15 Year Old Snake Needed a New Home - Dean's Story

Nearly 15 years ago I got an animal I still have to this very day, my Blotch Kingsnake, Whodini. We've had quite the adventure over the years. When I look back on it all in this format, it's very nostalgic as well. He's been around for half of my life and a lot has happened during that time.
He's lived in a variety of arrangements and most recently in a custom built plywood setup. Although I enjoyed it initially, I've slowly become disenfranchised with it. It still served him well, but it could be better. So I decided to finally give his bioactive vivarium a proper redesign.
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[@SerpaDesign]

Crazy to think it’s already been 3 years since I did the original bioactive kingsnake setup. It’s even more crazy to think I’ve had Whodini for 15 years! It’s been a great time thus far, and he’s been a joy to have, except for that time he escaped… Lol! I guess it’s all part of the story, though. I had a lot of fun making this one, and I love how his new setup turned out. What do you think? Let me know, and have a great weekend SerpaSquad!

[@Pxnlc_will_rot_in_hell12]

2nd liker

[@shontellepetersen4445]

That was an Awsome vid!

[@AzraelThanatos]

Only thing that might have been a good addition is some larger ledges or similar...a lot of snakes seem to like them for places to climb to even for ground dwelling species

[@nickymasangu9255]

How are you man? How can i reach out to you? Want to collaborate with you

[@axol_gaming_]

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[@OggVorbis]

It's so refreshing to see a video that emphasizes the long-term care and husbandry of an animal instead of collecting every morph and keeping them in shoe boxes.

[@jmarshal]

Yes! A big part of why I love Tanner’s videos. He actually cares about the animals well-being and lifestyle. Imagine being one of those poor snakes just shoved into a sliding box on a rack with fifty other snakes. That’s no way to treat a living animal. Tanner truly loves his animals - they are his companions, not just a collectible.

[@SteveTheVloger]

That’s one thing I’ve never understood about the reptile “hobby”. Some people really seem to forget that these are animals at the end of the day and just treat them like an object.

[@t_s4500]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@NicholasSandar]

I think the emphasis on enclosure construction as an ART helps shift focus away from “gotta catch ‘em all”. Frankly, half the reason I bought my son an Uromastyx was so I had a reason to build enclosures like Tanner’s! 😂

[@readyalways1414]

So true BIG DOGGIE 💯👣

[@Roy_Camacho]

"Sure, it's exciting to occasionally get new animals, but I think it's even more rewarding to give the animals I have the best conditions possible." -Tanner The most veracious statement in all of Reptile Hobby.

[@JD-re3cj]

What’s sad is that you think that’s a special statement. That should always be the bare minimum with animal keeping

[@morganw.4711]

You have been growing as an artist and a conscientious animal keeper. We are so lucky to get to go along with your journey!

[@ornamentalboxes]

Love this design! A tip for the epoxy: the brand Hxtal is non-yellowing, it's what we use in conservation to mimic glass and ceramic when restoring objects, so has been tested up to 100 years with no discolouration 👍

[@rekapeace6936]

The things I learn while watching vivarium building videos :D

[@lilyayora]

I've had a lot of brands claim to be non-yellowing, but is there any info on how it holds up under UVB lamps? That's probably why the epoxy in the video yellowed so fast. If it holds up well I may have to switch :P

[@reidrayfield6685]

Well i would just see if it holds up well in outdoor applications with direct sunlight. If it holds up under direct sunlight it should hold up under a uv lamp.

[@alpoh]

My toxic trait is thinking I could make something like this.

[@ZaneLikesCheese]

I think you could with the right resources

[@lavender-hearts]

Love seeing your long-term care videos c: All I could think after seeing the rocky spaces on the back wall was "what a great idea for some naturalistic enrichment!" I know that animal enrichment is really important, so encouraging those climbing behaviors even in a "ground-dwelling" species really brings out the idea that... there's a lot of elevation to the ground, too! I bet you have fun watching him utilize that new back wall, and it's gotta be fulfilling to see.

[@sierrasicard4593]

I love seeing the progression of your skills and how you continuously improve the quality of your animals lives! This build is stunning. Personally, I think the yellowing of the water bowl adds to the natural look, it almost makes it look like algae has taken advantage of the pooling area

[@effy_kujo]

Agreed about the bowl 💯

[@rekapeace6936]

+1 exactly my thoughts! :D

[@sharim]

I agree as well.

