Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone.

First I'd like to thank everyone for the help I've received in the past. I think this place is very professional and humble.
Advice from passionate people is usualy very good in my opinion.

How many of you use 2 hides for your snakes (warm & cool side hides)? Also, if you only use one hide box are your snakes housed in a rack?

I currently have my snake in a 41qt sterilite tub / no rack (he's about 1500 grams) and he has 2 hide boxes. I notice that he never uses the warm side hide if the cool hide is available to him. I have proper temps throughout the tub (90-94 basking - 82-85 cool side). Humidity is between 55-60% depending on the side of the tub the hygrometer is on.
The tub lid is white plastic (not clear) and the tub is wedged between a shelf and a wall ( making all sides blocked off except the front - like a rack). I use an undertank heater for the basking area plus a red heat lamp 2 feet above the tub which provides the ambiemt heat. Substrate is aspen.

Some of my friends tell me to just put a warm side hide and let the snake leave the hide to cool off...seeing as how thats what breeders do in their tubs when housed in racks. Others tell me to just put a cool side hide.
One buddy says to put a slightly larger flatter hide box half-way over the heat pad and half off. This allows the snake to thermoregulate inside a single hide box which he does for his adults. makes sense I suppose!

I do however find that the 2 hide box theory seems to be disapearing lately in the advent of rack systems and tub use. Only the old (10yr old) care sheets suggest it. Or for really shy snakes.
Currently my snake has a very crappy appetite but is not shy. Eating only 1 rat a month. But he is 2 yrs and 1500 grams and comes out for a cruise at night. It doesnt breed.

What do you all think?
1 hide or 2? and if only 1 hide is suggested, what part of the enclosure should it be placed on?

With so many opinions on the internet it can be difficult for a single snake keeper to make the right choices about how to properly keep a snake...so I come here!

Thanks again!

Ive never heard of anyone using 2 hide boxes but it sounds like a good idea. I've always heard to put the hide box on the warm side, so the hide box is warm inside, nice and cozy. But, it seems that mabey it gets too hot in the box because ive had snakes just sit in the open, rather then go under their warm hide box. Im not sure though, I know it isn't any help. But im curious to see what other people say about the double hide box. Best of luck.
- Josh
-----
Got Balls?
Josh Molone

I use the black plastic hides. I get mine from reptile basics and reptile solutions. Same box from both though.

I use one hide as large as will fit in the tub. My rack is floor heated at the back and holds cambro tubs lengthwise. A large hide covers the width of the cage. One hide has both a cooler side and a warmer side. My balls go from one side of the hide to the other and rarely come out of the hide to thermoregulate. This year was my first year breeding balls and I had a clutch of 6 pieds from a 3 year old female and I have a clutch of 9 eggs in the incubator from a 2 year old female DH vpi snow.

Good luck!

Found an awesome idea from over at vmsherp.com. Simply used some crumpled up newspaper running the length of the enclosure. This gives them access to all of the heat range of the enclosure. I haven't been using this, though. Since I switched to paper towels, my snakes will pretty much just use the paper towels as their hide. Makes for much simpler tubs. But here's the link to the article at vmsherp. www.vmsherp.com/LCBabySnakes.htm