What do i need to keep

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<H1>what do i need ?</H1><DIV id=Qtextbox><P><STRONG>Author: rhysp3ct</STRONG><BR><BR>hi all,

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im a pretty busy fishkeeper from qld, and im thinking of maybe using some of my tank-making knowledge to set up a little snake setup. Just wondering if someone could give me a hand as to a couple different things, firstly, if i want to keep something like a small green tree snake or something, what gear would i need specially for that animal?

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Id be housing it in a 4x2x2 could i use just normal fluro lighting or need specialty heated lighting...?

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also, what happens as to food... do snakes like that little guy always need live food or are they sorta like fish nowadays and they take pellets?...

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another thing, does anyone know any good sites who could answer these questions for me and inform me of anything else...?

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thanks

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rhys

</P></DIV><H2>Replies »</H2><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: leptomaniac</STRONG><BR><BR>Hi Rhys,

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Firstly, this is a very good site to help have your questions answered.

Welcome to the forum.

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How you keep your Green Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulatus) depends firstly on where it originated from. It is a very wide-ranging species and specimens from cooler climates must be kept differently from specimens from the tropics.

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In general, you will need a UVA and UVB producing light - either a tube, or a bulb. They are a diurnal species and as such, must have their UV.

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Overall, they are not the easiest of species to keep. They (and indeed any snake) will not accept pellets or any such prepared food. Their preferred prey item is a frog, and this is difficult, since frogs are all protected by law. Cane Toads will kill the snake with their venom. They will accept goldfish, which you can place in their water bowls; they will also eat lizards (also protected), other snakes (also protected), birds (rarely) and small mammals (even more rarely). One way of weaning them onto an exclusive mammal diet is to buy a product called "Lizard Maker", which makes the mammal smell like lizards. In this way, you can wean the snake slowly onto mice or similar foods.

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Another hitch is the law. Green Tree Snakes are on a higher level licence, and you would have to have a couple of years experience before being allowed to upgrade your licence (this is for NSW - QLD may be different).

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Anyway, weigh up your options and see what decision you arrive at.

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Cheers,

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Andrew.

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: rhysp3ct</STRONG><BR><BR>leptomaniac,

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thanks for your reply, after alot of late nights on google and searching the net and asking alot of questions, ive developed a bit more understanding of qld nature conservation laws and so-on, i also looked into a brisbane python aka. coastal carpet python. What do you think about these blokes?... they say on all the websites that there good pets and thats all i want really... any suggestions?

</P></DIV><DIV id=Atextbox><P><STRONG>Author: leptomaniac</STRONG><BR><BR>Awesome choice! A very easy species for beginners and a much easier snake to handle and care for! I highly recommend them to you or anyone interested in snakes as pets.

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As you go through each stage of acquiring and caring for the animal, please feel free to post any questions here and we will answer them for you.

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Good Luck with it!

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Andrew.