Paper towel tubes

Does anyone else have a snake that thinks paper towel tubes are the greatest things ever? I usually put one in the tank when I finish a roll, just until it gets dirty or my girl knocks it into the water dish, which doesn't take long, but she will crawl in it and over it all day long like it's the best thing she has ever seen. It's not like she can curl up and hide in it, I don't know what the fascination is. I just put one in there once for giggles to see what she would do. Since it's such a hit, I am thinking about going to Home Depot and getting a cut of a big PVC pipe for her, something that can be cleaned and is permanent.

Anyone else discover a "toy" that your snake goes crazy for?

The tube sounds like an interesting "toy" as you describe it. However, I would NOT use anything like PVC for the same purpose, and especially not something big enough for them to "hide" in.

You should never use a hide that you can't simply lift off the snake's body and pick the snake up with minimal fuss.

I used a paper towel tube as a hide for my very first snake (cape gopher snake) way back in the day. He crawled into that thing and curled up in it and there was NOTHING I could do to convince him to come out again. I ended up having to cut/tear the tube off of him. Needless to say, the whole situation was probably very stressful for both of us. I probably would have been in a panic if it had been something I couldn't just tear, like a pvc pipe.

So...I think the tube is ok as an occasional enrichment toy...so long as there is zero risk of the snake getting stuck in it, and so long as the tube is paper and can be easily cut away in the not-so-unlikely event they get stuck anyway, because these little buggers never cease to astonish us with the sorts of trouble they can get themselves into.

But size should be paid close attention to. It should not be so small that they risk getting their body stuck in it crawling through....nor so large that they can curl up inside and wedge themselves into the center. And whatever the tube is, it should be something easily torn away.

My snakes go crazy over rats, I don't know what it is it's like my dog when he gets a new ball lol. ;) If you get a large pvc tube I'd cut the bottom off so the snake can't wedge itself inside like Judy said. I've done that before and they definitely seem to dig being able to go in and on the tube. :D

Good advice actually, thank you! That never crossed my mind simply because all I have seen her do is crawl through and over, never hide in. But of course, that doesn't mean she wouldn't try. I will stick to paper!

Two of my snakes have wonderful "Toys"...I use toilet paper roll tubes instead of the longer paper towel rolls - or I cut the longer rolls shorter. It makes it easier to get them out if need be. Like your snake - Ryn absolutely LOVES them - and it doesn't take her long to dunk it in the water. Tortuga loves paper bags though. I think she likes the crunching feeling/noise it makes when she slithers over it. She goes bonkers when I put one in her tank. Well..as bonkers as a snake can go :P

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Originally Posted by boadaddy

My snakes go crazy over rats, I don't know what it is it's like my dog when he gets a new ball lol. ;) If you get a large pvc tube I'd cut the bottom off so the snake can't wedge itself inside like Judy said. I've done that before and they definitely seem to dig being able to go in and on the tube. :D

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I'm not sure how big she is - but if shes a smaller snake, you could always get the bigger PVC used for plumbing (the stuff that is around 6" in dia.) and cut it in half, semi-circle hide! Can't get wedged in that!

Kaa is obsessed with paper towel tubes as well - along with pockets. Every-time I hold him ,he always dives right for my hoodie pockets or any other close pocket - and is content to plop inside of them with his head sticking out. It's going to be a sad day when he is too big to do so anymore haha.

I've also started saving paper towel tubes since he seems to love those as well.

Took this picture back on the 13th of november:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/342...1113000207.png

I was doing physics and had the tube standing up right on my coffee table since I was using it. Kaa slid on up to the table, knocked the thing over and made it his own.

Pixel sure loves them, figures he might as well just eat and stay "inside" his tube"

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0803.jpg

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0804.jpg

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0805.jpg

Yeah, mine love the tubes, too. "Hey, it's a cylinder! I'm a cylinder! We gotta get together."

But I use mailing tubes from the Fedex store now. My adults can fit in those, AND I can push them out again if I need to.

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Originally Posted by SquamishSerpents

Pixel sure loves them, figures he might as well just eat and stay "inside" his tube"

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...e/IMG_0804.jpg

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This is the funniest dang thing I've seen all day.

A couple of mine are obsessed with paper towel rolls. :> It's ADORABLE. But one of them...

http://i42.tinypic.com/k9dxt3.jpg

Loves paper rolls! Hehe, he fits better. He slithered off the rack into the tube. :P Got stuck, hehe.

