Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I'm trying to construct a vivarium for my CalKing in a 20 gallon long. My snake is about 24" right now and the setup consists of a peatmoss/bark mix with a natural stump that I aquired that doubles as a hideaway. In the corner I have Philodendren, but I want to get rid of it and focus more on the types of plants that would frequent the natural habitat of the CalKing. Anyone have any suggestions?

I was also think of a different substrate. I'm not a big fan of keeping colubrids on sand, but that is part of the range that CalKing is located in. I was thinking of a

2 part sand/1 part dirt mix

or

a 1 part sand/ 1 part dirt/ 1 part fine gravel mix

or

a 2 part sand/ 1 part fine gravel mix.

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow...does anyone have any suggestions or advice?

All the books I've read have strongly suggested against using dirt (in any amount) as a substrate. Its not sterile and promotes the breeding of bacteria. Of coarse its alright in nature, but once a snake is confined to a cage, there's no escaping the bacteria and such. I would stick to the more commonly used substrates. Ease of cleaning is also something you might want to take into consideration unless this is your only cage and you don't mind spending the amount of time required to clean the cage properly. I've learned a lot through trial and error, I'm sure that will be your best teacher. I like to use ground walnut shell and sometimes mix it with small bark chips to give it more of a natural look. Its always best to feed your snakes outside their cages in a box or paper bag so they don't swallow the substrate in their cage with their meals. Sometimes the substrate accumulates in the belly of the snake and they are unable to digest their food anymore. It happens a lot with gravel. I would also suggest you use plastic plants. Snakes crawl all over everything and a live plant just wont hold up. Good luck.