Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,

The scarlet snake was very nervous in that large 10-gallon, full of substrate and cage furniture. I could never observe it eat, or monitor it. The prey items kept getting covered in sand. I have temporalily changed it's environment.
As much as I despise using Kritter Keepers for my snakes, I am temporarily keeping the snake in a (one or two gallon?) Kritter Keeper. I am keeping it clean, dry, small and simple for now. I am using layered paper towels as a substrate, ocassionally sprayed lightly with warm water. I have also given it a hidebox consisting of an opaque deli cup stuffed with moist Spanish moss. I also placed in a small rock water basin, and a nice branch, just in case it decides to climb.
It has enough security in this setup, but I can still find it easier when I need to, and the paper towels create less of a fuss for feeding. Once it eats in this, I will move it to a larger, more naturalistic enclosure like my other snakes. It sure is gentle, that's for sure!
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DAVE

All specimens marked with an asterisk indicate a species being bred. Single specimens are rare species that are kept for behavioral and natural history studies.

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs *
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads *
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles *
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes *
1.1 giant African black millipedes *
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes *
1.2 fire salamanders*
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes*
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes *
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
2 (all of them are female!) Brahminy blind snakes *
0.1 Northern brown snake (GRAVID!)

Well keep in mind that if you hold it and wake it during its sleep (day time), it is only going to stress and never adapt to chicken egg yolk. I would leave it in a natural enclosure and just enjoy seeing it at night with a flashlight. If you try to see it, your just going to bother it until it cranks over.

Dan

.. I'm not sure how large your scarlet is??
If it is quite small, say less than 12", be aware that at the top of a critter cage at the "hinge" area of the clear lid, there are two slightly larger holes that can allow for a small snake to escape. I know af a few snakes, mostly baby corns, that have used this route to freedom.
:Mark

Yep, like a baby scarlet king I found last year escaped. Ditch the critter cage and go natural. Scarlets NEED moisture from their soil, mulch, etc or else they dehydrate quick, like within a day and loose all inclination to feed and die months later. Ditch the paper towel idea.

Dan

Thanks very much for the advice and suggestions. I'll follow through. I plan to get some cypress mulch tomorrow.
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DAVE

1.0 Western green toad
1.1 green treefrogs
1.0 Florida blue garter snake
1.1 Oriental fire-bellied toads
1.0 American bullfrog
0.1 Spanish ribbed newt
0.0.1 Eastern ribbon snake
1.1 red-cheeked mud turtles
0.1 Dubia day gecko
1.0 Sonoran gopher snake
1.1 rough green snakes
1.1 giant African black millipedes
1.0 Okeetee corn snake
0.1 Albino African clawed frog
1.0 Kenyan sand boa
0.0.1 Argentine flame-bellied toadlet
0.0.1 African bullfrog
1.0 yellow * Everglades rat snake intergrade
1.1 Western hognose snakes
1.2 fire salamanders
1.1 scarlet kingsnakes
0.0.1 scarlet snake
0.0.1 Argentine horned frog
1.1 Southern ringneck snakes
0.0.1 night snake
0.0.1 Florida brown snake
0.1 Pine woods snake
1.0 rough earth snake
1 (all of them are female!) Brahminy blind snake
0.1 Northern brown snake