There are lots of other cool caves that can work well for snakes too. I distinctly remember buying a ZooMed rock cave for my hermit crabs prior that I know would work great for snakes.
@@ClintsReptiles Size: 4 out of 5 (I remember it being very big) Price: 5 out of 5 Cleanability: 5 out of 5 Availability: 3 out of 5 (I remember getting mine in a Petsmart, but I wasnt able to find it online yet for some reason. Trying to find pictures of it) Spelunkiness: 5 out of 5 (at least in regards for my hermit crabs) I love your content man, keep up the great work!
Everyone’s like “Thanks this is so helpful, I really like that one for my snake!” Then there’s me, who just watches the videos because it’s cool and interesting and entertaining, despite the fact that I don’t have a snake and probably never will 😂
Cleaning with a spare toothbrush is a great idea! I have a Zilla hide and I can confirm that the lip around the inside is an absolute pain to get urates out of.
Hi Emily I just want to say you inspire lots of people not to be afraid of snakes daily and you are just an amazing person in general.Keep being awesome!
Thank you for the review. Here's a fun thing: I am a potter and I make my own caves for my ballpythons and ratsnake. As they're earthenware, I like to believe they resemble termite hills, the ballpythons' natural hide, in terms of humidity and microclimate. Not sure if that is actually true, but I don't hear the snakes complaining. They're cheap plus I can shape them any way I want. They're a bit heavy, though, but that's not really an issue for me, as I don't use racks. I just don't like plastic.
I love how you mention that we get a better deal on different sellers and encourage us to shop there even though using your amazon links helps you out more. Been subscribed to your channel since you had around 500k subs and I've observed that you really seem to care about your subscribers and appreciate them unlike a lot of other RU-vid channels.
definitely an interesting vid for me. i am a woodworker and having recently gotten into reptile i have decided to see how effectively i can make natural timber hides. got a few ideas but your comments about wall thickness and the interior lip made a lot of sense.
Also! If you're not into looks and you're short on money, going to the dollar store/other cheap places and getting non-clear plastic tubs for "caves"/shed boxes is a great alternative. Or, large/medium bowls can also do the trick, if you cut a hole in them and smooth the sides down.
@@sombreroduck6209 Yup! If you want anymore saving tips, I'm your gal. I am very skilled in the ways of, "being broke, " and, "does that tiny plastic cave actually cost twenty bucks? Not in my house buckaroo."
I didn’t realize how much went into caves! I was just going to use a Tupperware container and cut a whole out but now I’m definitely buying a cave. I’ll probably get that plastic black cave. I’m getting a Mexican Black king snake next week and I’m soooooooooooo exited! You’re videos have educated me so much!
I love snakes , ive always wanted one. I brought home a corn snake years ago, my poor husband almost had a heart attack. He was so afraid. After he passed away, i considered getting one. But my health deteriorated and i had to move out of our home. So watching your videos , are just a pure joy for me. Thank you for all your hard work and knowledge.
I have a leopard gecko and you guys really inspired me because I have depression and my gecko has just made me really happy and you guys inspired me to get her and I wanted to say thank you because you really deserve it
I really want a snake but my mom and dad don't like snakes. There is a place near me that allows visitors to interact with a whole bunch of animals. Every time you post it makes me happy thank you for what you do. My mom has to come with me because I am 11 so she hides in the back lol.
I love how genuinely helpful this channel is and how wholesome Emily is. She just out here trying to get us the best prices so we can better spoil our snek bebeys
Great video with lots of information. When I have purchased hides for my female pastel ball python I have found the the heaviest with largest inside space are the best. When she coils up in the hides she moves the lighter ones all around the enclosure but the heavier ones pretty much stay in place. I just purchased 2 extra large hides for her because she is now 52 inches long with quite a large girth. She will be 5 years old in January 2022.
Hey emily! I wasn't having a great day today but i watched your video and it made me feel better. Thank you for educating people and showing how cool reptiles can be!
I made my own cave for my surprise snake (had about a week of prep before he came to my care, and my budget wasn't 100% ready either), so I found a cardboard box at Whole Foods that was the right size, disinfected it, let it dry, then used nontoxic hot glue to attach shish kabob sticks as supports along the corners and top. I then cut off a chunk and reglued so it had more of a rock shape, used more disinfected cardboard to give it more shape from there. Eventually paper mache'd it to cover the glue work, and it fits perfectly in the tank and for my snake. I check it regularly for any mold and make sure to keep it pretty clean, and he loves it! Can hide inside, lay on top, sleep going in the side and out the top, it's wonderful. I'd like to get a different one that isn't literally paper and glue, but none of them as well as my custom one does. They all take up far too much space, and are too big inside for comfort Edit: if you'd like to see it for God knows what reason, it's in the one video I have, where I feed my snake!
You must be reading my mind. I am about adopt a ball python from a friend and was just thinking about hides and started looking at some (trying to figuring out which is better, pricing, etc etc). Then you post this. Thanks a million! You have made my life just a little bit easier!
