Feeling Less Secure??

[kcaven]

Ok so Ive been reading that a hide shouldn't be too big..snakes like to be able to touch the sides with their body. We've been using a terracotta pot with a hole chipped in the side (the size was kinda big for him he's only 9 mos old). Sure enough, every time I pick up his hide he is smooshed up against the wall of the flower pot. The hole we chipped in the side was very small just nig enough for him to get into.

Today I went to PetCo and bout him a new hide, one that would make him feel more secure..well Im not sure it that... Im afraid it did just the opposite! He has never dug into the substrate before to hide and ever since I put the new hide in he's inside the hide but he's burying himself under the substrate. The entry hole does allow quite a bit more light in that the flower pot.

Do you think he feels less secure now? Maybe he's scared and is burying himself to fell more secure?

[Susielea]

Why don't you give him both hides, then he can choose which he prefers :shrugs:

If you think he may be feeling a little insecure in his hides, because they are on the big side, I've found that stuffing the hide lightly with crumpled paper towels works a treat, as it minimises the open area inside. If it gets soiled, it's also cheap to change :)

You should have at least 2 hides in the tank anyway, one on the cool side and one on the warm side. I use at least 3, cool, middle and warm, but that's just my preference :)

Hope that helps some,

[kcaven]

Thanks Sue! I do have two hides one on the cool and one on the warm. I wouldnt have enough room in there for three, I only have a 20L tank with two hides, driftwood and a large water bowl and lots of vines. I actually bought the new hide to replace a make
shift hide made from a band-aids box on his cool side but it really didnt matter what it was made of because he NEVER goes in that hide ever! It is kind of frustrating! LOL aNyway, the new hide was too big to fit in the cool side corner under my driftwood so I replaced his flower pot that was too big.

So as much as I would love to give him the flower pot and the new hide they both wont fit in there. I now have the new hide and still the old bandaid box until I can get to the store again and get him a smaller hide to fit under the driftwood.
I will try the papertowel stuffing method though. THANKS for the idea!

BTW how large is your tank???

[Susielea]

The most popular vivs/tanks over here in the UK, are melamine wooden ones and are measured in feet and inches, as opposed to the gallon measurements you use over there in the States :)

My tanks, I have 6 at the moment, the younger corns are in tubs, are all either 36" long x 18" deep x 21" high or 48" long x 18" deep x 18" high, so they are pretty big :D

[kcaven]

They do sound VERY nice and roomy! How nice for your snakes! I just started out in this hobby so maybe one day when I run across a good deal on a larger tank and stand Ill be able to jump on it! How long have you been into this? Right now my tanks are 30"long x 12"high x 12"deep. I have two glass tanks on a double wrought iron stand. I dont have a screen lid for the bottom as of yet so i just use it as my feeding tank (until I get another snake) ~My husband isnt much of an animal person and I am an animal NUT so he keeps me from going over board...I guess we balance each other out. Its only a matter of time for "just one more snake" though:dgrin:

I would love to see a pic of your vivs...do you have them posted anywhere on here? I know there was a thread a few days ago or last week that was titled show me your vivs!

[kman7183]

try using a 4" pot that's what my 11 month old corn is in and loves it. i have moved it around where ever that pot is he's in it.

[kcaven]

I guess that wouldnt hurt either..since they are so inexpensive...I was just using the one that the girl who sold him to me had in his tank. It would probably fit where I need to fit too!

[Nanci]

You could stuff the big hide full of sphagnum moss. My big Cali Choco, she must be 350g or so, crams herself into her moist hide that she's had since she was a baby- it's one of those Gladwares that I feed the hatchlings in. When she's in there, the whole container is solid snake. She loves that thing so much I never take it out- just let the moss dry out and re-wet it when she's in blue.

[kcaven]

Thanks Nancy! I really like that idea too! Darn! I was just at the pet store today! I noticed he is going into blue right after I got home...:headbang: