Lid Doesn't Fit Right

[Sharon C.]

Hi-

I'm new here. After reading and thinking a lot about it, I decided to adopt a baby corn snake into our family. I've always wanted a snake, and now that my son is 7 (and a good kid who will treat it responsibly), we went today and got an albino motley corn. It's beautiful, and a tiny little thing.

I bought a 10 gallon tank for it because it was the same price as the little tanks. The problem is, the guy at the store just started grabbing stuff I would need and he picked out this lid. It's a nice lid but it doesn't fit the tank tightly. It's split down the middle horizontally so you can leave it on the tank and just lift one side up, but I am worried about the fit. Shouldn't it be snug? It's not snug. Are there clamps I can buy, or do I need a whole new lid? Thanks in advance.

Also, can the vet tell what sex the snake is? They didn't know. Thanks.

 

[babbaloo99]

Hi there! Congratulations on your new snake. Sounds like a lovely little one. There are clamps that the petstores sell to help secure the lids. But if this one doesn't fit right, I would take it back and explain what happened to get a better fitting one. They sell some that have pegs to screw them on tightly also. There are a few types of lids for that sized tank that you can find at various stores.

You really want to make sure it fits well because the snakes that small can fit through small places very easily and could be very tough to find. And they climb really well. I have read that if their head can fit through a space, then the whole body can. Until you get the lid fitting properly, I would place some heavy objects on top just to make sure your little one can't pry his way out. Good luck!

 

[Rinpu]

You may want to get a sliding screen lid instead. It sounds like the lid you have now is an aquarium lid designed for actual fish tanks, which aren't designed to keep clever reptiles in. Most pet stores sell screen covers, which are specifically made for terrariums. They're usually in the reptile section. They come in almost every aquarium size, and they're designed to fit securely so there's no chance of escape.

Here's an example: http://www.petluvers.com/screencoverbyzoomed.html

As for the sex of the snake, a herp-knowledgeable vet should be able to probe it and tell you. Or you could figure it out yourself by looking at the shape of the tail, but that seems to require a lot of experience too...I can't do it yet.

 

[surfrkidTS]

Anyone will say get the Corn Snake Manual by kathy Love. If you don't want to sex your snake by probing or popping, take him to a specialty reptile store or vet. My vote as far as the lid goes to sliding with pegs. Thats what i use and not a single problem yet!

 

[Flygning]

If you are handy with tools and such, you could always make your own lid. My viv's lid is just that particle-board kinda stuff with holes in it (does anyone know what that is called?). It's cut to fit snuggly, and when its humid it gets even tighter. I've rigged it with simple clips on the side to keep it shut, and I haven't had a single escape.

 

[TigerLilly]

A new screen lid I think would be good, but make sure it has some kind of lock.
I've heard also that you can make a good estimate about the sex of the snake after it sheds. You have to count all the scales from the choloclea (what? sp.) down. It's very tedious (sp also) but if you'd like to try I'll give you a link.

 

[Sharon C.]

Thanks!

The lid is actually made of a heat resistant screen type material. It is split down the middle horizontally so that I can lift just half the lid up. It's not a fishtank lid although they do split those in half also. It's actually a really nice lid other than the fact that it doesn't fit snugly. There is too much room for it to shift around on top of the tank. I feel that it should snap down onto the tank. I think I will look into some of the lids you suggested. I'll get the book, too. Thanks again.

 

[Bekah]

It's actually a really nice lid other than the fact that it doesn't fit snugly. There is too much room for it to shift around on top of the tank. I feel that it should snap down onto the tank.

Sharon,

The lid I have on my yank doesn't "snap" on either, but it is sized correctly for the tank (I did all the measurements myself on top of consulting with the people at the pet store). I went to another store and bought 2 sets of tank clips (2 to a pack) and they've worked wonderfully, creating that "snap" down lid you desire. You can also go with the other recommendations made by some of the other members. If you decide to take the lid back you should have no problem doing so if you still have a receipt.

I just have an issue with this guy piling on items that you "need". When I bought my snake, they tried to sell me a 10 gallon tank that was "set up and all ready to go." My foot it was! And you should have seen the price they wanted for it. It was much cheaper for me to by the items I desired and felt best suitable for my snake. I shopped around quite a bit...seems that some stores seem way pricey for soe certain items. I'm a bargain hunter so I got what I wanted and needed and prices I was satisfied with!

Good luck with your new snake and let us know what you decide concerning the lid!

 

[LawrenceM]

I have my baby snake in a 10 gal reptile tank I got at Petsmart. The lid inserts into the tank at the front of the tank. A small piece of plastic shaped like a rectangle with an open side then slips into a locking mechanism. It is a nifty little device. The only thing that scares me is that there are two gaps at the plastic locking mechanism which look big enough to allow escape of a very young corn. I've placed tape over them to avoid escape. I would recommend this tank as a starter (it was less then 30 bucks) unless I am underestimating the risk of escape (?).