Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I recently aquired a Black Head. It was kind of included in a seperate deal for some snakes I purchased. The guy needed it gone right away, and could not take it with him to where he was going. He said that it has thrived for quite a while in the set-up she is currently in. It is a custom made melamine cage, about 2x2x2. Reptile bark substrate, water bowl, lots of climbing trees. He said that she eats 2 pinky mice twice a week, and that she will occasionally eat crickets. He only has a red bulb going 24 hours a day, and that doesn't give out very much heat though. My questions are is this set up ok for this species of animal. I do keep other reptiles, about 40-45 snakes, uros, collared lizards, and chameleons. So I am definitely set up to keep this animal and if its habitat needs to be changed as well. Just looking for some advice, because it was kind of just handed to me, and I have no idea how to properly care for it. He said that she is full grown, and breeding size, if that matters. Sorry about the long post, and thanks in advance for any and all advice given.

Kevin

Hi,

I used to keep both V. tristis tristis and V. tristis orientalis.

I kept mine in 4X2X2 enclosures for 4 adults.

I had a heat mat under one end of the cage set at 31 deg C.

At the same end I had a 100watt spotlight aimed onto a false rock crevice stack (5 pieces of slate glued together with inch blocks separating each piece). This spotlight was on 14/12 in summer and 10/14 in winter.

Another rock stack was placed at the cool end along with a water bowl.

Each adult was fed 3 fuzzy mice each week along with 3 feeds (eat till full) of crickets or roaches that had been dusted in vitamin powder.

A recycled paper (cat litter) was used as a substrate.

Regards,
Scott Eipper