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Re: Most Recent Snake Picture!
 Originally Posted by Bogertophis
I love using driftwood for snakes too- but just a caution- if there are ANY holes big enough that he can get part-way into, you should plug them up* so he doesn't get stuck trying to go through- snakes don't always know any better. If they do, it's very dangerous & difficult to extricate them safely & without injury, because their directional scales prevent them from backing up.
In the wild, they sometimes get stuck & die in things like "bird netting", while in captivity, it's sometimes happens with poorly-chosen "furnishings", like the holes in those "skulls" or other things that may look "cool" but are designed for tropical fish. In addition, I've found that since tropical fish do not snug themselves into cave-like spaces, many of these things (for fish) may also have razor-sharp edges left inside, & a snake can get seriously cut up accidentally.
*Corks match driftwood pretty well- I've used a cork, glued in with reptile-safe silicone sealant (designed for aquariums), but it depends on the size of the hole- even a piece of wood can be used.
Even with that in mind a lot of typical fish decor is too ridiculously sharp since a number of species would like to hang out inside them the majority of the time. Some of them (like cories and plecos) are armored and would be more "resistant" to the pointy insides but even still. And for other species that don't have scales it's even worse, like loaches. I used to have clown loaches and their decor at the time wasn't the best curated stuff despite being "aquarium specific" so they'd often have scratches along their sides...
Yet another example of just because something is sold in a pet store, doesn't mean it's actually GOOD to use. Oxymoronic it may be, but thus is how our hobby tends to be. 
 Originally Posted by Bogertophis
Newspaper can get damp & compress, or just fall out. I'd plan a more permanent fix. Small holes, you can just use silicone seal by itself, but bear in mind that when it's applied too thick, it takes a long time to off-gas (lung-irritating, vinegar-like fumes) & completely dry, so if you use that, take it out for repairs.
What about pet-safe expanding foam? I know a number of keepers use it for more intricate setups. Would still need to air it out of course but would probably be better to fill up holes with than silicone depending on how significant the holes are.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Snagrio For This Useful Post:
AutumnVanilla (03-28-2022),Bogertophis (03-28-2022)
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