Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello again.
I was wondering what kind of enclosures y'all like to use for your "display" animals? I was thinking about buying a rack for my boys and decided against it for now because A. I don't have enough snakes all at the same size now, making it pointless and B. I like to see my snakes wander about and can't imagine having to pull out tubs to watch them. (Keeping snakes and fish is therapeutic to me, lol)
Has anybody tried Vision's "Visionarium" product? It looks great. I was wondering if I might fit a female hog in there if she was on the smaller side. They're stackable too, big plus in my book.

Ultimately, I am looking for something naturalistic, in which I can put in each enclosure a nice substrate, hides and even some climbing material, some rocks for basking (heat underneath and maybe above or to the side, safely of course), with enough depth to have a cool retreat on the other side.
Any suggestions? Thanks!

I have not used a Visionarium, but the dimensions given on their website does have a foot print that I feel would comfortably accommodate a male or a female hognose. Looks like a nice product that would let in a lot of light to make viewing easy.

Hognoses are typically a grassland species. Lots of fun things to do with a grassland habitat exhibit! Sounds like you're off to a good start.

Ross Couvillon

Thanks, Ross!
The only thing I worry about with the Visionarium is the humidity...if it's made of glass (or acrylic I've forgotten) and only breathes through those corner vents...gets humid over here in the summer

Are there any x-tra large "Kritter Keeper" style enclosures available on the market for larger snakes? I like their visibility and breathability but even the largest "Flat Den" or whatever it's called seems too small for a female hog. Maybe a subadult, or even a small adult male. I'm kind of baffled there aren't more options.
Oh well, maybe I'll make something.

I had mine on sand. Since they tend to burrow, I got some PVC, cut it in half, used glue to cover it in sand. Then I glued it to the side of the aquarium. It worked perfectly. My hognose slept in the tunnel at night and crawled around on top of the sand during the day. He was almost always visible.

I will try to find a picture later to put up.

The only big downside to sand is you have to remove the animal for feeding, and if they crawl through their water dish, they will get covered in sand. Makes them look a mess and no one really wants to hold a sandy snake if you have guests over.
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4.4 Western Hognose
1.1 Ball Pythons

Sand is a beautiful substrate. I would worry about hogs on it though. What about that fancy new excavator stuff, or is it too humid? Thanks!

That PVC idea is terrific and everybody would love to see it, right?

Don't know about "best", but I have used many different types of enclosures.

Visionariums are very good, if their size (20 gal long) is suitable for the captive. They have a shallow litter dam however, so you can't build up substrate high at all.

The somewhat new ZooMed and Exo-Terra glass cages are excellent! I do not think they stack however. More on that below.

Cage stacks can present problems with heating or even cleaning. Depends alot on how you are heating and your ambient air temps. But if you are going to stack cages on one another, I recommend using plastic cages instead of glass. There are many plastic cage manufacturers. You can't see through them, however. IMO, if you want glass visibility, then stacking is not usually an option. Better to use shelves instead. Those HomeDepot type storage racks work very well.

PVC pipe makes a great hide. I don't know of any snake that will not use PVC pipe happily. I used the entire pipe not cut in half. When I wanted to hydrate the snakes, I'd spray water in the pipe. What I like about it as well is you can have a single piece span the hot end and some of the cool end of the cage. The snake can hide and choose temps.

Thanks!

Home Depot, eh? Is there a certain model you use or would recommend?

Choose your cage first, then get the shelves that fit. Shelves are usually sold either 3ft wide or 4ft wide models, and either 18 inch depth or 24 inch depth typically. Height between shelves is limited, like 18 inches, so keep that in mind. That forces you to have front or rear doors in the cages.

Hogs like to burrow, so choose cages that allow a depth of substrate of at least 2 inches.

Lowes, Home Depot, etc - all have metal rack shelving that is suitable for even heavy glass cages.

TY! Will check soon!

Hello, I too wanted to set up hogs in an entertaining/learning way. I love behavior.

