do's and dont's of snake enclosures

[bushpig]

I just bought a corner cabinet to be modified for my 12ish month old spotted python. im chasing ideas for the fit out and the big question i have is.. are mirrors ok or a bad idea??

 

[Bez84]

Never seen or heard of a mirror in a snake cage, but id say it wouldnt be a good idea as the movement in the mirror might upset the snake.

 

[Fantazmic]

I wouldnt do mirrors they might act like too much glass and lower your temp too much...you know like trying to keep a snake in a fishtank and not being able to get the temp up high enough

Regards

Elizabeth

 

[bushpig]

ive got him in a fish tank at the moment im not sure on the temps but he always eats and is lively enough. the tropics dont get too cold. i was thinking along the lines of trying to fight reflections

 

[bushpig]

how much air flow do they need??

 

[spanna_spamload]

being up in the tropics give them a fair amount of airholes as you dont want the humidity building up for your spotted, and I have mirrors and the snakes notice the reflection but it doesnt seem to agitate them

 

[JAS101]

I wouldnt do mirrors they might act like too much glass and lower your temp too much...you know like trying to keep a snake in a fishtank and not being able to get the temp up high enough

Regards

Elizabeth

no its not u cant get the temp up high enough , itsthat it costs more [ elec wise] to keep the temp up . i have a snake in an all glass enclosure and he is fine , the temps stay very good in there 31c hot side 26c cool side .

 

[marcmarc]

Make sure the gaps between the glass sliding doors, if you go that way, is filled. The gap will prob be .5 cm and you can get felt tape (one side sticky) from bunnings or wherever to fill the space. Getting the smallest possible guage wire mesh guards for your heat source/fluoro is also a good idea. Goodluck.

 

[D3pro]

Mirrors are bad for dragons not snakes... I had one in a cabinet for a while and it had a mirror at the back... he never cared much for his reflection. I took it out cause I personally didn't like the mirror.

 

[slim6y]

The reason a mirror will not agitate them is for a couple of reasons:

1) Their heat pits will pick up no heat signature - generally speaking the mirror or glass of the mirror may appear cooler.

2) They will not be able to taste their reflection (ie tongue flicking will pick up no scent) therefore they'll ignore it.

 

[bushpig]

how much ventilation is enough i was thinking just a 2 inch mesh strip on the front side of the cabinet above the door.

as far as heating goes i was goin to us a heat rock in the winter months, ive been told they are not a good i dea but that sugestion was more directed at my gragons

 

[Jake_the_snake]

The reason a mirror will not agitate them is for a couple of reasons:

1) Their heat pits will pick up no heat signature - generally speaking the mirror or glass of the mirror may appear cooler.

2) They will not be able to taste their reflection (ie tongue flicking will pick up no scent) therefore they'll ignore it.

My thoughts exactly.

I was gonna say, dont Pyhtons see heat signatures and not actual images, so therefore they wouldnt end up attacking "Themselves" in a mirror.

 

[Rhysc]

But heat signatures can be reflected in mirrors.

 

[dadaman]

Mirors are not a good idea.
With the vents, in my enclosures I use 1 or 2 vents that measure 222x114. This provides good air flow. Also, it matters where you put the vents.

 

[Jake_the_snake]

But heat signatures can be reflected in mirrors.

Yep but heat signatures of what???

I may be wrong but I cant see the snake attacking a heat signature in a mirror anymore than it would one which appears on the outside of the glass doors to its enclosure??

 

[Rox.n.Lix]

I wouldnt do mirrors they might act like too much glass and lower your temp too much...you know like trying to keep a snake in a fishtank and not being able to get the temp up high enough

Regards

Elizabeth

its not the mere presence of the glass that lowers heat retention, its that one sheet of glass (5 or 6 mm), is thinner and can transfer/lose heat more easily than a thick piece of wood, which is quite insulating. i would assume that the mirror being referred to is going to be mounted on the inside of the cabinet, not fully replacing a panel of wood?

 

[Origamislice]

I wouldnt do mirrors they might act like too much glass and lower your temp too much...you know like trying to keep a snake in a fishtank and not being able to get the temp up high enough

Regards

Elizabeth

a morror would reflect the heat the same as it reflects light, radiation is heat right and radiaton is loght its just on a frequancy that the normal eye can't see, thats how the heat sensing goggles work it just picks up the radiation, (similar to a normal cammera) then converts it into a light frequancy that the normal eye can see.

 

[Jake_the_snake]

a morror would reflect the heat the same as it reflects light, radiation is heat right and radiaton is loght its just on a frequancy that the normal eye can't see, thats how the heat sensing goggles work it just picks up the radiation, (similar to a normal cammera) then converts it into a light frequancy that the normal eye can see.

http://www.bigmuddyghosthunters.org/THERMAL IMAGING.pdf


According to this Heat signatures are reflected by Mirrrors even from a distance.