What to Use to Make a Top for a Snake Pen

When keeping a snake as a pet, the two primary concerns are security and comfort for both the keeper and the kept. The top of a snake habitat, be it a wire cage or glass or plastic vivarium, should ensure that the snake stays inside and that unauthorized persons stay out; this is particularly important if the snake is venomous. The top should also allow adequate ventilation and temperature control. It should be close-fitting and durable, able to support considerable weight in case something moderately heavy is set on it. A cage top may be hinged or removable, but a removable top allows fuller access to the interior and to the animal itself. All snake cage tops should be framed sturdily in metal or wood, unless they are made of a rigid material.

  1. Window Screen

    • Standard window screening consists of aluminum or fiberglass mesh woven of 18 by 16 strands per square inch. It is very flexible and likely will not support the weight of a heat lamp, or tolerate the heat of one, without sagging or burning through. Window screening might be acceptable for containing a very small or hatchling snake, but would need to be replaced as the snake grows bigger and is able to push such a lightweight top out of the way or even force its way through it.

    Wire Mesh

    • Wire mesh -- 1/8- to 1/4-inch hardware cloth made of galvanized metal or stainless steel -- should be adequate for all but the largest snakes, as long as the framing is adequate and the top is strongly secured. Take care that the corners are tightly fastened down, as these are where a snake is likely to push, especially if they are accessible from a climbing point, such as a branch or rock. Wire mesh of this gauge will support the heat lamp weight and allows free ventilation.

    Glass or Plastic

    • Glass is not a good top for a snake cage, as it does not allow air or moisture to pass through. It is also fragile and easily broken, leaving the keeper with an immediate containment issue. Rigid plastics such as Plexiglas can make an acceptable top as long as ventilation is assured by holes drilled in the material; drill such holes from the inside out to ensure that any rough edges are away from the snake to prevent it from injuring itself. Soft, flexible tops on commercial plastic bins are difficult to secure, especially when ventilated.

    Cloth

    • Use cloth on a snake habitat for privacy or temp/humidity control only, always by laying it over the functional top. Some snakes are shy and will not eat or come out of their hiding place if they are on display, so a towel or other opaque cloth draped over at least part of the habitat will make them more comfortable. If the temperature or humidity in the habitat is too low, draping the ventilated top with cloth will help increase it.