Adding "Loft" to Redirect Injuring Behavior

[jagodzinski]

So recently Jag has been injuring herself by rubbing on the screen (that is explained in a different thread and I will be calling her vet tomorrow). In the meantime, I was thinking of ways I could redirect her - maybe by getting her some more height. She already has a resin tree thing, but she doesn't climb it a lot. I though maybe I could build a "loft" and cover it in plants as a new place for her to hang out up high. I attached the plans, so everything is two scale. I was thinking I could also move one of her hides underneath it.

The structure is going to be built out a PVC and I was planning on putting a sheet of cardboard on top and the a bunch of suction cup fake plants around up there and some papertowel to hide under - which she likes. My one concern is if this increasing her ability to escape. She is an adult corn, pretty large, almost 5 ft. long. She lives in a 40B (dimensions are 36" long x 18" deep x 17" tall). Between the top of the structure and the screen top, there will be about a 6inch gap. Does this give her a small enough distance to get enough leverage to escape? She has a hinged mesh lid secured with those C-clips.

Does anyone have any other ideas to add enrichment to prevent her from this injuring nose-rubbing behavior? She has lots of hides, tubes, etc. that I move around. And this behavior is new - maybe related to mating season? I've had her for 7 years and she has lived in this viv for almost 1.5 years with no rubbing before. I know a taller viv might help, but since lots of cornsnakes live in 40B, how do they not have this problem?

Thanks!

 

[Karl_Mcknight]

does adding stuff for her to climb on not put her closer to the top where she will just continue to rub her head against the screen?

 

[Nythain]

Lots of snakes do have this problem, especially during mating season. As for the loft, it might work. It's hard to tell. I would question if it makes it easier to rub the screen but if she already has a screen rub wound then it doesn't really matter. But if it's a mating season thing, then no amount of distraction is going to work. It's really hard to say... but I would do it if anything to make the viv overall more awesome.