12/19/2023 0 Comments Blue indigo snake salesNote that indigo snakes are known to be quite messy and defecate frequently, so this will be your biggest chore as an indigo owner! How to decorate an Eastern indigo snake enclosureĪn empty terrarium makes for a bored snake, reducing its quality of life. Remove poop and urates daily, as well as replacing contaminated substrate. Substrate should be at least 4” deep and completely replaced every month. Layering clean, chemical-free leaf litter on top of the substrate can also help with humidity and provides a source of enrichment as well. Providing a thick layer of naturalistic substrate (“bedding”) will help cushion your indigo’s body, maintain correct humidity levels, and also helps make your enclosure more attractive! We recommend the following substrates for indigo snakes: Decreasing ventilation is not an acceptable way to increase humidity, as this increases your snake’s likelihood of illness. Mixing water directly into the substrate also helps with maintaining high humidity. Mist first thing in the morning and then again at night if needed. Increase humidity by misting your snake’s enclosure 1-2x/day with a pressure sprayer. Humidity should be measured via digital probe hygrometer, with the probe placed in the middle of the terrarium. There should also be a humid hide for your snake, placed on the cool end of the enclosure and lined with moistened sphagnum moss. Best humidity levels for Eastern indigo snakesĮastern indigo snakes need an average humidity of 60-80%. Heating should be turned off at night, but temperatures should not drop below 65☏. Do not use ceramic heat emitters (CHEs), red bulbs, or blue bulbs, as these are not as effective. Provide heat for your snake with a cluster of four halogen flood heat bulbs, placed close together over the basking area (ex: flagstone or stone paver) to evenly heat the snake’s entire body. Temperatures should be measured with two digital probe thermometers - one on the cool side and one of the basking surface. On the other side of the enclosure, the temperature should be between 70-78☏. Specifically speaking, indigos should have a basking surface temperature between 90-95☏. A reptile’s enclosure should offer a range of temperatures to allow them to thermoregulate effectively. Like other reptiles, indigo snakes are cold-blooded, which means that they rely on external temperatures to manage their own body temperature and metabolism. Best temperature for Eastern indigo snakes Don’t forget to replace your bulb every 12 months!Īll lamps should be on for about 12 hours/day, or synced with your local sunrise/sunset times. Position the lamp on the same side of the terrarium as the heat lamp, about 15-17” above the basking area if over mesh, and 18-20” above the basking area if not. The best UVB bulbs for indigos housed in a 6’ x 3’ x 3’ terrarium are:įor best results, house the UVB bulbs in a high-quality reflective fixture such as Arcadia or Vivarium Electronics. UVB lighting helps provide a clear day/night cycle, provides all of the vitamin D that your pet needs, strengthens the immune system, facilitates better digestion, and other benefits. Technically they can survive without it, but we still recommend providing appropriate UVB lighting for indigo snakes. Indigo snakes are also ophiophagus (snake-eating), so there is a strong risk of cannibalism. Of course, larger is always better, and furthermore it is required for particularly large individuals.Ĭohabitation (keeping multiple indigo snakes in one enclosure) is not recommended, as this is not a social species, and keeping them together causes unnecessary stress. For an average indigo, that’s 6’L x 3’W x 3’H. The minimum acceptable enclosure size for a pet indigo snake is based on its length. Indigo snakes are quite active and need enough room to stretch out fully, explore, and thermoregulate properly. Minimum terrarium size for Eastern indigo snakes With appropriate care, an Eastern indigo snake can live up to 27 years old. However, indigos have docile dispositions and can make great pets for those willing to keep up with their maintenance! A similar but more readily available species is the Texas indigo snake, Drymarchon melanurus erebennus. They are best known for their distinctive iridescent black color, completely with a black belly, although some individuals have cream or orange-red chins and throats.Įastern indigo snakes are not common pets due to the fact that they are a federally protected species which require special permits to keep. Although, they have adapted well to drier climates, usually their preferred habitat is wetland areas.Įastern indigo snakes have slender but robust bodies with smooth scales, an oval head, and a distinctive “eyebrow”-like ridge over each eye. Eastern indigo snakes ( Drymarchon couperi ) are a 5-7’ long, diurnal, terrestrial snake native to the southeastern United States.
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