[@hushingsilence]

I think changing the homes we house our pets in, are good for their own mental health, if that makes sense. It's like getting a whole new fish room, and have a new arrangement to live in every several years. It can only be good for mental stimulation for the animal. Great job, Tanner!

[@aaronburkeen6409]

I could see if you make major changes constantly. How it would stress your animal out. You can avoid that by making minor ones, like adding a new plant while you have them out. Or rebuilding the scape, not adding any new material, and leaving certain hides alone. It provides enrichment but also gives them comfort. Notice how he used the same large piece of qorc. That's a comfort item for the snake. Most of the enclosures it has been in have included it.

[@jessicahiggins912]

According to someone I know who has kept snakes for years doing a complete overhaul of their home every few years will not stress them to much as long as you keep some of the things they are familiar with but it allows us to make sure that everything in the enclosure is working and holding up as it should. Even the best treated wood can sometimes root or warp over time. Let's face it even in the wild environments are constantly changing. My friend refreshes hers up during the winter months when her snakes are brumentating( I'm sure I spelled that wrong) she moves her snakes to two enclosures she uses for quarantine new snakes cause those two don't have all the escape the others do. Also want to add she has I believe all but one snake in bioactive enclosures.

[@effy_kujo]

I love it and no one deserves a new, awesome enclosure than our boy, Dean! I love that you built out the background & sides giving him a two-story home! He's going to love scratching his itches & will probably produce some beautiful sheds. Your talent and love for your animals is always inspiring & I love watching you turn nothing into a realistic slice of nature! 💚🪱💚

[@themurrrr]

I am living for the dramatic reenactment scenes 🤣 Love your sense of humor and happy you and Whodini were reunited ❤ Edit: Oops, I misspelled his name

[@rekapeace6936]

I loved that as well! That paper snake!!! LOL!!! :D

[@AngryMunci5]

Whodini is such a beautiful snake. What a journey he’s had.

[@alpoh]

I gotta say, this was definitely one of those "stay with me till the end" videos, but you pulled it off as always! I love the depth it gave the enclosure, and it was nice to see Dean get a house reno. It's refreshing to see the progression of how the bioactive held up, with the switching of plants and such. This gives me some relief about some plants not working in my bioactives. It's trial and error with what plants mesh with the ecosystem you create. PS. I actually really like the green hue the epoxy has in the bowl! Makes it look like a natural water source.

[@jakefrechette3224]

There's always room for improvement! I thought the last build looked great but, WOW! So cool how you went vertical to really maximize his space and to create the micro climates!

[@VolatileFortune]

The dramatic reenactments are SO GOOD, I needed that laugh today! Snakes escaping is such a mood, the ridiculous ways my ball python(!) managed to force open even the smallest cracks to get out or get stuck in them.. it was a neverending source of anxiety until I built him a custom tank

[@nancydenmark1614]

This upgrade really is night and day step up from the last one. I love the vertical surface area that he can explore. Seems much more stimulating for him than everything just being flat. Looks like a rocky hillside to me. Good video and update on him.

[@starr_ship]

Faux rocks for the win! Not only is this a heck of an upgrade for a very cool customer, this very conveniently helped me solve a design problem I've been wrestling with. Respect and thanks!

[@holahowareu]

Man, he's got it all, carpentry, good taste in design, and plans out ahead to prevent problems! You're a natural!

[@omegablast2002]

this guy is god mode of animal care...i swear, what a blessing it must be to come into this world as a frog or snake that is owned by this guy.

[@amandadonegan2137]

Beautiful. I did a habitat decades ago for my Anole Lizards l rescued from a bare newspaper bottomed tank in the local pet shop. They went from a sickly grey to jewelled green (m) or rich brown and cream (f) and the 2 males did incredible displays to each other.....they flash colour like cuttlefish! I used 'fig' tree plants and compost for the forest bit and a sandy area with the pond and basking light. I gave them flat rocks too and branches. I donated them to Poole Aquarium in Dorset UK when l moved and they were amazed at the habitat. 5ft long 2ft wide 2ft tall glass tank. Plants had grown a natural canopy across the top. One group 1 male 2 female had the best night place the other male one female nearby. The males didnt fight just displayed like tiny dinosaurs. I fed live Crickets mealworms etc. Loved those little Lizards.

[@humphreygobo6576]

This setup looks amazing. I hope that Whodini loves it as much as I loved watching you build it. Til next time SerpaDesign, aaaaaand peace.

[@Kittenball]

Dean is adorable! His personality really shines, especially when he's exploring. The new vivarium is stunning as well! Your builds are always not only beautiful, but functional down to the smallest details. I always look forward to your videos, so thanks for sharing!