I have quite a few that love them: My normal corn and king live in theirs and I'm sure some of my other snakes would too if they had them in their tubs (they don't have the luxury of having them since I think some would get stuck with their chubby butts).

My crestie quite enjoys his as well :)

I bought a PVC T-piece. It's 2" in diameter and my new baby Enchi loves it. I think it might be the smoothness, but she spent her first night sleeping on top of it.....and the good thing is that I vould just tilt it a bit and she'd slide right out having to go an inch or so max as a hatchling, if she curled up in there..

Hahaha, I agree! Thanks for the pic, SquamishSerpents, that is amazing!

Yeah, I love watching my girl crawl through the tube and poke her little nose out at the other side and then look back at her tail sticking out the other end all confused. It's so adorable to watch them try to figure things out with the simple little brain nature gave them. They are such curious and innocent little creatures.

Toxic Tessa, Kaa is adorable! My Zola interrupts my homework too. It seems like she will never sit still when I am trying to do something, but if I want to play and watch her crawl, she just sits on my hand and stares at me. Cheeky.

I heavily advise AGAINST using PVC tubes, because they WILL get stuck. I had a snake get stuck in this so called toy of paper towel roll, and I had to rip it off.

I've got to try a tube now. My Baloo is a crack up. She seems to be obsessed with being half in and half out of any hole in her viv. :rolleyes: I'm starting to wonder if she thinks she's a dog or something. I came home this morning to find her stretched out across her viv with her head resting on her tree hide looking around. She reminded me of my dog when she's bidding for my attention. hahaha

haha thanks guys, he's a real character.

wow i didn't know PVC tubes posed such a risk! are you sure they were stuck, and not just reluctant to come out? i know when i try to get my snakes out of the paper tubes, sometimes they tense up all their muscles, and i guess sort of "inflate" themselves in an effort to NOT let you remove them. i imagine they would come out on their own time?

but yeah if people think their snakes have been stuck, i would most definitely stay away from PVC tube. i've had a snake get stuck before, and it was soooooo awful. i will see if i can dig up a photo of the thing she got stuck in, i totally didn't even think it was possible, but there she was with her head quite literally STUCK inside. they can be kind of silly, sometimes. trying to fit in spaces they clearly won't fit in.

i have another really good tube photo of my Dumeril's boa, it's not uploaded though so perhaps i'll post that when i get home from work.

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Originally Posted by Emily Hubbard

Does anyone else have a snake that thinks paper towel tubes are the greatest things ever? I usually put one in the tank when I finish a roll, just until it gets dirty or my girl knocks it into the water dish, which doesn't take long, but she will crawl in it and over it all day long like it's the best thing she has ever seen. It's not like she can curl up and hide in it, I don't know what the fascination is. I just put one in there once for giggles to see what she would do. Since it's such a hit, I am thinking about going to Home Depot and getting a cut of a big PVC pipe for her, something that can be cleaned and is permanent.

Anyone else discover a "toy" that your snake goes crazy for?

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Iggy's first "happy place" was paper towel tubes.

She ignored her pricey store bought hides and spent all her time in her tubes.

She was really upset when she outgrew her ability to get out of them.
[she could curl up inside of them]

The last time she went in, I had to carefully unwrap the tube to get her out and she hasn't had one, since.

I keep an eye open for discarded carpet tubes, now.

I bet she'd love those....:)

The other "toy" that one snake is batty about is his "stone pillow" right at the entrance of his favorite hide.

It's just a cleaned flat river rock but he is always resting his head on it, watching me go about my chores.

One time I moved it to clean up some mess and forgot to put it back "in place".

I found him looking disgusted with the rest of his body in his hide and his neck stretched waaaay out to rest his head on the rock which was now about 6-8 inches from where it "should be".

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Originally Posted by loonunit

This is the funniest dang thing I've seen all day.

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The rare and mysterious "Hermit Ball Python"


:D

Maybe cut the cardboard with before you put it in there? It should stay together somewhat and then you could just pull it apart if you needed to.

haha this is funny! I was talking to my wife last week about my smaller mojave's obsession with the paper towel rolls. Whenever I clean her tub I put her on the bed & she will speed to the paper towels and hand out inside the roll. Last night I finally had a opportunity to show my wife & she was laughing & suggested that I stick a empty one in her tub as a "toy". I ended up putting them in & I heard her all night playing with them.


