Enclosure: From a 12" x 6" plastic "shoe box" or five gallon tank for hatchlings and juveniles to a 16" x 24" "sweater box" or 30 gallon fish tank for adults.

Temperature: Ambient air temperature should range between 78° - 82°F during the day and may drop to 65° - 70°F at night. Temperatures at the basking area should provide the snake with a constant hot spot of 85° - 90°F.

*Note - Many sub-adult and adult corn snakes will voluntarily cease feeding during the cool winter months. This coincides with their natural winter dormant period. If the snake refuses food for two to three weeks during the winter and appears otherwise healthy, the temperature in the enclosure may be allowed to drop to the mid 60's F for one to three months. If breeding is desired, this dormant period appears to increase fertile egg production.

Heat/Light: As stated earlier, corn snakes require a supplemental hot spot to adequately digest food and remain active. They should be provided with a heat pad or overhead incandescent light that will provide an area of about 1/3 of the enclosure that achieves a temperature of 85° - 90° F. Hot rocks are unstable and often get far too hot, therefore unless they are connected to a rheostat, which will control the temperature, they are not recommended.

Substrate: Newspaper, butcher paper, paper towel, indoor/outdoor carpeting, aspen shavings and cypress mulch (for larger individuals). Avoid any cedar based wood shavings, as they exude irritating and possibly toxic vapors.

Environment: Natural open wood and grasslands. Common around farms where this species helps to control potentially damaging rodent populations. In captivity, corn snakes should be provided with a warm, dry enclosure and should always have clean, fresh water provided in an easily accessible bowl. Animals will become stressed if they are not provided with a shelter where they can conceal themselves from view.

Enclosure: Milk snakes are secretive animals that prefer to conceal themselves. Because of their desire to squeeze into the tiniest of cracks and crevices, they are also born escape artists. Their enclosure should reflect these characteristics. The length of a milk snake's cage should be at least 2/3's of the snake's body length and should possess multiple hiding areas. Baby milk snakes will do well in either plastic shoe box containers or small glass aquaria, 2½ to 5 gallons. Adults can be successfully maintained in 16" by 24" plastic sweater boxes or larger glass aquaria, 20 to 30-gallon long tanks. In all cases, the opening to the enclosure must be secure or the snake will escape.

Temperature: Being a temperate to a sub-tropical species, milk snakes will do well with daytime ambient air temperatures ranging from 78° to 82° F. The air temperature may be allowed to drop to 65° to 70° F. at night.

Unless they are being brumated (hibernated) milk snakes should always have access to warmer localized temperatures to aid in digestion, immune function and metabolism. These higher temperatures are most easily achieved by placing a heat pad underneath ¼ to 1/3 of the enclosure and either set to the low setting or adjusted with a rheostat (dimmer switch) and monitored to make sure it stays within the appropriate range of 84° - 88° F. This thermal gradient will allow the snake to choose the temperature that suits its immediate needs.

Heat/Light: Added light is not necessary if temperatures can be maintained within the desired ranges with a heat pad. Milk snakes are crepuscular, meaning they come out during the subdued lighting of dawn and dusk. They do not like bright light.

If lighting proves to be necessary in order to maintain adequate temperatures, keepers should either use blue, red or black colored lights to reduce the brightness within the tank. If no other option is available, low wattage incandescent "white" lights can be used as long as the snake has adequate hiding areas and the lights are turned off in the evening. As with the other heat sources, temperatures should be monitored with an accurate thermometer.

Substrate: Being secretive, milk snakes will thrive in particulate substrates that they can bury themselves in. Acceptable choices are pine and aspen shavings as well as cypress mulch for larger specimens. Other acceptable substrates include newspaper, butcher paper, paper towel and indoor - outdoor carpeting (astro-turf). Never use cedar shavings as they exude compounds that can be irritable to the snake's mucus membranes.

Environment: The enclosure of a milk snake should always be dry. It should contain multiple hiding areas and a sturdy bowl for drinking. Water should be changed at least once a week.

Enclosure: Hatchling boa constrictors can be housed in a 20-gallon aquarium, but they will soon out grow this enclosure. Usually only custom-built cages are the only suitable enclosures for adult specimens. Cages should at a minimum be 8 feet long by 2 to 3 feet wide by 4 feet tall. When constructing cages it is important to not use unfinished wood or other porous materials since these are difficult to clean and can harbor disease.

Temperature: Daytime temperatures should be 80° to 85° F with a basking temperature of 95° F. Night time temperatures should be 75° to 80° F.

Heat/Light: Boa constrictors do well with a 12-hour photo period. This may need to be adjusted if you wish to breed. UV light is not necessarily needed. Ambient cage temperatures and basking spots can be maintained with the use of under-the-tank heaters, basking bulbs, or ceramic emitters. Be careful to not use large wattage bulbs greater than 100 watts or hot rocks because these may cause burns to the boa.

