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live plants in a terrarium

22 15:29:55

Question
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read this!  I have a beautiful red corn
snake, and I am hoping to start up a larger terrarium for her with live plants.  
Would using a live moss for a substrate be a good idea?  (If not, what would
be best?  She is on aspen right now, but that would definitely mold!) Any suggestions for some great plants? (Are there any websites or books you
would recommend?) Also, I assume I would have to bump up her UVB to a 5.0
(She is at 2.0 right now)  Is there any chance of her getting sunburnt?  

Thank you very much!

Answer
I think that the UVB 5.0 bulb should be just fine, as long as the snake has a hide spot. For plants, I would recommend that you pick up a book called "The Art of Keeping Snakes". You can find it on amazon.com. The author discusses many aspects of terrarium setup for snakes, including soil, plants, etc. Just make sure that it's not too damp in the cage as this can cause skin problems for the snake.