Paper towel tubes

[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?

[JLC]

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.

[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.

[Emily Hubbard]

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!

[Xotik]

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

[Xotik]

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.

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!

[Toxic Tessa]

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:



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.

[SquamishSerpents]

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

[loonunit]

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.

[loonunit]

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

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