Substrate: Newspaper, indoor/outdoor carpeting, and shavings can all be used. Cedar is not to be used because it is toxic to animals. Aspen shavings can provide and excellent substrate. If using shavings or mulch, it is not recommended to feed on the substrate since ingestion of the shavings could cause impaction.

Environment: Hide boxes and limbs and shelves for climbing should be provided for climbing and basking. A large water dish suitable for soaking should also be provided with fresh water daily.

Enclosure: Glass aquariums are good to use and are easy to clean. Plastic shoe boxes can also be used. Hatchling kingsnakes can be housed in 10-gallon enclosures. Adults should be housed in 20-gallon enclosures or larger depending on size of the snake. A secure lid is essential or the snake will escape. Kingsnakes must be housed alone because they will eat other snakes.

Temperature: 75° - 85° F.

Heat/Light: Heating pads placed under one half of the enclosure are the best way to provide heat. This will give the kingsnake a range of temperature to move within. Aquarium glass can draw heat away from the kingsnake. Be sure to place a thermometer inside to measure correct temperature. Additional UV lighting is not needed for snakes. An incandescent basking light can be used during the day.

Substrate: Newspaper is inexpensive and easily changed when soiled. Other Choices are aspen shavings, outdoor carpeting or aquarium gravel which are more attractive to look at. A shelter or hide box is needed so the snake has a dark area to rest and feel secure. A rock or branch should be included to give an abrasive spot for the snake to rub upon to help with shedding.

Environment: In periods of low humidity a weekly misting is needed.

Enclosure: Remember that all snakes are escape artists and when designing an enclosure it is of the utmost importance that whatever enclosure is used is made as escape-proof as possible. Generally an adult ball python should be kept is a 30-gallon sized enclosure (12 inches x 36 inches).

Temperature: Daytime temperatures should be maintained at 80° - 85° F with a basking temperature of 90° - 95° F. Nighttime temperatures should be 75° - 80° F.

Heat/Light: There has been no evidence to suggest that photo periods affect the keeping of ball pythons. If a regular photo period is provided it is recommended to use fluorescent bulbs in order to minimize the extra heat generated by incandescent bulbs.

When providing heat, do NOT use hot rocks. Hot rocks are notoriously unpredictable and can cause serious burn injuries to your animal. Red basking bulbs or ceramic emitters can be used to generate basking spots. Under the tank heating pads can also be used to help raise the ambient temperature of the enclosure. It is recommended to routinely check the temperatures of the enclosure with thermometers.

Substrate: Newspaper and newsprint make excellent substrate even though it is not very attractive. It is easy to clean and is excellent to use when acclimating new ball pythons to their enclosure. Wood shavings can also be used, though cedar should never be used and some pine can also cause health problems as well. Aspen shavings are usually an excellent choice if using wood shavings. If keeping the snake on wood shavings, care should be taken when feeding the snake to avoid shavings becoming lodged in the snake's mouth.

Environment: Like all snakes, ball pythons are strictly carnivorous. Adult ball pythons can be fed two to three adult mice per week. Hatchlings and juvenile animals can be fed one appropriately sized prey item per week (i.e fuzzies for hatchlings, hoppers for slightly older animals).

It is important to note here that ball pythons are notorious for not eating on a regular schedule. This is especially true of wild caught specimens. Whenever possible try to obtain captive bred snakes that have already fed to minimize problems eating. If your new ball python does not eat immediately it is important to not panic. Ball pythons have been known to go months without eating and there are records of ball pythons of not eating for 22 months. Often a variety of foods may need to be offered in order to get the snake to eat and often many will only eat live food. If you are experience difficulty getting your ball python to eat you may need to consult several more in-depth texts on the subject. One excellent resource is The Ball Python Manual (see references below).

Enclosure: Adult female Kenyan sand boas can be adequately kept in 20-gallon aquariums while males can be kept in 10-gallon aquariums. Plastic sweater boxes can also be used as well for these species if they are modified to provide adequate ventilation for the boa. Generally females do well with 1½ to 2½ square feet of floor space while males can be kept with only one square foot of floor space.

Temperature: Kenyan sand boas are extremely tolerant of large temperature extremes of 60° to 100° F. They are best kept however at temperatures of 80° to 85° F with a basking temperature of 90° to 95° F. Night temperatures can drop to as low as 75° to 77° F.

Heat/Light: There has been no evidence to suggest that photo periods affect the keeping of Kenyan sand boas. If a regular photo period is provided it is recommended to use fluorescent bulbs in order to minimize the extra heat generated by incandescent bulbs.

