Columbia rainbow

GyGbeetle · 02-19-17, 09:51 PM

I've been wanting one of these guys for awhile now, and wanted to start my research about husbandry here first. I've read that Brazilian rainbow boa husbandry isn't very forgiving when it comes to humidity and temps, and I'm wondering if this is also true for the Columbians. We live in an arid climate, and all of our other snakes (save for one BCA, who has been having shed issues and dry skin) all appear to be doing well. If you have any experience regarding these guys and husbandry please let me know.

Or any experience at all really.

bigsnakegirl785 · 02-19-17, 10:58 PM

I think Colombians are slightly more forgiving, but do still require extremely high humidity. They might at most be 5-10% less than a Brazilian's needs, if there is a difference.

If you want higher humidity, the key is limiting air flow and using high humidity bedding. EcoEarth, ReptiChip/Grow!t, and sphagnum moss are a few examples. I'm currently keeping my rainbows on a mixture of EcoEarth and cypress mulch, but I plan on switching the mulch for ReptiChip. The only problem with the ReptiChip is it's not currently available on Amazon (not sure why), so I have to find somewhere else to buy it at.

Test-running an enclosure ahead of time with a hygrometer might be able to help you pin down how exactly you'll be able to keep one where you live. Just keep in mind hygrometers deteriorate quickly inside an enclosure with such high humidity. If the display is inside the enclosure, I've found the display blows out so you can't read it after a few weeks, and it will throw off the calibration in the probe just as quickly. So don't leave it in there 24/7.

GyGbeetle · 02-19-17, 11:21 PM

Thanks for the insight. I will definitely take these into consideration if we end up buying a Columbian. I want to get our current snakes out of their current mite infestation, get our latest addition out of quarantine, and get a better setup than what we have before I bring in more. I say I'd like to; whether or not that'll happen remains to be seen. We have several spaces in the house that can act as quarantine locations if I end up not waiting and getting another baby earlier than expected.

We are also talking with someone that may have another potential rescue boa too. I don't know. I already have 11. I feel like if someone doesn't stop me soon, I'll have 11 in every single room of our house by year's end

SnoopySnake · 02-26-17, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

I think Colombians are slightly more forgiving, but do still require extremely high humidity. They might at most be 5-10% less than a Brazilian's needs, if there is a difference.

If you want higher humidity, the key is limiting air flow and using high humidity bedding. EcoEarth, ReptiChip/Grow!t, and sphagnum moss are a few examples. I'm currently keeping my rainbows on a mixture of EcoEarth and cypress mulch, but I plan on switching the mulch for ReptiChip. The only problem with the ReptiChip is it's not currently available on Amazon (not sure why), so I have to find somewhere else to buy it at.

Test-running an enclosure ahead of time with a hygrometer might be able to help you pin down how exactly you'll be able to keep one where you live. Just keep in mind hygrometers deteriorate quickly inside an enclosure with such high humidity. If the display is inside the enclosure, I've found the display blows out so you can't read it after a few weeks, and it will throw off the calibration in the probe just as quickly. So don't leave it in there 24/7.

^^^This. Colombians are much more tolerant to lower humidity and higher temps (not by much). Although for a healthy animal you want it very humid. I keep my colombians at room temp (74F ish) with a hot spot at 84F. I keep them as humid as possible, around 90%+ even as adults. Proper humidity and lower temps are much more important for babies, temps above 90 for prolonged periods are still a no-go with colombians.

akane · 02-27-17, 04:33 AM

I keep looking at these too but the husbandry puts me off. I don't think I have enough experience with snakes that have much of a humidity requirement and with a large enough variety of caging and heating methods for that.

TRD · 02-27-17, 04:39 AM

I'm not sure of restriction airflow is the proper way to increase humidity...standing moist air seems to me the perfect environment for all kind of nasty things you don't want your snake to have...

There's also the option to create a false bottom that you can fill with water and refill as needed using an aquarium heater to evaporate it.

Not sure though, never tried, just read about the technique.

akane · 02-27-17, 05:04 AM

I was thinking of bottom heat on material that holds a lot of water. It works for my clean up crew cultures for bioactive tanks. If I fill it with really wet soil that holds moisture and put bottom heat it will steadily evaporate it to condense on the upper areas. Air flow is somewhat restricted for that though. I've also set a cheap humidifier ($40) on my sumatran python with the directional piece removed so it all falls straight down. Cheaper and more water than any of those reptile misters.

SnoopySnake · 02-27-17, 07:59 AM

Really wet soil can lead to scale rot. Rainbow boas seem to be more resistant to it, but wet substrate isn't the way to achieve proper humidity. Regular misting (I usually spray the walls of the enclosure) and cleaning will ensure high humidity and a clean cage. Moist bedding is fine but you don't want wet, heat mats do definitely help too.

GyGbeetle · 02-27-17, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoopySnake

Really wet soil can lead to scale rot. Rainbow boas seem to be more resistant to it, but wet substrate isn't the way to achieve proper humidity. Regular misting (I usually spray the walls of the enclosure) and cleaning will ensure high humidity and a clean cage. Moist bedding is fine but you don't want wet, heat mats do definitely help too.

OK. So with all of our snakes, we have them on Forest Floor, and we try and mist once a day. Humidity says about 70-80% most days; not the 90% that was stated in this thread. Everyone gets UTH for their heating source.

So do you use a humidifier? We were thinking about getting a humidifier to keep the humidity up if we do in fact purchase this little guy. But won't it get corroded?

And my question is this; the snake we're looking at has been at the pet store now for almost a year. They don't do anything special; forest floor, with frequent misting, and UTH. She has a plastic hide. And she's healthy (I check her out frequently). So how does she stay healthy there?

