Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So, after seeing how Frank and Rainer set up nesting and seeing the pics Frank posted of a king hanging out near/ going in burrows, I decided to try and adopt their nesting method rather than using nesting boxes like I had always done.

I took a 55 gal aquarium and filled one half about a foot deep with a mixture of potting soil and sand and the other half about a foot deep with moss. Both sides were just slightly damp. I then placed two nesting boxes on top of the substrate (1 at each end) to see just what the snakes prefere.

I placed a king in last night that had not even had her pre lay shed yet, but went blue around a week ago. She was in one of the nesting boxes used that was in her cage so I just picked up the box and transfered it into the new place. woke up this morning to a shed skin in the nesting box and eggs about 5 inches below the nesting box in the soil/sand side of the cage.

granted this was only 1 snake, but it's one snake that chose to ignore the nesting box and burrow to lay eggs. I'll be putting 2 corns in the same cage to see what they do and that will be it for me this season, though next season I'll put every female in this setup to see what happens.

Congrats, but that's not the best way to test. By dividing the cage up, it takes away from choices, it does not add to it.
yes, it worked. But I would have fill the whole cage and placed you other boxes on top. And yes, I always put the snakes cage furniture in the laying cage.
So is that the first time you had a snake lay that quickly and how does she look? Now try feeding her all she will eat and see what happens.
To actually be a test, you should have set up each female in a different type cage and then measured the results.
As you go on, you can measure the amount of weight loss with each method. That would reflect the stress on the female.
Anyway, after I found this method, I attempted to test methods like you did and found it confusing. It appears, over the long period, size is important. How big is a 100 gallon tank, If I remember correctly, its pretty big. Anyway congrats for giving it a go and have fun from now on. Oh what species, corn snakes?

The female looks great... just slightly thin. she will be fed all that she wants for a couple weeks or until she looks 100% normal again. I wont attempt to double clutch though as i'm leaving for Africa in october until next may and dont want to have too many babies around for my wife to care for.

yes this is the quickest shed to lay i've ever seen, normally with boxes it's taken 4-5 days in most occasions and 7-9 days on a couple occasions.

the point of my test was to just see the snake choose burrowing in substrate and nesting rather than using the man-made box. I used 2 substrates just to see what she would pick if she decided to burrow and the center of the cage kinda had a mixture of moss, sand, soil... she was firmly in the soil/sand mixture though.

If the corns also go with the soil side, i'll drop moss all together in the future and keep the soil/sand mixture for the entire tank. If the corns pick the moss side, I'll just have two tanks, 1 with soil and 1 with moss to put applicable females in.

once the substrate is the same for the entire tank, i'll play around with different items on top such as a nesting box, piece of tile, and large flat rock similar to the tile but heavier.

I'll also play around with making one side more humid/moist than the other side. Or one side warmer than the other. Seems like there are a lot of possibilities to play around with using this method rather than forcing to snake to use whatever the keeper deems appropriate.

Quantify please. Making decisions on one nesting is a bit premature. Not wrong, just premature. In order to learn what REALLY works, it takes time. For instance, females scent mark these nesting sites. Each nesting allows the animals more security. Using the same nest year after year, is when it becomes GREAT.
The problem your going to have is, They can utilize many substrate types. Particularly when they are similar. Like coco stuff and sand, sifted sphagnum and sand. Or good sphagmum. All can be chosen for specific reasons like temps humidity etc. What can become important is, that piece of glass in the substrate. Its not just for viewing. Many snakes prefer to nest under a solid object and for good reason. Do you have any ideas what those reasons are?

guessing protection, holding somewhat consistant humidity/temps, wont cave in, and maybe because heavy/solid objects are more likely to be there year after year.

Flat objects on or in the soil catch and hold humidity over longer periods. A method to insure proper humidity two months later.
Kinda the same reason they use AC and flat rocks. higher temps when on the surface and holds humidity(compared to other areas on the surface)

I would not use potting soil. Espcially the stuff they have these days. You never know what is in it. My experience was they hate potting soil or even anything mixed with it.

I am more curious about your trip to Africa! Where are you going and will you be in a place for herping? Have you been there before? Sounds exicting !
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FR quote:
"Doing the same things over and over expecting to learn something else, is the definition of insanity"

Going to Djibouti.

as far as herping, i'm fairly certain i'll have access to a few snakes... i'm told red spitting cobras and puff adders are easily found, though I havent done any reserch for myself yet... just talked to people that have gone before me. I know i'll get to work at a cheetah refuge some and might get to swim with whale sharks.

i'm air force and going as a deployment, so most of my time will be supporting the navy in their hunt for pirates (MUCH more boring than it sounds)

I havent done any reserch for myself yet... just talked to people that have gone before me.

Well if you do find something please take pictures and post them here!

And some pics of the habitat you found them in.

Be safe!
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FR quote:
"Doing the same things over and over expecting to learn something else, is the definition of insanity"

I for sure will.

thanks!

as far as potting soil... its what I had on hand and i made sure no insecticides or fertilizers where in it before hand. (side note, I spent 30 min talking to folks at lowes the other day wondering why they didnt sell any perlite that didnt have miracle grow added to it)and i always freeze substrate for a few days before it even enters my snake room.

in the future i'll get a more natural soil source. there is a small stream running in a field next to my house that has some natural sandy soil so i've thought about getting some buckets of that. i've just held off because its also a little clay heavy and I worry about it being to hard of a substrate... i guess mixing stuff with it could balance it out though.

You can buy natural perlite in any nursery. If they don't have it on hand they will order it for you. Cost is $19.99 for a large unmarked big brown bag of it. I have been buying it for years like this from may different nurseries.

I would stay away from anything in Home Depot , walmart or Lowes.. find a large nursery and get the stuff in quantity and it is hella cheaper as well.
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FR quote:
"Doing the same things over and over expecting to learn something else, is the definition of insanity"