Snakes in the wild spend lots of time lurking in holes, beneath rocks, or under logs. This is to keep themselves safe from predators. It’s just a natural reaction. A pet snake would have the same desire to hide beneath items even if it is kept in captivity. By providing some hiding locations inside the snake cage, you may encourage this natural activity.
These are what I refer to as snake covers, and we’ll go over them in depth in this post.
What is the purpose of a hiding space in a pet snake’s cage, and how would you provide one? Let’s start with your aspirations as a snake owner. You clearly want your pet to be as healthy is feasible for as long as possible.
To do so, you’ll need to recreate some features of the snake’s natural environment. This involves providing hiding places for your snake so that it feels safe in its surroundings. This is critical for your snake’s long-term survival.
Natural Behaviour Imitation
Snakes, in nature, are solitary creatures. In nature, they essentially travel from one hideout to the other in quest of food while also avoiding becoming food. They are frequently found in subterranean burrows dug by other animals, as well as beneath logs and rocks. As a result, a pet snake in cages should have hiding spots as well. As often as possible, it should be left to follow its natural instincts.
Consider the number of squirrels and birds you encounter in the wild vs the number of snakes you encounter. Is there a parallel to be made? Birds want to be out in the open, whilst snakes want to be hidden, for which you could use a snake box.
When snakes have a safe spot to hide, they feel more at ease in their environment and are more likely to engage in normal behaviours like eating. As a result, merely placing covers in your domestic snake’s environment will dramatically improve the likelihood of the animal eating on a routine basis.
It’s excellent to have one snake hide, but possessing several is even better. I recommend placing one on the cage’s warmth and the other on the cold side. (Your cage has to have a thermal gradient) The natural operation of thermoregulation will be aided by placing a cover on both ends of the cage.
Whenever the snake wants to heat up, it can go to a safe spot on the habitat’s warmer side. It can conceal on the colder end of the cage when it wants to cool off. You wouldn’t want the animal to have to pick between solitude and warmth. On both extremes of the thermal spectrum, it should be discrete.
How to Construct a Snake Hide
Many individuals use cardboard hides as a substitute for real hides. However, I do not recommend it. Cardboard absorbs moisture, urine, and faeces, making it an ideal breeding grounds for dangerous microorganisms. You can’t just take cardboard, so you’ll have to keep changing your covers.
A cover made out of plastic, stone, or ceramic, on the other side, can be cleaned as needed. As a result, these covers will last a number of years, possibly for the rest of your snake’s lifetime.
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