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How to Setup a Snake Cage

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Setting Up a Snake Cage

Bringing home your first pet snake is very exciting but it may be confusing preparing your new pet's cage with all the various products and options available.

On this page we will go through the items you will need to get started as well as the steps required to set up your snake's new home.

Snake cage setups can vary from simple to extremely elaborate. Here we will go over the basics of setting up your first cage as well as some ways to get creative with your cage design.

Contents at a Glance

Step One: Get a Book on Keeping Snakes
Items you'll need to get started...
Step Two: Choose The Right Cage
Step Three: Add Your Substrate
Step Four: Add Your Heat Pad, Hide Box a...
Step Five: Add Decorations and Thermomet...

This step is often overlooked but before you set up a snake cage or go buy a snake, the best thing to do is research. Once you bring your snake home, the book will be a great reference.

Make sure you are an informed and responsible snake owner so that your pet stays healthy and you can show everyone what amazing pets snakes can be.

Items you'll need to get started...

Substrate - This is what you'll put on the bottom of the enclosure and it will depend on the kind of snake. Common choices are newspaper, aspen shavings or carefresh which is a soft substrate made out of recycled newspapers.
Heating Pad - Heating pads are preferrable to heat rocks or overhead heat lamps. Rocks can overheat or localize the heat too intensely and burn your snake. Lamps require you to buy bulbs and having a hot bulb on the outside of the cage can be cumbersome and potentially dangerous.
Heat pads come in many sizes and are used under the cage to provide a hot spot. The size of the hot spot should be about 1/4 of the cage surface area.
Hide Box - A hide box is a place to allow the snake to get away and have some privacy. It can be a good idea to have two hide boxes, one for the warm end of the cage and one for the cool end. A hide box can come in many forms, from the cheap but unattractive cardboard box to a molded plastic decorative hide. The plastic versions have an advantage because they are easy to clean.
Water Bowl - Your water bowl should be one that won't easily be tipped. Other than that, choose one that will be easy to clean and you're all set. Dog or cat bowls work well but decorative ones are also available.
Thermometer - This is important in order to measure the temperature of the hot area of the cage as well as the cool. You will need a thermometer that measures ambient (air) temperature so the stick-on aquarium thermometers aren't recommended. Instead, there are digital and analog reptile specific thermometers available.
Decorations and Branches - Some types of snakes enjoy spending most of their time perched in branches. Wood bird perches work well with any type of cage that you can screw one into. Other options are pieces of wood or rock that you can place in the bottom of the cage.
Other decorations will be mainly for your own pleasure. Your snake may not notice, but with some plants, backgrounds and other natural pieces you can make your snake cage into living art.

Some books to get you started...

Step Two: Choose The Right Cage

You may need different sizes of cages during the life of your pet snake. Snakes do not like to feel too exposed so when your pet is small get a small cage to match with a little room to grow.

A good rule of thumb is to have a cage with a diameter twice as long as your snake is. This may greatly vary as some species of snakes are more arboreal or terrestrial and need more surface area or vertical space.

Another thing to consider is the material the cage is made out of. A wood cage may be easy to make but they can be hard to clean and considerably heavy. Aquariums can be used but are really designed for fish not reptiles. More and more terrariums designed specifically for snakes are becoming available. Plastic cages are a good choice because they are easy to clean and light weight.

You don't want to bring your new snake home just to discover it gone from it's cage the next day. Make sure you buy a tightly fitting lid and ensure that there are no holes or gaps. You would be surprised at the size of spaces your new pet can get through. Always keep the lid, sliding glass or doors to the cage properly closed.

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Step Three: Add Your Substrate

Newspaper is great because it's cheap, easy to change and keep clean. Unfortunately, it's not very attractive. If you're going to use newspaper, cover the entire floor surface with four or five layers. Watch out, baby snakes will love to hide on you in the folds of the paper.

Aspen shavings and carefresh are also easy to maintain substrates and you're able to spot clean instead of changing all of it. They also have an advantage in their visual appeal but are more expensive than newspaper. Add a one inch to two inch thick layer to the bottom and change or fluff up as necessary.

Rare species may require alternative substrates such as sand but for the most part newspaper or aspen shavings work well.

Recommended Substrates

Step Four: Add Your Heat Pad, Hide Box and Water Bowl

Heating pads are designed to go under the cage and should be put under one of the ends of the cage and not in the middle. You want to provide a thermogradient in the cage so that your snake can move from the cool end to the warm end to regulate it's body temperature.

Many heat pads come with a backing that you peel off in order to adhere the pad to the bottom of the cage. In my experience it is better to leave it on so that you can easily re-use the pad on another cage.

Your water bowl should be placed on the opposite side of your hot spot so that it does not evaporate quickly. Although if your snake likes a more humid environment and you don't mind filling the water bowl often this can be good way to increase the humidity.

Two hide boxes that are large enough for the snake to curl up inside should be used. One for the warm end of the cage and one for the cool. Make sure they are easily accessible in case you need to get your snake out while it is in the hide box.

A great inexpensive hide box for larger snakes are new cat litter pans, just flip them upside down and cut an arch into the side and voila - instant hide box, although not the most attractive one.

Heat Pads

Hide Boxes and Water Bowls

Step Five: Add Decorations and Thermometers

It is a good idea to have two thermometers, one for the cool side and one for the hot side. Add these after you have your heat pad plugged in but before you add your snake to it's new home.

Wait to add your snake until you determine that the warm side of the cage is at the correct temperature so that you don't overheat your pet or leave it in the cold with inadequate heat.

If the warm spot is too hot you can tone it down by adding a dimmer switch, the same type that you would use for a lamp. If it is too cold, you may want to consider getting a larger heat pad or moving the cage into a warmer part of the house.

Decorations are totally a personal preference but some considerations that you need to make for the snake include the safety of the decorations that you choose. Don't use anything harmful, if you are unsure keep it out. Also, make sure that you position all decorations so that there's no possiblity to crush your snake or allow a gap in the cage opening.

Plastic or silk plants look great and are easy to clean. Rocks, hollow logs and branches are also great choices but wood will be harder to keep clean.

Thermometers and Decorations

Step Six: Adding your pet to it's new home and maintenance

It's time to let your snake explore it's new home. It can be a good idea to place the snake in it's hide box and let it come out and explore when it feels comfortable. Let them get used to their new surroundings for a couple days before disturbing your new pet too much.

Snakes don't require as much maintenance as some other pets. They don't eat every day so they don't go to the bathroom every day either! Don't forget to keep fresh water available at all times and clean the water bowl frequently. Wash the decorations as needed and remember to change the substrate.

Enjoy your new pet! Snakes are a pleasure to keep and once you get your first and realize the beauty and ease of care for these animals it can be hard to stop at just one.

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