Adoption Requirements for Colubrids

(includes Corn Snakes, Kingsnakes, Milksnakes, etc.)

Enclosure:
– The minimum size of the enclosure should be 40 gallon (breeder) tank or equivalent (36” x 18” footprint).
– The enclosure should be constructed with solid walls (no screen cages), have adequate top or side ventilation, and have at least three sides darkened or covered.
– The enclosure should be secure with either latching doors or a screen held on with clips/locking mechanism.

Temperature:
– The primary basking heat should be provided with an under tank heater or a radiant heat panel.
– The chosen heat source must be hooked up to a reliable thermostat, preferably a digital one.
– The temperature should be monitored with a reliable digital thermometer or a heat gun.

Substrate:
– The substrate provided should be safe and nontoxic as well as easy to clean.
– If a particulate substrate is to be used, there must be a plan for feeding time to ensure that the snake will not accidentally ingest the substrate while eating.

Water:
– A water dish should be provided, preferably one large enough to allow the snake to submerge.

Enrichment Items:
– There should be at least two hides (large enough for the snake to be fully enclosed) in the habitat, one on the warm end and one on the cool end.
– Other decorative items such as fake plants, climbing branches, etc are recommended.

Food:
– Colubrid snakes adopted from us should be fed appropriately-sized frozen/thawed rodents only.

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