Newbie question

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by Mikoh4792

Millertime a neonate can be kept in any size enclosure as long as there is adequate cover and a proper thermal gradient.

I agree. I also heard that nature is pretty big and snakes seem to do ok there
Not the same as putting a big snake in a little enclosure at all.

Originally Posted by millertime89

I didn't say it can't, only it shouldn't. Neonates can be especially vulnerable to shifts in their environment and a smaller enclosure is vastly easier to control the micro-environment in.

I respectfully disagree. I find larger enclosure way easier to maintain both a heat and humidity gradient in than a smaller enclosure.

[millertime89]

Originally Posted by Terranaut

I respectfully disagree. I find larger enclosure way easier to maintain both a heat and humidity gradient in than a smaller enclosure.

Interesting, care to elaborate on your setup? I heat the room to 75 and provide a hot spot of 85 with a fairly even gradient and have found the smaller enclosures have less of a temp swing in the extremities such as the top corners. It could be a result of the room heat though.

[Terranaut]

Originally Posted by millertime89

Interesting, care to elaborate on your setup? I heat the room to 75 and provide a hot spot of 85 with a fairly even gradient and have found the smaller enclosures have less of a temp swing in the extremities such as the top corners. It could be a result of the room heat though.

Sure.
My smallest enclosures are 2'x16"x1' and my largest is a 4'x2'x4'. I have many in between sizes. Keeping the heat gradient across the larger vivs is easy. I heat my hot/bask spot to x° (depends on species) and the cool side is room temp (also 75° in my snake room). The smaller vivs are hard to keep both the basking temp up without causing the cool side to get above 80°. Not enough room. I prefer my setup to have the hot spots slightly over hot and cool slightly under temp so the snake has every possible temp it wants available. Very tough in small enclosures. I have messed with heat tape location, size rhps you name it. Size seems to be the best thing.