Yeah, this is just the stuff that came with the enclosure. We’re going to add a lot more coverage. I was thinking about getting a few large pieces of driftwood for the snake to climb on. If I do this, do I need to disinfect them first in any way. The pieces I’m looking at are too big for the oven, so can I use an enzyme-based terrarium cleaner to wipe down the wood, or does a stronger disinfectant need to be used?
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Love the new name! I’m sure Eva will enjoy her new home!
I don’t have any advice on the heat bulbs, and I don’t have a hammock in any of my tanks so nothing there either lol. But, thinking about the hammock reminded me that I have one baby in particular who prefers to sleep in his hanging plant over his hides. It’s just a fake plant stuck to the side of his tank, nothing fancy but he loves it. Maybe Eva would enjoy something like it?
(Excuse the poor quality, never intended to post these. I was just documenting his uniqueness in the moment.)
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If you’re buying driftwood, it should already have been properly disinfected from when it was sourced from the sea/river. That said, do look it over thoroughly. It is possible to pick up pests like mites on the store. Hopefully not, but better safe than sorry. Wood is porous, and you don’t want to leave any potential snake irritants in it. I give wood a good wash with dish soap and a thorough rinse.
Btw, it’s fine to use many kinds of wood from around your home if you’re pruning.
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Love it! I’ve got a few who are consistently found as high up as they can get. Hanging plants, high branches, etc. Most young corns love to climb, and so do many adults. My 16yo, Dazzler, climbs her branch pretty much daily unless she’s shedding or digesting.
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Well we enjoy you too! 
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I do too! I’ve always loved Noodle’s unique sleeping habits (or at least unique in this crew). Now that I’m thinking about it, Vinny also enjoys a good climb. Of course, he’s gotten so big that he has a really hard time squeezing himself between the lid and the lip of the tank, but he really tries.
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Yup! There ya go again! 
. I would stick with the one side, the heat side for now. You can always go back and get another one. But why don’t you wait until you see if Eva hides most of the daylight hours or not. If she does the light is just a waste of money……
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There are some local folks on FB selling large pieces of driftwood (26"+), so if I buy anything from them, I’l be sure to wash it thoroughly with dish soap before putting it in the enclosure. Should I sand down any sharp points on the wood? Here are the ones I’m considering:
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Nice pieces!
Eehhhh, if you find any really, really sharp points, no harm in sanding them. Otherwise I wouldn’t worry about it. I don’t see anything in those inages to make me get. Little bitty hatchlings have delicate skins but she’s well past that stage.
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Whenever I get “wild” wood, I have cut it just long enough to fit in my oven and baked it on 200 for an hour. It kills everything—even deep in the wood—and doesn’t leave a residue like dish soap would. I’ve never had even a whisp of it looking like it might start a fire (though I watched the first one like a hawk). Now it’s part of our regular maintenance. It’s been a great solution. Soap would only get the stuff on the surface, if that. There are very frequently critters that live deep inside the wood, which soap wouldn’t touch.
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I’ll have to see if any of these will actually fit in my oven. If it’s close, I might trim them a little.
Got a question about when to use UTH mats. Should they stay on 24-hours a day if connected to a thermostat, or should I have them on a timer?
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U should be fine for heat mats to stay on i dont unplug mine at night and my snakes just go from one side to the other when they dont want the heat but thats what i do if ive been doing it wrong anyone feel free to correct me but mine have been happy with it but i always love to improve
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Yes 24 hours a day as this the only heat source.
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I’ve got my first order of frozen mice in tomorrow. I have a few questions about these things. I’ve got “hoppers” coming in that are between 7-12g. First off, what are the preferred thawing techniques? I know some put the frozen mouse in hot/warm water for a period of time. I know some people like to thaw them overnight in the fridge. I’ve read some people do combination and even warm up the mice with a hair dryer or heating pad before feeding the snake. I don’t think Candy Apple is a very fussy eater, so I don’t think she’ll need all this extra warming, but I’m interested to hear what y’all do regularly with your snakes.
I’d also like to know what to do after opening the vacuum-sealed packaging for the first time. Should I move all of the remaining mice to a freezer bag and try to get as much air out of it as possible before putting them back in the freezer?
Any mice tips would be appreciated!
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I warm mine frozen in a ziplock in hot/warm water and do the touch test to make sure the inside is thawed if i remember to set them out i fridge thaw the previous day and just do a warm water heat up all mine r in zip lock bags and i just squish as much air out as i can
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@snakes_of_shadowlake is wise about baking “wild” wood to kill all the possible baddies. That’s totally the best thing to do if the wood will fit into your oven.
As far as soap and water, do rinse very thoroughly. I’m the queen of rinsing and finding and rinsing. 
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That’s the best thing, yes.
You’re right, she will take meals at whatever temp you want to serve them. Not that finding out what everybody does is a bad idea at all. Just confirming that your new girl is basically happy to eat, period. Lol
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I do buy in bulk because I have a lot of snakes, but I still have relatively few at each size of mouse (with the exception of my adults).
That said, one of my best purchases so far was a cheap $30 vacuum sealer from Amazon. When I open a big bag of 25 or 50c and I know it’ll take me 6 months to use them and 1/4 of them will get freezer burned in that time, I just re-vacuum seal them into smaller groups of 6 or 10 or whatever is best for that size and my plans. It has saved me a ton of money being able to buy bulk and keep them vacuum sealed.
That may not be useful info if you only have one snake, but depending on where you buy your mice, or how many you buy at once, the sealer may pay for itself.
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I ordered a pack of 25 “hoppers,” which should last me about 6 months with only one snake to feed. I may invest in a little vacuum sealer so they’re more likely to last that long in the freezer.
I ended up buying two nice pieces of driftwood yesterday. The larger piece was just small enough to fit diagonally in the oven, so I baked it for over an hour at 200 degrees. It had no smell after being baked, so I think it’s now safe to be slithered on!
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Love it! The wording made me grin.
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