Corn snake owners not into making fake rocks?

[sweet~nichole~marie]

I think part of it may be the fact that you can spend a ton of money on decorations for the snakes, and they still want to just hide under their water bowls or prefer the paper towel roll ~LOL~ It is hard to get excited about decorating a viv when your animal basically turns its nose up at it. If they actually used the stuff I might put more in. My snakes have flexi-vines wrapped in fake plants, a water bowl hide, and a few paper towel rolls or half log (which most totally ignore). A few will actually climb on the vines, others could care less. Now my mantis and hissers have planted terrariums because they will actually climb on them and use them. I am thinking of getting a crestie and that would have more decor since they will move around more and utilize the space. My fish have a full-on, pimped-out tank with tons of live plants and driftwood because they prefer it. I think it is all about whether the animal uses the decor or ignores it that leads me to spend the money.

 

[azhketh]

I think part of it may be the fact that you can spend a ton of money on decorations for the snakes, and they still want to just hide under their water bowls or prefer the paper towel roll ~LOL~ It is hard to get excited about decorating a viv when your animal basically turns its nose up at it.

lol, exactly! I love my snakes' tanks, but they couldn't care less. It's just a difference of activity level. I know my geckos are far more active every night, and need plenty of places to crawl around and hide. The snakes just want a place to hide, and room enough to stretch out once in awhile.

 

[Caryl]

lol, exactly! I love my snakes' tanks, but they couldn't care less. It's just a difference of activity level. I know my geckos are far more active every night, and need plenty of places to crawl around and hide. The snakes just want a place to hide, and room enough to stretch out once in awhile.

I've noticed that the difference in activity level of which you speak can be from individual to individual, not only between species. Some of my corns are climbers, some are interior decorators, some just like to sit on a rock. And then there's "Inviso-Snake" who is rarely seen at all of her own free will; of course I check on her regularly to her chagrin. She jams herself into a tiny space, apparently happy only when she has a maximum amount of surface area in contact with a hide.

Moral of the story; loving the tank set-up is great. Sometimes that's all you see. :crazy02:

 

[EsotericForest]

On the other hand, just because they don't "use" some of the things in the tank, doesn't mean having them there doesn't make them more comfortable. I just argue that it seems like they would feel more comfortable in a naturalistic vivarium, even if they are still hiding under their water bowl .

 

[Nanci]

Actually, the bin thing is part of what curbs my snake-acquisition fantasies, though. I like to spoil my pets, and I like to *see* my pets. I can no longer imagine keeping a snake who doesn't get a fake vine to climb in. I didn't do much decorating, though. I'm very aesthetically oriented, and I work with my hands all the time. But somehow it doesn't really occur to me to get too fancy with the snake cages. It probably wouldn't fit in there with all the driftwood and hides anyway. In truth, I think this is the second place I've ever lived where I've actually gotten around to putting pictures up on the walls.

I remember feeling that way. Till I got my first rack! I don't have a picture at work, but you can see my racks either on my homepage of my website or in a thread here about let's see your snake room or something. I guess I had a corn, a king, Zee the tri-color, and had bought three new corns from Carol, and then a new corn from Rich (Lily) and three from Joe Pierce! I didn't _think_ I could stuff in more glass vivs. (As it turned out, I could!) But I didn't want the snakes to be crammed into little sweater boxes, for _my_ sake, and worried that I wouldn't be able to see and enjoy them as much. I got the 66 qt rack from Animal Plastics that is open and airy. The bins are big. I can easily fit in a lagre water bowl, vines, slabs of cork bark, hides, paper towel tubes, hammocks...Each snake has two solid hides and a paper towel tube at a minimum. And nice deep aspen. And plenty of vines.

But the best thing is the joy I get from surveying the racks, seeing who is out, opening up each bin to give the kids a little pet, and some take that as an invitation to come out! When I want company, I just gaze over the line-up and see who is looking for an adventure. The bins are _so simple_ to clean, or rearrange the order of, and sterilize for a different snake, and to maintain steady temps in- I just love them.

 

[wretchedprocess]

I only have 13 snakes

I love that this is a place that someone can post this, and no one will think "only" is misplaced.

