Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dear Frank, thankyou for your recent comments on this forum, they spawned some lively conversation. I know what you don't particularly like...nest boxes...correct? I saw a photo of a snake under a pane of glass with eggs. Is that your preferred technique? What would you suggest for substrate under the glass and should it be higher humidity than the surrounding substrate? I have had good luck with moss filled nest boxes, but admit I did not offer a choice. I would be happy to correct that if I knew what would be a better suited choice. Are there other egg laying/nesting options you have had good success with and recomend? Forgive me if this has been reviewed already, I tuned in late... Regards, Vic

Hello, and understand, this is only about thinking. Not right or wrong or any such nonsense.

I do not have a favorite method, I try to accomodate the reptiles, as a species, as a population, and lastly as individuals.

My problem is, I respect wild snakes and they are my model, not captives. This is about learning about a snake, a species etc. not about producing babies for whatever reason.

As a person who looked at wild snakes for guidence, I learned that each species has certain tendencies, then even each population may have unique tendencies. Let me use Ariz Mt. kingsnakes as an example. In some areas they are rock nesters and do so in colonies. In other populations, they are dirt nesters and nest singly. I call this a product of a population culture, that is, that group has evolved to nest in a certain way, which may differ as much as different genera of other snakes, when compared to others of the same species.

Why I bring that up is, I love to find tools that any type of reptile knows how to use. We all know snakes will nest in a rubbermaid. We accept a certain level of success and or failure. but I have to ask why do we accept anything. Why not attempt to see what the individual snakes like. For instance, the glass, to most here, that represents a way to easily see what the female is doing without interrupting her, or taking pics. What it may represent to the female snake is a hard surface such as the bottom of a rock. Some kings use rocks as a surface to lay eggs under. This is done in fairly dry areas. The reason is, twofold, first, the rock is mass and holds a relatively steady temperature. And secondly and as important, its catches humidity as it perculates upward. In other words, all dirt dries out to fast.

Another similar approach is to use two pieces of glass spaced a little less then the height of the snake. This represents a crevice which is used by many types of snakes. Yet other types or other cultures do not use a hard surface, they may require depth. Or others like some cal kings would lay their eggs in folded plastic sheeting buried underground. I have no idea what that represented, but they sure did use it well. It must be something.

As I mentioned before, when you hit on their cultural requirements, they will lay eggs totally different then your use to. Like the day or two after they shed. The females will not lose weight, you may find it hard to tell they laid. While this does not effect your ability to breed a snake, it does effect the quality of your work. If only to you and the snake envolved.

The problem I saw here was, with the common use of small cages, folks used a next box that fit in the already small cage, which by difinition means, its even smaller. That is a keeper paradign. You are not restricted by the size of your cage. You can nest them in a box five times larger then their cage. There is absolutely no rule that says you cannot. Or why not turn the whole cage into a nesting area, why does it have to be a box????? in a box?????

There is no reason to go overboard and get all natural and this and that. But there are easily do-able things like, use a dark box, snakes do not lay eggs in lite, any kind of lite. Use pieces of glass, as explained above, or pieces of hollow wood, of course modify the log so you can easily open it. Split it, then fasten it back together with rubber bands or any old thing. Or the folded plastic sheeting. Heck there are many many more tools snakes use to nest.

The point is, there are millions of better/other ways then whats being commonly and mostly mindlessly done on this forum. In reality, it does not have to be better, just different, for you and your snake. I may be a weirdo, but I do think after a few generations, it does get boring. I would lose interest if I did not try something to keep me interested. In the end, its about keeping you envolved with your hobby and keeping your hobby growing. Thanks FR