Snake hides(houses)

So since I've been at the studio a lot, I like to make useful things and one thing I wanted to make was a snake hide. So the first snake hide is finally done.

It's made from lowfire earthenware clay, with added glaze only in the decorative lines. It is not glazed otherwise. This is finished pottery and can be washed just like other pottery.

This first one is about the right size for a BP hatchling but I am working on other larger ones with different decorations. I'd love to hear what people think. Like it? Don't like it? Think something should be different?

Restrictions that I have already put out there for other people who have seen it, it CAN NOT be glazed all over because that would make it stick to the kiln shelf during firing. Usually bowls are glazed all over EXCEPT for the bottom rim they sit on, but for this, leaving that unglazed would be a unglazed top on the hide, so I just left this one as-is.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psfkwc9rut.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psvynf9nvq.jpg

I like it ,creative !!

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Nice. I like it too. I'm not really familiar with how finished clay stuff works but can unglazed clay stuff soak up liquids? If it can, you might want to glaze it as it would soak up snake pee and get a permanent stink to it after a while I would imagine.

I love it! And I love that it is round.

I have four snakes that live in their water bowls. They will not use the retangular hides from RB. Husbandry is on, but these particular snakes LOVE their bowls, even when all of the water is splashed out. I believe that these individual snakes just prefer "round" for security since it hugs them All the way around.

And it is hard finding large hides for 6-8 ft snakes that look descent.

If you are going to sell some please shoot me a PM. :)


Elenore, Common BI
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...fa3152975d.jpg

Etta, Coastal Carpet
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...2c4cc51534.jpg

Very nice! I know that it can't be glazed all over... I wonder if there would be a way to glaze the inside, and leave the outside unglazed? One of my snakes loves to smear his poop everywhere. The pied, of course. I'd be concerned about how well I'd be able to get snake poop off the unglazed pottery, but I'd be more concerned about making sure the inside were clean. How well would it hold up to high humidity? I know pottery can absorb fluids, if left in them too long - which is why I do not put my stoneware dishes into a sink full of water to soak before washing them. The unglazed 'foot' can soak up moisture. I'd rather have a 'foot' on top than an unglazed interior, I think.

Thanks guys.

Yes, I have been thinking of glazing the inside, but that would also limit what I can do on the outside, and without outside decoration, it wouldn't look very distinct. But I am debating it. There's a few methods that I'll be poking at. I can glaze the inside and rim, as long as there is not glaze on the outside/top.

I never really thought about snakes preferring round to square, but it does make sense.

If I do get to the point of selling any, I will post here in the For sale type section. After all, THIS is the premiere ball python site. Period.(also it's the only reptile website I haven't left because I got tired of nasty attitudes and drama, because BP.net doesn't have that!)

As far as cleaning, my very first concern was scrubbing snake poo off. Once i've shown this to a few people, I do intend to test it by scrubbing and getting it dirty. I know it can easily be sanitized like any stoneware, but scrubbing even slightly porous stoneware can be a trial.

I've got a vase that I purchased years ago... hand thrown, sort of 'urn' style. I'm not sure how the coloration on it was done, but what the craftsman told me is that it's a 'burn-away' method, where they wrap or nest it in straw or something like that, and as it's firing, the material burns away to leave colored stains on the pottery. It looks great - unfortunately, it's not glazed on the inside! I discovered that it doesn't hold water, after putting some clippings in it and filling it up. Water everywhere... I don't bother with dry arrangements, so now it's just a pretty vase on top of the gun cabinet. Heh. The clay that was used was sort of a rusty beige color, and it's mottled with darker streaks and swaths, some sort of purplish, some more brown. Not sure if that's something you would want to look into or not, but it would make for a pretty neat snake hide, without including any glazing on the outside.

Sorry for the double post. Since I know nothing about pottery, I figured it would make more sense if I took some photos of the vase I was talking about and posted them. Had to wash some dust off. Lots of dust... Nevada's biggest native crop. Anyway, apparently there's a 10-minute time limit for editing, so here's another post to show the vase.

Side:
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/...psdbdqcj1p.jpg

Other side:
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/...psbwou1faa.jpg

Bottom:
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/...psnxxmh8az.jpg

Top:
http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/...psuggby0b8.jpg

That's raku pottery, made with a reduction firing. I would NOT assume that was "food safe" and be wary about using it with animals too. Depending on the 'how', it could have even been a lowfire reduction firing, but the stamp on the bottom suggest commercial pottery origin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

That's raku pottery, made with a reduction firing. I would NOT assume that was "food safe" and be wary about using it with animals too. Depending on the 'how', it could have even been a lowfire reduction firing, but the stamp on the bottom suggest commercial pottery origin.

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Ahhh, okay. See, I know nothing about pottery! It looks nice on top of the cabinet - but it's not even any good for flowers. I picked it up in Tasmania at an outdoor market... twenty odd years ago. I've seen Raku before, but only glazed stuff.