Opinions Rack VS Enclosure

Hey everyone,

Right now I have 2 snakes a BP and a corn. When I get back from my business trip I will be picking up a KSB and a childrens python with plans to get a second childrens down the road. I keep going back and forth between housing options. I really like having cages so I can view my snakes, but being that I will be adding to my collection my wife wants me to convert my office into a room to house my snakes, which means they won't be on "display". I had planned on building a metal frame on casters to hold my snake enclosures, planned on going with AP, but now that I am looking at more animals I'm researching racks for cost effectivness.


Now to my questions:

How escape proof are these racks, most of the commercially made ones I see dont have lids are locks, is there enough friction to keep the snakes from nosing out?

Is it logical to keep all these different breeds with different heat requirements in the same rack?

Will I need different thermostats?

Also I know the ball and the KSB will be fine in the rack because they barely move all day, but my corn is active and a climber, and from what I have heard so will the childrens, are any of the racks big enough to to allow them to freely roam around. I just want to make sure I give my snakes the best home possible, if that means spending more so be it.

Any other input would be appreciated... Thank you all!

Depending on where you get your rack from and the age of your snake you will probably be fine. There is a thin gap between the lips of the tubs and the top shelf of the rack. While a baby cornsnake can probably get out through that gap, an adult wouldn't. Nor would anything appropriate size be able to. It's not realy about friction, it's about weight.

Whie there are other safety measures you can take as drilling a hole to put a peg or something of that nature to where it would hit before sliding out. But you wouldn't really have to worry unless your corn snake is really small.

As far as keeping different species in the same rack, I know people that do without any issues, I personally wouldn't but it can be done. Some rack levels on a rack system can vary by a few degrees.

Once you get to 5-10 snakes, I'd go racks 5 and less, I'd consider stacking display enclosures.

Now let's answer your questions. Racks are more escape proof than enclosures when they're shut all the way. Animal Plastic sells display enclosures, and all of them come with stacking pins. They are little pins that allow you to stack enclosure in enclosure without them sliding or moving out of place. Would you need different thermostats for snakes with different heat requirements? Yes. A corn and Ball could share one at 88-90°. Idk what the heat requirements for your other snakes are so I couldn't tell ya. I'd go AP display enclosures. They'll be nice and neat, but you'll actually see your animals when you want to.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Depending on where you get your rack from and the age of your snake you will probably be fine. There is a thin gap between the lips of the tubs and the top shelf of the rack. While a baby cornsnake can probably get out through that gap, an adult wouldn't. Nor would anything appropriate size be able to. It's not realy about friction, it's about weight.

Whie there are other safety measures you can take as drilling a hole to put a peg or something of that nature to where it would hit before sliding out. But you wouldn't really have to worry unless your corn snake is really small.

As far as keeping different species in the same rack, I know people that do without any issues, I personally wouldn't but it can be done. Some rack levels on a rack system can vary by a few degrees.

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The childrens python is the one that I worry about, he is a baby baby and thinner than my pinky finger...but that being said most people that I have talked to are putting them in a kritter keeper then setting that inside the enclosure to maintian temps because they are just too small even for a normal enclosure.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Depending on where you get your rack from and the age of your snake you will probably be fine. There is a thin gap between the lips of the tubs and the top shelf of the rack. While a baby cornsnake can probably get out through that gap, an adult wouldn't. Nor would anything appropriate size be able to. It's not realy about friction, it's about weight.

Whie there are other safety measures you can take as drilling a hole to put a peg or something of that nature to where it would hit before sliding out. But you wouldn't really have to worry unless your corn snake is really small.

As far as keeping different species in the same rack, I know people that do without any issues, I personally wouldn't but it can be done. Some rack levels on a rack system can vary by a few degrees.

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The childrens python is the one that I worry about, he is a baby baby and thinner than my pinky finger...but that being said most people that I have talked to are putting them in a kritter keeper then setting that inside the enclosure to maintian temps because they are just too small even for a normal enclosure.

Well then you're still going to run into an issue because racks aren't deep enough to have a kritter keeper in them unless it's the small one, or maybe the one that's long and not tall.