Here she is in 2 that I put together last night to show my wife.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a49...1/IMAG0301.jpg

my girl likes to play with hair, not mine of course,but she likes my husbands shaved hair, she sort of bobs her head as she passes over like its tickling her. My mom has long hair that she likes to slither through, then she'll wrap herself around her hair clip like an she's an accessory

i just tossed in a tp roll to see how that goes

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Originally Posted by loonunit

This is the funniest dang thing I've seen all day.

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agreed i literally loled

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

I heavily advise AGAINST using PVC tubes, because they WILL get stuck. I had a snake get stuck in this so called toy of paper towel roll, and I had to rip it off.

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How wide of a PVC? They get stuck in the paper towel tubes because they're small and narrow. But any tube with a diameter greater than 3" I have no problem pushing them out of. Adults included.

EDIT: Yeah, my mailing tubes are 4". Basically, anything I can stick my hand into seems to work pretty well. 4" diameter leaves room for big, muscular adults. I've been thinking about 4" PVC because it is smooth (easier to push them out). And I could clean it if they wee in it, rather than having to throw it out.

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Originally Posted by heyitssupergirl

my girl likes to play with hair, not mine of course,but she likes my husbands shaved hair, she sort of bobs her head as she passes over like its tickling her. My mom has long hair that she likes to slither through, then she'll wrap herself around her hair clip like an she's an accessory

i just tossed in a tp roll to see how that goes

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That's how I got my Spider, Leon.

I was looking at him at a show and he zoomed up my arm and tangled himself hopelessly in my hair.

It was either buy hm or cut my hair off.....:)

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Originally Posted by loonunit

How wide of a PVC? They get stuck in the paper towel tubes because they're small and narrow. But any tube with a diameter greater than 3" I have no problem pushing them out of. Adults included.

EDIT: Yeah, my mailing tubes are 4". Basically, anything I can stick my hand into seems to work pretty well. 4" diameter leaves room for big, muscular adults. I've been thinking about 4" PVC because it is smooth (easier to push them out). And I could clean it if they wee in it, rather than having to throw it out.

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Yes, I would tend to agree with this statement, loonunit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by loonunit

How wide of a PVC? They get stuck in the paper towel tubes because they're small and narrow. But any tube with a diameter greater than 3" I have no problem pushing them out of. Adults included.

EDIT: Yeah, my mailing tubes are 4". Basically, anything I can stick my hand into seems to work pretty well. 4" diameter leaves room for big, muscular adults. I've been thinking about 4" PVC because it is smooth (easier to push them out). And I could clean it if they wee in it, rather than having to throw it out.

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I've got my hatchling with a 2" PVC T-piece that she can lay on top of, which she loves....think it's something to do with the smoothness, but of course when she gets even near 2/3rd's of the diameter I'll toss it and get something different or just bigger.

My concern of course is when they go through it twice, ball up inside, etc. Don't forget they like to squeeze into tight places. Just be careful.

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Originally Posted by Jessica Loesch

My concern of course is when they go through it twice, ball up inside, etc. Don't forget they like to squeeze into tight places. Just be careful.

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Theres nowhere tight in there, plus it's so small in length theres no way I couldn't grab her. I could see with a long tube, but this thing is maybe 6" long at most, and so slippery inside she'd slide right out if I had to get her.....thou at her size now it's like a cave to her (little worm). Thx for the concern thou.

DO NOT use PVC or ABS :colbert: ... at the time I thought it would be a great idea so I put a section of ABS in my snakes tank about 2 1/2' long. It is either now stuck or refusing to come out. Luckily I have years of plumbing experience so cutting him out is easy and safe in my hands but slow and tedious ><. BTW thats his feeding tank in the back ground. His main tank is 4' long 2' wide and 3' high.. no idea the gallons lol

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...0243521127.jpg

removed safely :banana:

http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/g...0014731165.jpg

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Originally Posted by Salamander

The other "toy" that one snake is batty about is his "stone pillow" right at the entrance of his favorite hide.

It's just a cleaned flat river rock but he is always resting his head on it, watching me go about my chores.

One time I moved it to clean up some mess and forgot to put it back "in place".

I found him looking disgusted with the rest of his body in his hide and his neck stretched waaaay out to rest his head on the rock which was now about 6-8 inches from where it "should be".

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That seriously made me lol, this story is wayy adorable. Now I want to look around for a flat rock and see if mine will turn it into a new pillow XD I would love to see some pictures <3

TP rolls make great hides for hatchlings! When they get dirty or the snake gets a lil too big, just throw them away (or recycle them)...