Hey all, i have only kept kings and garters but was interested in water snakes. i see them constantly when fishing and from what i've read and seen they seem real interesting. anyways, if i were to get one, what type of setup is best. that means how aquatic would it be. i have an aquarium set up for my small painted turtle and was wondering if i added a larger dry area to it would that be adequate, and would the two co-exist. the painted is about 3-4 inches in diamter in a 20 gallon long. obviously i am talking about a yearling or hatchling water snake, i would prefer to keep the turtle. Also, are they as aggressive as i 've read? i'm not looking at these to be my nice interactive snake, i have my kings for that, but should i expect them to bite and musk every time i hold it? oh, and i live in ohio so i am talking about northerns. thanks for any advice.
Reptile & Amphibian Forums
Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
Setups for waters, and tankmates?
Replies (5)
Watersnakes generally do not do well in semiaquatic setups. If kept too wet, they tend to develop skin blisters caused by fungal or bacterial infections. If you want to keep a watersnake, I'd keep it in a 10-20 gallon with an overhead 60 watt basking lamp. Provide a large waterbowl, a loose substrate, and several basking branches.
Wildcaught watersnakes are generally hard to tame down but can become tractable with time. If you handle it irregularly, you can expect it to bite and/or musk you during rough handling. The occassional individual will be dog-tame right out of the wild. CB watersnakes can be fairly defensive as babies but grow out of this behavior fairly quickly.
Watersnakes are very interesting and rewarding snakes to keep if you understand their natural history. Good luck with your captive and report back here with how it does.
-----
Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture
ok, i'm not doubting you at all about them not doing well in aquatic habitats in captivity. my question is this, and it pertains to many snake species. how can something like a water snake, that i have seen hundreds of yards out in lakes and rivers, not do well in aquatic habitats. i hear that hatchlings of any species need small containers because they cannot find food. Snakes can't swallow any kind of substrate or it will cause digestive problems. i hear things like this all the time. if snakes are this fragile, how can any of them survive in the wild?
Snakes are by no means delicate creatures. In captivity, snakes are subjected to many factors that they aren't in the wild. These include the various stresses of being moved and handled, which lowers the defenses of their immunes system. This is often coupled with abnormal levels of pathogenic fungi and bacteria caused by the close proximity of their own defecates. Also, whatever pathogens are shed through ecdysis remain in the cage until the skin is removed by their owner.
In the wild, snakes generally have access to a constantly clean and filtered water supply, relatively clean substrate, and adequate basking spots.
Snakes often ingest substrate material in the wild as well as captivity. It rarely causes problems in both cases. However, problems may be enhanced slightly in captivity due to the fact that substrates tend to cling more readily to frozen/thawed rodents than live.
Snakes need relatively few requirements in order to flourish in captivity. Typically all they need is to be kept clean, secure, warm, and well fed.
-----
Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture
Hi. So what about an aquarium 36" long, and using about 12 inches for a "pond?" Will this be ok for the snake as long as there is adequate basking space? Also, could you fill this "pond" with minnows for the snakes meals? Thanks.
I have my Mangrove watersnakes in a semiaquatic setup like that and they're doing great. It's when you go to a primarily aquatic setup that you have problems.
If your "pond" is not removable, you're going to need a small internal filter to help with the snake and fish excrement. You can leave minnows in the water, but make sure you feed them if the snakes aren't eating them. Otherwise their dead bodies can foul up the water quickly.
-Pierson
-----
Pierson Hill
Herpetology and Herpetoculture
