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Just need a second opinion on how I should humidify my cage. My female didn't shed very well last time, and I'm almost certain that it was because of the humidity.

Its aprox. 46x28x24

(I took out the middle shelf, the water bowl is on the floor now. The base floor is actually tile with a cobra heat mat under it. The "can" that covers the light has also been taken out, because I watched one of my snakes get up into it...)

My first idea was to switch to orchid bark (or cypress mulch), and to just dump a little water in there every few days. Would that help? Any other substrates that I should consider? I'm going to put a little more restriction on the ventilation to keep it warmer and more humid (hopefully).

Are there any plants that can be kept in snake cages? I have a good light in there, but neither I nor my family really know of a good plant for snakes. Unfortunately, I think that my cage is just a little small for a ficus tree.

Thanks again
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilotac cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

Placing a wide shallow pan of water at the base of your enclosure will help, as a large surface area of water will elevate humidity levels easily.
Also, while your enclosure would be a bit small for an adult, perhaps you should look into acquiring a Spilotes pullatus (Tiger ratsnake) as they are highly arboreal, quite active, will eat you out of house and home, and literally grow before your eyes. Not to mention, they are very attractive snakes to boot.

Jeff

Newspaper, paper towels, peat moss, and cypress mulch all hold humidity pretty well. I would definitley decrease the venilation use an above listed substrate and mist the cage daily. I dunno what kind of animal this is for but thats what I do for my chondros.

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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
0.0.1 Ornate Uro (Spike)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)

Decreasing ventilation, to increase humidity, will create an even greater problem in the long run.
Increase your surface area of water, not the depth, and your humidity level will increase.

Jeff

Quote Greg Maxwell in The Complete Chondro: "Most new cage builders tend to go overboard when allowing for venilation, and many keepers have an exaggerated idea of how much venilation snakes require. As noted previously, a stagnant cage environment is to be avoided, but snakes do not need a huge quanity of airflow to be happy and healthy, and..will suffer if the cage venilation won't allow adequate levels of humidity to be maintained:
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1.0 Indonesian Blue Tongue Skink (Don)
0.1 Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Sausage Girl)
0.0.1 Tanimbar Island Blue Tongue Skink ( Spunky Sebastian)
0.0.1 Ornate Uro (Spike)
1.0.1 Green Tree Pythons ( Male=Floyd, Baby= Verdi)
0.1 Western Hognose (Piggy)
0.0.1 Egyptian Tortiose(Tank)
0.0.1 Sonoran Gopher snake ( Toro)
0.1 Albino Leo gecko (Sasha)

You cannot make a blanket statement regarding snakes, based on information you have read on Chondro spp
Most genus require more then adequate ventilation, especially large active specimens, as their metabolic rates, and thus oxygen exchange, is much higher then that of a sedentary specimen, such as Chondro spp.
While I may have missed the genus indicated, I do not recall such being a Chondro spp. and I recall the initial poster mentioning a disregard for such specimens.
I still believe the safest way to increase humidity is to increase the surface area of water, or build, or even purchase, a good misting system.

Jeff