Before I get my BRB....

Vysathi · 05-30-14, 11:27 AM

Hello all, I'm new on the block. Part of why I joined up was because this seems like an excellent and knowledgeable community.

I am in the process of clearing up the space for a tank (I know where I want it, just have to relocate the items already there) and getting all set up for my first solo-owned snake. My family had pythons when I was younger, but my eye (and possibly heart) has been caught by a little Brazilian rainbow boa at the local PetCo. It's the only one they have, and I think the little one is adorable.

I've already visited the boa a few times, and it seems healthy. I've checked its skin, no parasites. It's active outside of it's enclosure, though runs a bit cooler than I would think is safe (I say this because my hands tend to be cold, and the snake was cool to my touch). The little one is very well tempered, and the fellow I spoke with who cares for the herps and large insects back there mentioned doing a lot of handling to get the boa used to it. I don't think it's getting enough humidity in there, since it's right next to habitats that have almost no humidity. Next time I go visit, I'm going to try to check the boa's gums and make sure its mouth looks healthy.

Do you lovely folks with the experience have any other suggestions for me? At this point, I plan on taking it to the vet a couple days after I get it home and settled. (I have a cat, my little fur baby, and I got a herp vet referral from my cat's vet.)

The space I have for the tank will accommodate a base of 18 X 48 inches, and I would like something with a front opening access if possible. I would love it if the tank was big enough for my boa long term- so we don't play the 'replace the outgrown tank' game. However, in some of the reading I've done folks claimed that smaller snakes don't always do well in larger tanks, describing frantic or confused behavior. What do you all think about this? Get a smaller tank and replace it when it's time, or is a larger tank okay?

I do have a friend that has snakes and gave me some tips about keeping everything balanced. (i.e. spraying things down a couple times a day, not using an under tank heat source, maintaining humidity by draping a towel over top, etc.) While I value her input, of course, I would also value the input of folks on here who are also experienced. This friend mostly has pythons, I think 3 ball and 2 redtail, but I'm not sure. So I wanted to check in with folks who are more familiar with boas specifically, and rainbows even more specifically.

I really appreciate the time! Please let me know what y'all think.

[And while I know that a large brand pet store isn't the most fantastic place to acquire a pet, of any kind really, the little one caught my attention when I was wandering around. I would like to provide it a good home and take care of it. I know that there are folks in the world (not saying on here, I have some friends like this) that rail against supporting brand pet stores because of the sometimes very unhealthy pets that come out of them. I had a bearded dragon for a time that was seriously ill after coming out of a brand store too young, so I get it. I wanted to clarify that I'm aware of these problems. However, I kinda love the little boa, and I think giving it a good place and a healthy life is more important than not supporting the store. /rant about consumerism]

Thanks! Vysathi.

sharthun · 05-30-14, 12:38 PM

Hey and Welcome! I would take a look at plastic enclosures. There are three that are very good:

Animal Plastics:

Animal Plastics

PVCcages:

Snake Cage and Reptile Cage at PVC Cages | PVC Cages: For Healthier and Happier Snakes and Reptiles

Constrictors Northwest:

Constrictors Northwest

Plastic cages are easier to heat and maintain humidtiy and with front opening doors. I have 2 t10 AP cages and another on order, which are 48in wide,24 inches deep, and 15 inches tall. I really like these cages! But you can't go wrong with any I linked above. The BRB folks can tell you what size would be good for an adult.

jpsteele80 · 05-30-14, 12:51 PM

Seems like your pretty aware of the brand pet store stuff so we will skip that speech, yes some snakes will be really uncomfortable in a big enclosure, I'd look into the above cages places mentioned above, if you get a good cage you will not have to mist several times a day, there are tricks to keeping humidity up with out ever spraying

jpsteele80 · 05-30-14, 12:52 PM

And don't forget about those pics when you get him, we love pics

Snakesitter · 05-30-14, 02:06 PM

Hi Vysathi, and welcome to the rainbow forum!

Rainbows make wonderful and gorgeous pets, so you’re selecting a great species.

