some atb questions

[rynwilliams]

I am thinking about getting an amazon tree boa and i have a few questions regarding keeping them.

1) what is a minimum size viv for a single and a pair of atb's? i have heard that 3x2x2 is ok for a pair?
2) what is the best way heat the viv? is a heat mat and a bulb ok (obviously bulb turned off at night) attached to a thermostat?
3) What sort of accessories are best to use in the viv? i know they need lots of branches and i have seen people put poles horizontally accross the viv. what else could you put in there?
4) what is the best way to increase humidity? is putting a water bowl over the heat mat ok or does this increase bacteria growth in the water? also is spraying once a day ok?
5) how do you tell what size food the snake can eat? the head is obviously larger than the body so how do you know what size to feed?
6) does anybody know any good breeders in the UK? what time of year do they normally breed (so i know the best time to look for young snakes)

[Rob McRobbie]

Check out Corallus.com for some great information on the species. Why do want to know minimum dimensions? Is that all you can provide? Sorry, but this a pet peeve for me when people ask what will minimally work for a "PAIR" of animals. I use 2x2x2's and find this will work weel for an ATB.

Which brings me to my next concern. If you want to breed this species, which I kind of get from you wanting a pair, it is best to have them caged separately and then introduce for breeding attempts. You will 1. experience greater enthusiasm from both participants when breeding and 2. be able to keep individual records on feeding, defecation and sheds. Speaking of feeding, it will be a lot easier to feed them when they are separate from each other and are unable to eat the other's prey and "heaven forbid" cagemate if the other snake has already begun to swallow...

Hope this helps...


Rob

[rynwilliams]

so would a 2x2x2 viv with a ceramic heater and either a uv or a bulb be ok, with a large water bowl under the heater. Would this be ok for an adult atb?

[Rob McRobbie]

That would be fine... One thing though.. I have heard people shun the practice of placing a water bowl over/under an undertank heat source as a way of providing humidity.. Main reason being that the water will become stangnant a lot quicker.. Another point being that the water would obviously not be as appealing to drink from if it has been heated from below..

A much better alternative would be to indeed have the heat source from below (I do this as well) but spray the cage, including the floor as this will allow for a rise in humidity within the cage as it evaporates.. Good luck..


Rob

[rynwilliams]

Would 18" deep x 2ft high x 2 1/2 long be ok for an adult atb. or is it not deep enough? I have heard that with arboureal animals they have their thermal gradient between the top and bottom of the viv (as opposed to side to side) so is it best to position the heater in the middle of the viv at the top?

[reptile boi]

.. Another point being that the water would obviously not be as appealing to drink from if it has been heated from below..

A much better alternative would be to indeed have the heat source from below (I do this as well) but spray the cage, including the floor as this will allow for a rise in humidity within the cage as it evaporates..


.. Another point being that the water would obviously not be as appealing to drink from if it has been heated from below..

Im assuming that your saying that it would not be good to use a UTH to heat the water bowl.


A much better alternative would be to indeed have the heat source from below (I do this as well) but spray the cage, including the floor as this will allow for a rise in humidity within the cage as it evaporates..

And you said that you use heating from underneath the waterbowl, but y would u do that if you said that would not be a good thing? Sorry, i might've taken that the wrong way, but please correct me if im wrong.




Thanks,
Ben

[Rob McRobbie]

And you said that you use heating from underneath the waterbowl, but y would u do that if you said that would not be a good thing? Sorry, i might've taken that the wrong way, but please correct me if im wrong.

I do use heating from underneath in the form of flexwatt but it doesn't cover the entire floor surface. That way I can still have the water container in the cage on the floor but at the same time it is on the end that the flexwatt is not.

The portion of the substrate that has heat under it will evaporate when it is sprayed, raising the humidity. I guess my whole point is, there are better ways of raising the humidity in the cage without heating the snake's water receptacle.


Rob