Things You'll Need
- Clear plastic bin with latched lid
- Under-tank heating device
- Thermostat
- Thermometer and hydrometer with gauges
- Electronic probe thermometer
- Soldering iron
- Duct tape
- 2 hides (plastic food containers or butter tubs work well)
- Water dish
- Old newspaper
- Four plastic bottle caps
Instructions
Select a plastic bin that will be large enough for the snake in six to 12 months. This will give the snake room to grow a bit before you need to get a new container. Wash out the bin thoroughly, and rinse away all the soap. Leaving behind toxins can be deadly to the snake.
Use a hot soldering iron to put holes into the sides and top of the container. Put about five holes in two opposite corners and five on the lid for a total of 15 holes. The holes should not be even close to big enough for the snake to escape through. Using a soldering iron ensures that there are no sharp edges for your snake to hurt itself on.
Invert the tank and attach the under tank heater to the bottom. Visit your local pet store and select a heater that will cover about 1/3 of the tank. Attach it with duct tape. Note that duct tape can dry out, so check it often to make sure the heater isn't falling off or becoming a fire risk.
Attach a thermostat to the heater. Different thermostats will have different methods for attaching and operating, so check the directions that came with yours to ensure proper placement and functioning. The thermostat will turn the heater on and off to regulate temperature inside the cage.
Attach the bottle caps to the bottom of the cage using duct tape. The caps will keep the heater from sitting directly on the floor, table or anything else.
Place the newspapers in the tank as substrate. It doesn't have to be thick, but you should put more over the heater area than the other areas of the cage. About two to three layers of newspaper over the non-heated part and about six to seven over the heater.
Attach the gauges to the side of the tub in the center. This will give a more accurate reading of what the snake experiences than if you attached them to the top of the cage.
Run the probe for the electronic thermometer over to where the heater is, just to make sure that the snake won't be too hot or burn itself lying on top of it. Know the temperature requirements of your snake, some desert snakes will prefer significantly higher temperatures than forest snakes. For example, corn snakes should not be kept above 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
Add the hides and water bowl next. Hides are simple to make. Just cut holes in the sides of butter tubs or plastic food containers and flip them upside down. Make sure that your hides are large enough for the snake you plan to house. The water bowl should also be big enough for your snake to lay in.
Add some extra crumbled up newspaper to give the tank a more voluminous dynamic. This will help make the snake feel more secure.
Turn everything on and let the tank sit for a few hours without the snake in it. Monitor temperature and humidity to make sure that the snake will be comfortable when you are ready to add it. If humidity or temperature is too high, you can solder more holes, or cover them up with duct tape if they are too low.