Of course, as a breeder, I may or may not be biased. ;-)

It seems like you have gone some good background research on the store and animal – well done! It’s rare to find a store that handles their charges to tame them down, so this is a good sign. Rainbows do like it cool, between 72F and 82F is a good range, so that may be part of the reason he seems cool to your touch. The humidity should be much higher, however – over 90% for a baby. You might suggest they cover the screen top (pet stores *always* seem to have screen tops) with a sheet of plexiglass.

You welcome vet visit is a great idea.

An adult Brazilian should have at least six square feet of floor space, so your plan for and 18 x 48 works perfectly. You can always add a removable divider while it is a baby and take that out as it grows. However, I find this to be unnecessary: so long as the baby has enough cover, a large home should not pose any drawbacks.

The idea not to use an undercage source is not accurate. I use underbelly heat for my animals, and they do fine. It actually makes humidity management easier, as it encourage evaporation on the warm end. What you want to avoid are heat bulbs, which dry the air out. Spraying several times a day should not be needed if you set everything up right: I used to spray twice a week and was fine. The trick of using plexi to cover the top is better (and safer) than using a towel.

Please let me know if I can help further.

Snakesitter · 05-30-14, 02:07 PM

All good suggestions. You should also look at Boaphiles...we use them exclusively at LGR.

sharthun · 05-30-14, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakesitter

All good suggestions. You should also look at Boaphiles...we use them exclusively at LGR.

Yep, I forgot about boaphile. Radiant Heat Panels work very well in plastic enclosures as well.

Vysathi · 05-31-14, 02:28 PM

I'm having trouble finding a place that has the enclosure dimensions that I'm looking for. At this point, my thought is to get a smaller enclosure for the moment, and build a custom for myself later on. Any thoughts on the best way to build one on my own?

SuperSleuth · 05-31-14, 02:57 PM

Though many may not recommend it, I use glass tanks for my snakes, but I also put a lot into making sure it holds a good humidity and temperature. Snakesitter is fabulous person to get advice from and is who I got one of my BRBs from. If you decide to buy from a real breeder instead of a petstore I highly recommend him (I'll shut up now).

BRBs are awesome and having a baby that is hand tame is a huge bonus!

shaunyboy · 05-31-14, 04:16 PM

re cool to the touch
our body/hand temperatures are that hot they can cause the snake to feel cool to the touch,take a reading of the snakes body temp with a lazer temperature gun and you will find the snakes body temperature is most likely to be ok

re tank size
some snakes get stressed and stop feeding if their tanks too large for them

that said,some species like Carpet Pythons love the extra space,as long as a Carpet Hatchling is NOT a nervous feeder,then they go right into 4x2x2ft vivariums without issue

re nervous feeders
i had a Carpet Hatchling who was a nervous feeder,she didn't take her first feed until she was 10 month old.....

i ended up having to reduce her tank size until she was in a tub measuring, 11 inch long,6 inch wide and 4 and a half inch high,i taped brown paper over the back,both sides and the front,only leaving a 4 inch square on the front uncovered,i also bulked it out with fake plants,cork bark,small hides,etc,once she felt secure she took her first feed and hasn't missed one since

re your snake
my only worry is that by the sound of it.....

the guys in the shop let customers/shop browsers take their reptiles out the enclosures,to the point that your able to " try and do a mouth inspection " whats to stop some inexperienced keeper doing the same,maybe breaking a tooth,causing damage.etc (i'm not having a go at you mate )

personally i only buy from reputable private breeders,where possible with closed collections (no new snakes are ever added)

cheers shaun

Vysathi · 05-31-14, 07:43 PM

So... The boa is home now!
I think it's a him, but I'm not sure. We'll see. I plan on making the vet appointment on Monday. And according to the staff, that's also when the little one is due for the next feeding. I'm planning on talking to the vet first to see what they have to say.

Tank is all set up, and I think it will be a reasonably nice set up. I suspect that there will be some kinks to work out.

Little one is looking good. Won't hold still enough to check out gums, little thing wants to explore everything! Currently in the enclosure settling in.