Caging For A Red Tail Boa??

[Philly22]

Hello everyone I eventually want to get a Red Tail boa when I move and have more room but was wondering if this cage would be enough room. Or should I just give this cage to a hogg Island boa. I would much rather get a Red tail Boa because I believe it would be a lot more fun to watch it grow but I only want to get one if I can give it adquate space.


http://www.cagesbydesign.com/cages/specials_reptile.asp

The cage I going to get is not the first but the second one:

IS that enough space for a Red Tail or just would that be small, if not I'll just give it to a hogg Island. I was going to put better hid boxes and climbing branches in their for them. along with a better pool syestem.

I was even thinking about getting a misting syestem somehow I going to convert that into a little rainforest effect just havn't figured out yet.

* I heard hogg's like to burrow what sustance would be good for them to burrow??


Experience in Snake Handling
- Have never actually owned a snake
- Have been researching for 3 years , reading books ,
- learning from my friends, looking at different cage setups

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Additonal information

Even though I have never owned a snake I have watched my friends make mistakes and made suggestions to them. In all honesty I most likely could provide a better home, aswell as patience for the snake.

Yes I know a boa constricor (large snake) is toatlly different than a sometimes nippy difficult eater ball python. This is something that I am willing to put time and effort. This is the number one reason why I want a boa as my snake because I only want one snake and I might as well get the snake I like.


*I haven't decided yet which snake to get do any of you know which snake pound per pound is stronger, The red tail or the hogg island? any thoughts on this would help.

I want a snake that will get about 8-10 ft long but a snake that will have room to roam in that cage. So if that cage is to small for a snake that big, I would rather just get a smaller snake but still want to stick with boa's.

[Reticsrule]

ok well i think youre talking about the cage that is 6'x8'x4'. if so that cage is WAY more than adequate for a red tail (or any snake for that matter lol). but im curious as to why you chose cages by design. they are pretty much the most expensive cages you can possibly buy. im guessing you chose them because you said this will be your only snake and you want to make a very natualistic display for it,which is fine if thats the case.

you seem like youve done your research and i dont think you would have any problems keeping a red tail as your first snake. i got one as my first snake 2 years ago and havent had any problems whatsoever with him since. i even bought him a girlfriend a year ago lol. they are awesome snakes and they have pretty simple care requirements as long as you can handle their adult size (and with a cage like that, that wont be an issue lol). you said you want an 8'-10' snake so you definitely want to get a female. also are you talking about true red tails (BCC) or common boas (BCI)?

oh yeah, and hogg island boas stays smaller than the common boas or true red tails so if you want a large snake, dont get a hogg. also the hoggs will be weaker than the other two because of their smaller size. if you have any other questions feel free to ask:)

[DaemoNox]

An enclosure like that would be more overkill then anything; it will be hell to heat and maintain humidiy. It would be a few years at least before the boa is big enough to be housed in it.

[Philly22]

I don't know of any other cages people could use to house a 8 possible 10 foot boa BCC true redtail boa. Alot of people use 120 gallon aquaiurm it has the length but not near enough the hieght to let them climb branches and such.

Most people build custom cages which meet requirements, which in this case I am not the constructor type.

As far as the snake not being able to being housed in the enclosure for years. That would give me time to get it purchursed get everything set up for him and get the loan paid off for it. :eb:


Any suggestions on encluseres I like this one because the snake has space, I can put alot of logs branches and a big pool in it for him....
Package R2 - 72"T x 96"L x 48"D ( This is the one I was meaning)

Key challenges

* Getting the heat and humidity to the correct amount, once their I am pretty sure the enclousre will do a good job of keeping it in.

* Cleaning it will take a couple of hours but that's part of the job.

ONE Question Though:

People say don't feed your snake in their enclosure because then they will mistake when you reach in to pick them up for feeding time.... Well where would you feed an 8+ snake if its not in its cage laughing... And that's why I looking for a bigger cage as well so the snake can eat in his cage and not be pinned up against one side of his wall.

[DaemoNox]

Feeding out of the enclosure is overrated; its not about where you feed but how you feed. You condition them to know to expect food at a certain time, and feeding out of the enclosure can be just as risky if not more due to having to handle the snake. With large constrictors the safest way is actually feeding in the enclosure, what many people to is tap them on the sides before taking them out so they know its not food time.

There are several other cage manufacturers that will still give the snake plenty of room but save you a lot of money.

[Philly22]

If you could link one or two that would be helpful, I looked for different manfaturers for at least a couple of hours all I could find was.

A. People who you had to contact give information to who would build it for you:

B. www.cagesbydesign.com which is what I found its overpriced

C. Some other cage makers that make cages but they are not designed for snake

[HeavenlyHerps]

Lets see there is Vision cages, Boaphile cages/plastics.

http://www.visioncages.com/

You can also find vision cages at LLLreptile.com

http://www.boaphileplastics.com/

[Philly22]

I have looked at both those sites before, and those plastices tubes with holes punched in them. I would not put a large snake in it for any length of time. I am looking for a cage with depth , height as well as length..

