Sam I'm pretty new to all this but I would say that without some kind of clamp or locking system you wouldn't want to risk that on its own. Depending on the tank size and the size of the snake in question you might be able to get (AWAY) with it for awhile, but they are escape artists. From experience I can tell you that adult snakes with nothing to climb on at all can just use the back end of their body and the glass to extend all the way to the top of an aquarium. I would say for no more than what they would probably cost to get some kind of clamp that would work with the top.