Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm in Saint Louis and we are having a fairly good snow storm so the electricity and heat may go off and on...or just off. I was looking for suggestions on keeping my bps warm just in case the electricity and the central heat goes out. Hopefully my computer still has power so I can check this forum...

Thanks!
Brian
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1.1 Normal Ball Pythons (Snakerton and Mathilda)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Walter)
0.1 Albino Ball Python (Perrie)

this may not work but if you have a gas powered hot water heater it may still work if the power goes out. if this is the case then you could pull out a container large enough to house the bps and just soak them in warm water and when the water starts to cool down just replace with more. just be careful not to have bp stew by boiling them if thats not possible then you could always stay up all night holding them letting them feed of your body heat. sorry couldnt be more helpfull.

n/p

I went out and bought a bunch of those 48 hour hand warmers in case power goes out at my apartment.
I live in New England...winter is rough.

Hurray for planning ahead.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I now have a generator, but before that I used a power inverter. I bought mine at Sams Club for about 30 dollars but you can get them online too. They won't keep your room warm but they will run you heat tape so at least the snakes will still have a warm spot.
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John Vandegrift

This is a good thread; it poses as a good warning to anyone who hasn't thought of this happening... but for all of us who are in the midst of this winter storm, hopefully advice isn't too late.

My husband purchased a gasoline-powered generator earlier this year. I grumbled a little at the time, but I am SO happy right now!! We are running a light, his entire fish tank, two of my snake cages, a radio, a space heater, and his laptop, and aren't even remotely straining the capacity of the generator. I strongly suggest buying a generator to anyone in regions that might suffer a winter storm like this one.

For my snakes, I am running the UTH and heat lamp on my largest female's cage, and the heat lamp on my male's cage. I have my male, my yearling het female, and my Dumeril's boa in separate snake bags together in my male's cage under the lamp with a digital thermometer/hygrometer sitting on top of them. So far, everything is working perfectly.

Of the previous suggestions, I think the idea of the handwarmer packs is a good one; if you can't afford a generator, or live in a place where it wouldn't be feasible to operate one, the little heat packs should do in a pinch.

Also, for the suggestion of using hot/warm water, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to stock up on hot water bottles - the kind you should be able to find in any pharmacy - fill those with warm-to-hot water, and put one in each enclosure of concern (assuming the snakes have the option to move away from them if the heat is too much). You could also use some slightly cooler water - just warm, not hot - and use it to warm several snakes in sepearate bags, as long as you are certain that the water is not hot enough to burn them when they can't move away from the heat source. These would be re-usable, and easy to store away until they are needed!

Good luck everyone! Stay warm!
~Rebecca
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0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
1.2 Ball Pythons
[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

I work for a communications company in louisiana(it was 34F last night, which is cold for us) and we have been selling what is called a UPS or Un-interuptable Power Supply. You plug it into the wall just like a surge protector and it has a battery inside of it that stays fully charged. If the electricity goes out, the battery kicks in and takes over the power. You can buy different sizes i think, and my suggestion would be to hook up what ever is important to a surge protector then plug it into the battery backup side on the UPS...hope this helps..have a great day..

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1.0 Albino Ball Python
0.2 normal ball pythons
0.2 normal Redtail boa
1.1 100% Het Albino Redtail boa
1.1 Bearded Dragon
0.0.1 Baby Red Uromastyx
0.1 GF Eryn (WC)

hey i live in louisiana! lol, Bossier city, you?

Thanks everybody!!
Well I never lost power, but I braved the snow/ice and spent twenty bucks on hand warmers just in case That was the worst night sleep ever haha.
I already started saving for a gas powered generator.
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1.1 Normal Ball Pythons (Snakerton and Mathilda)
1.0 Het Albino Ball Python (Walter)
0.1 Albino Ball Python (Perrie)

I think a generator is the best bet but I also have considered a radiant type heat . I have a friend that is a plumber in wyoming and this was his response. There are homebuilt systems that can be built fairly inexpensive that involve a propane or natural gas waterheater a thermostat with temp probe to cycle a pump. I fully functional system is a closed system that recirculates a liquid , usually glycol based through a piping system and back to the tank. This system requires an expansion tank also. My sugestion is as a emergency type system could be to adjust the temp on your housing waterheater to say 90-100 degrees and test it with a temp gun until your confident of the temp. Tap a small 1/4 inch copper line with a shutoff to the hot side outlet pipe. This would be a constant flow and the water will be wasted and have to drain into your sink . You could actually make a set of coils on the outer walls of a very large tub and the end of the coil will be the outlet for the water and then to a drain. So in a emergency situation you put your aniamals in tubs stack them in your large tub with internal copper coils , Adjust water temp at the thermostat on waterheater and open the water valve. The 90-100 degree water will flow from the water heater through the coils in the tub and exit to a drain. The flow should be limited so as to not deplete the waterheaters ability to reheat. Make sure you monitor temperture at the tank and tub. This is a waste of water and can be expensive on you gas bill but will work in an emergency.I hope to convert half my garage next season and add a radiant heat sustem for the floor and walls. Radiant heat is very common in very cold regions . I thnk it would be a great feature to add to the reptile room due to the lack of a fire hazard as with electric heat. The radiant heat will be used for ambient temp only. Racks will still have heat tape belly heat.

Move to Florida.
It was 80 degrees here today.

lol

Scott

Here is what we use...not very expensive. And could be a lifesaver.

http://www.centuriongenerators.com/PDFs/Centurion3.4kW1Page10.05.pdf

I'm a police officer in VA and we often leave our cars idleing for entire 12 hour shifts in the winter with the heat on. Believe it or not it doesn't use the whole tank of gas. In a pinch this could keep your snakes warm enough until the current comes back on!! Not sure if you want to do this in an area where many auto thefts occur though.