Arboreal ???

sattva · 07-19-16, 07:44 PM

The last couple of days when I get up in the morning George has climbed up on his make shift humidifier {a large jar with a cheap water diffuser in it} He straddles the edge of the jar... I wouldn't think it would be very comfortable.
Can a retic be semi-arboreal?

**Andy_G** · 07-19-16, 07:48 PM

Retics certainly are semi-arboreal. Babies have stronger tendancies than adults to climb.

sattva · 07-19-16, 08:30 PM

It makes sense... It just never dawned on me! This is new behavior for him...

bigsnakegirl785 · 07-19-16, 09:25 PM

Retics are incredible climbers, they can climb fast enough to climb up a tree in pursuit of prey. I've seen several wildlife doc videos of it happening. It's a shame they're almost never offered climbing in captivity, because they are truly amazing in the trees and that's a whole side to their biology they're missing out on.

SnoopySnake · 07-19-16, 09:42 PM

Mine loves to climb and perch, however mine is a super dwarf. They tend to be more arboreal than mainlands, but mainlands definitely appreciate climbing space too.

sattva · 07-19-16, 10:45 PM

Well! ...this is something I will definitely consider when I get his next cage...

Sublimeballs · 07-20-16, 01:22 AM

I've got all 3 subspecies if retic and can attest to all of them trying to climb at any moment. The SDs are almost always perched.

sattva · 07-20-16, 08:45 AM

Ok guys... I only started thinking about snakes a year a go, and just pulled the trigger about 6 months ago, so I apologize for my lack of experience in this area...

I read a lot before I pulled trigger and I love to watch SnakeBytesTV hosted by Brian Barczyk. But what's got me puzzled is they really seem to care for the animals, yet have these huge snakes in these pull out drawer hardly big enough to hold the animal.

Now this lead me to thinking that maybe this was ok and the snake liked being in a hide all the time... I mean do the really need a highrise condo to be healthy and happy?

I know I am crazy for picking the snakes I picked in my living situation,{I live in a 740 sq. foot apartment}but I needed a challenge in my life and so far I am not disappointed.

At the age of 65, I am like a kid again, waking up on Christmas morning; I can wait for the sun to come up so I can go in and check on my boys... I try to let them sleep in, ha ha!

I have a floor space of 2'x6' for all three of my guys... Now I can go up, so my original thought was a 6'x2'x2' for George and 2'x2'x5' each for my other guys with their cages on top of Georges... But now I will have to rethink this... Hell I may have to move! HELP!

Sublimeballs · 07-20-16, 09:07 AM

I'm gonna try and be nice here..... so much is wrong with what I just read. Ok, first off 6x2 is not big enough you're going to need at least a 3 foot wide cage if you're sticking with 6 foot long. Second, Bryan of snake bytes is known in the industry to have terrible husbandry.... don't get your housing ideas from him, his giants can't even regulate temps as they take up more than half the cage.

sattva · 07-20-16, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sublimeballs

I'm gonna try and be nice here..... so much is wrong with what I just read. Ok, first off 6x2 is not big enough you're going to need at least a 3 foot wide cage if you're sticking with 6 foot long. Second, Bryan of snake bytes is known in the industry to have terrible husbandry.... don't get your housing ideas from him, his giants can't even regulate temps as they take up more than half the cage.

Well this is why I am here... To get the real scoop... Like I said, I may have to move... I know one thing, I am hook! Hook, line and sinker... These guys are going to be with me probably the rest of my life... At this point it's hard to say who will go first. Maybe I can revamp the room? I don't know I am going to have to think about this... Luckily I have time... Thank you for your imput...

sattva · 07-20-16, 10:11 AM

So just to clarify, any snake racks with tubs must be a bad idea also?

**Aaron_S** · 07-20-16, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sublimeballs

I'm gonna try and be nice here..... so much is wrong with what I just read. Ok, first off 6x2 is not big enough you're going to need at least a 3 foot wide cage if you're sticking with 6 foot long. Second, Bryan of snake bytes is known in the industry to have terrible husbandry.... don't get your housing ideas from him, his giants can't even regulate temps as they take up more than half the cage.

Plenty of retic keepers keep snakes in racks and tubs and enclosures where the snakes body takes up half of it. Prehistoric pets, while having taller enclosures (still no branches) they have similar floor space.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sattva

So just to clarify, any snake racks with tubs must be a bad idea also?

Incorrect. Snake racks are fine.

bigsnakegirl785 · 07-20-16, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sattva

Ok guys... I only started thinking about snakes a year a go, and just pulled the trigger about 6 months ago, so I apologize for my lack of experience in this area...

I read a lot before I pulled trigger and I love to watch SnakeBytesTV hosted by Brian Barczyk. But what's got me puzzled is they really seem to care for the animals, yet have these huge snakes in these pull out drawer hardly big enough to hold the animal.

Now this lead me to thinking that maybe this was ok and the snake liked being in a hide all the time... I mean do the really need a highrise condo to be healthy and happy?

I know I am crazy for picking the snakes I picked in my living situation,{I live in a 740 sq. foot apartment}but I needed a challenge in my life and so far I am not disappointed.

At the age of 65, I am like a kid again, waking up on Christmas morning; I can wait for the sun to come up so I can go in and check on my boys... I try to let them sleep in, ha ha!

I have a floor space of 2'x6' for all three of my guys... Now I can go up, so my original thought was a 6'x2'x2' for George and 2'x2'x5' each for my other guys with their cages on top of Georges... But now I will have to rethink this... Hell I may have to move! HELP!

Brian is hardly the best example for proper animal husbandry. You don't necessarily have to give an entire room to a snake, but if you kept your snakes in the size enclosure he has them in, they don't even have enough room to properly thermoregulate. Unless the belly heat only takes up a small sliver of one side, they cannot completely get off the heat, and if it was that small it wouldn't provide a thermal gradient. They aren't proper enclosures.

Just because plenty of people do it doesn't mean it's ok. Giant constrictors are not suited for racks. These are animals that would actively pursue their prey in the wild, they don't just sit in one spot 24/7, and they're huge. They have no reason to hide, and many giant keepers will tell you the same. They don't need an enclosure "that's one giant hide" because they're top of the food chain. You cannot give a giant proper husbandry keeping them in a tiny rack.

Ian of Oldham · 07-20-16, 04:36 PM

At my local rescue they are totally against racks and rubs, they will not rehome any snake that they think will be put in one

0.1.1 Royals 1.0 Corn 1.0 Boa 1.0 Carpet, O and a mad Cat.

sattva · 07-20-16, 04:48 PM

All this makes a lot of sense and I not looking to put George in a tub, but I am trying to understand how small is to small as long as he can regulate his temp?
At what point is it considered inhumane?