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Originally Posted by Neal

Well then you're still going to run into an issue because racks aren't deep enough to have a kritter keeper in them unless it's the small one, or maybe the one that's long and not tall.

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I figured as much...apparently the childrens will use every inch of their enclousre and love to climb...looks like I may need to go the enclosure route just to play it safe...now to figure out which size...I keep going back and forth between the T8, T3, and the T5. The T8 is cheaper and I can section it off if need be, but I like how the T5 is taller...since I would be custom building the frame I guess I could mix and match, although my engineering side would come out and if all the lines of the system didn't match it would probably drive me insane haha.

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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

I figured as much...apparently the childrens will use every inch of their enclousre and love to climb...looks like I may need to go the enclosure route just to play it safe...now to figure out which size...I keep going back and forth between the T8, T3, and the T5. The T8 is cheaper and I can section it off if need be, but I like how the T5 is taller...since I would be custom building the frame I guess I could mix and match, although my engineering side would come out and if all the lines of the system didn't match it would probably drive me insane haha.

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Why would you buy something as big as a T8 for Balls/children's/corns, etc? :o if you do, buy the pop in/out dividers and buy two enclosures, and then use that + the dividers as four enclosures via dividers :) I will be purchasing a T8 this morning :) but it'll be for my adult boa lol :p

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Originally Posted by B.O.S Reptiles

Why would you buy something as big as a T8 for Balls/children's/corns, etc? :o if you do, buy the pop in/out dividers and buy two enclosures, and then use that + the dividers as four enclosures via dividers :) I will be purchasing a T8 this morning :) but it'll be for my adult boa lol :p

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I would put the corn in a T8 in a heart beat, he is currently in a 3 foot cage and can't stretch out in it and is constantly on the move. Clibming and going back and forth from side to side. The same has been said for the childrens. Everyone I have talked to that owns one said a 3 ft cage is nice but they will use every inch of a 4 foot. A lot of people put their adult BPs in a T8 as long as you keep them comfortable with plenty of hides its a good enclousure. I like giving my snakes the options to move around and dont want to keep them cramped up. The only thing I would put a divider in the the the T8 for is KSB.

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Originally Posted by jclaiborne

I would put the corn in a T8 in a heart beat, he is currently in a 3 foot cage and can't stretch out in it and is constantly on the move. Clibming and going back and forth from side to side. The same has been said for the childrens. Everyone I have talked to that owns one said a 3 ft cage is nice but they will use every inch of a 4 foot. A lot of people put their adult BPs in a T8 as long as you keep them comfortable with plenty of hides its a good enclousure. I like giving my snakes the options to move around and dont want to keep them cramped up. The only thing I would put a divider in the the the T8 for is KSB.

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I like giving my snakes room as well. I wouldn't get one though because my exo terra works fine for my Rufous Beaked.

Yeah, I have been looking into AP t8's as well. I have 4 snakes now (3 BP's, 1 corn) and I think they are the way to go. I am going to be buying them before the end of the year, I hope. With racks, I just don't like the "laboratory feel" that they have. I prefer to give the snakes more room to roam. All my BP's and my corn like to climb, so I may even get the T10 - I know they'll use the space. I can't imagine keeping them in a tub that is only about 6" tall. That just doesn't seem tall enough for me.

Hello Erik, how've you been?

Last time I checked 90F is too hot for a corn snake, unless you provide a big enough enclosure to create a large thermal gradient.... but you recommended someone divide a t8 in half for corns/balls. In that case you could not share a thermostat for a ball and a corn.

Agreed. 85 is the max hot spot for a corn, from everything I've read.
I think a t8 would work fine for corn. They love the space to roam!
I'm with you about the look of a rack. I know about the practicality, but I really like being able to peek in on my snakes without totally disturbing them. I like the look of backgrounds and cool hides and fake plants and climbing branches. Some of that's for me, obviously, my bp and my corn use their branches. That wouldn't really work in a rack.
I think I'm on the track if building custom, stacked vivs. That's a little ways off, but these snakes are going to live for like 20-30 years, right? I've got time! ;)