Garter Snake Habitat

Terrarium is the name given to a dry place used to house reptiles. The terrarium that would be used to condition the snakes could be an old aquarium with a cover in the upper part made out of a smooth weaving net which permits the ventilation but does not allow the snakes to escape.  Snakes are very good escape artists; they can crawl through openings that seem too small for them. For that reason the cage must be absolutely escape-proof. Lids should be securely attached and fit tightly: snakes are strong enough to push them off otherwise. Any mesh or grille in the lid should be small enough: if a snake can work its way in past its eyes, it can get all the way out.

The measures of the terrarium should be as follows to allow ample room for your garter snake to roam:  70 inches in length, 13 inches high and 13 inches wide.  A substrate kitchen paper shows to be an excellent material since it is very absorbent and smooth. 

Inside the terrarium a box of opaque plastic (a Tupperware with a hole cut is great!) is placed to offer refuge when they want to rest or to seek shelter.  A 9 inches diameter clay flowerpot can be used as heater in its interior a and a ceramic lamp holder with an incandescent lamp of 60 watts is introduced  which can be then placed on a floor tile to serve as a base. This assembly has to maintain a temperature of 96.8 Fahrenheit by the edges of the flowerpot.  The source of light is natural penetrating through a window, complemented with a 100 watts lamp illuminating the room. The animal should receive approximately 12 hours of light, from 7 a.m to 7 p.m.

You might put a thick branch for your snake to coil around and relax and a few rocks (the size of your fist) would be an ideal addition to your snake home as well.

Here are some nice terrariums for sale on Amazon.com.