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Recent plant experiences
So, a bit of a report after the first month or so of 2 female Aesculapians in a Mediterranean garden viv:
(and yes, I know all the arguments against cohabiting; and yes, I am taking all possible precautions to avoid incidents or stress to the snakes. It's a good-sized viv, and so far the only interaction has consisted of one or the other sticking their head into one side of a duplex hide, seeing the other one and muttering some snakey equivalent of, "Oh, it's you", and crawling into the apartment next door instead)
1) When it comes to doing well in an environment suitable for snakes, lighted by 3 175-watt equivalent (they're an energy-saving bulb so actually run at 35 watts) daylight bulbs, and entertaining and surviving 4.5' snakes, dwarf lemon trees are DA BOMB! Even the smallest branches are sturdy enough to take a medium-sized slim snake's full weight, and the tree, which had been looking real grotty after winter in an unheated conservatory, is bursting out with new leaves and flowers all over the place.
I expect dwarf orange trees would be equally as gratifying; the citruses, in general, tend to do well indoors as long as they have a reasonable bit of light.
I'd also say that the citruses would be sturdy enough for a significantly heavier-bodied snake.
2) A large lavender plant also works well for a medium-length, slender snake - the branches bend worryingly under the snake, but are flexible enough not to be damaged, and the leaves are also very sturdy. I'd say a heavier-bodied snake would trash it, though.
3) The direction of plant growth can be deliberately controlled by where they are positioned re the lights - the lavender is training itself to bush out through the fork of the big climby branch, just as I hoped.
4) Snakes LOVE curling up in plant pots. I don't know if it's the feel of the real dirt (slightly damp, the Aesculapian is a moderately high-humidity snake so may appreciate this), or if the pot holds a little warmth, or it's just the raised rounded edges that do it, but so far the girls have utilized every single pot as a basking area, while totally ignoring the open slate over heatmat that I installed in case they wanted to bask on warm stone in the open.
I'm planning to add a large rosemary and a small bay tree to the viv, as they seem to be getting a lot more enjoyment and exercise out of the plants and their pots than out of their floor space, which they appear to see as a mild inconvenience on the way from their hides to the pots.
Overall, Mediterranean plants seem to be the winners for European snakes' vivariums. Since Aesculapians do brumate, however, I'm planning to try some Northern European plants in their future prince's viv - a dwarf apple, a bonsai'd hazel, and perhaps a couple of sturdy herbs if I can find anything appropriate. Then, when he settles down to brumate, I can set the apple and hazel out to get their share of cold winter dormancy.
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