I really want her, but she's not like my other boas. They appear to be very resilient with low humidity (everyone has been on paper towels now for close to 2 months). What if we get another mite outbreak? Will she handle paper towels for 2 months? I'm a little worried about this.

SnoopySnake · 02-27-17, 12:53 PM

I personally don't use humidifiers. My snakes are kept in plastic tubs and I only put as many holes in them as I need. 80% is fine but I prefer as high as possible. Paper towel is definitely harder to maintain humidity with, but it can still be done, you will just need more frequent misting. Having the water bowl on the heat source also helps a lot

GyGbeetle · 02-27-17, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnoopySnake

I personally don't use humidifiers. My snakes are kept in plastic tubs and I only put as many holes in them as I need. 80% is fine but I prefer as high as possible. Paper towel is definitely harder to maintain humidity with, but it can still be done, you will just need more frequent misting. Having the water bowl on the heat source also helps a lot

What if I went with a biophile or some other plastics enclosure like that?

I only bring up the paper towels because of mites. I'm finishing up my first mite infestation, and still have no clue where they came from. I put everyone back on their substrate too early, and ended up with mites a month later, so they're staying on paper towels for 2 months, no exceptions, this time around. we're on month 2. And all I've been reading from breeders and enthusiasts is to keep new snakes on paper towels while in quarantine, which we now do about 60 days (sometimes longer, depending on what's happening). So if we mist twice a day, do you think that'll be enough? I guess the only way to know is to get the enclosure and test it out for a few days to see what happens in these scenarios.

She's still there at the pet store.

akane · 02-27-17, 01:05 PM

I use aquariums with mesh lids and heat lamps instead of mats because of thick bioactive substrate so humidity is an issue. I want to see my snakes easily rather than just collect them away in bins and racks. Summer isn't too bad but it got down to 20% humidity in most of the house for part of winter and was around 35% in my aquarium room where I moved the blood python and covered part of his mesh lid with a plastic storage bin lid trying to keep humidity up until my humidifier recovered. My husband ignored the use pure water and not tap water directions when we have very hard water. I had to clean it and run the dispersal base with vinegar and RO water to get it moving again. I had to get creative about what I'm going to do as my setup for the blood python when I move him to a bigger enclosure with space to work with so a rainbow boa would be quite different from what I can usually maintain in my setups.

GyGbeetle · 02-27-17, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akane

I use aquariums with mesh lids and heat lamps instead of mats because of thick bioactive substrate so humidity is an issue. I want to see my snakes easily rather than just collect them away in bins and racks. Summer isn't too bad but it got down to 20% humidity in most of the house for part of winter and was around 35% in my aquarium room where I moved the blood python and covered part of his mesh lid with a plastic storage bin lid trying to keep humidity up until my humidifier recovered. My husband ignored the use pure water and not tap water directions when we have very hard water. I had to clean it and run the dispersal base with vinegar and RO water to get it moving again. I had to get creative about what I'm going to do as my setup for the blood python when I move him to a bigger enclosure with space to work with so a rainbow boa would be quite different from what I can usually maintain in my setups.

All of our snakes right now are in those glass aquariums with the mesh tops. We don't go quite as fancy as everyone else; we use forest floor for substrate and keep a large plastic water dish in there, as well as plastic hides. I'm trying to stay away from wood because of what happened with the mites (we lost quite a bit of our accessories). We use purified water too

Good to see I'm not the only one. So maybe we'll go with another one of those for the rainbow boa. We've been thinking about so many different things to change our setup. Looking into biophiles, American plastics, other options, rack systems (not my favorite option), even just putting them all on metal racks and calling it a day. I don't know, there are way too many options out there, and everyone has a different take on it.

We live in the desert, where things are really arid. Even inside the house. I'm cautious to up the overall humidity in the house because we have wood furniture throughout the house, but this is now the snake's house, not ours, so...

I'm rambling. I think once Hope gets out of quarantine, we may just pick up the Columbian boa, and she can go into the quarantine area.

akane · 02-27-17, 01:31 PM

My whole house is wood with wood floors, hardwood doors, and my only furniture with any real padding is the bed and it can get to 90% humidity here lol Never actually heard of it being much of an issue and I've lived in a lot of old wood houses. Mostly you just end up running dehumidifiers in the basement part of the year because the amount of moisture in the soil is always sneaking in and some of the doors tend to stick during summer rain storms as the wood expands and contracts. Every now and then you have to rehang a hardwood door but the things have continued to sit in those doorways for generations. Most external siding has been replaced by other materials though. I've seen pictures and video of how the outside of houses with just wood and paint breaks down in areas that stay warm and wet year round instead of having our dry winters for part of the year. I don't think you could ever get an area that humid with regular indoor humidifiers starting from desert conditions.

GyGbeetle · 02-27-17, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akane

My whole house is wood with wood floors, hardwood doors, and my only furniture with any real padding is the bed and it can get to 90% humidity here lol Never actually heard of it being much of an issue and I've lived in a lot of old wood houses. Mostly you just end up running dehumidifiers in the basement part of the year because the amount of moisture in the soil is always sneaking in and some of the doors tend to stick during summer rain storms as the wood expands and contracts. Every now and then you have to rehang a hardwood door but the things have continued to sit in those doorways for generations. Most external siding has been replaced by other materials though. I've seen pictures and video of how the outside of houses with just wood and paint breaks down in areas that stay warm and wet year round instead of having our dry winters for part of the year. I don't think you could ever get an area that humid with regular indoor humidifiers starting from desert conditions.

This is great info. You're making me feel a lot more confident! I think we may be able to take number 13 home in a month, or feel confident enough to do so. If she's a girl, I told my hubby I was going to name her Princess Unicorn because she's a rainbow boa. I don't think he likes the name.