Big hides...

Hi everyone!

Im trying to "do up" my taiwan beauty snakes viv to make it look more natural...but shes too big! Currently she hides in a cat litter tray or an overturned plastic bin, but these look pretty cheap and tacky! Shes nearly at the 7ft mark now, so is a big snake, and all of the nice natural looking hides (such as the exoterra ones) are far too small. Does anyone have any good ideas for a BIG, natural looking hide? Shes long, but shes not got the girth of, say, a boa of the same length so I reckon this might be possible?!

Any help is much appreciated,

Cheers

SHOTTY :)

...heres her tank by the way in case it helps with suggestions?...

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...2/CIMG2274.JPG

Cork bark - tubes or flats. Google them.

Kind of off-topic... do you have a lock on that cage? With a 7 ft. snake, you're going to want one of those to make sure it cannot escape.

Kind of off-topic... can I see a picture of the snake? I thought 'Tawain Beauty Snakes' where like rat snakes or house snakes.. I didn't know that got that big!!

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Originally Posted by Kilo

Kind of off-topic... can I see a picture of the snake? I thought 'Tawain Beauty Snakes' where like rat snakes or house snakes.. I didn't know that got that big!!

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Tawain Beauty Snakes ARE rat snakes. (House snakes are something different.) And some species of rat snakes can get really big. Do a site search for Blue Beauty and see some great pics of Sheree's snakes. (Very closely related to the Tawain Beauties) They get really long, but not anywhere near as thick or heavy as a boid of the same length. Still, extremely impressive snakes!!

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Originally Posted by JLC

Tawain Beauty Snakes ARE rat snakes. (House snakes are something different.) And some species of rat snakes can get really big. Do a site search for Blue Beauty and see some great pics of Sheree's snakes. (Very closely related to the Tawain Beauties) They get really long, but not anywhere near as thick or heavy as a boid of the same length. Still, extremely impressive snakes!!

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That's awesome! Thanks Judy!

Is that the habistat thermostats you use?

ESU has some really nice looking hides that may be big enough...maybe the extra large or giant? We use extra larges for both our ball python and Surinam boa; the boa is pushing 4' and 1.5lb, the ball 3.5' and 2.25lbs and there's room for them to grow a bit in those hides, although they certainly aren't as long as your beauty snake...

is the robotic looking arm thing in the corner your snake hook? cuz if it is that is awesome and i want one :D

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Originally Posted by JasonGranger

Kind of off-topic... do you have a lock on that cage? With a 7 ft. snake, you're going to want one of those to make sure it cannot escape.

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The doors are so stiff even I have trouble getting them open so I think Im safe for now. even so, my girlfriend sleeps on the other side of the bed, LOL!

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Originally Posted by tmlowe5704

Is that the habistat thermostats you use?

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Yes, its the pulse proportional model

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Originally Posted by Chase13

is the robotic looking arm thing in the corner your snake hook? cuz if it is that is awesome and i want one

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Nope, but uve just given me a great idea!

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Originally Posted by Kilo

Kind of off-topic... can I see a picture of the snake? I thought 'Tawain Beauty Snakes' where like rat snakes or house snakes.. I didn't know that got that big!!

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This is a pic of her a few months ago at about 6.5feet, she just wont stop growing! 2 years old and still shedding onece a month! :)

Cheers for all the help everyone!!

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...G2263small.JPG

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Originally Posted by cassandra

ESU has some really nice looking hides that may be big enough...maybe the extra large or giant? We use extra larges for both our ball python and Surinam boa; the boa is pushing 4' and 1.5lb, the ball 3.5' and 2.25lbs and there's room for them to grow a bit in those hides, although they certainly aren't as long as your beauty snake...

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These look perfect, thanks! Now Ive just gotta get em shipped over to the sunny UK, which will probably cost me a fortune! the things we do for snake ay?!

SHOTTY

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Originally Posted by Kilo

Kind of off-topic... can I see a picture of the snake? I thought 'Tawain Beauty Snakes' where like rat snakes or house snakes.. I didn't know that got that big!!

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Taiwan beautys are not only the biggest beauty snake, they are the biggest of all rat snakes! Someone on this forum (jspirko? or something similar?!) had a taiwan beauty top out at 11feet! Theres been records of them reaching over 12feet in length in captivity! They really are great snakes. Awesome temperaments, although they can be nippy as babies, they grow pretty huge without the unmanagable girth of say, a boa, and they eat ANYTHING! Seriously, if another snake doesnt eat something, I can just chuck it in her tank. She'l only stop when I stop giving her food, and then still looks for more food for the next hour! I feed her on chicks and rats at the moment. Chicks are great as I have a supplier here that charges £0.06 per chick, so even if she eats 3 chicks a week, its only cost me £0.18! Theres a lack of decent info regarding the captive care of these snakes, so if anyone wants to know anything just PM me. Since Ive had her ive done a LOT of research into them, and spent a lot of time in different libraries. I want to breed her in a couple of years also, I think theres a gap on the market for such big, friendly, wonderful snakes!

That's a beautiful snake.


In response to your question about a large natural hide, we put 2 half size cement blocks on their long edge - that made them about a foot long on the floor of the cage and about 3 or 4 inches high. We put them about 15 inches apart with one end of both butted up to the cage side wall. Then we placed a large piece of flat natural slate on the top of both of them. Ta da, a very natural looking hide that allows the RTB to also lay on top if she feels like it. The slate is heavy, but it looks great! Good luck

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Originally Posted by shotty

These look perfect, thanks! Now Ive just gotta get em shipped over to the sunny UK, which will probably cost me a fortune! the things we do for snake ay?!

SHOTTY

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There's surely some reptile store or online store in the UK that sells them...otherwise, yeah, the shipping will be murder. Two extra large hides shipped to me were expensive and they didn't leave the country!

And I'd recommend getting a glass lock for the doors anyway; the peace of mind it will afford you (including from your girlfriend) will be well worth it. We found ours in a big DIY store here.