Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is my favorite of the broad-banded water snakes that I'm getting.
They're about 3 weeks old. This one keeps getting called spot - he's got a little light spot on the top of his head. I've got a better pic of it somewhere around here. They're going to keep getting fish for the time being. What do people recommend for lighting? I've heard everything from 'just a desk lamp' to big expenisve heating lamps. I know that some types of bedding aren't appropriate for snakes, but, being curious here, what about live plants? Are there any good, or bad, live plants for broad- bandeds?

Thanks for any help!

Nice little Broadband! As for lighting, I reccomend a simple dome lamp with a 60-100 watt heat-producing bulb (depending on the height of your cage). They don't need full spectrum lighting like lizards. I use pothos in my naturalistic setups and it is perfect. It is extremely hardy and only needs water every two weeks or so. I'm sure other common plants will work just as well and I've never heard of any kinds that are toxic to snakes. You could always go with plastic plants if you aren't sure.

Good luck with your new snakes.
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Pierson Hill

Herpetology and Herpetoculture