[@soyukichan9097]

So while I'm waiting for my finances to recover, I've been wanting to do something like this. THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING how he uses his space. It's a big pet peeve of mine when making these big enclosures that people just make them for... themselves. Now I'm still wrestling with how to work in all of my snakes behavior into his enclosure, this gave me an INTENSE amount of inspiration.

[@dudeross9120]

The facts that you find upgrading your existing animals into better enclosures, and enriching your animal family's lives so much are why I respect and recommend your channel above all similar ones. Too often it's the thrill of getting something new, which often leads to neglecting the old creatures in someone's care that get views and it genuinely makes my heart so sad. In my own life I am constantly striving to make sure that all of my animals (cats, rats, fish and reptiles) have the best life available to them and not increasing my collection beyond what I can reasonably care for. (Most of them I have had now for well over a decade.) It makes me really happy to see the good work you do and hopefully it reminds all of us to check in with our existing animal family members and see how we can improve their situations further, before just moving onto some new critter.

[@ReginaRegenbogn]

He is so loooong! I love how you utilized the background to give him some more space to stretch out. He's clearly using all of it and thriving. Wonderful work! (And also, great work on editing this video, again!)

[@alandenniston7992]

Same thing for me. My ball python got out in the middle of winter. 4 months later he reappeared in my kitchen 13 feet in the air hanging from my cabinets at 3am. At the time I lived in an old 1800's era home with very tall ceilings. Even better, went I put him back in his tank he pooped sooo he found something to eat in all those months.

[@oldie.no.79]

The amount of raw talent displayed in this video is incredible

[@AwkwardBirb]

I will never adopt an exotic pet without being willing and able to give it the kind of care that you give your animals. ❤

[@ensign17]

This is amazing how you created a new home in the original home. This has to be a great enrichment for the snake. It’s rare to see snake owners do this for there snake. Ur animals live life of luxury

[@user-xl9yn4ud5o]

Your animals are truly blessed to have you! Thank you for taking such good care of them and providing educational videos for other potential owners.

[@torake_2464]

It's always wonderful to see person that are so in love of their animals, keep it up you always inspired me

[@user-kb5nb6go7i]

Whodini is such a beautiful snake. What a journey he’s had.. Whodini is such a beautiful snake. What a journey he’s had..

[@BlaineBlast]

you picking up the cutout of the snake in surprise was HILARIOUS lol

[@annikathewitch3950]

I'm getting my own kingsnake in a week or so and your videos have been super helpful for designing and building its enclosure.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

Houdini is beautiful…love his patterns. He deserves a home fit for a king!

[@chuck89l]

I truly love watching your builds. Love seeing your creative mind at work. Inspired me to build my first bioactive enclosures and aquariums. Soooo excited to see all the great stuff you will do In this new space.

[@readyalways1414]

Definitely inspiring BIG DOGGIE 💯👣

[@BeautifulEarthJa]

Yay! Happy Saturday everyone!

[@metaldesire4]

Awesome update for an awesome snake. Making videos highlighting the long-term care of an animal (even if it doesn't involve a new build) is something you don't see too often from youtubers who are in this hobby.

[@mynutshellmail]

Tanner, you have truly outdone yourself! This beautiful paludarium shows that you care enough to make improvements when it will benefit your animals. Whodini must certainly be pleased with his new climbing wall. 🐍

[@maggiea5141]

I love your re-enactments and editing they just bring so much silly joy and whimsy

[@creptile1718]

This one’s wild! Very well done Serpa! 😃

[@keelhe893]

I believe every other year or so all the environments need an update to keep the animals mentally stimulated and the spaces fresh

[@ThKiwi]

Agreed! I use my local reptile show as an annual cue to give both of my snakes a revamp. I do smaller updates throughout the year but I always go ham on enrichment items at the show and spend the next few days redoing my snakes’ homes. :)

[@Yolazonejevousaime]

The journey of Serpa is inspiring, I've learned a lot from it ! You can feel this feeling of true life behind every story he is telling in his videos !

[@astrocat229]

I didnt realize how long ive been watching your channel until now. Realizing i watched both the previous habitat videos and then seeing the dates they happened... Its been a long time.

[@emilia1382]

Fantastic!!! ‘The Boy’ must be ecstatic… gd to see him back on the channel! 😊

[@JellykaNerevan]

This might be my favourite background of all the ones you have done so far.