When providing heat, do NOT use hot rocks. Hot rocks are notoriously unpredictable and can cause serious burn injuries to your animal. Red basking bulbs or ceramic emitters can be used to generate basking spots. Under the tank heating pads can also be used to help raise the ambient temperature of the enclosure. It is recommended to routinely check the temperatures of the enclosure with thermometers.

Substrate: Kenyan sand boas require three to five inches of substrate that allows them to burrow. Aspen or a sand/soil mix often works best to provide a suitable substrate for the boas to create their own burrows. If using a sand/soil mix a small amount of water added to the mix will help the formation of stable burrows.

Environment: Kenyan sand boas are a burrowing species and do not require any cage furniture to climb or hide boxes. A small humidity chamber can be provided to assist in shedding if needed.

Enclosure: A large arboreal cage is often best for carpet pythons. Adults can be kept in a 40-gallon breeder tank or larger. It is important to make sure that the cage lid is secure, as this species, like most snakes, are known as escape artists.

Temperature: A 75° - 85° F daytime temperature gradient should be offered. Nighttime temperatures should be 5° F - 10° F cooler.

Heat/Light: As with most snakes, it has not been proven that any UV light needs to be provided for jungle carpet pythons. A 10 to 12 hour photo period should be provided and can be achieved with timers. Light can be provided with a standard fluorescent bulb and fixture. Heat can be provided with basking bulbs, ceramic emitters, or thermal panels. Heat rocks should be avoided as they can often cause burns. Care should also be taken to not place heating elements in the enclosure where the snake can possibly come in contact with the bulb and suffer burns.

Substrate: A variety of substrates can be used. Simple substrates such as newspaper or indoor/outdoor carpeting can be used and are easy to maintain. For naturalistic enclosures substrates such as crushed coconut shell or soil can be used. Not only does this provide a aesthetic enclosure it will also maintain humidity levels better that newspaper or carpeting. Care should be used if using wood shavings to avoid accidental ingestion of the shavings while feeding.

Environment: The jungle carpet python is an arboreal species from the rain forests of Australia. Cage furniture such as branches should be provided to allow this species to climb. Humidity levels should be maintained at 60% to 70% in order to ensure proper shedding. Elevated hide boxes can also be offered to provide an even greater sense of security for your carpet python.

Enclosure: Most single snakes can be housed in a 10-gallon or 20-gallon tank with a secured screen top depending on the size of the snake. It is important that the enclosure is escape-proof as these snakes excel at escaping from their enclosures.

Temperature: Like most snakes, members of Thamnophis like a temperature gradient. The cool end on the enclosure should be around 70° F with a basking spot of around 84° F. At night the basking area should be turned off.

Heat/Light: It has not been proven whether these snakes require UV light or not, though they should be provided with an appropriate photo period. Basking areas can be achieved by using incandescent basking bulbs, infrared heat bulbs or ceramic emitters. Under no circumstance is a hot rock acceptable since these will often cause serious burns to your animal. Timers and thermostats can be used to control photo periods and temperatures in the enclosure.

Substrate: A variety of substrates can be utilized for these snakes. Newspaper or paper towels can be used, though many favor a more visually appealing substrate. Aspen shavings can be used as well as a sandy soil mixture of about 50% natural play sand and 50% potting soil. Cedar shavings should be avoided as they can prove to be toxic to your animal. New research has also proved that pine shavings may also have negative long term effects as well.

Environment: A suitably large enough pool should be provided for the snake to allow it to swim. A hide box should also be provided. Branches for climbing can also be provided,

Enclosure: A 20-gallon or larger aquarium with a secure top is needed at the very least for these snakes. Larger specimens may require a larger enclosure.

Temperature: A temperature gradient of 75° - 85° F should be setup for these snakes. Temperatures may be allowed to fall closer to 75° F at night.

Heat/Light: Under the tank heaters, red heat bulbs, ceramic emitters, or basking bulbs can all be used to provide enough heat for these snakes. We do not recommend hot rocks since these often malfunction and can cause serious burn injuries to your pet. By using a timer and a basking bulb you can easily achieve warmer day time temperatures as well as a photo period for your pet. It has still not been proven that snakes require any source of UV light and will generally do well without it.

Substrate: Many of these species like to burrow so providing substrate such as potting soil, aspen shavings, cypress mulch or ground coconut fibers can provide excellent substrates which also allow for burrowing. You can also use newspaper or indoor/outdoor carpeting as well.

Environment: As mentioned above these snakes will often take advantage of substrates which allow them to burrow. They will also occasionally climb trees, so if cage space allows for branches you will often find your snakes taking advantage of the higher space. It is important to provide a hide box or enough rocks to allow the snake to feel secure and out of view.