Just a few questions on size of the cage, heating of the cage, bedding and size of the red tail you plan on putting in there…..



1) It looks like it was somehow built out of a tub, but the height made bigger, interesting idea, what is the size of the tube you used?



2) I will second the heat rock issue for the one below. That is what it appears to be to me two and heat rocks are not bad as long as you have made sure that they are not putting temps over 100 degrees. Place that thermometer on it once it has been plugged in for four hours and check the temp. I willing to bet that it is more around 110-115 degrees on the surface and giving no other heat source a snake might lay on that and cause burns and damage to itself. A human heat pad works great for under tank heat and set on low gives off a very low 95 degree temp, place it under the cage so it does not get waste on it and it is only about $9.00 at Wal-Mart



3) The Bedding appears to be pine and not aspen? Pine will give off a toxic oil much like cedar but not as strong and does not make a good bedding for reptiles. Also the grass adds nice color and even a deodorizing effect, but once it dries out (making straw) it will hold and absorb waste and become a bacteria factory, so it will need changing weekly if you plan on continuing to use it.



4) The thermometer I assume that you are using just for setting up and will be out once you place the snake in? A glass thermometer is dangerous. If the snake crawls over it and breaks it, the glass will/can push into the snake causing cuts and sometimes stabbing into the snake like a large needle pr ice pick. I use indoor out door digital thermometer (again from wal-Mart for about $10.00). If they are broken they are a LCD screen that will just crack and not splitter. I use the probe onto top of the heat source and the unit mounted in the cage at the other end, this way I get the hot spot and the cool end in one unit.



I am not writing all this to be overly critical. In all you setup looks great. I am just trying to be helpful and pass on some of the mistakes that I have made over the year of keeping boas to you, so you can avoid making the same ones. It looks like you have put a lot of work into your set up and that shows that you are thinking ahead, before you bring the snake home, that is great. I just want to give you some helpful advice, so please don’t take this as a negative thing.



I hope that you and your new boa have a happy time together and that we can bring you over from the dark side (lizard keeping) and into the light of Snakes LOL. I have all kinds of info on Housing, lighting, Temps, humidity, feeding, sexing and all kinds of other things at my web site. Please feel free to take a look and if you ever have any other questions that you can’t find there just let me know.



Thanks and good luck with your new Boa
-----
Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"

Hopkins Holesale Herps

Hopfam1@aol.com

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