Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all I am new to bulls an pines! I would like to know what is the best setup for these amazing creatures!....not really looking to breed just keep a couple for show!

I have bred an raised ball pythons i have looked this up an found some ok info...Im looking to the experts for help!

Thanks

Paul

the pic below is my son now 5 has managed to catch 3 water snakes 1 garter snake 3 bull frogs an was caught by a crayfish!

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www.myspace.com/apabana

I have always felt many pro caging companies focus too much on Boas and Pythons and they do not seem to worry much about ventilation. My Pits do not appreciate humidity. They also love a hot spot but will be pissy as hell in a hot cage. Extra ventilation allows the hot spot to be hot and allows the heat to taper off and escape on the far end too.
I have a Sonoran in a Boaphile cage and I drilled a dozen or more holes along the side on the front next to the glass. Even with that it still get's too humid at times.
Stackable cages that also join up neatly when they're side by side can only offer vents on the front and back.
I have more holes drilled in my containers than anyone else I know, and I go for extra ventilation when it comes to ALL the snakes I keep. I think it keeps them healthy and happy and helps provide a more dramatic hot/cold gradient
Tom Stevens
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TomsSnakes.com
twitter.com/TomsSnakes

i agree w/ tom regarding ventilation & have taken it a bit farther. i make my own cages useing 1/4'' hardware mesh as much as possible. the snakes really seem to enjoy all the fresh air & the openess allows in plenty of natural light. also, i rarely use lamps but prefer to control ambient room temps instead. here are some pics......

That's a very nice approach to pit caging! Pits realty do need a lot of ventilation; when they poop especially!


Ii use a couple of these cages (2x4x2)modified to lay flat for my pair of bulls and my 52 inch Pacific gopher snake. They need room to move around in, being active snakes.

thanks, another advantage i didn't realize at 1rst is that the feces dry up quickly in screened cages instead of just fermenting, actually reducing odor! less messy to clean too. here are some before & after shots [same snake] about 4 years apart. she inhabits the 8' cage shown above w/ another beauty gal from shaun roberson.....

wow that is a bull snake correct!? she is awesome!

thanks for all the help! I think I am going to use the 1/4 inch mesh on my cages too looks great an great for air flow!

thanks alot you guys!

Paul
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www.myspace.com/apabana

Yeah, that one grew up a bit...is it a Crumbly or a Crumbly/Kingsville cross?

I'd love to see the ones you got from us - has that been 2 years now? They were kind of dark ones weren't they?
PS Pituophis

shaun, that's an 06 crumbley female from matt turner/selective origins & she just shed again yesterday! the clutch i bought from you was in 07, three years ago. i don't have any pics of the ones i kept but they turned out real yellow w/ great contrast esp. on their necks which is why i wanted them in the 1rst place. i'll try to get a few shots of them for you.

Sounds good. I have a Crumbly/Kingsville cross from Matt that is starting to look incredible.

I wish we could keep and raise up more just normal bulls - you could have 50 "normal" bulls and no two look alike! Even those that look alike as hatchlings can grow up to be really different - some fade/lighten, some darken, some pick up more yellow/red, etc, etc

PS Pituophis

shaun, that is exactly what these 07's look like. i love the contrasts on these guys!

I was thinking that was that clutch - that is the adult female in the pic. I have 2 here out of her that we kept that are really neat - one of them looks just like her only more yellow, but the same black markings with the broken centers.
PS Pituophis

Some of them will put vents where ever you want them (AP does, boaphile might). For those of us not handy ourselves that's helpful.
Visions have always been well ventilated IME, to the point I don't use them much anymore (humidity for retics is a PAIN in the desert!). But they were good for pits around here.

I need a pit again *sigh*
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

Probably not the kind of expert breeding setup you're looking for, but here's how I've been housing my young jani.

Sterilite bin with ample ventilation on the sides and top. A wire mesh vent in the lid is held on with some flat L-shaped braces, screwed down with all the hardware outside of the cage. As an added security measure, small wood clamps help hold the lid down . Occasionally she makes use of the branches, but as expected they don't get much traffic.

Temps are regulated by a small heat pad under the tub below the light, with the light on only a few hours a day (probably not necessary, but she does bask occasionally). Temps under the hides (usually covered with aspen) range over the 70s on the cool end of the cage, 75 into the upper 80s on the warm end. I went a little overboard with monitoring temps (two thermometers keep track of temps outside the cage, on the warm end, and on the cool end) but better safe than sorry I suppose.