Any links to a cage with those quality's with a lower price. Than the one I have posted above. Would be helpful thanks for your input heaven...


What other sites sales snakes I know there's more than

www.kingsnake.com

[DaemoNox]

Unfortunatly then your not going to find much.

http://www.monster-cages.com/ I believe will make custom sized cages. The problem with the cages by design is that most arnt made for large snakes, and most large snakes wont really take advantage of that height because of their size, its harder for them to climb.

[McCarthy Boas]

Hi Philly22

I can make just about any size cage you need. Adult boas do not need tall cages as they need more floor space than height. If you want a boa that gets 8 to 10 feet long then you want a female Colombian BCI. Here are a few pictures of my female named Xena she is a Colombian female. She is around 15 years old, 10 feet long now and 55 to 60 lbs.

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/XenaGoing_InCage01.JPG

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Xena_Tom12.JPG

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Xena_Tom08.JPG

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Xena13.jpg

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Xena_2005FullBody02.jpg

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Xena_HeadOutSide04.JPG


Here are some of the cages I have made.

This cage was designed for my own personal use. It is designed for boa constrictors. Each cage is 72" wide, 24" deep and 20" high.
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/3cagepicHighRes.JPG

This cage is 48" wide 24" deep 48" high. This unit was designed and built to house a Frilled Dragon.
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/RyansCage02.JPG

This one measures 8' wide, X 2' deep, the top cage is 48" high, and the bottom is 20" high.
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Tomscage3red.jpg

This custom cage is 48" wide X 30" deep X 72" high. This unit was designed and built to house a green tree monitor.
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/ShannonCage04_28_2003_03.JPG

Standard equipment for my wood cages are a ceramic infrared heat emitter , a KANE heating pad under the floor, a fluorescent light with timer, casters and air vents. The bottom of each cage is sealed with a clear, high build epoxy finish to aid in cleaning, and prevent water damage to the unit. The 3/4"Oak plywood is stained to any Minwax color you like, sealed, and caulked. The cage has sliding tempered glass doors with locks, to ensure that animals stay in, and children stay out. (Sliding reinforced plexiglass doors can be installed if you prefer avoiding the risk of breakable glass.) All cages come completely assembled. They will last a lifetime with proper care. These are furniture grade custom cages. THESE CAGES ARE NOT YOUR STANDARD MELAMINE CAGES. They will not absorb water like melamine can once the surface is scratched.

Take care,
Tom McCarthy
www.McCarthyBoas.com

[Philly22]

Which Cage do you store your 55-60 Columbian BCI boa. Do BCI get bigger than BCC?

Thank you for your help when it comes closer in time to purchase a cage I'll keep you in mind.:)

[HeavenlyHerps]

True red tails BCC get bigger. Its very rare for an adult female Columbian getting over 8 foot, an in most cases ( not saying yours McCarthy) they are powerfed to get larger and breedable sooner. Which has shown to give them a shorter life span.

[Reticsrule]

another cage company that is very good is www.animalplastics.com. this is the company i get my cages from and i highly recommend them. their prices are pretty good and the quality is also very good.

and as the others have already said, there is no need to have height in cage for large snakes such as boas. they dont prefer to climb when they are adults and really only care about the floor space. a 6'x2'x2' cage is plenty big enough for an
8'-10' boa. any of the plastic caging companies mentioned have cages this size. good luck with whatever you choose:)

[taz19772005]

I think that cage is over kill i keep my red tails in 6'x2'x18" and they do just fine in that size. and i made them my self

[litesnsirens]

I keep mine in 2ft X 4 ft X 12" high. Still fine. My cages are similar to the boaphile cages. I get them from reptile corner, they are reasonably priced light weight and perfect for BCI. As McCarthy points out BCI BCC dont do alot of climbing. These plastic cages are fire retardant and are better than wood at holding heat and humidity which is more important than height. As a matter of fact if you get a great big cage like that you are going to need a hide box because it will want to find a place to feel secure, and then you will never see your snake because it will be in the hide most of the time. Having lower height to the cage may reduce the need for a hide box. A good rule of thumb is 1 square foot of floor space for each foot your snake is long. I say go less elaborate on the cage get a snake that you really like and spend the rest on rats...On another note it is a myth that Hoggs are true dwarf boas I have seen many that are easily as big as columbians and some even bigger at comparative ages. As Heavenly says if you truly want a snake that is going to exceed 8 feet consitently you will want a BCC. I wouldnt get a snake for that reason though. BCI's get big enough, if you're going for BCC it should be because you love the look of those tails the head shape and the colour and saddles. They get bigger but can be a little more difficult to get started, sometimes regurging their meals. good luck in your search.

Kevin