New Guy to the community

[paulholcomb]

My name is Paul and I've owned snakes for years.....however, our Corn Snake Kellog passed away after 6 years and we are looking to get a Red Tail Boa now.

We are looking for a male but don't have a lot of money to spend. I would really like to find a local breeder or adopt one that someone doesn't want.

I have a 200 gallon aquarium with heating lamp on a thermostat, large water dish, climbing limbs, and plenty of hiding logs. We're currently ready to bring one home.

My wife is asthmatic and allergic to dogs and cats so she has had a snake for most of her life. Our Corn Snake died 3 months ago and we're noticing something missing.

I will be spending a lot of time around here asking questions and soaking in the vast knowledge. I know that I don't know it all..........so I will ask!

Thanks for a local place to hang out..........

Paul

[infernalis]

http://www.thamfriends.com/mat.jpg

[TeaNinja]

hello and welcome.

[sickvenom]

hey paul. just to get you off to a good start - the correct term is 'red-tailed' boa. :) you will also see abbreviations around here of RTB.

[stephanbakir]

RTBs make fantastic pets! Welcome to the forums.

[belovedboas]

Indeed they do make great pets!!!! Welcome to sNAKESs:)

[percey39]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

[Jendee]

Hello welcome to the forum!! I think you have made an excellent choice in your species of reptile :D They are awesome!!

[marvelfreak]

Hello and welcome! Any question just ask. There are tons of helpful people here.

[paulholcomb]

Thanks for all of the warm welcomes!

I spent some time looking around for that RTB that I thought that I wanted so badly.....however, upon my travels I met a local guy going to the Community College for Zookeeping that is acting as a local reptile rescue. When I met his 2 Normal Balls which he acquired from someone he knew that didn't know how to care for these snakes I knew that I had to bring home the bigger female!

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/paulholcomb/Snake.jpg


They had been in a terrarium with no humidity here in Colorado and were having very bad sheds. She has at least 2 retained eyecaps currently. She spent 2 weeks doing soaks with the guy I got her from and has spent the past 3 days with me soaking and doing mineral oil soaks on the eyecaps as well. The eyecaps are now turning grey and look to be a little loose. I'm sure they will come off soon!

We've named her Stevie Nicks after the 80's rockstar and I ended up building a very large terrarium/vivarium with a log from my yard, 12qt wash tub converted into a waterdish with waterfall, large reptile rock cave, plastic tub w/cover and hole cut in the top that has sphagnum moss and water for a retreat, and a large plant in a terra cotta pot. I added 1 overhead UV white light on a timer for sun light and 2 overhead Red Heat Lamps plugged into a thermostat. Once the heat reaches the limits I've set for the thermostat it will shut off the heat lamps until it cools off by 2 degrees at which time it turns back on. The heat lamps run 24/7 and like I said the UV Light is on a Reptile Timer from 6am-8pm when it shuts off for the night.

I have a thermostat/humidity gauge at the bottom of the tank and I have a thermostat on the outside of the Vivarium with a probe next to the thermostat probe for the Heat Lamps that tells me that temperature at the top and middle. This thermostat also tells me the temperature in the room I'm in so I can see the temperature differences.........I then purchased a Temperature Gun to take exact temps throughout the vivarium.

Here are a few pictures of what I've built:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/paulholcomb/Snake013.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/paulholcomb/Snake015.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/paulholcomb/Snake016.jpg

[Lankyrob]

That looks a nice set up, bp's dont need uv light tho, as long as they grt some natural light into the tank they are fine, good job on getting a rescue!! :)

[paulholcomb]

The vivarium is 54" Long, 36" High, and 20" Deep

[paulholcomb]

Thanks lankyrob.........I like your motto! I have that same motto, a little more permanent though:

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll238/paulholcomb/paulsTattoo.jpg

[Lankyrob]

That is on my list of tattoos to get, we have a thread called Show us your ink on here, you will have to put some pivs on there!! :)

[marvelfreak]

Nice looking set up. Good job on the rescue.