Nerodia clarkii compressicauda (mangrove salt marsh water snake)

bunnyhunter42

bunnyhunter42

AC Members
Nov 27, 2009
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Huntington WV
Real Name
Ryan
In my Herpetology class today and the professor brought in 7 new born Nerodia clarkii compressicauda and offered them to the class for free! I am so getting one, but figured i should come on here and ask vicious_fish (and anyone else who knows anything about them) for a little more info then what was provided already in class and what little (very little) I found onlline. Basically what i would like to know is how large feedings should be (I have two trios of Gambusia, of which one of my females just gave birth and another should anytime now), how often I should feed him (or her), if some salt is required for the tank (i know they have to avoid ingesting salt, but I'm wondering if they require a small amount in the water for care of their scales or something along those lines), and what you would recommend for the setup and substrate? I have been told that damp newspapers can be used, and the professor said his set up is a tangle of fake vines covering the bottom of the tank with water partially covering the vines but with some left above the water so the snakes can leave the water if they want to. Is this the optimum setup or would you recommend something else? Anything else you feel i need to know please inform me of. I am so so so excited about getting this little guy and free captive bred and born is way to good to pass up! thanks in advance :D
 
Congrats! That's my most favorite N.A. water snake species. I'm not much of a snake guy but if I was to give you some advice it would be to setup a tank similar to how you would keep a garter snake. You'll want to have a large water basin for soaking but also an area for it to dry off so it doesn't get scale rot which can be an issue if the enclosure is too humid. One side of tank should be kept in the mid 80's while the cooler end can be kept around room temperature. I'm not really sure what the best substrate is for these guys so you might want to just use newspaper or paper towels for now. Food can be small fish, amphibians and pinkie mice.
 
Ya, newspaper is simple, cheap, and easy to change for cleanup. A water bowl big enough for the snake to catch live fish from, but not a permanently wet enclosure. No salt is necessary for anything, but a simple hide like an empty box with a small hole would also be a good idea.
You can simply keep live fish in the water container and let the snake eat them at will.
 
thank you both! Vicious i forgot that lizards mainly geckos are your herps of choice lol but you still were a great help! and thanks todd for the box idea and the feeding plan! ill post pics on here just as soon as my little mangrove is in my possession! :D soo soo soo excited!
 
one last question. how docile and tame are we talking here? i know its not gunna eat my hand but i would like to know if i can handle him (or her) on a regular basis or if he is a look but leave me alone kinda snake. since i have him from a new born will handling him (or her) a lot now better my chances of being able to have him rather docile and tame as an adult or is it always docile and tame or is it an every once in a while i can hold it but not often?
 
From what I hear they can become pretty tame with daily handling. 5-10 minutes of handling every few days should help get it accustomed to you. Just leave the snake alone for a day or so after you feed them so it doesn't regurgitate it's last meal.
 
thats what i was looking for!! thanks a million vicious!! :D
 
re: handling - as w/ most snakes, leave them alone when they're getting ready to shed as well. Not being able to see tends to make them snap-happy.
 
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