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They're Small By Snake
Standards: |
Hatchlings are between 4
and 7 inches long. An
adult
rough green snake will
be between two and
three-and-a-half feet,
although some might be
slightly larger. This,
along with their slender
bodies, makes them one
of the smallest pet
snakes. Females are
usually larger than
males. |
|
They
Have A Relatively Short
Lifespan: |
There are reports of
rough green snakes
living 15
years in captivity.
However, a lifespan in
the single digits (6-8
years) is more common. |
|
Enclosure:
Tall
Enclosures Are
Appreciated: |
Since rough green snakes
like to climb, they
should have a tall
enclosure (3-feet high)
with climbing branches.
These snakes do well
when housed together. A
30-gallon capacity tank
can hold up to three
green snakes. Green
snakes are inquisitive
and will escape from
their enclosure given
half the chance, so tank
covers should be very
secure. |
|
Plants Instead Of Hide
Boxes: |
Snakes like to have
quiet areas where they
can get away
from it all. However,
unlike most species that
are satisfied with a
simple hide box or two,
green snakes prefer to
be given green foliage
that they can blend in
with when they hide.
This greenery can be
provided in the form of
live plants like
philodendrons or the
plastic variety, which
is easier to clean. The
greenery can take up to
half of the green
snake’s enclosure. |
|
Humidity:
Ventilation
And Humidity Are
Important: |
Green snakes need
slightly humid
conditions, so their
cage should be misted
once or twice a day.
However, the air in
their
enclosure should never
be allowed to become
damp and dank. Adequate
air circulation is
essential to their
health. Caution: never
position a snake's
enclosure near a window. |
|
Diet:
Insects Make Up Their
Meals: |
The green snake's diet
can pose a challenge to
the
inexperienced snake
keeper. To maintain its
health, a green snake
needs a varied diet of
different insects, such
as moths, spiders,
crickets, grasshoppers,
and occasional
mealworms. (Feeding
mealworms too often can
cause impaction, due to
their hard
exoskeletons.) Crickets
often make up the bulk
of their diet. Before
being fed to the green
snakes, crickets should
be dusted with a
nutritional supplement,
or "gut loaded" by being
fed iguana or bearded
dragon pellets, mixed
with floating turtle
sticks and cut up
carrots or collard
greens. It's a good idea
to place live insects in
the enclosure in a
wide-mouthed bowl or
container. Uneaten
insects should be
removed from the
enclosure.
Important -- It is
necessary to provide
calcium and vitamin
supplements as part of
the diet. Please read
the supplement section
below: |
|
Supplements: |
Dust insects with calcium supplement and vitamin supplement. As
a rule, a growing
juvenile's food should
be dusted more often
than an adult's. Consult
product labels and
outside literature for
specific instructions on
supplementing. Avoid over-supplementing.
The best specific
schedule may vary
depending on the
supplement products used
and other factors.
Please consult product
package directions,
outside literature and a
veterinarian to
determine the optimal
supplementing program. |
|
A
NOTE ABOUT WATER: |
All water given to this
pet for drinking, as
well as water used for
misting,
soaking or
bathing must be free of
chlorine and heavy
metals.
We recommend that you
use bottled drinking
water or bottled natural
spring water and never
untreated tap water.
If tap water
is used, you should treat
it with a dechlorinating
treatment or allow
it to stand for at
least 24 hours
before being introduced
to the pet's
enclosure to allow the
chlorine to escape. Do
not use distilled water,
which can cause severe
medical problems, since
it lacks minerals that
are essential to
important body
functions. |
|
Water Should Be Provided
In Two Ways:
|
A bowl of chlorine-free water that is
deep enough for the
snake to submerge itself
should always be in the
enclosure. Rough green
snakes will immerse
themselves in this bowl.
They will also drink
water from the droplets
misted on the leaves
of the enclosure's
plants |
Temperature:
They Like
Moderate Temperatures: |
The temperature gradient
in a rough green snake's
enclosure should range
from a "cooling area" of
about 70F to a warmer
area of around 80F. Care
should be taken not to
overheat the enclosure.
A basking area with
slightly warmer
temperatures can be
created during the day
using a heat lamp or
ceramic
emitter controlled by a
thermostat to keep it
from overheating. A heat
pad placed under
one-third of the tank
can also be used to
maintain the desired
ambient temperatures.
(The
pad can be turned off or
down when the basking
lamp is on.)
Thermometers should be
placed one inch over the
substrate in the cooling
area and basking spot.
Never use a heat
rock, since it can burn
the skin of a rough
green snake. |
Lighting:
Supplemental
UV Fluorescent Lighting
Essential: |
Unlike many snakes,
which are nocturnal or
most active at dawn and
dusk, the rough green
snake is diurnal (most
active
in the day). As a
result, exposure to
supplemental UVB
fluorescent light is
essential.
Green
Snakes should be exposed
to supplemental UVB
light 10-12 hours a day,
using a fluorescent bulb
designed for snake
enclosures.
Lighting
should be left on for 12
hours a day, a little
more in the summer, less
in the winter. Do not
leave lighting on all
day, since this will
cause undue stress. |
|
Substrate:
Their
Substrate Should Stand
Up To Misting: |
Since the rough green
snake's enclosure will
be misted once or twice
a day, it's important to
select a substrate that
will
not become a moist
breeding ground for
bacteria. Paper
substrates, such as
unprinted newspaper and
paper towels are good,
because they can be
readily discarded and
replaced. Indoor/outdoor
carpeting is also good
because it resists
moisture. Another reason
to avoid chips and
shavings is that they
can easily be ingested
by this small insect
eating
snake at mealtime. |
