Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im interested in knowing what kind of things you have in your BRB's enclosures for it to climb whenever it wants to get a little exercise. I had used multiple things of grape vine sold at the store or shows, but they last all about a month and then start to grow mold and then i trash them. So i guess its time for some artificial vines or something maybe? Im kinda stumped on what i can choose next that is fail safe so thought id see what things people use on here. Maybe pictures too if you have some, although i know lots of you just keep them in breeder racks or "boa master" like enclosures that does not really give them the option to climb much.
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//LJ//

1.0.0 BRB '09
0.1.0 BCI '10
1.0.0 English Bred Chocolate Lab

I keep my adult Brazilian Rainbows in 36 inch Vision cages. These cages are 18 inches tall which does give them just enough room for some climbing. I keep my cages simple with kraft paper substrate and no moss boxes. I use inverted red clay flowerpots which provide both a humid hide and something for the snakes to climb on. To prepare one of the clay flowerpots.....first use a small hammer to break the drain hole out large enough for the snakes to crawl through. You can make it a pretty tight fit. Use a small hammer and make light taps to chip the hole out to a roughly round shape. Then soak the flowerpot in water for an hour. That will soften it up a little so that you can easily use a coarse bastard file to smooth the edges of the hole. Place the flowerpot in the cage inverted. The snakes crawl in and out through the hole which is now on the upside of the inverted flowerpot. The small entry hole makes for a very nice and secure hiding place which is what these snakes must have to be happy. I know because they often tell me this. If you soak the flowerpots in the tub when you are cage cleaning they absorb lots of water and provide the humidity in the cage and especially in the flowerpot hide that these snakes need. At night when they are out moving around they often will coil on the top of the flowerpots. The way the sliding doors are mounted in Vision cages also provides a lip at the top that the snakes often climb on.

I have installed plastic closet rod holders and put a couple of wood dowel rods in one of my cages for a large female. I have noticed that they will climb frequently given the chance but most of it occurs at night.
There is a website for Amazon Basin ETBs where the guy uses plastic dowels, in various sizes depending on the size of the boas, that are keyed to all fit in the same brackets, very cool set up but I know that the plastic stock will get costly.

When I first bought a BRB yearling, I had her in a cage with a dowel stretched across the cage lengthwise, secured with bolts. She would climb on this fairly frequently but after she reached 3 years of age, she rarely would be climbing on it. I expect she found herself too heavy to do it comfortably, or found it too small to climb on. Either way, she was content not to climb in her later years.

A larger cage with wider climbing branches may allow more climbing but I dont' think BRB's really need it.
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PHLdyPayne

Thanks everyone for the idea's. I guess its because he's younger (9-10 months) he's such an active climber at night. Literally i hear him fall from the top lip of my 36x16x12 enclosure about 10 times a night so i think its time to find him something a little better or maybe something in between the lip and the base of the enclosure that way he can kind of reach from one to the other instead of falling down. I really like the clay pot idea as well, and just in time too he's getting a little big for his current hide on the moss side so i think i'll be switching to that.

Back to the falling thing... I wake up today open the tank to spray it with water like always, find two big sticks of poop, and unfortunately what i think may be a regurgitated meal(possibly caused by falling?) Last thing it ate was a pink rat and this is white, but i think i can see feet. Today is feeding day so I think i'll wait a weeks and offer it something then and if it regurges that its time for a vet visit?
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//LJ//

1.0.0 BRB '09
0.1.0 BCI '10
1.0.0 English Bred Chocolate Lab

If he's regurged I would recommend waiting longer than a week to feed him again. I like to wait a two week minimum and then feed a much smaller meal than normal so it doesn't over tax his already weakened digestive system. For the first few meals afterward I also like the keep them smaller than average, slowing building up size, to give a chance for the beneficial bacteria that aids in digestion to build back up to normal levels. You can also give him some Nuti-bac or another probiotic to help speed up recovery but I've found that it's doesn't really seem neccessary unless for repeat offenders like some of the rosy boas are prone to.
I was also thinking for young boas, I have seen people use the plastic ladders for bird cages as climbing aids. I would think these would work well as they are not porous like natural wood and would be easily cleaned. It just wouldn't look as natural in a set up if that's what you're going for.
Good luck with him!

Your post made me think, if there is any confusion as to wether it's a regurge or not, the smell is usually a dead give away. Regurges are probably the single worst smell associated with this hobby that I can think of. Extremely gross. I have been able to smell them in the past just walking into the snake room, before I even open any tubs.

I have heard that also, surprisingly this didnt have a scent stronger then the bm in the tank.
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//LJ//

1.0.0 BRB '09
0.1.0 BCI '10
1.0.0 English Bred Chocolate Lab

Temps are fine, and humidity is normal. Kind of weird. He has been showing more activity during the day then normal some days. He normally hides all day until about 7-8pm then comes out. It was 4 days since he last ate, that i found it. I cant think of anything that has been different.
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//LJ//

1.0.0 BRB '09
0.1.0 BCI '10
1.0.0 English Bred Chocolate Lab

Your snake was talking to you. All the extra activity and the regurge it caused were probably because the mites were driving him crazy. Stressors like mites and change in activity and regurge are often related.