New England Herpetological Society

Boids - Includes all common ground and water dwelling species - not tree dwellers

---

CAGING: Bear in mind that the boids (pronounced BOW-ids) include the largest snakes in the world. A full-grown, sixteen foot (or longer), Burmese python can require two grown men to move it. Cage size should be proportional to the size of the animal; at least three-fourths the length of the snake, but not so large that the snake is lost in it. One snake per cage is advised. On aquariums, use fine mesh wire covers, with clips to hold it on. Be sure they are secure enough to hold the snake. Boids are very strong. On cages with sliding fronts, glass is better than Plexiglas, as it is cheaper and harder for the snake to push out of the track. For bedding, use paper towels, Astroturf, or brown paper or newspaper (black & white only!), as they are cheap and easy to clean or replace. Avoid shavings and other loose materials; they may be swallowed, causing problems for your animal. Provide a hide box for your snake to make it feel more secure and reduce stress on the animal (which can cause illness).

WATER: Your snake should always have clean water, and, when possible, a dish large enough to soak in, especially when shedding.

TEMPERATURE: Boas do well at temperatures from 78-88 degrees F. Propagation and heating mats with thermostats are preferred heat sources, as they maintain a constant temperature. Heat rocks, heat lamps, and heat tape also work, but are not as efficient. Ordinary heating pads work well if placed under the cage. Heat only half of the cage to allow the snake an area to cool off if the heated area gets too hot. Check the temperature by placing a thermometer in the heated area. Don't overheat or chill your snake! They are very susceptible to respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia.

FOOD: Boids can be fed any type of rodent of the right size. Try to get your snake to eat dead food. This reduces the risk of injury to the snake, and sometimes results in a calmer snake. Some snakes will never adjust to dead food, but try it; most will adapt. Don't expect a newly acquired snake to eat right away. It may not be hungry, may need to adjust to its new home, or you may not be offering the food it's used to eating. It may take weeks before it eats for you. Don't panic, keep trying, and don't handle the snake more than necessary before it starts.

HEALTH: Mites are common on these snakes. To eliminate them, place a small piece of 'No-Pest' strip in a jar (with several holes in the lid) in the cage, and leave the jar for 2-3 days. Repeat, if necessary, in two weeks. Remove the water dish while the jar is in the cage.

Cages must be kept clean to prevent mites, ticks, scale rot, and other problems. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles. The cage substrate (bedding) must be kept dry, even for water dwellers, like anacondas.

Though many boids like to soak in water, they must be able to dry off, or they will develop scale rot and blisters.

HANDLING: Most boids don't object to being handled two or three times a week. Some species, such as Anacondas and Reticulated Pythons, often bite when handled. Others, such as the Rosy Boa, will stop eating if handled too much.

Don't handle any snake for 48 hours after feeding, or if it becomes ill or stops feeding, unless the cage needs cleaning.

Keep handling to a minimum when your snake is getting ready to shed. The skin can be damaged easily during this time.

Thamnophis species

---

CAGING: Garter snakes are slender, active snakes, which can be kept in a plastic shoe box until they reach about two feet in length. Thereafter, they can be kept in a plastic sweater box until they reach three feet in length. At this time they are ready for a ten gallon aquarium. On aquariums, use fine mesh wire covers, with clips to hold it on. Be sure they are secure enough to hold the snake. Black and white newspaper or paper towels make good bedding as they are economical and easily removed. Don't use colored paper or sand, shavings, or other bedding which might be swallowed with food, as this can kill your snake. An easy to clean, plastic or ceramic hiding box will provide a sense of security for your snake.

WATER: Fresh water must be available at all times. Garter snakes like to splash in their water dishes. To avoid excessive moisture in the cage, use a large bowl only half full, or use a margarine tub with a hole cut in the lid.

Change the paper should it become soaked. Garter snakes are prone to diseases such as scale rot or blisters if their substrate is not kept dry!

TEMPERATURE: Garter snakes don't require terribly high temperatures; 75 to 80 degrees is fine. This can be provided by an ordinary, drug-store heating pad or a red light bulb in a reflector fitting. (A red light bulb will allow the snake to sleep without having to turn off the heat at night.) The heating pad can be placed under the cage. The light should be placed above the cage so that it shines down into the cage. Place either one so that only one end of the cage is heated, giving your snake a temperature gradient. A thermometer should be kept in the warm end of the cage to assure that you maintain a good temperature.

FOOD: Garter snakes eat frogs, worms and fish in the wild. Nightcrawlers can be easily obtained at bait shops from spring through fall. Feeder fish are available at pet shops. Small garter snakes will eat "tuffies", and larger snakes will eat feeder goldfish. It's fun to put the fish right in the water dish and watch the snake catch the fish. Just make sure the cage is dry when your snake is done, and give the snake fresh water. Fish leave slime behind.

