My Bioactive Arid/Desert Enclosure for Trans-Pecos Rat Snake

[TofuTofuTofu]

Cool looking beetles. Hope they don't decide to munch on a captive-snake though? Just because something exists together in the wild doesn't mean it will be okay when confined.

Just remember that snakes don't even kill rodents when they aren't hungry, even when the rodents munch on THEM. They don't seem to know they're in danger.

Glad you got on a wait list for a TP hatchling. I'd also prefer not to ship snakes, but never had any "disasters" either.

Hmm, they are similar in relation and habits to my other beetles from what I understand, and I doubt they would chomp on a snake (they too do a "curl up and act dead if anything touches me" like the blue death-feigning beetles). But, just like with my blue beetles, I am going to closely monitor them. Also, this is a much larger enclosure than most people keep TPRSes OR beetles in (67 gallons), especially this low of a number of beetles, and there are plenty of little nooks and stuff for them to retreat from my snake in, so I'm hoping it works.

But again, I'm going to keep a close eye on everyone at the time I do introduce my snake, and ongoing after then. I would in no way try to force a cohabitation if I got any sort of indication it wasn't best for either party. I have more space to separate out my beetles if I need to (like, in a separate beetle-only enclosure). But it'd be cool if it worked! Hoping they will ignore each other similar to an isopod/springtail setup, and being timid detritivores I am hoping they'll just like hide from my snake or ignore him (but again like, if my beetles seem stressed and I never see them again once my snake is in there, I'll know something is up).

One of my reasons for making this thread is to share my experiences and let other people know that what I did worked or didn't work, since I have not found anyone else using the blue death-feigning beetles as a reptile clean-up crew--only scorpions--and I think from observing them for so long without a snake in there, I am hoping I would notice any signs of stress or changes in habits at the time I do introduce my snake.