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Glass aquariums , which are perfectly suitable for keeping venomous species , can be found in the pet shops . They are infinitely better than homemade tanks , since most of these are generally not as safe . Many are made from wood , which of course can swell and shrink depending on the temperature , humidity , etc. not to mention that they can warp , leaving , large gaps . Finally , quite a few are constructed with a large quantity of hardware cloth , which of course is totally inadequate when trying to hold venomous serpents . Even if an eager hobbyist decides to go as far as to use plexiglass for viewing purposes , the expense of this becomes so great after a while that the cost will surpass that of a glass tank in the first place , so why bother ? Overall , it is advised that the keeper stick with commercially bought all-glass aquariums . Make sure the one you buy has glass thick enough to avoid the possibility of an occupant smashing through it (while chasing prey , striking at passersby , etc. ) and getting loose .

For your own peace of mind , do not rest a glass tank containing a venomous serpent on any surface that isn't completely steady . A shaky , weak-legged table or a shelf that is too shallow could very easily result in a keeper coming home one day only to find a scattering of shattered glass on the floor , and a venomous maybe even deadly , snake roaming about somewhere . The possible end results of such a mishap are too terrifying and grisly to contemplate ; especially if children are involved . (It goes without saying that people who keep venomous animals in the same house with children are a little crazy to begin with.)


Tank Tops : As far as general security measures with glass tanks are concerned , the top is obviously the most important feature . Tops are available in quite a variety of styles , but the best ones are those that provide adequate ventilation while not giving the animal in question enough space to stick a fang through or squirt some venom from . Mesh-type screening , even the tougher varieties , is almost good enough , but almost is not what the keeper wants . This type of top can tend to be somewhat weak and easy to puncture . Perhaps with some of the smaller species it is acceptable , and of course the young of many of the larger ones , but beyond that , not really . Another commonly seen unacceptable tank top is made primarily of quarter-inch hardware cloth . Although these are more than adequate for harmless snakes , there is certainly enough room in the screening itself for a poisonous snake to slip a fang through , embedding it into the finger of some unfortunate soul . Thus , the keeper is left with one other opion : construct your own top . If you decide to choose this route , use either eighth-inch hardware cloth (it may be harder to find and a little bit more expensive , but it is the perfect medium between fine mesh and quarter-inch) or simply make a solid wood top and drill about six one-inch holes in it , covering these on both sides of the wood with strong wire mesh . In either case , whether you decide to just go ahead and purchase a top or build one from scratch , the most important consideration is to be absolutely sure it can be locked on firmly . Many keepers seem to forger one of the snake's most enduring characteristics : its Houdiniesque knack for getting out of many apparently escape-proof confines .

For the purpose of securing lids you have a few options at your disposal , but the one discussed here is the most popular and probably the most reliable as well . It is nothing more than a small metal clip and can be bought (or at least ordered) in pairs at most herp-oriented petshops . It comes in two general styles : circular and rectangular . The basic idea is that one is attached to each side of the tank , just under the plastic border and then along the edge of the top itself . Of course , if you decide to build your own top you must modify the edges to accommodate these clips . This can be done very easily in a number of ways ; all you really need is a little bit of carpentry skill and some common sense ingenuity . One final suggestion on the top-clip issue that the author feels should be mentioned is that it's an excellent idea to buy not one , but two sets of clips (totaling four) for each cage you intend to use . These would then be placed on all four sides of the tank , thus adding an extra measure of security to the situation . In the long and short of it , it is certainly more sane to spend the extra cash if the final result is going to be double the security . Keep in mind that many places require by law that the keeper not only have his or her venomous snake tanks locked , but also that the 'snake room' be locked as well , with signs clearly posted on the doors as to the nature of what's inside , so in those cases clips will not be sufficient anyway . Furthermore , along the same lines , some places require you to be insured and bonded before you can even keep venomous animals and most homeowners insurance policies do not cover bites by venomous snakes . It is very wise and strongly advised that you check with your relevant government agencies and make absolutely sure you know your corresponding laws before going one step further . In some locations , the fines for violating such rules can be quite severe .


Cage Decor And Shiftboxes : It seems almost pointless to bother with a section on decorating the cage of a poisonous snake , since , as most experienced hobbyists know , in order to keep a nicely arranged tank looking good you must give it a fair share of attention and who wants to stick their hands into a rattlesnake's tank just to put the fake tree branch back in its upright position ? Therefore , the author has decided to sidestep the problem entirely and encourage an absolute minimum usage of cage decoration to begin with . In short , this means things like real plants , elaborate water containers , and natural substrates are basically out , replaced by simpler , although visually more clinical , additives (unless for some reason they are absolutely necessary) .

For example , the substrate . Since this is usually the one item in a snake's cage that gets soiled most often and thus has to be changed most often you are certainly not going to provide a venomous serpent with a bedding that is so intensely detailed that you find yourself pulling everything out of the tank and scrubbing it clean every other day . For those who keep venomous snakes , the entire cleaning process must be as quick and trouble-free as possible . For this purpose , simple paper towels (soft and uncolored) are probably best . They are inexpensive , completely disposable , easy to work with , and safe and clean enough to bed a cage with at all times without suffering the traditional worries of mite infestation , germ warfare , etc. that you get with other substrates . Of course , you may run into those species whose bedding requirements are so unique that paper towels simply will not do , but even in those cases the key word to remember is simplicity , because good husbandry involves constant attention to cleanliness .





