The Great Escape

[AHardShaft]

So my sand boa keeps trying to escape (I have had her about a week now) and so I pulled her thermometer higher (she would use it as a step to help her escape) and I was wondering if they ever stop trying? She tries for about 4 hours a day (broken up between early morning, late afternoon and middle of the night) and it has gotten to the point she tries to run even when I take her out to hold her (I try to once a day so she gets use to it before I go back to school).

[ManSlaughter33]

Are yo sure husbandry is okay? not humid and temps are right?
My sand boa is rarely even seen unless i uncover her. so If it's trying that hard to get out maybe theres an issue?

[Tiny Boidae]

Is the cage big enough? I had one male sand boa in a standard shoe box, something I keep all of my other males in without problem, but I'd find that he was particularly antsy. He's strike whenever disturbed, would climb up the tub walls, and was just not a joy to be around. Well, I got a brilliant idea and moved him into a much larger tub and he calmed down really quickly, and no longer becomes this escape artist. Some like to have a slightly larger territory than most need, and some smaller, so if they tend to be unusually prickly and are always looking for a way out, I'd recommend upgrading it to a slightly larger habitat.

[AHardShaft]

Her habitat ranges from about 100-80 during the day (100 for the warm 80 for the cold obviously) and she has about 3 inches of sand to burrow in, I am wondering if maybe it is just where she likes to hang, it is not like she moves around the lip, which she can, she sit right by the edge of heat lamp (i tested it, it is about 90 degrees where she lays). She is about a foot long (give or take a few inches) and I have her in a 10 gallon and and open screen lid so low humidity

[Tiny Boidae]

I would upgrade to a 20-gallon, just to give her a little room to stretch. I have five sand boas, and only one will ever be found above the substrate (the male I told you about. He still likes to sit ontop of his hides sometimes and test the screen, but it's nowhere near as bad as before.

Also, ditch the sand. I tried it with my snakes and they kept getting it in clumps under their lips, even though I fed outside the enclosure. Also it's dusty and unnatural for them, as they live in a sort of scrubland with clay and dirt, not a whole lot of sand. A better alternative is aspen, carefresh, shredded paper, eco-earth... Just avoid pine and cedar, and you should be fine.

http://transworldexpedition.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/L_landscape.jpg

I wish people wouldn't describe reptiles as "desert" animals, as nine times out of ten they're not from the expansive sea of sand, but rather these sort of areas. Arid is a much better subsitute. (Tiny Boidae for president 2016. Changing the reptile vocabulary one word at a time).

Also, knock the temps down a few degrees. The hottest spot in my animal's cage is 95°, and I feel uneasy going any higher. You can get a cheap thermostat to control this from LLLReptile, and I use zilla ones for all of my sand boas. They're on/off thermostats, so it might take a little fiddling to get it right.

Zilla 1000 Watt Temperature Controller (http://www.lllreptile.com/products/13883-zilla-1000-watt-temperature-controller)

[AHardShaft]

I use an overhead light for her, is that the best thermostat for that or should I use a different one?

[Tiny Boidae]

No, use a dimmer for those. There are multiple ones, and I'm just showing you some cheaper options.

Kane heat mat rheostat (http://www.lllreptile.com/products/115-kane-heat-mat-rheostat)

[prairiepanda]

I wish people wouldn't describe reptiles as "desert" animals, as nine times out of ten they're not from the expansive sea of sand, but rather these sort of areas.

Deserts are defined by amounts of precipitation, not appearance. I live in a desert with no sand and way more vegetation than the image you showed. "Desert-dwelling" just means that an animal handles very low humidity and drought well. Not sure why people always think it means sand...although, in the case of sand boas, the name is misleading.

[AHardShaft]

So I got the temperature control and a humidity gage and the hottest spot in her cage is now 94 degrees. The humidity gage says it is 60ish% humidity but that cannot be right because I am in utah the second driest state in the US and her light is always on and the water bowl isn't losing any water so I might need to get a new one however she is still trying to escape, any other ideas on why?

[AHardShaft]

the humidity gage is dropping now though so hopefully it'll be correct by morning

[AHardShaft]

I am wondering maybe she just likes to climb? Is this possible? and if so should i get her something to climb on like one of those zoo-med primate skulls? Thank you everyone for your help

[AHardShaft]

After watching her for much of last night I am wondering if she is trying to escape or climb, she loves climbing over the little pieces of cork bark I have for her and when she climbs and chills at the top rim of the cage I noticed it is not like she tries to push the cage open or anything she just climbs around. When she's up there she loves letting her head fall down onto the humidity gage so I am wondering if she just likes to climb?

[Tiny Boidae]

Prariepanda-

Yeah but the problem is that most people associate deserts with sand, and when that happens we have beardies and such on sand. I'm not saying that desert is grammicly incorrect, I'm just saying that it leads some people to assume desert = sand.


AHardShaft-

I've never heard of a sand boa liking to climb, but every snake is an individual and it's a possibility. I'd still upgrade the enclosure to a larger size and then place a piece of driftwood if you think she enjoys climbing.

[prairiepanda]

You could always try giving her something to climb on and see what she does with it. But I'm wondering whether she is actually just trying to get off the substrate? Maybe try a different substrate and see if she continues this behavior. She might not like the sand.

[millertime89]

No, use a dimmer for those. There are multiple ones, and I'm just showing you some cheaper options.

Kane heat mat rheostat (http://www.lllreptile.com/products/115-kane-heat-mat-rheostat)

No. Dimmer's aren't the correct way to do things. A t-stat will adjust to take things like changes in room temperature into account. Especially when you can get a t-stat for only $8 more. I've used these a lot with no issues.
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