Boa enclosure

[mark129er]

I have a 4 month old Central american BCI. I want to build an enclosure for her. The dimensions I have in mind are 5 feet long, 3 feet deep and 2 feet high. Does this appear large enough, too large?? Any input would be appreciated.

[HetForHuman]

That in my opinion will be too big for her even when she is full grown.

I have a 6 1/2 foot columbian bci in a 4x2x2 cage right now, and will keep her in it till she is at least 8 feet.
if she gets bigger i will add another foot on or so.

I just built a cage that was 4 feet longx18 inches highx2 feet wide, and i will be using this for any more big boas i get, because i feel they dont really need the height compared to the width and length.

Just my opinion.

If i were you i would build a smaller cage for her for now like one of the ball python cages like i built in the enclosure discussion forum. it will take her a long time to fill up 3'x18"x18".
then later on you will be able to see how big she is getting and be able to go from there.

[mark129er]

Sounds great, thanks for the info. Should I use an epoxy resin based sealant for the inside or will using silicone caulk waterproof it enough? Also which do you recommend, a sliding glass front or a solid glass front with a hinged top. I'm leaning towards the hinged top. Also, if using an under tank pad heater would I need a light inside the enclosure??

[HetForHuman]

I do not use a light in mine except for a flourescent light that gives off little if any at all heat.
i have the ambient temp in my house at 80 so i do not need a light for a heat source.

Go here and have a look it pretty much shows you what you will need to build an enclosure the way i do it.
http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=25282

[snakemann87]

I will have my boa in a 4x2x2(its occupied by my burm). If you want pics AIM me or MSN me.......snakemann87.....snakemann87@hotmail.com

[mark129er]

I saw the vents in the new cage, how did you do them in the other cages??

[HetForHuman]

ill take a quick pic for you.

[mark129er]

thanks alot, i appreciate all the help

[HetForHuman]

here is a pic of how i did the vents on my first cage.

I have 1 of these on each side of the enclosure, and none in the back.

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1834100_0072-med.JPG

[mark129er]

These pics should help . Thanks

[Linds]

You don't *have* to go with minimal requirements. I do because space is precious to me. Nothing wrong with giving your snake a little more room to stretch out. General rule of thumb is to give your snake one square foot of space per foot of snake as the minimal requirement. Larger snakes (such as those over 9') should have more than that due to their larger girth. Unless your planning on making a shelf in a display enclosure, height over 1' isn't really necessary (unless you are making it much deeper, you may need a bit more height to be able to work with it). I do all mine with an epoxy covering. I'd recommend steerig clear of melamine and just going with an epoxy and wood enclosure. You will need to seal all edges with 100% silicone. For vents in my cages I use <a href="http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=155272#post155272">these</a>. They are easy to work with and are totally removable so the holes also serve as handles when you are moving them :)

[mark129er]

I think I'll build this one for now. If/when she outgrows it I'll just build a larger one. That would create a new problem, no sense having an empty enclosure, so I guess I'd just have to get another snake. Oh darn.

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by mark129er
I think I'll build this one for now. If/when she outgrows it I'll just build a larger one. That would create a new problem, no sense having an empty enclosure, so I guess I'd just have to get another snake. Oh darn.

LMAO thats what i do :)

[mark129er]

So far I haven't been able to find any suitable vent-hole covers.

Het, where did you get those little circular ones??