very tightly and hide on the back side with the center part of the inside of the bowl hiding the entrance from them when they get in the back. I always pick things that are easy to clean with soap and water and not too light weight if possible so they are more stable.
In the second picture are custom made hides from different companies. The black one in the front is the most popular with the snakes. They are low and the snake can hide in the side away from the door. If I put a dark and a light hide of the same size in a cage with a snake, no matter what species they pick the dark one at least 75% of the time.

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Randy Whittington

Randy....The light blue water bowl is exactly what I was trying to describe in my post above.....lol
I even found some with two notches cut out originally designed for the bowl to be picked up easily, but the notches work great for entrance holes........
It's amazing how big of a snake can coil itself around under the water bowl....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Wal-Mart carries the water bowls with the two cutouts. One on either side. They are like 1-2 bucks each and large enough for even my 50 inch knoblochi male. I bought twenty of them last time I was there and cleaned the store out!! The smaller bowls I use for sub-adults came from Target and I had to cut a hole out of those. Took all of 10 seconds with a dremel tool and cutting bit. Randy, my snakes love those too!! Just to make ID easier though I got pink for the girls and blue for the boys. LOL. (I did though)

I use plastic flower pot bottoms turned upside down...they are low to the ground and I can pick and choose the size I need. I just drill a large enough hole for the snake to get in. Works great and cheap!

I use Marie Calender frozen dinner trays for a lot of my stuff. I just cut a big notch for the entrance, and put it upside down, and they work great.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Is that before or after you microwave them? The frozen food that is. LOL!

Scott

Mine really like the Lasagna entree, so I let them eat their fill before I flip it over and use it for a hide..LOL!

~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Good deal Doug! Those Marie Calender frozen foods cost some $$$ and at least it gives them a break from mousesicles! Scott

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com