Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I have found that there are knowledgeable keepers throughout the forums, so I have posted this in several forums to see the different tips I might get. So if you answered this in another forum, no need to answer here.

I am hoping someone might have some tips to help prevent contact with hot bulbs by snakes. I find it easier to control temperature inside the cage with the bulb being inside as well. However, I dont wish to have any incidents with it. I am hoping someone might happen to have a tried and true method on preventing the snake from having contact with internal heating bulbs.

Any ideas would be fantastic!

Thanks and best wishes,

Chris

It depends on the speciman and the cage. I use bulbs and undertank heaters in Neodesha Cages for my lepidus. They cannot come in contact with the bulb. In my Visions and racks I use Flexwatt or Heatwaves. In my arboreal Neos and Visions I use ceramic heat lamp fixtures and small halogen fixtures which the snakes cannot come into contact with. What kind of cages are you using and for what species?
-----
Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<
Conservation through Education

If you prefer to have your heating devices inside your cage, and, depending on what type of cage you are using (probably wood), I would recommend trying a Pro Product Radiant Heat Panel. I have used these in many applications and they work very well for just about any herp. THey can be used as the sole heat source, or, to boost background ambient temps. If you are not familiar with them, they come in various sizes/wattages and are somewhat rectangular in shape. They mount to the inside roof of the cage and the cord can be easil run through a small hole and then the plug reattached. The heating surface never gets hot enough to burn a snake upon incidental contact yet pump out enough heat to create an optimal thermocline (areas of both warm and cool zones inside cage). I also have done things very similarly to Tim and his advice is good too.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>Hello all,
>>
>> I have found that there are knowledgeable keepers throughout the forums, so I have posted this in several forums to see the different tips I might get. So if you answered this in another forum, no need to answer here.
>>
>>I am hoping someone might have some tips to help prevent contact with hot bulbs by snakes. I find it easier to control temperature inside the cage with the bulb being inside as well. However, I dont wish to have any incidents with it. I am hoping someone might happen to have a tried and true method on preventing the snake from having contact with internal heating bulbs.
>>
>>Any ideas would be fantastic!
>>
>>Thanks and best wishes,
>>
>>Chris
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL

I have a large melamine cage set up with light fixtures inside of each cage. To prevent the snakes from getting burnt by the bulbs I made my own "bulb cages". Basically, I just got the smallest chicken wire fence at the home depot (1/4" maybe?) and cut and bent it to make a little box that goes around the light and it's fixture. I screwed all the sides down to the wood except for one, which I put clips on so that I could just bend open that side of the "bulb cage" to change the light. It ends up being quite sturdy. I've watched my pythons push on it before without any problem. Just make sure that the snakes are big enough not to get through the wire you use. Big Apple has something similar for sale to hold heat lamps I think.

Also, I wired all of my lights in parallel (there are about 8 separate cages in one large set up) and put them all on a dimmer switch so that I could control the heat easier (With the help of a small analog thermometer in each cage). There is plenty of light during the day, so I use the nocturnal Bulbs (the ones that look like black lights) that way I can keep them on 24/7.

Hopefully all of that made sense, if not email me and I'll try to send you some pics.

-Will

You guys have given me quite a few options. I appreciate the help and recommendations.

Best Wishes,

Chris

>>I have a large melamine cage set up with light fixtures inside of each cage. To prevent the snakes from getting burnt by the bulbs I made my own "bulb cages". Basically, I just got the smallest chicken wire fence at the home depot (1/4" maybe?) and cut and bent it to make a little box that goes around the light and it's fixture. I screwed all the sides down to the wood except for one, which I put clips on so that I could just bend open that side of the "bulb cage" to change the light. It ends up being quite sturdy. I've watched my pythons push on it before without any problem. Just make sure that the snakes are big enough not to get through the wire you use. Big Apple has something similar for sale to hold heat lamps I think.
>>
>>Also, I wired all of my lights in parallel (there are about 8 separate cages in one large set up) and put them all on a dimmer switch so that I could control the heat easier (With the help of a small analog thermometer in each cage). There is plenty of light during the day, so I use the nocturnal Bulbs (the ones that look like black lights) that way I can keep them on 24/7.
>>
>>Hopefully all of that made sense, if not email me and I'll try to send you some pics.
>>
>>-Will

np