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Oyster Shell Hides!

SnakeSmithS

SnakeSmithS
Just discovered a great new hack! ...at least it is new to me :).

OYSTER SHELLS! They are plentiful and free on most coasts in the USA, easy to disinfect by boiling, and serve as both hide (for hatchlings mostly unless you find really giant ones) and a rough spot for getting sheds started :)
 
I don't have any hatchlings right now so unfortunately I don't have any photos worth sharing. I can tell you that this idea, which my very creative 9-year old daughter came up with, was the result of discovering that I was unable to find any manufactured hides that would fit in Vivarium Electronics I-80 hatchling tubs... and I really like to make the little ones feel as secure as possible the first few weeks of life. Unlike many bivalves, Oysters have very uneven closures to their shells so hatchlings should have no trouble finding their way underneath the shell to hide. I really like that this option is free, and that not needing a "shedding rock" saves space and means fewer items to clean :)
 
Interesting. A long while back I heard rumors that hunters down in the Florida Keys had great luck finding corn snakes burrowed within mounds of rock and shells that people would pile up ornamentally on and around their property.
 
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