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RE: aquariums
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by codeman on July 11, 2008
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thats an argument ive heard between people for along time on rather or not smaller cages will stunt the animals growth. i belive it will. ive always started my snakes in a small incloser until there established feeders than move them to a bigger cage. ive also heard that the bigger the cage the more the snake will grow. i dont know if there's any truth to that or not but if a smaller cage will stunt there growth than it only makes sense that a cage would allow for more growth.
i used to use aquariums but when you have 10 or more snakes the cleaning process can be a real pain. i now use the plastic cages and im very happy with them, plus, they are wayyyy cheaper. i think i paid about $60 for my 20 gallon at petco and than another 10 or 15 bucks for the mesh top which i hated because keeping the humidity up is diffecult. i always had to cover half the top with a shirt to keep the humidity up.
i now have 4/ 10 gallon and 1/ 20 gallon aquariums that are sitting around collecting dust. i would use a plastic cage if i was you. if the snake is a baby you could start with a 60 quart/ 15 gallon plastic container. i think i paid $6 for a rubbermade with snap top clamps.
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RE: aquariums
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by Rob_Carmichael on July 12, 2008
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I used to adhere to the "smaller is better" mentality when keeping snakes - they do enjoy the feeling of close proximity in their hide areas but some species need room to roam and if given the opportunity, will to some degree. After conducting a number of radio telemetry studies and tracking a number of snake species, my philosophy has drastically changed. If I could pile up all of my racks and have a big bonfire, I would (and might!). Sure, snakes can "exist" in these setups and breed (in which folks will say "see, racks are great!") but they drastically take away from the experience of owning a snake. I love decking a cage out and giving our herps the largest amount we can provide - they will become very interactive in their environment. In the zoo world we call this enrichment and this is a topic of hot debate in the herp world. I'm a strong believer of some level of enrichment for captive herps.
There are MANY used reptiles cages on the market and you should have no problem finding the proper cage whether its a Vision, old neodesha, animal plastics, etc. The bigger the better and for a boa, the more verticality the better. It really irks me when I see "BOA CAGES" for adults that have dimensions of 48" x 24" x 12" (wxdxh) - just a sign of the times of our hobby of cramming as many animals as possible into a room. You can keep one boa and fully understand the true enjoyment of developing a relationship with an animal kept in a large enclosure - most folks miss the boat. If I could built the ultimate boa cage it would be 12' wide x 4' deep x 8' high complete with full spectrum lights, misters, real plants and limbs/trees, a small filtered pond, the works. How fun would that be!
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: aquariums
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by Buzztail1 on July 12, 2008
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Rob,
your cage description closely matches what I remember from the Perth Zoo where I saw the largest Boa Constrictor I have ever seen.
A large, well-planted and cared for cage gives a whole new dimension to keeping these large constrictors that cannot even be imagined when viewing them in the current "standard" for boas.
Good description.
R/
Karl
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RE: aquariums
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by FSB on July 16, 2008
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Boas are probably my favorite overall pet snake.... maybe because of a children's book called Crictor my mother used to read to me when I was too young to read. I've never been without at least one, and got my first one when I was 7 from a neighbor who was being sent to Nam. Only babies or juveniles should be kept in an aquarium, for their own protection. They really hate to be penned up. Once they are over 3-4 feet long they really need to have the run of a secure, safe room that is clear of anything that can cut them, etc. If you must use a large cage, make sure it has plenty of vertical space, (closet sized) with a high shelf to rest on, or you'll have an unhappy boa that will probably develop nose rubs.
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RE: aquariums
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by FSB on July 16, 2008
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John inspires me to share one of my favorite tips here... I actually made some flyers for my snake removal service and added "Also accepting unwanted aquariums, glass windows and doors, etc." I have been given more than a thousand dollars worth of free aquariums (based on retail prices) because of that poster, plus a large tub full of filters, pumps tubing etc. A few have had minor cracks, but most have been in excellent condition and only required cleaning to be like new. One guy who was cleaning out his garage recently gave me FOUR 35-gallons and one 55-gallon, all in water-holding condition. Plus, I've gotten a lot of nice double-paned insulated windows in frames that are really easy to build large cages around. It pays to advertise!
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