[@owenbyrne9850]

That new enclosure blew me away. It looks amazing and like you took a hillside and put it in an enclosure. I can only dream of giving my corn snake a setup that good and he likes his current one.

[@6STRINGAHOLIC]

This is the coolest snake enclosure I've ever seen. I so wish I was able to create something like this

[@matt123411]

That's amazing that you still have your king snake. Him escaping and you catching him in good health is awesome. I had a common wall gecko escape and after i finally found him, he was emaciated. I tried in vain to feed him with crickets and mealworms, but he did not want them and died😢

[@chrissychaos69]

You are one of the best on youtube when it comes to enclosures! It's always amazing watching you build!

[@EscapeReality94]

I love seeing your skills improve throughout the years. Just beautiful! ❤ also at least on camera the discolored water bowl makes it look like there is algea in the bottom which looks more naturalistic in my opinion 😊

[@dndndndndn419]

That dramatic reenactment was great! 😅

[@johnnyrodriguez5938]

Tanner will never be content with any set up, long term 😂. He will always upgrade. It’s good for the animals 🙌🏽

[@capnskustomworks]

I love how cozy the new space feels! Definitely more going on than the plain rock walls, I hope Dean really enjoys it!!!

[@jacobm3261]

This set up is so good!! I love how he can completely conceal himself in that center hide, and how is water bowl is in a shadier area.

[@Tinker13ee]

I'm so glad you included the timeline for Dean's different enclosures. I can't believe how far your skills have come. This current setup is incredible.

[@Stephapokus]

I love this! I have a 12 year old crestie and I love updating her tank for her. They deserve it!

[@WelshAmethystGirl087]

You are such a huge inspiration to me and my builds. Id never even heard of self sustaining ecosystems or at least i thought i hadnt until i watched your build an ecosystem in a bottle in ten mins i think it was called. It was the first video of yours id ever seen and ive never looked back since, i now have my own bottle ecosystem with different ones for different invertebrates milipedes being my fav. The milipede mountain you created was out of this world, i now also make bug hotels and wildlife habitats in my garden and they have attracted newts who have since reproduced as well as a solitary bee that was actively using my rose bush to create egg pouches and we had baby bumblebees too. Ive never seen baby bees in my life and it was such an amazing thing they r so cute. I also actively save bees as often as possible and its all thanks to you

[@dwamish]

I love this story! Ty for fighting back against the anthropogenic extinction event!! Rewilding on a continental scale is required, but every effort helps, and if everyone did as you do, we'd be well on the way - hope you influence everyone in your world!

[@WelshAmethystGirl087]

@@dwamish thank you so much, I have recorded some of my bee rescues and put on my channel. There you will see me handle them and help rehabilitate them if your interested in that sort of thing

[@ZaxolotlTerrariums]

Tanner, I love your videos. I started watching you in lockdown with no knowledge on terrariums and such, and now have over 15 of them as well as many new animals. You changed my life. Thanks :)

[@caryelizabeth624]

The last line of this video made me tear up. 🥹 There is something so special about having an animal that grows up with you. What a special snake. 💕

[@jimmyjames2022]

Fun Dean build history! Great to add definition to that back wall for Dean to move around on. Bottom of water bowl being that yellow looks like algae and natural to me.

[@JustTravis_trj]

Love bioactive snake builds!

[@BeagleRescuer13]

What a beautiful snake! I miss my reptile babies. Kingsnakes I feel get looked over due to not being overly flashy. So lovely to see this guy.

[@sharim]

The new enclosure is 1000 times more realistic and snake-a-licious than the first build. I’m sure Whodini agrees!

[@arowe231]

I'm digging the new setup. It looks like a side of a cliff with trees. Awesome job.

[@ggoannas]

I am so glad you keep snakes like this. They are not stupid and need space and stimulation. Thank you so much.

[@natitougaku7912]

i just love it, your setups is getting better with every year, you got hands direct from Got. thank you for scharing with us your designs.

[@rein7526]

Love this refresh for whodini! The original videos inspired me to switch my ball python to bioactive, and i hope these videos continue to inspire people like me

[@angiebear8727]

I’m absolutely terrified of snakes. Do not like them at all BUT love seeing people taking good care of their pets and encouraging others to do the same. Glad you found him. 😎

[@CajunCraft24]

I’d never seen a blotched kingsnake before- he’s very cool. Great set up as always

[@Dasiapee]

This was an amazing video. The end product was great. A huge difference in quality. I’m sure he will love and thrive in it

[@meganelizabeth3900]

You're an amazing artist! Just like bonsai masters use nature to create art. Stunning.

