Care Sheet for Water SnakesAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.32 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/25/2007 |
Main Category: | Snakes |
Sub Category: | Water Snakes |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Ace13 |
Years Experience: | 15 to 20 Years |
Species: | Broad-Banded Water Snake |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | All watersnakes except for crayfish,mud, and rainbow |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Females are larger and range from 3 to 4 feet
While the males are 2 to 3 feet. |
Mostly Active During: | Both |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Use reptile cage carpet or newspaper but remember to look for frays on the cage carpet.
Never use aspen pine or cedar cause even though pine and cedar have oils that can kill your snake aspen doesn?t.
But if you choose to use aspen always make sure during feeding the fish don?t go into the aspen and the snakes swallows the aspen. |
Lighting and UVB: | Use a standard reptile bulb or house bulb as long as you make sure the temperatures are correct. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Between 70 and 80 and a basking spot of around 85
These snakes don?t need much more than a large water bowl cause if the cage is to wet they can develop sores or water blisters. |
Heating and Equipment: | Like i said don?t get too hot and don?t get hot rocks they can burn your snakes. |
Caging Provided: | 10 gallon can hold two young watersnakes till they are around 2 feet long then you can keep them in a 20 gallon as a minimum but a 40 or larger is recommend if you plan on breeding.
I keep my 2 1/2 ft. female broad-banded and my 2ft. male in a 40 gallon tank with newspaper in the bottom and half the cage is taken up by a large plastic tub for their water. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | They?ll eat bluegill, minnows, mice(not many will take mice),baby catfish,frogs,toads(only some will take these), and tadpoles.
NEVER NEVER NEVER feed goldfish they contain a chemical known as thiamanese which destroys thiamine which is usually fatal.
I feed my two toads,tadpoles,frogs,bluegill, minnows, and occasionally baby catfish. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | They do not need supplements as long as they are getting a varied diet but if you plan on just feeding them a few items dust with vitamin/mineral supplement once a month but do not over do it.
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Maintenance: | Clean the cage daily unless you want a bad smell cause these snakes feces are mainly 90% water. |
Some Words on this Species: | If you get one from the wild like i did make sure to let him get used to you or you?ll never be able to hold them and remember they have bacteria in there mouth so wash your hands if they bite you.
Try using rubber gloves when you hold them for the first couple of weeks since they seem to not like the taste of them.
Eventually you?ll be able to have the snakes eat out of your hand like mine. |
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