Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does any one know the proper measurements for an adult eyelash viper's terrarium. Please respond.

First you ask if they are good starter hots.
Then when every response is "not really" you ask about what caging they will need.
Why even bother with the first question since you so blatantly disregarded the answers?
Chomping on the Cheddar,
The Mouse In The House

It seems to me that the following posts targeted eyelash vipers as a good starter hot with the only consideration of antivenom supply and the risks of venomation.

For any snake I suggest a larger cage as opposed to minimal standards. Keep in mind that this snake is aboreal, thus height is an asset. A naturalistic vivarium might work very well with this species. With larger enclosures it is important to extend the thermal gradient to encompase the entire cage to maximise the area usage. This is true with other necessities such as hide areas, basking sites, misting drip zones ect.

Does anyone know of any good books regarding the captive eyelash viper? A good, up to date documentry beats the net anyday.

When you design a cage for any venomous arboreal species, make sure that you allow some space between the access door and the animal's perch, and plenty of space around the access door outside the cage. These critters have a deceptively long strike range. You need to be able to keep a safe working distance between yourself and the snake. I've had to work with cages before that were crammed together too tightly and the snakes were perched right by the door. Not having room to move around the cage and having the animal right there in your face when you open the door is an invitation for disaster.
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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

I bought my book from HerpSupplies.com. It's called "The Guide to Owning Eyelash & Temple Vipers". It was published in 2001, but I found a lot of useful information.
And the best(safest) first hot? Copperheads! It's better to lose a finger, than a life.
My $.02,
Cricket

I sometimes agree with the idea of "bigger is better" when regarding cages for arboreals, but only when you are talking about adult snakes. And even then the cages have to be well designed with many hide spots and with various temperature gradients in those areas. Larger cages provide more room for error and a snake will choose a poor place to roost due to incorrect temperatures that may exist in their preferred hiding spots, resulting in undue stress.

Experience has shown me that baby and juvie arboreals do better in small cages that simulate a niche that they would choose in the wild. Babies have a need to hide because they are themselves prey items for many animals. You will never find a baby eyelash viper strolling along on the leaf litter in the open forest with nothing to hide under...or at least one that will live longer than it takes the first bird to fly along that can fit the snake in its mouth. When I first started with arboreals I tossed baby eyelash, baby Atheris, and baby Trims into huge 20-30 gallon natural vivaria and they perished. They never used the basking spots, they never seemed to find the waterbowls, and they always seemed to find the coldest corner to hide in a little nook of a plant. In essence, they were terrified of the space that was given them. Now, if you take that baby and put it in a Rubbermaid shoebox with lots of plastic plants, a small waterbowl, and a piece of heat tape under one end the snake will feel secluded and secure enough to move about that small cage to get the things that it needs to survive (food, water, correct thermal regulation).

I don't mean to sound like I'm lecturing. I've just seen too many folks make the same mistakes that I made ten years ago when they toss a 8-10" neonate arboreal into a 30 gallon enclosure thinking that they are doing the right thing. There are differences between the cage requirements of adults and babies, that's all. Good luck to all.

Derek Morgan

And now you have the input of an expert.
Derek Morgan produces some of the most excellent animals around.
Good Luck with your animals.
Karl

I'm not so sure about the "expert" part, but thank you for the compliment anyhow, Karl. Maybe after twenty more years of keeping the little tree-huggers alive I could be comfortable with that title. Maybe. Take care.

Derek

Hey! shut up. What the hell is wrong with you. For your info I'm taking the advice they gave me on getting a native speices. I just love to design terrariums for reptiles. I just wanted to know so I could do a coulple plans, schetches drawing ect. for what kind of vivarium they would need. So buzz off.

Hey! shut up. What the hell is wrong with you. For your info I'm taking the advice they gave me on getting a native speices. I just love to design terrariums for reptiles. I just wanted to know so I could do a coulple plans, schetches drawing ect. for what kind of vivarium they would need. So buzz off.

There is nothing wrong with asking for advice. I hope you SAFELY enjoy whatever you get.
With skin as thin as yours, though, I would say that anything with any teeth at all might be too much.
There are plenty of sites available with pictures of people who weren't quite ready for what they got. A lot of recommended newbie or starter venomous won't kill you. That's quite some consolation when you are missing a finger or have a finger or two that are withered and no longer able to bend. Nothing quite like a fasciotomy scar running up your withered arm. It makes for great conversation when you are trying to get a job or pick up a girl (or guy).
Whatever you get, I wish you luck but more importantly, I wish you to be careful.
Masticating Mozzarella,
The Mouse In The House

Ha Ha Ha.