Garter snakes need to be fed more often than rodent eating snakes. Twice a week is good. Some garter snakes can be conditioned to eat pinky mice or pinky rats. Place a dead pinky in a container with nightcrawlers for a few minutes.  Once it is coated with worm scent, offer it to your snake. Eventually, you may not even have to scent the pinky anymore, as long as you offer it cool (not frozen). This diet will reduce the need for frequent feedings. If you keep more than one garter snake in the same cage, they may fight over food, and you may have to remove one of them to a separate container for feeding.

HEALTH: Cages must be kept clean to prevent ticks, mites, infections, scale rot, and other problems. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles.

HANDLING: Garter snakes may bite or musk when first acquired, but they will tame down quickly with handling.

Don't handle any snake for 48 hours after feeding, or if it becomes ill or stops feeding, unless the cage needs cleaning.

Keep handling to a minimum when your snake is getting ready to shed. The skin can be damaged easily during this time.

Elaphe guattata

---

Description: The name corn snake may have originated from the similarity of the belly markings to the checkered pattern on Indian corn. Corn snakes are also known as “red rat snakes". They are usually orange, yellow and black with large red splotches on the back with a white and black-checkered belly. Corn snakes will spend much of their time under cover and they are most active at dusk. In captivity they become very docile, and curious. As hatchlings they can be very fast and skittish. This is normal, in nature they must avoid being eaten. It is normal for a snake to hide for a few days after it has eaten. After digesting it’s meal it will become more active. It is very rare to be bitten by a corn snake. A bite is little more than a scratch. It is also rare for a corn snake to defecate on you as you handle it as other snakes do. Although a corn snake can reach 6’, the average size is around 4.5’ or less.

Of all the reptiles, corn snakes are one of the easiest and hardy animals to keep as a pet. You won’t need a pet sitter if you go away for a week or two, although fresh water is always good. In good health a snake can go a long time without eating. They are easier to care for than any other animal I can think of. They do not eat that often, defecate once a week, and cause no known allergies. They make no noise, and the only odor will be any waste left in the cage.

Corn snakes are available in a variety of phases. Through selective breeding, herpetologists have breed many different colors of corn snakes. Breeding animals with abnormal genes to each other produces different phases of corn snakes. Although the different phases look different, they are the same snake. A few of the popular varieties produced are described below.

• Amelanistic This phase is missing all black pigment in the skin. This is equivalent a human albino, except corn snakes also have yellow, orange, and red colors. As adults my Amels should be all red and orange with white on the underside.

• Snow This phase lacks all red, orange, and black. White is the predominate color with shades of flesh tones in the pattern. As they mature yellows will appear on the head and then along the sides.

• Okettee This is a normal colored snake with exceptional black borders and dark reds.

Home Range: Corn snakes are found throughout Florida and southeastern United States, as far north as Southern New Jersey, and west to Tennessee.

Longevity: Up to 23 years.

Diet: Corn snakes are constrictors and will use their coils to suffocate food before eating. Feeding live food is not recommended, for the safety of the snake. All the snakes I offer are well started on frozen thawed pink mice. Whole mice are a complete balanced meal. No other food is  necessary. Feed hatchlings 1 pink mouse every 4 to 7 days. Feeding every 7 days is sufficient, and you will be able to handle the snake two days after it has eaten.

Never handle before two days has passed. This could cause digestive problems and stress. Feeding more often than every 7 days will speed up the growth rate, but handling will be limited. Fast growth is not always that healthy for animals. As the snake grows the meal size must be increased. By the time they are eating 4 pink mice at a time, move them up to fuzzy mice, them adult mice. As the snake matures they will need to eat less frequently. 1 or 2 adult mice is plenty for a full-grown corn snake per every 10 days. Excess fat can cause problems. A good rule to follow is, the diameter of the meal should not be more than 1 ½ times the diameter of the largest part of the snake’s body. I always feed my snakes separately, in a clean plastic container with no substrate. I never offer food items in the snake’s cage! Snakes are not that intelligent, but they get conditioned to events such as feeding. Feeding in their cage could cause a hungry snake to strike your hand by mistake when you are picking them up. My snakes never expect food in their cage. When I put them in their feeding containers, I do not put my hand in until they have eaten, and then I try to slide them back into their cage without picking them up. Never handle the mice with your hands, use tongs. If you have rodent pets wash your hands before reaching in for your snake, or the scent may cause a strike. I have been bitten only once in three years, and it was my fault. A bite from a pet corn snake will always be associated with feeding, because as hatchlings they will quickly get used to your hands and will not fear you.

Housing: A corn snake needs very little. A 20-gallon long aquarium with a secure clip-on non-abrasive wire top is sufficient for all but the exceptionally large specimens. When the snake reaches around 4’ a longer cage would be preferable. At one end of aquarium you will need a heat mat on the bottom of the glass on the outside.