Nanci, in my glorious dreams for a glorious future, I was just starting to poke at the idea that maybe a rack such as that one could exist. That's definitely the kind of thing I could get behind. I love the fact that you can really see them, and I bet the plastic bins are WAY lighter and easier to clean than glass aquariums!

 

[Nanci]

They are not as clear as glass. Well, Iris bins are close, but Sterilites are not. But you can see the snakes. They are just so _simple_ to work with compared to glass. No wondering if the lid is really locked. No having to set the lid down somewhere when you take it off. Easy to tell who is out for feeding or nookie. And I just love the library aspect of it! Hmmm, who is out, who do I want to visit with??

 

[zamora]

My husband insisted on having one HUGE display tank for our first snake. We worked very hard to convert a 100 gal saltwater aquarium into a suitable habitat for a snake. I'll have to post pictures of it for you all to see. She has aspen substrate and up until recently, vines and lots of stuff to play with. I have removed everything but her hide and water bowl since she was due to deliver her first litter on Tuesday. (still waiting) We took down our entertainment center to make room for her--she is the main focus in our den!

I also have two 10 gallon aquariums, retrofitted to be suitable for snakes in two other rooms in my house. I use these as quarantine tanks.

Last but not least, I have a monstrosity of a rack that I absolutely LOVE! We built it out of desktops that were being thrown away and this sucker is HEAVY! It holds 41Qt. Sterilite tubs which is suitable for most of my snakes right now. The tubs only contain the hides and water bowls to make cleaning a breeze.

I plan on making my hides myself, especially for the big girl just like was mentioned with the grout and sealing it, I just haven't had the time to get started yet....

 

[diamondlil]

I love the pictures of Nanci's snake habitats! Mine are simpler with bunches of bad-taste silk flowers for the snakes to weave through, climb over and hide in, and cardboard rolls from the carpet shop, but her tubs are brilliant!

 

[bondoron]

I make my own hides. I cut the top off of cereal boxes and use tp rolls once the paper is off. My animals are all in racks. My free time is spent taking care of them feeding, cleaning, etc... I don't have time or the will to make rocks.

 

[azhketh]

I remember feeling that way. Till I got my first rack! I don't have a picture at work, but you can see my racks either on my homepage of my website or in a thread here about let's see your snake room or something. .

I just looked at your racks, and they really are very pretty.

 

[Nanci]

This is Cherry's house when she was set up for laying. So she's missing her fake rock hide and her big water bowl. But pretty much my bins look like this. Snakes that use hammocks get them!

 

[Nanci]

Horrible picture, but you get the idea!

 

[CALIVIK]

All my snakes have coconut hides, fake vines, bark hides, rock water bowls & homemade wethides. We have our tanks out where people can go over & see the snakes. Even our 55 gallon is displayed. Yes my 6ft LittleDani has all this w/ him including trees to climb *need to get a hammock*
Its a lot of work to keep cleaned, yet I love the fact everyone gets to visit w/ them & see they are pets. I only have 8 so that makes it easier.

 

[EsotericForest]

I will give you this Naci, you have some of the nicest looking bins I've seen. Most bins I see seem kind of barren.

 

[Nanci]

I will give you this Naci, you have some of the nicest looking bins I've seen. Most bins I see seem kind of barren.

Yeah, I hate that. I always wonder what snakes think that come here to visit. The picture with Azaria- she now has a hammock (but doesn't use it, so it may get given to someone else!) and she will get an adult bowl this summer- she still has her baby bowl. Out of all the stuff they get, they love the paper towel tubes the most, followed by the flat corkbark.

 

[EsotericForest]

Funny how they enjoy the cheapest things the most. Seems to go that way with rodents as well

 

[azhketh]

Funny how they enjoy the cheapest things the most. Seems to go that way with rodents as well

lol, same way with cats. Fancy scratching post? Meh. Box it came in? Party time!

 

[marshaelaine]

I have found that children will play with big boxes more than whats in them a lot also, anyway mine did,
Marsha

 

[EsotericForest]

I remember making forts and everything out of boxes. Good times for sure .