plants for snakes

ctarry · #1 (**permalink**) 02-08-2007, 03:17 PM

what would be some good plants that are fine to go into the viv with my false water cobra?

i am after plants that aren't too hard to get hold of in the uk, thrive in humid conditions and don't grow too big

thanks

terrestrial_man · #2 (**permalink**) 02-08-2007, 08:14 PM

It all depends on how tall your viv is.
This is one large snake and it is very active. It reminds me of one that would love to crawl up under a thick bush and sleep out the day until feeding time at night!
You really need to consider the size of your viv.
You will need tropical plants that can handle the high heat that this snake likes.
Your best bet may be a hollowed out log on which you can mount epiphytes though you have to realize this reptile can easily trash anything in its cage!!!! Especially if you are live feeding!
Here is one grower in the uk that might help you:
click here > http://www.turn-it-tropical.co.uk/

ctarry · #3 (**permalink**) 02-09-2007, 03:49 PM

at the moment the snake is 20" long, living in a viv that is 36"x24x18

there is no way i will ever feed live foods, unless its the only option

would things like Cryptanthus cultivar (bromelia orchid) and Selaginella also be good options?

terrestrial_man · #4 (**permalink**) 02-10-2007, 09:44 PM

Twenty inches! It is young! This baby can get up to 6feet!
Of course it will take it awhile!!
I would not use Cryptanthus, it is a bromeliad.
What really would help is seeing an image of your viv.
What is the substrate, how deep is it, is there a water element, what are the walls, if any, caves, any plants in it at all? What is the roof of the viv.
Since I am shooting in the dark I would think that your first thought would be a Fittonia. Preferably the low species, Fittonia verschaffeltii, which can be found at WalMart. This would provide a ground cover type of plant that the snake could even hide in !!! A plus for a snake!!
Then maybe find a medium sized Coffee plant, Coffea arabica, that you can top (cut off the top half of the plant), and depending upon the size of the roots unpot and spread the roots across the bottom of the viv and cover with your substrate. Hope your humidity is great.
The coffee, if it likes the light and the warmth and the humidity, will reroot into your substrate as well as produce more new branches that will make it bushy and could provide shade to part of the viv. It would give the snake a place to crawl under!
These are just a couple of ideas off the top of my head!
I think that you should go slowly as having a snake is having a snake that you can see!! Overplanted and you have to hunt!!!
Get an image on the gallery so we can see.