I ran into lots of resistance here. But that is not important.

I also want to end up supporting their natural behavior.

I started with a four foot vision cage, its kinda tall, which will be good for later.

As of now, I have about 5 inches of shavings, a flat board on the cool side, a stack of boards(Retesboards) on the other side, with a lite above that and a heatpad below that.

At this time its very cold/cool(45F to 55F) on the cool side and a wide range of temps on the warm side, to 90F in a small area.

Right now as I type, the female is basking and watching me. Soon the male will follow suit. As you mentioned, hogs do like to move around and the love to watch. So far in winter, they are using temps from the high thirties, to the high seventies. The move to these different temps on nearly a daily basis. On coldest nights they stay on the cool side for couple of days.

But then move back over and do their thing.

She has fed 3 times during winter.

Once i learn their behavior a little. I want to make the cage more natural and allow real burrowing.

I am also watching hogs in the field and they are true burrowers.

so far, they bask at the same times they do in nature. And retire at the same times.

I think store bought sand is horrible and has the problems you mentioned. Natural sands/soils, have fines And that allows the burrow walls to be compacted and hold their shape. and not stick to the snake.

By summer I hope to have the cage more natural. So far, hogs are fun and outgoing, and do lots of viewable behavior, even in winter(at winter temps)

Anyway, shes still watching me!.

That's interesting! I often wonder how they behave with more options given to them!
I've had about 30 reptile species in the last 20 years, and a couple amphibians. Not a lot compared to most of you guys but I have to say hogs have the most "personality" of what I've kept, closely matched by bearded dragons or blue tongue skink, something most snakes can't compete with.

And it is great they are becoming more obtainable and admired.

What would you like to use as a substrate to let them burrow? There is this but not sure how well it works or if clay would be OK for a snake. http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Excavator-Burrowing-Substrate/dp/B000N5OM8S

Also, have you seen them use other animals' burrows, their own, or both?

(I don't mean any offense or ill will to anybody who uses racks by the way. I can see the pros and cons of both methods and respect both, in fact, I will probably be using both soon.)

Thank you for your input!

Also,

When you mentioned the height of the tank, what are your ideas?

I love mopani wood. It's pretty and easy to clean, very durable with not too many nooks and crannies to worry about. Hate those half logs or other wood pieces that disintegrate after a while.

Wild hogs dig and there is no question about that. Look at that nose. And yes, we have observed them digging.

They also use other burrows as well. Several of our observations of wild hogs digging, they dug into exsisting large burrows. The opposite also occured, they used large burrows that led to their own burrows. So yes, they do both.

They also emerge from undrground and bask right in front of that exit burrow(just big enough to squeeze into, then go back into the earth.

Of all the hogs I have observed, only one was off the ground and only a few inches. It was a neonate that had a large food bolus, it was laying on top of a small plant basking in the early mourning sun. The truth is, where I am observing them, there is very little to climb on. Its flat, no outcrops or trees, only small bushes, and of course, lots of grass(at wet times of the year).

I have observed them out and moving in air temps from 45F to 90F. I have seen them out at hotter temps, but not at this study. Only two have been out and crawling below 50F, one @ 45F the other @48F.

I cannot remember if it was you that mentioned a study where 82F was the mean average BT. I would not argue that, but that temps IS NOT so IMPORTANT. Or at least totally meaningful.

Snakes(all reptiles) must reach temps that match the task at hand. In this case, to crawl efficently, they must raise their body temps into the 80's, If they are below that, or if they drop below that, they lose the ability to escape. That is to crawl quickly. They can and do crawl slowly at much lower temps, Its just not safe to be in the open without full ability. So they don't. At cooler temps they move under cover.

In most cases in the summer, they move to just below the surface and raise their temps before moving out, then they move quickly to their destination. If the mass(ground surface) is not hot enough, they may bask by the entrance before heading out. These outside(out of the ground) event are quick, then back into the earth they go. Usually in the 15 to 30 min. range. They commonly do this twice a day. Of course most days, they do not surface at all.

