Full Size Enclosure

[greenman1867]

My Boas are 30" long each right now. Can I put them into a full size enclosure now? 5'L x 2'D x 12"H.

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Or is this too big for them and stress causing?

Thanks

[hbwright]

They will be fine as long as they have lots of comfortable places for them to hide. You'll have pleanty of room to have a hide on hot and cool side and some silk plants and wood for them to climb on.

[greenman1867]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[T-boid]

you can`t go too big...you just can`t...smaller enclosures are a serious cause of stress...a larger cage gives the snake MORE room to feel secure and regulate body temps..especially boas, they are, for the most pary aboreal...breeder s are a different stoy...I don`t agree with the way most breeders keep their boas...I love mine and would never, ever give them"just enough room to survive...how would you like it...

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by T-boid
you can`t go too big...you just can`t...smaller enclosures are a serious cause of stress...a larger cage gives the snake MORE room to feel secure and regulate body temps..especially boas, they are, for the most pary aboreal...breeder s are a different stoy...I don`t agree with the way most breeders keep their boas...I love mine and would never, ever give them"just enough room to survive...how would you like it...

Do you have anything to back up the claim that smaller enclosures cause serious stress on a boa? I keep all my smaller boas in rubbermaids in a rack, and i have yet to see one of them be stressed. They all eat fine, shed fine, go to the bathroom fine, have never had a regurge. So i would love to know how you came to this conclusion?


Also IMO boas as in BCI's and BCC's are not anywhere near being aboreal. Sure some will climb up on a branch every once and awhile but that doesnt make them aboreal. Every one i own and have ever seen if given the chance to climb, will just lay on the bottom of the enclosure, and not ust the branch or whatever was in the cage.

[Linds]

Originally posted by T-boid
you can`t go too big...you just can`t...smaller enclosures are a serious cause of stress...a larger cage gives the snake MORE room to feel secure and regulate body temps...

There is no evidence to back up that claim and only to support the opposite. Many snakes will refuse to feed when placed in large enclosures, and will resume normal behaviours when placed in smaller enclosures, and this has been consistent over time. While I do agree a large enclosure can definitely be beneficial, the larger you make it the more difficult it becomes to successfully maintain an appropriate, functional environment. As for more room to feel secure, that is a contradiction in itself. Snakes prefer tight quarters to hide in and feel secure, they will always choose the tighter hide over the roomier one.

...how would you like it...

You can't compare people to snakes. They do not posess the feeling and thinking part of their brains, nor do they enjoy the same type of environment anyways. Humans wouldn't enjoy many things snakes do throughout their time, nor would they prefer to do stuff we do. It's disrespectful to the snakes to personify them as people, they are their own unique creature as are we.

[BOA68]

BCI and BCC are definatly not aboreal. They are to heavy bodied to be aboreal at full size. Maybe a baby will climb if given a branch, but they are definatly not aboreal. You can put a boa in the large enclosure if you want because they don't stress as easily as other snakes such as BP, but you can also keep them in a smaller enclosure if you want. A smaller enclosure won't cause stress.

[Invictus]

Gee, that's funny... last I checked, in Colombia, you will NEVER find a boa on the ground... you have to go up into the trees to find them. Unless every nature show I've seen since I was 10 years old is wrong.

I've had literally dozens of boas of all sizes, subspecies, and locales go through my home. The most I had at one single time was 14. In that time, I have discovered:

- Give them a hide, they'd rather perch on it than hide in it.
- Yes, they are in fact semi-arboreal, and even my adults will perch if I give them something to perch on, especially during the day.
- The size of the enclosure seems to have little to no effect on them one way or the other. They just don't seem to be an overly nervous snake. None of my boas use hides, be they baby, juvi or adult.

I say do what works for your setup, but be observant. If the snake shows signs of stress, move him back into a rubbermaid for a while.

[T-boid]

I`ve been raising boas for 20 yrs now and I`m just stating my expirience...ALSO, all boas ARE ABOREAL...if your grown boa doesn`t climb it`s too fat.

[T-boid]

also, if your snake won`t feed, it won`t be the size of the enclosure...more than likely, it`s inexperience. again...BE PATIENT!
And as far as hides...when they climb, they feel secure...every boa should have a high spot where they aren`t EVER touched or otherwise bothered...they will use it and they WILL come down to feed.

[JAdkins2451]

Originally posted by T-boid
I`ve been raising boas for 20 yrs now and I`m just stating my expirience...ALSO, all boas ARE ABOREAL...if your grown boa doesn`t climb it`s too fat.

Thats funny, I am buy no means an expert.. But that is a false statement. Not ALL boas are aboreal, ATB or ETB are... And like Invictus said if they have a branch they will use them..