[@starkshadows0205]

I found your channel a week ago and it has inspired me to build my first 100% reclaimed and hand built native bioactive vivarium from the woods of Western Pa. The only thing that wasn't reclaimed was the grow light and the blue isopods. Thank you so much for the inspiration and excellent content

[@ricardo68]

Wish I knew as much about terrarium set up, carpentry and hardware. Beautiful setup! Congratulations!

[@kerbalized]

my albino king escaped for an entire year until my spouse saw her chilling in the driveway one afternoon. Could not believe it

[@mhxistenz]

Baby Deano! 😍 He's always been my favorite of your animals and I'm thrilled to have a whole episode centered around him. His new home looks incredible! 👌👏🔥

[@kzookid2051]

An awesome home for a big, beautiful guy! I miss my son's California king snake; she was a real sweetie. All kept critters should have a home this considerate of their needs and comfort. Well done!

[@gahlenfr]

I really like what you have done by adding the various levels. I have found that snakes and lizards will utilize all the area you provide plus it makes shedding that much easier on the snake.

[@michellemcfarland80]

I like the green in the water bowl. It looks more natural, like some algae is growing. Awesome setup!!! 👍😍👍

[@ggoannas]

I had a garter snake called Houdini because he was always escaping. I had so many species but he remains one of my favorites. Smart snake.

[@xfatalxflawx]

In all the years watching every video consistently, this is by far my favorite. Whodini is my favorite in your collection and he never gets enough spotlight. Excellent build, top notch video. This is inspiration and animal care at it's best!!

[@josls8438]

Amazing video as always! Please do more bioactive reptile enclosures.

[@Echosinfireify]

I love it when you re-do things! And you make their lives more interesting by changing stuff up

[@brianvanhedel]

End of last year I got my first two snakes, two baby cornsnakes, one natural color and one snow. they are both still worm about 50cm long. but they have a massive realistic 144x44x46cm terrarium. every night I go and look they are climbing al over the place. thay also both have a very different character. both are really sweet tho. cant wait to get a bigger place to live and get some more snakes. really want a retic, they are incredible animals.

[@MsLeenite]

Building out the upper area of the scape was a great idea. It gives Whodini a more interesting environment to shmooze around in. He's a really beautiful personage, and deserves a suitable home!

[@abba9265]

I’m always amazed to see your progress, in your enclosures and your video efforts!

[@TheSnugglekins]

Would've loved to see that lil guy bask! Love the video.

[@connorburnside1421]

Oh I love Saturday mornings I got some free time at work and one of my favorite youtubers uploads gonna be a good weekend 😊

[@dragonbeak]

I love the reenactment of Dean's adventure.

[@Alicia.Marie.13]

This is stunning! The epoxy in the water bowl look green on camera and fits good! It looks like algae that would be there in nature.

[@xrodr2]

MAJOR UPGRADE!!! Gorgeous setup and he looks so happy :-)

[@jmarshal]

He looks so happy! I was concerned when I saw new home and was thinking oh no, you had to give him away? I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that you were making him a new enclosure, because of course! It looks fantastic. And while I don’t keep animals as the upkeep it too much for me, I love watching how you build and design as it helps me when I build terrariums, or even miniature landscapes just seeing how you do it and address certain issues. Thanks once again and I hope Dean is very happy!

[@tsubasangel]

love how you love your snake. you gave him a big tank instead of thinking about giving him minimum space so you could get more snakes. that's someone who truly loves animals and believes in giving them better lives :)

[@Elzeria]

I kinda like the green/yellow color inside the waterball, I think it's look more natural like if there was plants growing on the water 😅

[@seanathanbeanathan]

Agreed, like algae

[@normandcass1113]

🤣😂 The recreation of you finding your snake under the garbage was awesome!

[@yshrha10]

It's incredible to see the improvement over the years. But also each scape looks amazing, it's just the one after looks even better!

[@Christinas_creatures]

It turned out beautiful! I'm sure he's so happy with it

[@MrBeeMeR320D]

Wauw, the new version looks awesome!!! those rocks made of foam are ridiculously realistic 😮

[@1HandClapping2010]

I always love watching these!! The love & care you provide for your animals is obvious.

[@kellergie2602]

Wow the difference in design is night and day! I actually liked the old build when I first saw it, but this new one is incredible and in comparison makes the old one look so bad! You are so amazing, always growing!!