Hogs do appear to be very very diurnal. But then I have not investigated in the hottest time of the year. I will this year.

About shoe boxes, and please, its only my opinion. Its not about the boxes, its about the keepers. Tubs, racks, shoe boxes, break down snakes to a common denominator. That is, to feed, crap, grow, breed, and die. Which all species of snakes do(the same). Yet, this forum is a hognose forum, but it could be any snake, as they all eat, grow, breed, and lay eggs/babies. What makes hognose, different is their behavior, why do they have that nose, why the short stubby body, why are they soft yet strong as heck????? Why do they feed like they do, you know, no worries about head first. All these things and many more are what makes hognose, HOGNOSE. Yet, a rack system breaks them down to any other snake. Which I guess is why morphs are popular rack system reptiles. They become trading cards, not species or individuals. Each drawer has a different card(analogy)

Please understand, Thats great if that is what interest those keepers. Each person has the right to keep snakes for their own reasons. And that includes you and I. If we want to see BEHAVIOR, then rack systems and recipe husbandry is not the way to express species specific behavior or even individual behavior. Enough of that. hahahahahahaha

Anyway, to me, its what they "do" thats the fun and educational, of course, "pretty" or "rare" is great as well, both together, is as good as it gets. Sorry for the rant, I just think there is room for many approaches when keeping reptiles. And this forum would be much more interesting if they are included. Best wishes and have a great day

I should elaborate on the "rack" thing.

My idea, for the neonate to adult hogs, is to have individual plastic enclosures for each, a la Kritter Keeper style, but depending on the size, different heating methods would have to be used. Tape for the larger ones, cable for the smaller...safely of course, and tested before use.

Unlike Kritter Keepers though, it would have to be of thicker plastic, but offer complete visibility. I've yet to find something like this.

I guess this would work nice on a Versa Rack unit, but I don't find them very attractive at all. Home Depot might have something comparable. I might just make my own and secure the heat method every foot or so (something like a big Kritter Keeper would have feet to accomodate the cable underneath, or I'd just make a little recessed gap in the wood to hold it on the warm side.

Ideally I will be able to install some nice light, which would be on a timer depending on the season, buy several feet of aquarium background and put it behind the shelving so the hogs have something nice to look at or give them a little more security.

Also, nice dry substrate, a hide, climbing material and water of course. It sounds expensive but I have a small collection, and wouldn't mind buying it for the babies either.

If the hog still isn't happy with that, I will have the option to move it into a bigger or smaller home. Hopefully that will work.

So, I don't know if you would call it a rack, but I have no better name...

I might keep a few obscure plastic tubs on hand to house or feed a difficult animal, but that would be out of the norm.

So, it may not be as efficient as a rack, and cleaning it would be a day's job for at least one person, but I'm used to spot cleaning every day at least, I would find it pretty damn pretty, and I think the snakes would like it too, as long as they've got plenty of "options".

Here are a couple I made for monitors.

hahahahahahahaha the hogs have nothing like this, at this time.

I am hoping to offer something really nice soon.

As of now, I am just learning their behaviors. And they are behaving.

My adult female ate for the forth time this winter. She has the ability to get cold, or warm, in lite or dark.

So far, if we have a cold period, they normally stay cold, but when it warms up, she wlll become active and may feed. Even when the cage temps stay the same(a wide range. Thanks

I don't know much about monitors but that is one handsome cage. Kudos to you!

Picked up a bunch of mopani at an expo and the hogs love it, very inquisitive, and most of them are basking on them under the sunlight. (I've got the windows open because we are having a rare warm day, and they seem pretty happy about it. Not near the window catching a draft of course!)

There is not question, hogs love sun lite, I too have some by a window.

I am not sure drafts effect snakes, they do not sweat. At least in the short term.

What is mopani?