A 10” x 10” heat mat taped to the bottom of the glass is perfect. The mat must be all the way to one end, and not cover more than one third of the cage. Follow the heat mat safety precautions, as all products are different. The temperature range on the cold end should be between 65° (night time low) to 85° daytime extreme. The warm end should be at 80° to 86° at all times. The two most important things regarding temperature are that the snake has at least 80° temperatures at one end to digest it’s food, and it can cool down if it needs to. It will be necessary to monitor the temperature at the warm end, and control the heat with a rheostat or thermostat.

Substrates make it easier to clean the cage, make it more attractive, and provide the snake something to burrow in. I prefer “ESU Lizard Litter”(best and most expensive), Aspen shavings (least expensive and has a pleasant odor), or “Care Fresh bedding” (super absorbent but smells like wet cardboard when wet). Fresh water in a spill proof dish is necessary (large bowls with a lot of water won’t dry up and will be less likely to tip over). A hide box is also necessary at the warm end. The snake will go under the water dish if the substrate is deep enough at the cool end. I also use a humidity box to help the shedding process. For a hatchling this would consist of a plastic butter container filled with damp moss and a 1” hole cut in the cover. I use a product called “Bed A Beast”. It comes in a brick and needs to be soaked in water for it to expand to look like peat moss. I have never seen this product get moldy, and I use it for egg laying containers also. With a cage set up as I have described, your snake will never have a shedding problem. Ambient room light is all the lighting necessary. Never place a cage in front of a window; sunlight can quickly overheat a snake. In my opinion having sunlight enter the room where an animal live is good for them.

Conclusion: Never forget that a corn snake is a wild animal. They are not cuddly pets that enjoy your affection, and if handled incorrectly may bite. Snakes cannot be trained to perform. Snakes are more of a display animal as tropical fish are, but don’t mind being handled. Sometime they hide a lot, but are very interesting to watch.

Always wash your hands after handling animals. Any reptile can carry salmonella. Toddlers should never handle reptiles; they will have their hands in their mouth before you can wash them.

Lampropeltis getula species (Eastern, Florida, California, Speckled, etc.)

---

CAGING: The cage should provide enough room for your snake to move around in comfortably and be easy to clean; a 15 or 20 gallon aquarium is good for most kingsnakes. Only one snake per cage! Kingsnakes are known to eat other snakes; in fact, they are called kingsnakes because they can even kill and eat venomous snakes.

Black and white newspaper or paper towels make good bedding as they are economical and easily removed.  Don't use colored paper or sand, shavings, or other bedding which might be swallowed with food, as this can kill your snake. The cover of the cage should be very secure, as these snakes are quite good at escaping, and should provide adequate ventilation. An easy to clean, plastic or ceramic hiding box will provide shelter for your snake.

WATER: Fresh water must be available at all times. The water dish should be large enough so that the snake can totally immerse itself.

TEMPERATURE: Kingsnakes are generally temperate climate animals and do best at temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees F, so some type of heating is needed. This can be provided by an ordinary, drug-store heating pad or a red light bulb in a reflector fitting. (A red light bulb will allow the snake to sleep without having to turn off the heat at night.) The heating pad can be placed under the cage. The light should be placed above the cage so that it shines down into the cage. Place either one so that only one end of the cage is heated, giving your snake a temperature gradient. A thermometer should be kept in the warm end of the cage to assure that you maintain a good temperature.

FOOD: Kingsnakes are famous for including other snakes in their diet, but they can be kept healthy in captivity on a diet of mice and small rats. A problem feeder can sometimes be induced to feed if you place the food animals in a shed snake skin. Captive snakes should be fed dead food, as a live mouse could conceivably bite and seriously injure your snake. Kingsnakes sometimes go off their feed, especially during the winter months; don't worry unless it is obviously losing weight.

HEALTH: Mites are common on these snakes. To eliminate them, place a small piece of "No-Pest" strip in a jar (with several holes in the lid) in the cage, and leave the jar for 2-3 days. Repeat, if necessary, in two weeks.  Remove the water dish while the jar is in the cage. Cages must be kept clean to prevent infections, scale rot, and other problems. Anti-bacterial cleaning solutions are recommended. One ounce of bleach in ten ounces of water is one such solution. Rinse the cage with clean water after using any solution. Don't use Lysol, Lestoil or other such oil-based cleaners; they are deadly to reptiles. The cage substrate (bedding) must also be kept dry. Though snakes like to soak in water, they must be able to dry off, or they will develop scale rot and blisters.

HANDLING: Most snakes don't object to being handled two or three times a week. Don't handle any snake for 48 hours after feeding, or if it becomes ill or stops feeding, unless the cage needs cleaning. Keep handling to a minimum when your snake is getting ready to shed. The skin can be damaged easily during this time.