Size ?

[Hissing sid 65]

Got a large 5ft Viv and I'm looking at getting a baby hog island boa...my query is will it be ok to put the little one straight into a large viv that will be his/hers home for yrs...im hearing so many stories saying it's not good to put small snakes into bigger tanks and you need to move them up through various sized enclosures ...any truth in this or is it a fallacy ?

[EL Ziggy]

I don't keep boas but I've started other baby snakes in adult enclosures. As long as they have lots of hides and cover most should be ok.

[Jim Smith]

Ditto to what El Ziggy said. I've read where some people suggest that it stresses the snake out, but I can't follow the logic on that at all. If anything, it gives the young snake more places to choose to hide instead of forcing into one place in a small container. I've place my young snakes right into the lifetime enclosures and they been fine. I will admit that it can be a bit of a "Where's Waldo" moment trying to find them for feeding time, but they are just fine.

[richardhind]

I have 12 boas and I’ve never had a problem putting them into big vivs straight away.
as already discussed as long as they have plenty of hides in there they won’t feel too exposed and will soon settle down , i have climbing branches and also shelves wich they all love,I find mine only tend to go in the hides when they have just eaten in the warm end and are pretty much on show in the open air 80% of the time .
as they grow you will probably have to upgrade the size of the hides and probably start to take some out just make room for them as they grow
Hope this helps

[StevenL]

I've had boas and currently have a baby Burm again all beginning 38 years ago. It has been my experience boas and giant pythons don't read or listen to the stories about stress. I've never used a hide for boas and currently my Burm has no hide. Two of the three ball pythons I own have a hide but they never use them. I have found with the snakes I have worked with over the years if you reinforce insecurity you will never have a snake that feels at ease with you. My snakes are out everyday being handled and socialized. Now I know not every snake species will ever totally chill out but my experience with BP's, a BRB, Burms, Boas, and even wild caught Bull Snakes they have all adapted to captivity with none of them having a nervous breakdown regardless of the size of the cage they were in.

[trailblazer295]

Generally you're fine with a big cage, you just add extra clutter and cover and remove as the snake grows. Some snakes are bolder than others so depends on the individual.