Fun stuff for snakes?

My new little bullsnake, Totoro, is just awesome, but he's also a learning curve after having only ball pythons until now! He's MUCH MUCH more active than my ball pythons, naturally. He will sit and staaaaare at me for a long time sometimes, and if I take him out, he's really wiggly and curious and just seems to enjoy being out. I think he's just smarter and enjoys the interaction (whereas the ball girls are very tame and sweet, but they would be fine if I never picked them up, lol). Totoro seems to enjoy being held, like he loves to push into my hands if I make little tunnels with my fingers. But he REALLY seems to pay attention when I'm helping my niece with her schoolwork, he will watch the computer screen sometimes, and he really likes digging around in her pencil case. Just a really active, curious, funny little guy. (I'm besotted, can you tell?)

Right now he's living in a small quarantine enclosure, and will be getting a bigger one in a few weeks with more stuff to do in it. Other than hides and sticks to climb, what are some good, fun, SAFE things I can put in there for him? He just seems so aware and smart, and I want him to have enough enrichment.

Yes, way more interesting snakes to keep, IMO. Same for rat snakes. No offense to ball pythons, but this is why people joke & call them "pet rocks" by comparison.

So bull snakes love to burrow...you could give him a large deep box full of something like Carefresh to tunnel thru. When I kept bull & gopher snakes, I got a few large
terra cotta strawberry pots*...the kind with little "balconies" all around the main large body of the pot. I fastened the pot to a base so the snake couldn't tip it as they get
easily strong enough, but my snakes LOVED climbing in & out the holes on those pots. You can also provide various "tunnels" (cardboard or PVC pipes/elbows). Or you
can make a large ladder (out of wood dowels, tree branches or bamboo) to lean inside his larger cage when he's out of quarantine...make the "ladder" very wide, not
vertically narrow.

Like these* https://washingtonpottery.com/wp-con...berry-Pots.jpg

Great thread topic. Now that I've gotten into Morelia I've been more interested in providing enrichment for them.

Basically, your imagination is your only limitation. Just avoid any adhesives like tape, avoid sharp edges and metal wire (often found in fake plants), avoid aquarium decor designed for fish.

With BPs sometimes something like a hide change or decor change can lead to food refusals and such. You won't have that problem with a curious species like a bull.

You can use cardboard boxes, tupperware, take out containers, paper towel tubes, pvc pipe (wide enough to climb in or build a perch type structure), terra cotta, sticks, rocks, etc... Have fun with it.

If you have any doubts as to whether or not it's safe, don't use it. Or at least ask around here first.

Build little rock caves, being careful they can't crush the snake, tunnels, etc...

But have fun with it, mix things up sporadically. Inquisitive snakes definitely appreciate the opportunity for enrichment.

Strawberry pots, what a great idea, I love it! I can definitely see him getting all tangled up in one. He loves his stick, but he definitely needs more!

I knew a bullsnake would be more active, but it's his little personality that kills me. I love my ball pythons, they really are very friendly and have great personalities too, but this bullsnake is on a whole other level.

I can see myself regularly redecorating his enclosure for sure, just to watch him explore! Right now he's got a hide, a stick, and some loose fake flowers and leaves that he uses as a sort of cool-side hide. He definitely needs more, though.

I just looked over and he's staring at me again. I love that.

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Originally Posted by OoohShiny

I can see myself regularly redecorating his enclosure for sure, just to watch him explore! Right now he's got a hide, a stick, and some loose fake flowers and leaves that he uses as a sort of cool-side hide. He definitely needs more, though.

I just looked over and he's staring at me again. I love that.

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Hahhahaha, I hear ya!! I love going into my snake room and actually SEEING snakes. Don't get me wrong,I love my BPs but I rarely see them unless it's feeding time or handling. My hognose and KSB are out and about fairly regularly, but otherwise burrowed. The Morelia are out and perched more often than not.

I'm lucky that my younger BP, Tonks, really prefers to either sit out in the open, or on top of her hide, or half-in-half-out of her water dish for some reason. She's got a perfect climate in there, she just doesn't like to be inside her hides, so I do get to admire her pretty self a lot! But she does mostly sleep, so it's fun to watch this little guy get a burst of energy and tootle around several times a day. Plus he's a false ghost (Trumbower/whiteside) and a really light-colored one at that, so he's just visually gorgeous. He's a great little display snake - add on his funny little personality and I'm just totally in love.

I’ve got a buddy with a 5-6’ Kankakee Locality male bullsnake. And man is that thing fun to handle. Very expressive critter too.
Cork bark would be a fun thing to enrich with. Big flats can act as a great hide to burrow under.


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

I’ve got a buddy with a 5-6’ Kankakee Locality male bullsnake. And man is that thing fun to handle. Very expressive critter too.
Cork bark would be a fun thing to enrich with. Big flats can act as a great hide to burrow under.

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Oh I cannot WAIT until he gets to be a big boy! He's pretty small, he was only hatched around the end of July, which is another reason I'm so impressed with his laid-back personality. HE's such a tiny little noodle now, it's hard to imagine him being 5-6 feet long someday! But I've seen his parents and they're both big beefy snakes, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what he looks like as an adult.

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Originally Posted by OoohShiny

Oh I cannot WAIT until he gets to be a big boy! He's pretty small, he was only hatched around the end of July, which is another reason I'm so impressed with his laid-back personality. HE's such a tiny little noodle now, it's hard to imagine him being 5-6 feet long someday! But I've seen his parents and they're both big beefy snakes, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what he looks like as an adult.

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Now you know why colubrids are so addicting! :D But just one thing...IF you do use something like those "strawberry" pots, you'll have to take it away once he gets anywhere close to being able to get stuck in one of the holes...so check carefully, some holes might even be tighter than others. But by the time he starts to out-grow it, he'll be ready for a change of scenery anyway...and then you can just grow some strawberries. :snake:

As far as his laid-back personality, these snakes have always seemed pretty smart to me. And they're FUN to feed, you can put that hair dryer away too, or just dry your hair for a change, lol.