Shoe Box Snake Rack Enclosure Ideas

With a large array of baby reptiles, such as newly hatched snakes, sometimes it can be difficult and costly to house them all, as well as cumbersome for the owner. A more economical and easy means of housing the snakes is in what is termed a shoebox rack, essentially a shelving unit for the reptiles. This can be approached in several different ways, from building it from scratch to using it to house only a handful of reptiles, to using materials found at a local department store.

  1. Normal Shoeboxes

    • For those on an extreme budget who have a variety of shoeboxes sitting around their house, making a generic shoebox rack is simple. Cut a variety of small holes in the top of each box. Place them all on one long, flat surface. Set several heat lamps above the boxes to keep them warm. Adjust that so they will not burn the paper. This is the most economical way to create a shoebox snake rack.

    Plastic Shoeboxes

    • Plastic shoeboxes placed on a shelving unit is slightly more expensive than using the other shoeboxes. However, they create the perfect environment from which to hatch and keep baby snakes. The shoeboxes retain heat while easily absorbing it due to their transparent qualities. Simply remove the back of a shelving unit, drill holes in the sides and tops of the shoeboxes for air, then place heat lamps or a heating strip behind them.

    Bathroom Rack

    • You can easily find clear plastic bathroom racks at local department stores. With clear material, solid construction, and generally tight fitting sliding drawers, these make an easy and quick alternative to building your own shoebox rack. Add the needed heaters behind the rack and drill several air holes in it. This creates an easily placed grouping of boxes the same size as a shoebox rack. You can assemble it in a fraction of the time.

    Large Rack

    • Using the same size concept of the shoebox rack construction, you can create enclosures for several fully grown medium-sized snakes in one handy shelving unit. This is easy through using the same method as the smaller rack. Choose a shelving unit that has not only widely spaced, but a unit that can stand heavier objects. Larger snake sand enclosures will be resting on them. Drill holes throughout and ensure that heat lamps or strips placed behind are modified for adult snakes rather than infant ones.