Concerns For Boa Enclosure

[coby]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and I want to ask about an idea I have for my hypo red tail boa enclosure. She's about to be a year old but she is growing more quickly than any other boa I've had before. Right now she is in a 20 gallon long. I want to upgrade her to a 55 gallon tank (48"x13"x21") but I'm hesitant to do this because the 55 gallon isn't any wider than the 20 gallon, it's just two feet longer. Would my boa be able to grow in this tank even though it isn't any wider? I don't want to stunt her growth or keep her in something that is too tight for her. Thank you all.

[chairman]

First, it is a myth that you can stunt a snake's growth by keeping it in too small of a cage. The snake will continue to grow to its adult size.

A 55 is fine for a while but an adult boa will need at least a 4'x2'2' enclosure, preferably a 6'x2'x2'. If you can then you might as well try to build or buy the adult enclosure now. It would certainly save you some money in the long run to not have to buy or build intermediate cages.

It is also generally a myth that you can put a snake in too large of a cage. Smaller snakes just require a lot of hiding spots.