Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was looking for a safe covering for the bottom of my snake enclosures that would be reusable and easy to maintain. I was thinking about using rubber matting cut to size of the bottom of the enclosures. My snakes are: black rat snakes, yellow rat snake Pueblan milk snake, and an African house snake.

Thank you and have a blessed day,
Erich

Does no one have an opinion? What would you use?

Have a blessed day,
Erich

Not a rubber mat, those things smell..

There are alternatives. Do you heat from above or below? Makes a difference.

Heat from above:
Reptile carpet (or outdoor carpet make from recycled polyethylene bottles)
Polypropylene sign material (corrugated plastic "cardboard" material)
Sheet vinyl
Sintra (closed cell PVC, can find online. The 3mm thickness can be cut to size with a straight-edge and a ultiliy knife)
FRP
I forgot, but it comes in a 4ftx8ft, white flexible plastic near the FRP stuff

Heat from below:
Reptile carpet
Sintra

Actually the stuff I want to use is a ribbed vinyl mat runner they sell by the linear foot a Lowes.

>>Not a rubber mat, those things smell..
>>
>>There are alternatives. Do you heat from above or below? Makes a difference.
>>
>>Heat from above:
>>Reptile carpet (or outdoor carpet make from recycled polyethylene bottles)
>>Polypropylene sign material (corrugated plastic "cardboard" material)
>>Sheet vinyl
>>Sintra (closed cell PVC, can find online. The 3mm thickness can be cut to size with a straight-edge and a ultiliy knife)
>>FRP
>>I forgot, but it comes in a 4ftx8ft, white flexible plastic near the FRP stuff
>>
>>Heat from below:
>>Reptile carpet
>>Sintra
-----
0.1.1. Black Rat Snakes
0.0.1. Yellow Rat Snake
0.0.1. Pueblan Milk Snake
0.0.1. African House Snake
0.0.1. Eastern Mud Turtle
0.1.0. Red-Eared Slider
2.0.0. Eastern Painted Turtle
1.2.0. Green Anole
1.0.0. Ferret
0.1.0. Cat
1.1.0. Beagle
125 Gallon Reef Tank
55 Gallon Green Spotted Puffer Tank
55 Gallon Planted Tank
3 X 10 Gallon Snail Tanks (Puffer Food)

It will probably be OK, but keep in mind that products like that may be loaded with BPAs or other chemicals that may be fine as a mat but not that great for an animal in a closed space and in constant contact with the vinyl.

Look for that polypropylene sign material they sell in the acrylic and lexan area. It may work for you. It is easy to cut and silicons in place nicely. And when heated from below it traps heat in the corrugated compartments very nicely. You should keep it below 95 degrees for best results, but that is true of most plastics used in caging.

Sorry, I am confused (dosen't take much) why do you need something like this at the bottom of the tank?

>>Sorry, I am confused (dosen't take much) why do you need something like this at the bottom of the tank?

Reusable, easy to clean / disinfect, give the snakes some traction, etc..
-----
0.1.1. Black Rat Snakes
0.0.1. Yellow Rat Snake
0.0.1. Pueblan Milk Snake
0.0.1. African House Snake
0.0.1. Eastern Mud Turtle
0.1.0. Red-Eared Slider
2.0.0. Eastern Painted Turtle
1.2.0. Green Anole
1.0.0. Ferret
0.1.0. Cat
1.1.0. Beagle
125 Gallon Reef Tank
55 Gallon Green Spotted Puffer Tank
55 Gallon Planted Tank
3 X 10 Gallon Snail Tanks (Puffer Food)