I used to hate snakes. I was afraid of them and now I know so much about them and actually want one thanks to your educational videos. Love the channel...keep up the good work.
Have y'all ever done a video on the process of how you clean your racks/tanks/ hides etc. ? It would be interesting to see y'all's process with all the aminals under your care. Plus it would be super helpful to know what cleaning products you use. can't express how helpful the info the channel puts out is!
Thank your for your video on making a humidity box my bp had a great shed. As a first time snake owner I was trying to get my humidity up and the box worked wonders
Emily, I really hope you see this. I have been watching your channel for a while now but, I have not watched your channel in a while. So I would like to say that you are the best channel on the pettube section because you atually know what you're doing unlike some other channels and your also one of the most caring (your are the most) and you atually care for all of your animals and that also gos along with that you know what your doing, you know how to 1. Handle you reptiles( and bird). Hope you keep up the good work
I'm getting two of my snakes bigger vivs soon because they have nearly outgrown their current ones so this video was really helpful for finding new hides to populate the larger space they have and to replace some of their old smaller ones that they have started to poke out of a little.
The second set of exo terra caves is what I use. I have the medium and large for my ball python. I absolutely love them. They are very easy to clean and very roomy inside them. Thank you for sharing Emily. Loved the video. I definitely am getting some villa caves now cause I absolutely loved that cave.
A great hide for smaller snakes/reptiles is a paper towel/toilet paper(for much smaller reptiles-sizing) tube. If you bury one end into the substrate and cover the part of the side sticking out. Then once they go into they can continue digging. It probably wouldn't work well with reptiles with a more moist substrate but my corn snake loves it. She contiunes it into a series of tunnels she has made. She also made a hole underneath the tube like some snakes do under a water dish or humidity box.
Terra Cotta Pot + Dremel: Carve an opening on the side of the pot, smooth out the drain hole at the top. Voila! It's heavy, specious, captures heat and all my snakes love it. And the pots look actually nice, like a garden element.
I bought an exoterra reptile cave for my very first corn snake literally 20 years ago. Still have the cave and it's one of my favorites aesthetically and impractically.
I have a few different hides and definitely true- the highly porous one is tough to clean and not a good investment. Smoothness is important. I also have a chinese vase and a seashell shaped planter that I use as hides and they work really well.
I went with the Exo Terra "new" line for my Ball Pythons (for their warm hides. Their cool hides are plastic containers with holes cut in the side). I've got four sizes so far (there's at least one larger) and they have worked for everything from my smallest (98 gram baby) to my largest (1400 gram and still growing into her cave) adult. They all seem to like them and they all use the "natural" surface to help with their sheds. They just turn circles in their caves and their sheds roll right off. When I used only plastic hides, it was a lot more work for them to complete their sheds.
Very informative video!! I always learn so much from you. Maybe in the future, you could cover appropriately sized hides for your snake. Can you give your smaller snake a bigger hide, or do they like to be tightly coiled inside? Does preference vary by species?? Thanks so much.
I use the Exo Terra medium for my 2 year old ball python. It is very easy to clean and Charlie likes it. Of course, he also likes his small sized one. You can almost hear the ‘pop’ if I take it when he’s inside!
So many options. I have the Exo Terra large ("old" style) for my 4 ft corn snake and he loves it tbh. I had a friend cut off, widen, and sand down the front of one of the "new" style Exo Terra hides, and it now functions as a nice hide for my 5 hermit crabs, who adore it (and they have so much space in there!)
The most important part is that your reptile must approve. I recently acquired a yearling male Western hognose who felt stressed-out in his new enclosure, so I had to cover three sides and buy new hides. He didn't feel comfortable unless he could wedge himself in. All of caves in this video would have been way too big for him to feel comfortable. He didn't eat for a month and pretty much disappeared into one tiny hide for weeks. He's eating again and has started venturing out to explore his new house. I haven't started handling him yet because I don't think he's quite ready. Getting there, but not yet. Anyway, each animal is different. You have to provide the right hide for the right situation.
If you don't mind not having a natural hide I found vases to be great for Dorito (my cornsnake) and should work for other snakes as long as the opening is wide enough for them. Although Im not sure if its a cornsnake thing ( a friend's cornsnake does the same), as they prefer using a deep vase with a wide neck. The only problem with using a vase is cleaning it (its a nightmare 😭.)
Hey Emily!! I love snake discovery!! I have a bearded dragon and I use that Zilla caves for my beardie, Izzi. I really love snakes and I want one. Snakes are my fav animal.
Early Squad where you at😎 Thanks for the helpful video! Everytime I have a question I can always just come to you and you are very good at informing your viewers on not only what they need to know but anything extra. Definitely will support you for as long as you do youtube. 🤗
Are you talking about the black take-out box caves? Because chemicals in the take-out box caves aren't an issue because they are made out of food grade plastic, and if it's ok to store food in that is for human consumption, it is a-ok for snakes to live in.