Another cage items to be concerned with is a waterbowl , which should be larger on the bottom than at the top so it cannot be tipped . Beware of those that have hollow bottoms . Many a keeper has received quite a surprise by lifting one of these only to find a tiny serpent hiding underneath . Provide a branch or two only in the event that the snake in question is very arboreal and would be considerably more miserable without one (this of course would demand a higher-style tank , which can also be purchased or ordered at any well-stocked petstore) , Also remember to put in a rock or a stone (with only a slightly abrasive surface) to aid in shedding (again , beware of hiders) . Finally and perhaps most importantly , the cage must have a 'shiftbox' in place of the more conventional 'hidebox' seen with the harmless species . When one considers the fact that any captive animal , no matter what it may be , will have to be removed from its place of residence from time to time , it becomes obvious that the need for a reliable method of removal is imperative . Naturally , in the case of venomous snakes , the seriousness of this priority increases tenfold . Therefore , the author would like to suggest a time-tested method that is about as safe as can be in a situation such as this .

The central idea behind the shiftbox is quite simply , a hidebox with a front door that can be locked from the outside , sealed to the point where the prisoner within is not in touch with the outside in any way . Since i know of no shiftboxes offered with any degree of commercial regularity , it becomes necessary for the hobbyist to build his or her own . This can be done with some wood , a few simple tools and rudimentary knowledge of carpentry . The exact details of the matter will not be explained , as doubtless the size and style of the container will vary from species to species , as well as from hobbyist , but the essential idea remains consistent : what you are trying to do is create a box that can be safely shut and locked after the serpent has been 'chased' inside . The box must be sturdy , it must not have any openings whatsoever , and most crucially the 'door' must be utterly reliable , since one can easily imagine the obvious misfortunes that would result if the front popped open while the box was being removed , leaving a very angry cobra or cottonmouth staring you in the face .


Lighting : Some hobbyists , at least those who are familiar with the husbandry of both lizards and turtles , may be aware of the concepts behind proper lighting in the reptile or amphibian aquarium . The theory is that lizards and turtles need full spectrum lighting , which takes the place of actual sunlight , in order to thrive , whereas snakes and frogs etc. , generally do not . However , the point should be made that if you are planning on breeding your stock , venomous or otherwise , full spectrum light should be used regularly . Special bulbs designed for just this purpose can be obtained at your local petstore and are highly recommended by the author .

The second function that lighting serves is called the provision of a 'photoperiod' which simply means the amount of 'daylight' an animal receives . Although a seemingly subtle detail , photoperiods tell a snake things like what season it is (along with temperature , etc.) and this of course has an effect on their overall behavior .

Generally , it is best to provide your captive with the photoperiods they would be experiencing in their natural environment . Thus , if you were keeping a Timber Rattler (Crotalus horridus) and it was midsummer , you would keep the lights on for about twelve to fifteen hours each day . In the fall , the day would of course get shorter . if you do not pay attention to this function , you could confuse an animal very badly and run the risk of it not breeding for you at all .


Heating : Since venomous snakes are cold-blooded , they must rely on whatever heat source is nearby to warm them . In captivity , the provision of that source is solely up to the keeper . One of the most popular methods is by use of what is called a 'hot rock' or 'heat stone' . This is small , commercially available item that looks more or less like a simple terrarium stone , but has a cord running out of it , which connects to a standard socket and provides about 85F - 90F of radiant heat . One nice thing about the 'hot rock' is that a snake can avoid it when it wants to . The down side is that an opening in the tank itself or its cover must be made for the cord to run through , and that of course takes away from security .

A second technique is the use of what are called spot lamps or heat lamps . These too can be avoided by the occupant if it wishes , but again , you must leave room for the wiring if the lamp is actually placed into the cage . Finally , probably the most efficient way to provide heat without sacrificing security is to simply run a small heater in the room itself , regulating the temperature by way of a thermostat . Many models are now avaliable that have built-in regulators , and some are actually rather inexpensive . The ceramic varieties are probably the most merciful on your electric bill , certainly another consideration to keep in mind .


Humidity : A final climatic consideration is humidity . Again , the line of logic to follow there is to go with what is dictated by the animal's natural environment . The keeper can provide humidity a number of ways , but the easiest is to simply mist the inside of the cage on a regular basis . This can be done , safely by aiming a misting bottle through the air holes , being careful not to mist the snake itself . With a reasonable temperature of water this generally will not harm them , but be careful not to spray into their face , as this will certainly irritate them beyond belief .


Tank Cleaning : So now that you have read through the general concepts behind tanks and most importantly how to contain the occupants , the final lesson in housing is how to clean them . Let's say for the sake of argument that your snake has already been encouraged into its shiftbox and the front has been completely secured . Removed the box and place it in yet another closeable container (a bucket with a lid , for example) for added safety . Now that the animal is properly confined , you can clean the tank as you would any other reptile terrarium . A simple method the author has utilized repeatedly with much success is outlined below :







1) Remove all cage items and either dispose of them or wash them with warm , soapy water (liquid dish soap is mild enough , but things like laundry detergent soaps are quite dangerous) and bleach (10 to 1 mixture) , then rinse throughly in cold water .
2) Fill the tank about to one quarter with the same cleaning mixture scrub all sections vigorously (especially corners) and rinse throughly , also with cold water .
3) Replace all decor items , then replace shiftbox , and carefully release occupant .

This is a literally worry-free technique that is both easy and reliable for the destruction of germs . A good , careful cleaning of this kind should be practiced at least every fortnight , but ideally once every week ,