Upgrading Vivariums/Tanks/Cages

[MartinD]

Hi guy's 'n' gal's this is just a curiosity question, how do you folks decide when your snake needs a bigger 'home'. Only a friend of mine was on another forum and there were people saying 'If their snake could stretch from corner to corner, or if the vivarium was say 4ft x 2ft and their snake went along the back and down the side it needed a bigger viv, just wondered your take on it.

[Andy_G]

Some say length + width of enclosure should be equal to or longer than the snake, others say 1 foot of square space per foot of snake. Neither is wrong and you also have to take the activity of the captive into account. I've done both. If its too small of an enclosure theyll get stressed out and youll see evidence such as nose rub and refusal of food.

[bigsnakegirl785]

I do it once the snake seems to be large enough to comfortably fit in the next size enclosure I have in mind for it. There will be a time when the snake is larger than length+width but my end goal is to provide length+width as a minimum.

[EL Ziggy]

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I believe a lot of it has to do with the species and the individual snake. I typically like to provide my snakes with larger enclosures but many of my snakes are ambush predators and really aren't that active until they get hungry. Out of my 4 carpets only the coastal cruises his tank regularly. The other 3 will just perch or plant themselves somewhere until they move to the next spot where they'll perch or plant themselves :). My plan is to put the jungles in 4x2s and maybe 6x2s for my coastal and Bredli. I was talking to a highly respected breeder and he says a lot of that will be wasted space and cash. He said it looks nice and makes me feel better but the animal can thrive with less space. I guess it depends on your perspective. I still say better too much than not enough :).

[trailblazer295]

Depends on the species, individual activity relative to the species norm. Whether or not I have a cage available and whether or not it will require a different adult cage. Some snakes don't care about being put into big cages while small or medium while others get stressed. Personally if starting with a baby or young snake if I'm starting in a small cage I prefer to only make one switch to an adult cage. Constantly upgrading can be expensive and tedious. Especially if you use display cages like me. If you have a big collection with lots of cages available to play musical cages then that's different.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Depends on the species, individual activity relative to the species norm. Whether or not I have a cage available and whether or not it will require a different adult cage. Some snakes don't care about being put into big cages while small or medium while others get stressed. Personally if starting with a baby or young snake if I'm starting in a small cage I prefer to only make one switch to an adult cage. Constantly upgrading can be expensive and tedious. Especially if you use display cages like me. If you have a big collection with lots of cages available to play musical cages then that's different.

Unless you have other snakes to take their places. :P I have species of all different sizes, so when one of the bigger species outgrows, say, a 4'x2' I have several others that could take its place and live there permanently. Plus, I plan on breeding so those "wasted" cages could become temporary or permanent housing for any offspring I may produce. (And may or may not encourage me to buy more instead...whoops.)

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I believe a lot of it has to do with the species and the individual snake. I typically like to provide my snakes with larger enclosures but many of my snakes are ambush predators and really aren't that active until they get hungry. Out of my 4 carpets only the coastal cruises his tank regularly. The other 3 will just perch or plant themselves somewhere until they move to the next spot where they'll perch or plant themselves :). My plan is to put the jungles in 4x2s and maybe 6x2s for my coastal and Bredli. I was talking to a highly respected breeder and he says a lot of that will be wasted space and cash. He said it looks nice and makes me feel better but the animal can thrive with less space. I guess it depends on your perspective. I still say better too much than not enough :).

Wasted space in an enclosure definitely depends on whether you're defining the wasted space in human or snake terms. Just because a snake spends most of the day sleeping in one spot doesn't necessarily mean the snake isn't benefiting from the space during other times of the day. I want my snakes to be lean, so a combination of conservative feeding and ample room for exercise go hand in hand. The way the space is used also can play a role in how active a snake is, a mostly barren enclosure will often be used less than one with lots of things to climb on and hide in. Unfortunately, most of our snakes are nocturnal/crepuscular so much of their activity goes unnoticed, especially if you happen to be in the room.

Although, as you mentioned, they can survive/thrive just fine in a smaller enclosure, I just find the "wasted space" argument so many people use to be tired and bland. To each their own, but if someone wants to provide more space I'm certainly not going to be the one telling them it will go to waste. haha So, on that note, I certainly agree with you there, El Ziggy, just in case it's not clear I'm referring the breeder's comments.

[MartinD]

Thanks for the replies folks. I have to agree with all of what has been said.

I have seen BP's of around a 1000 - 1200g kept in a 33ltr RUB in racks and they eat, poop and shed so I assume they must be happy. My banana BP is 718g, 3ft in length and is in a 36 x 18 x 18 viv and so far he is doing everything he should be, but there are people out there who would insist he should be in a 4ft viv now.

Like BSG, when I move my boas up to bigger viv's then the ones in the smaller ones will be ready to move up to the next size viv.

[trailblazer295]

I just moved my BP to a 4x2x1. He started in a 2x2x1, moved to a 48x24x16 then I got a boa who went into the 2x2. As the boa grew I decided to swap. My BP was quite active and visible in the big cage. Back in the small one hidden most of the time. My BP is pushing 1400g 43". He seems to use the space and will leave paths in his cypress. Ironically he is more active to watch and visible then my boa.

[Tsubaki]

I look at it per individual as well, if I feel it's time they get a bigger enclosure. I gave my Nicaraguans big enclosures and they got stressed out, even with a lot of cover. Became iffy eaters, very nippy and hissy too. I put them back in the rack in larger tubs, they're much more relaxed and eating fine. It's only barely large enough for them, technically you could argue it's slightly too small. But they seem very content with it, so who am I to force them into a bigger enclosure... My retics love the space, so do my burm and redtails.. Not every snake is the same. :)