A question for those of you who keep many snakes.

[J.huff23]

So the more I've been looking at snakes and since I've been going to the reptile shows I've really been considering keeping many snakes. However I'm just concerned about the amount of space they require. For those of you who keep snakes of many shapes and sizes, how much space do these normally take up. I've seen snake racks for sale that don't take up a whole lot of room and can hold 6 snakes, but I'm just not sure if 5-6 foot snakes will be able to live comfortably in them. They aren't like my tarantulas who can mostly live their whole lives in a 10 gallon or smaller. I'm working with a small area of space until I get my internship in a couple more years.

I want to get some medium sized snakes such as hognose snakes, milks, corns, kings, etc. However I do have a boa and may get another in the future. So how do you guys keep your snakes in a reasonable amount of space in enclosures that don't look too bad. I'm not a fan of the Tupperware or sweater boxes because I would like something with a locking or sliding lid for maximum security of the snakes.

 

[desertanimal]

People who keep many snakes usually keep them in racks in rubbermaid bins. You're right. They don't look very nice. But they are space efficient, and easy to get in and out of quickly, so they are also time efficient.

Truth be told, a hognose or corn snake enclosure really isn't going to look that snazzy anyway, unless you really make it a vivarium, which will be more for your own enjoyment than the snake's.

Your hognoses, corns, kings, and milks can all go in sweaterbox sized containers. They aren't climbers much and really just need floor space. Racks are plenty secure as long as the snakes you put in them are too big to fit between the bottom of the shelf above and the bin edges. I built the rack I had and never had an issue. But if you wanted to put them in tanks, you'd probably want 20gal longs for the larger snakes. This adds up to a lot of space, fast.

Some people do whole walls of those vision cages. Cha. Ching. Most people do racks.

 

[Deftones90]

I guess it depends on how many snakes you're thinking about getting. I have seven at the moment and all are in tanks but some are housed together. If you plan on getting a handful then racks are probably the best course of action. I'm sure there's a tutorial on the net somewhere that would have the instructions to build one at minimal cost.

 

[pitbulllady]

Racks are the way to go, regardless of their visual appeal. If you've got a lot of snakes, of different sizes and they are not primarily display animals for the public or your visitors to look at, then the best thing to do is get a rack system.

pitbulllady

 

[J.huff23]

So with racks will they be able to house full grown and hatchling snakes securely? I'm assuming that pythons are out of the question for snake racks? Are there racks that lock or secure tightly? My main worry is a hatchling escaping from a rack or an adult pushing it open somehow.

 

[pitbulllady]

Very large Boids don't fit into most rack systems, and require specialized cages designed just for them, like BoaMaster cages, unless you're a very good carpenter yourself. Racks come in different sizes and hold different-sized boxes, so you have to get the appropriately sized rack to suit the snakes you are keeping. Hatching Corns wouldn't be housed in the same size rack that you'd keep adult Ball Pythons or large Pine Snakes in. There are actually racks manufactured specifically as "hatchling racks". You can get racks with no built-in heat, or with built-in heat. I have seen really large Eastern Diamondbacks kept in a rack system very efficiently and safely, so you can get those systems that are quite big, and the average BCC isn't going to get any bigger than some of those EDB's I've seen.

pitbulllady

 

[J.huff23]

I plan to house mainly just colubrids like corn snakes, milk snakes, king snakes, and a hognose snake in a rack system. My boa will have her own special enclosure when she gets bigger.

Are there rack systems available that can hold many sizes of tubs? That way I can have smaller tubs when they are hatchlings and switch them to larger tubs when they are older? This way I don't have to buy more than one system because they seem to be pretty expensive in all the places I've been looking. Do you know of any site that sells quality racks at reasonabe prices? The ones I've been finding are around $500.

 

[lumpbump]

You handy with a saw? There's designs for home made racks built from hollow core doors, flex watt for heat, and plastic bins, to be found on the Internet. With a bit of planning you could modify the basic design and create a single rack that has multiple tub sizes for a fraction of the price of commercially built ones. Google search Boaphile plastics. They make multi sized custom stackable cages. Riobravo reptiles has the dyi hollow door rack plans.

 

[J.huff23]

New Question!:


I'm looking up build it yourself snake racks with interchangeable tubs and I need to know what size tubs I'll need for hatchling/yearling snakes and also what size tubs I'll need for full grown snakes. All colubrids and snakes 6 feet or under. What quart sizes do I need. Also, does anybody know of any good build it yourself tutorials? I found a few but you guys are more experienced than I and I just want to know what worked for you.

Thanks Again!
-Jake

 

[cantthinkofone]

i built my own rack but its more like a book shelf. all of the tanks sit on it. i also have random tanks scattered through my house. theres at least one in every room.

 

[desertanimal]

There are plenty of rack-building tutorials on colubrid fora, like cornsnakes.com and the like. If you want to use different sized tubs in one rack, the easiest way may be to build your own. It's not hard. For smaller snakes, you have to make sure there's no space btw the tub sides and the shelf above, and choose tubs that will make a nice tight fit (no depressions where handles attach, etc). You'll build your rack to fit your exact tubs. Although some ppl suspend their tubs using guide screws that hold the edges. Just find a bunch of how-to threads and figure out what will work best for you and go for it.