What is Better

[commongartersnake]

Hey I'm Alexis, with a lot of questions...

Okay with is better?

Live plants or fake plants?
Pine shavings or reptile wood stuff?
Branches from the store, or outside?
Rocks: Smooth or rough? (Big rocks!)

I will provide pictures soon.

[Didymus20X6]

I'm no expert, but here's a few ideas worth considering:

1. Plants. I think either fake or real would be good, but there are some trade-offs. Real plants will require maintenance, but will provide a more authentic environment for the snake. Fake plants don't require maintenance, but will probably require occasional cleaning. I use fake because I have a brown thumb.

2. If there's a product specifically for the needs of reptiles, you might want to go with it. Just bear in mind that it will probably cost more (I would ask the question, just exactly what makes it better). I'm not sure about pine shavings, but I am pretty sure that cedar is not good. Wood shavings in general tend to have sharp edges and a lot of dust, which may not be good for the snake. Me, I use a sub-substrate of crushed clay kitty litter (cheap stuff), topped off with leaf/grass mulch which I baked in the oven (to dehydrate and kill organisms).

3. Branches from the store will cost money. But random branches from outside can harbor parasites, mold, and other organisms that you won't want around your pets, or in the house at all. But there's an easy solution: just bake your limbs in the oven at about 250F for an hour or so, and that should kill just about any unwanted critters. Again, if you opt for artificial decor, it would be easier to clean, but not be as natural for the snake.

4. Smooth stones, I would think, would be better for the reptile in general, but rough stones would be better for helping your snake shed. Consider what type of stones your particular species might encounter in the wild, and maybe consider that. (I use broken and whole bricks myself).

[commongartersnake]

Thanks. I was also wondering if there are live plants that are poisonous to garter snakes?

Plants I had in mind:
Bamboo
Spider grass

If there is any plants you know that isn't poisonous share!

thanks in advance!

[mustang]

hi alexis im robert! and im not sure on the whole poisness part but i think bamboo is ok

[Didymus20X6]

I have some bamboo tubes in my enclosure. The snakes love them - they're some of the favored places to hide (even more so than the thatch-roof cottages I spent so much time and effort making).

In the peasant land of Peasantry...

[drache]

anything you bring in from the wild can carry parasites and other harmful organisms, so you want to either bake them or boil them
I've also stuck large branches into a box and used provent-a-mite, figuring it'll kill whatever else may be lurking

[commongartersnake]

Ya I know. My father said to use soap... What was he thinking!!! Soap won't do much, I will wash them with boiling water.

Thanks in ADVANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This forum is the best!

[mtolypetsupply]

Hey I'm Alexis, with a lot of questions...

Okay with is better?

Live plants or fake plants?
Pine shavings or reptile wood stuff?
Branches from the store, or outside?
Rocks: Smooth or rough? (Big rocks!)

I will provide pictures soon.

No one can say what is better for YOU. Only you can make that decision. There are pros and cons to most things.

LIVE OR FAKE PLANTS:
Fake plants are the absolute in ease of care. They'll never die, never outgrow the enclosure, don't need pruning, water, fertilizer, or light, and are easily cleaned in the dishwasher.

Live plants are fun, look more natural, readily available, and help keep humidity up in the enclosure. However, you need the lighting, fertilizer, water, pruning and other maintenance to keep them happy and healthy and looking good. And your snake may kill them by digging them up, since they'll probably at least try to burrow into the soil in the pots.

PINE SHAVINGS vs. BARK STUFF

Pine and other sappy wood, and black walnut hulls are advised against. The pine/cedar can kill your snake. Black walnut contains toxins as well.

I like the repti-bark, and it can be washed. I have never done so, opting for the more expensive option of replacing it rather than washing it, but if you have a small income, you can wash and reuse it. I also like to get leaves, bake them up and add a layer of those ontop of the bark. They seem to like to play in the leaves.

BRANCHES FROM THE STORE vs. OUTSIDE

Branches from the store should be more sterile and not contain parasites. However, they can be super expensive ($25 for a STICK????? You have GOT to be kidding me!).

Branches from outside are my preference, baked in the oven a good long time. They usually have more "character" in my opinion, than storebought ones. Also, you can get a bunch of textures, so they have smooth ones to climb for fun, and rough ones on which to rub for shedding.

ROCKS

Some of the rocks you buy in the store are NOT rocks but resin castings of rocks. That does NOT help one bit as they are too smooth to help in shedding, and won't retain heat to help with digestion and basking. Make sure you get good real rocks if you're going to pay for them.

Rocks from outside should be sterilized, too, but DO NOT BAKE OR BOIL. I have heard of rocks "exploding" because of pockets of water inside becoming heated, producing more steam than the pocket can accomodate, and bursting open. Easy to get hurt that way. Instead, a bleach solution soak and scrub should do the trick.

Hope that helps you make your decisions!