Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm going to be getting a blo0d python in the near future, and I'd like to keep it in a rubbermaid. My question is, how do you keep the snake from pushing the lid up and escaping without putting the rubbermaid in a rack? I know most people use the rubbermaids with latches on the lids, but I can only find ones that have only two latches, one on each end. The lids are flimsy enough that a snake can easily push up the side of the lid and escape. I've seen several people say they use sweaterboxes from Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I'm not really looking forward to going in there to look for them. Can anybody recammend a brand or store that has some that will work?
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MY COLLECTION:
1.0 Columbian BCI
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
1.2 Ball Pythons

MY WISHLIST:
A Northern Blue-Tongue Skink
1.1 nice Jungle Carpet Pythons
1.1 Hogg Island Boas
0.1 pastel Columbian BCI
A Blood or Short-Tail Python
A Dumerils Boa
1.2 Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rankins Dragons
1.3 Crested Geckos
Breeding groups of various Leopard Gecko morphs (including Tremper Giant, Patternless Albino, Blazing Blizzard, and Bell Albino).

First let me say that I am an advocate of using tubs in racks. One because of there ease of use and two cause if you only need one then a actual habitat is easier and more pleasing to the eye.

My question is, how do you keep the snake from pushing the lid up and escaping without putting the rubbermaid in a rack?

Before I actually used racks I did the lid and tub combo. Let me tell you a rack is far easier to use stacking and unstacking to check each snake quickly becomes tiresome. But in those days I held the lid of the tub down with a case of paintballs. I actually used rubbermaids with the blue lids and yellow latches I have no idea wht the number is. Any sutable weight would do the same. Bag of substrate 20 pd weight anything would work the top tub will hold the others down.

I also recommend adding airholes to the tub sides, a drill or solder iron makes quick work of making the holes.

I've seen several people say they use sweaterboxes from Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I'm not really looking forward to going in there to look for them.

Undestandable but we are talking about the life of your animal thats the most important thing, not your image.

Can anybody recammend a brand or store that has some that will work?

If you really don't want to go to bed, baths, and beyond then Walmart, Target and even some Kmart's sell Rubbermaids or Sterilite which make wonderful tubs. Also reptiletubs.com is a great online source the best IMO.

Good Luck
My 2 Cents

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>>MY WISHLIST:
>>A Northern Blue-Tongue Skink
>>1.1 nice Jungle Carpet Pythons

Wish I could get some Red Hypo Jaguar's.

>>1.1 Hogg Island Boas
>>0.1 pastel Columbian BCI

How about Hypo's?

>>A Blood or Short-Tail Python
>>A Dumerils Boa

Sold my last 2.

>>1.2 Bearded Dragons

Picking up a small group in a month.

>>1.1 Rankins Dragons
>>1.3 Crested Geckos

Building a rack as we speak.
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

If you use lids you MUST put a somewhat heavy weight on it so that any snake (all are escape artists) cannot lift it.

Lids can cause problems in that if they have protrusions near the tub edge the snake uses it to try and pry the lid open. While this will probably not work if you put a heavy enough weight on it it may cause the snake to injure its head ... repeatedly.

We have had ball pythons dig a cut in their heads down to the skull. Not a pretty sight.

In emergency situations (quarantine) we now use the tub and place a piece of 1/4" pegboard with paint cans on it. work perfectly fine and does away with the need for making ventilation holes in the tub although still a pain to check the animals.

Good luck.

Ben

Get yourself a package of metal spring clips. These are black with two silver handles / levers. When you press the two levers together it opens the clip. They make these in several sizes. You can use the medium or large size and put two on each of the long sides of the box. The box latches on each end should be sufficient. I have used these before when I did not have a full extra set of boxes for my racks. While I was cleaning boxes I would have a couple of snakes in rubbermaid latch topper boxes with the lids and these spring clips. If your not sure of what I'm referring to, email me and I'll send you a pic.
Just a comment about your post. You say that "I've seen several people say they use sweaterboxes from Bed, Bath and Beyond, but I'm not really looking forward to going in there to look for them." Sounds very inmature on your part. Your snake should be your highest priority and if the supplies you need are in a store full of women, then get in there and get what you need! Get over it!!!

Check out www.reptiletubs.com I've had two very good experiences doing business there and they will deliver right to your door. They were the best quality and made in the USA. If you need them sooner, you might try "The Container Store" if you have one in your area. I took my snake rack plans in there and one of the ladies was very helpful. It was the first time someone she helped was looking for something a snake would live in, and she found it very interesting. We have a dollar type store in our area, Big Lots, that had very similar tubs that I got at the container store for about 1/3 of the price, and I think they even had the ones with latches. Oh, by the way, I've been to Bed, Bath and Beyond with my wife and lived to tell about it.
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback (Hondo)
0.1 Spouse (WC)
0.0.8 hatchling ball pythons

I was in a hurry when I wrote my post, and now that I look at it, I could've worded it a lot better. What I was trying to say with the Bed, Bath and Beyond thing was that before I go there I want to make sure their tubs aren't pretty much the same thing I can get at Walmart or Lowes for half the price.
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MY COLLECTION:
1.0 Columbian BCI
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
1.2 Ball Pythons

MY WISHLIST:
A Northern Blue-Tongue Skink
1.1 nice Jungle Carpet Pythons
1.1 Hogg Island Boas
0.1 pastel Columbian BCI
A Blood or Short-Tail Python
A Dumerils Boa
1.2 Bearded Dragons
1.1 Rankins Dragons
1.3 Crested Geckos
Breeding groups of various Leopard Gecko morphs (including Tremper Giant, Patternless Albino, Blazing Blizzard, and Bell Albino).

I had heard they had storage boxes. Popped in there to look, and low and behold they have some really nice ones that are simple and sturdy enough.

Another good store is The Container Store (they are online as well). You can get some large, very strong Iris boxes there.

With any box you'll need to either weight down the lid or devise a "cubby" of sorts (one-shelf-rack) so the lid can't be pushed up.

They don't make these boxes with reptiles in mind. They should though, as herpers are probably a decent percentage of their customers.

When your short-tailed python is an adult, there isn't a plastic box out there that will work IMO, except maybe a Vision tub, and then you'll need to make your own lid.

When we sell a setup with an aquarium, we give a section of aquarium tubing tied to fit tight around the tank. Works the same for tubs. A cheap bungy cord, you can make what ever size you want. For aquariums we place the knot under the tank and to the ends of the tanks. For my tubs I place 2 straps around the middle. Very easy very secure, and easy to find tubing.

I do other things to, but this is the easist.
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Tom

www.herpzilla.com