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What large hides do you use?

Lolo

Lolo

Surrounded by snakes
I have 12 pythons and 9 colubrids (8 corns and a hognose), and have noticed a difference in their hide preferences... the pythons like them tight-fitting, to the point where it's almost too small, but the colubrids seem to prefer more open hides. My adult ghost just has a cardboard tube, and Dash the fatso has a big homemade plastic bowl hide. They both seem fairly content with these, but my two adult amel girls aren't happy with theirs - they've both tried an Exoterra medium cave & Animal Plastics large box hide, and don't care to use either.

So I was thinking maybe they'd like something more open, like a large half-log?? I started with ball pythons, and everyone said NO HALF-LOGS because they're not secure enough for a BP... but do corns like these? If not, what do you all use for your larger adults? They actually seemed to like their layboxes, but I removed those when I decided neither are gravid (and I don't want to try again this season) - no point in keeping wet moss in their tub, unless I'm expecting eggs. :cool: Anyway, just thought I'd ask for suggestions!

P.S. All of my snakes live in racks/tubs... the adult corns are in 28qt tubs, except for Dash who's in a 41qt.
 
Both my big adults like their ExoTerra caves, but I think they are the large ones. If they like their lay boxes, why not give them back, but with aspen in them instead of moss? ;) My smaller adult guy likes his ice cream tub with a hole in the top and aspen inside. You can certainly try a half-log; no harm in trying.
 
Try a big flat piece of corkbark, or several pieces slightly overlapping. I can't really say I have corns that like those half logs, but you never know. They are too open. They like to lounge on top of them, though. Obviously, judging by the number of 400g or larger snakes I have that will pack themselves into a paper towel roll, they must prefer tighter hides. It's too bad there isn't just a slightly larger size of cardboard tube. I'm afraid to use PVC.

Oooh- I've seen corkbark round tubes, too. I bet they would love those. I just have never tried them.
 
Nanci said:
It's too bad there isn't just a slightly larger size of cardboard tube. I'm afraid to use PVC.
Click to expand...

Maybe try scoping out various wrapping paper tubes? I use the inner tube from aquarium background for my ferrets to play in. You might ask your local pet stores to save the tubes after the background is all gone.
 
I have seen a bamboo tube for sale that might work for a larger snake who likes a tight hide. Marbles, my BP, likes an inverted plastic dogbowl with a doorway. He BARELY fits but likes it well. He also likes to lounge ON TOP of a wooden halflog. Several of my large corns are happy with empty plastic coffeecans with a doorway cut in the lid, they just barely fit into the can & that seems to work. I have tried Kleenex boxes too, and several large corns liked those, but not all. Maybe a cheap mailing box from USPS of a suitable size, cut a door & seal it up with glue so it will stay a box until it gets wet or mildewy then tear apart to get the snake out & discard?

Edit: Round oatmeal containers! Find someone who eats oatmeal & give them the oatmeal, or make cookies.
 
Go to a fabric store they always have different sized tubes.I have a large ghost female that loves her cigar box. I put the lid on the bottom and cut a hole in the side.Makes for easy removal.
 
Don't forget to check the rodent and aquarium sections of your local pet store. I have found tons of neat things, and for much cheaper than the reptile accessories. My neighborhood pet shop sells tube-shaped wooden logs for $3.
 
My snakes go between the pages of the newspaper I use in their tubs...

BUT, if you want tubes, how about PVC pipe from Lowes? Comes in lots of diameters. Cut it to the length you want and maybe sand smooth the edges. I use them for various aquarium functions.
 
Because, I don't know, what if there's an emergency and you have to get them out! You can't just rip it open. It's so rigid. Probably an irrational fear. But I did not like the experience of having to saw a hide open to get a snake out the one time I had to do it...
 
I also use the cork bark logs. But i mix it in with weather proof plants from Michael's, which are cheap huge and can be bundled and stuffed into all kinds of places to give smaller snakes and even large snakes a great snuggle up spot to hide in. i like to give my snakes all kinds of new and interesting things, so i bake strips of bark i collect from outside, make my own driftwood huts, and of course the doggie bowl with the hole under it, its a great easy way to give you snake a cool hide and a waterbowl all at once :)
 
My corn is most often found in a large cork bark were she still has a good few inches of empty space above. I also have seen her use the paper towel substrate and occasionaly a half log hide. When she was younger, it seems that she would alwasy go for the really tight hides that looked too small, now she generally isn't afraid to show a little. Often lately, the has just been wedging herself between the side of the tank and the cork log.

As for my hognose, she is usually out basking in the open during the day. When she does hide though, its usually in a rock cave that looks way to small.
 
This is my second largest corn, Ruby, in his paper towel tube. He weighs in at 500g.
 

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I gave Jasmine a mini-moist hide when she was a baby. She really, really liked it, so I was loathe to take it away from her as she grew. Until I saw this...(Yup- she's over 300g, and was still able to stuff herself into that, mostly)
 

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I went to the dollar store and bought that soft coconut liner for wire baskets. I just turned it upside down and cut a U-shape for entry. The dollar store near me had different sizes - my big snakes LOVE it. It's also nice because it's pliable, so I can bend it around logs or squish it in among climbing branches. Of course, I still don't have a camera to take decent pics of anything (I still owe pictures of my snakes and snake room!), but here is the liner I'm talking about...
 

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A year ago, at only 150 grams! I guess they grow fast, but when you see them every day, it's not so noticeable!!
 

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Thanks for all of the great ideas! And those pictures.... soooooo cute. :D Sounds like corns are partial to bowls and tubes, so maybe I'll experiment with something like that. As I said in my original post, Joxer and Dash have a cardboard tube & plastic bowl respectively. I've also used a yogurt cup with a hole on top for babies - first it was Scout's, and now it belongs to Wednesday.

Here's Scout when he still had it:
DSCF3446.jpg
 
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