Size of Enclosure

[eddieg536]

I have a baby BCI about 16" long in a 75 gallon aquarium. Most of the time he is on the cool side surprisingly to me, can having too big of an enclosure be a bad thing? I am concerned maybe he can't even locate the warmer end of the cage. Please help.

[Damian]

Re:Size of Enclosure

In my opinion i think you are better off starting with a big cage because soon that 16 inch long boa will be 3 feet by the end of its first year. So with that in mind buying a small enclosure for a baby is really a waste of money. Now you will get different opinions and some people think that a large cage can be too much for a baby boa to handle. In my experience i have never had a problem starting any of my snakes in a cage that was going to last them a life time.

[Guest]

Re:Size of Enclosure

No he can locate the warmer side.

I agree with Damian, You are better off with the bigger enclosure.

What are your temps and humidity?

[eddieg536]

Re:Size of Enclosure

My warm side's ambient temp is around 85-87 degrees, with a floor temp of 90 degrees, and the cool side is about 77 degrees. Humidity is at 50 %.

[sclark]

Re:Size of Enclosure

Hello Eddieg,

Don't worry about too big. I have done both the 20 gallon starter tank and the 2 foot x 4 foot as a starter.. No big difference to the baby boa. Just as a safty if your worried, try putting a hide on each side and water on each side.

Hope that helps some..

Steve

[eddieg536]

Re:Size of Enclosure

thanks steve. I'll put a 2nd. water bowl in there to make sure he's properly hydrated.

[sclark]

Re:Size of Enclosure

Please do keep us up dated on how your baby is doing..

Steve

[stormyva]

Re:Size of Enclosure

The size of the enclosure is fine as long as the snake has plenty of places to hide. I would even go as far as putting three or four places for the snake to go and hide. As the snake gets larger and outgrows the hides you can replace them with larger ones.

[eddieg536]

Re:Size of Enclosure

For the last 2 days, my little baby has actually hidden in its substrate(aspen shavings). This is very funny because I provided 2 hide boxes and some fake foliage to hide in. Is this a common behavior?

[___LEE___]

Re:Size of Enclosure

Yes!!! LOL my boas will have nothing to do with their hides they all hide under the paper or the triple kiln dried reptile litter they never go under or in their hides at all do not worry about that they will go and do what they want that makes them more comfortable.. wait till they start defecating in their water bowl now that is nasty and smells really bad LOL..

LEE

[Doug]

Re:Size of Enclosure

Hi,
I had a baby hog that seemed to be freaking out in the big cage kept racing around the cage and climbing all over it. So I went to the dollar store and bought a sweater box with lock down lid and drilled about 10 1/4 in holes in it along the sides. I put a couple paper towels one small log and a water dish caught the little hog and in the box he went. He liked the little sweater box and now uses it as a feeder. So much for the 500.oo cage he had ,, :P he just hangs in the little sweater box under the log, i even leave the lid off incase he wants to cruise,, He dont. I believe many breeders raise their babies in similar type boxes this may feel like home to him.or more like his previous cage.. .
He's happier and the heat in the bigger cage is constant.. I may get about 20 more of the boxes in case I have baby guyana's some day and use that big old cage as a nursery... hehe
doug




this picture is to give you some idea of the scale of the cage the yearling guyana is in a much larger cage now


common out Danior jeeze don't look at me that way...


sometimes he's a pain about changing the paper.He's saying its my cage, my log go away... .where's my towel.. hehe

[tatdaddy]

Re:Size of Enclosure

your hoggs looking good doug!

TAT 8)

[ClayEnglish]

Re:Size of Enclosure

The large size has never been a problem as long as there are sufficient places to hide, or climb to. These simple things seem to give comfort to small boas that, by genetic nature, feel vunerable in a "new" world.

[eddieg536]

Re:Size of Enclosure

My boa has gotten settled in well now. I've handled him a couple of times, and other than feeding time, he's been pretty tame. He's feeding regularly, and now, I am waiting for a first shed.

[XzyluM]

Re:Size of Enclosure

Always good to hear good news eddie. Hope all continues to go well.