Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I have a dilemma possibly coming up in a few months. A family member may be coming back into the house, which would mean I may have to put my Male Boa down into our finished cellar. It is very nicely finished and has an in-law apartment down there, but its 68 degrees year round.

I was just about to buy the Ball Room Rack (Rhino Raxx) from Boaphile. But I am not sure if this type of cage would contain the temps I need.

Does anyone in here have this type of rack system in an area similar to this, and how does it work. Or what caging would be recommended under the 68 degree condition?

Thanks to all who answer...

One snake? one boa?....how big?...(doesn't matter actually)

cheaper to make your own large cage so you can house it till adult sized....and add heat lamp or ceramics or whatever heat pad you want to use...they make large pads,,,,

in a BoaPhile Rhino Raxx...the Flexwatt is rated for around 10 degrees over room temp I think?....will work...but you won't see snake ,may not have hot enough spot...and you won't get it till Mayday....(sorry J R ...)....(I had Rxx...loved them.,.but my room was 85 and the Raxx were set at 93..I had one row of tape not two )

...build an old school cage...glass front...you can watch Youtube vids on how to add sliding doors...and use a lock or two.....you will then be able to see the snake...

.....my thought....
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........JY

Size of the animal matters. Small mass can easily survive with a small heated area. A heavy-bodies animal will need more area or a warmer room.

You can put a "door" on the rack. Basically, line a piece of plywood with foam insulation and lean it or use Velcro to attach - foam side facing in, and cut some slots along the edge to allow air to easily get in/out. You must use a thermostat with this setup. The covered front will allow the air in the rack to warm up more than an open front. You must be very careful not to overheat the animal, so again, a proportional controller on the heater is essential. I was able to have the air in a rack go up by about 5-10 deg doing this.

I have a boa in an area that gets just below 60 deg in Winter. I use a radiant heat panel (sold by Boaphile, Bean Farm, RBI, ProProducts, etc) in a 3 ft plastic cage (similar to Boaphile cages). During the coolest times I will slip a heat mat under the cage where the heat panel does not warm the cage and set it for 78 deg just to make sure. Boa is a small one - a Tarahumara. He can actually handle cold quite well - I have found him many times sitting off any heat down to probably around 70 deg. Never an issue with him. But those montane Mex boas are quite cold tolerant compared to a big Colombian for example.

I agree with Bill by the way. I have found that RHPs make cage heating way easier for me and very effective for the boas. Especially true in a cold room where you can have the hot or cold syndrome on the floor and no choices between. With an RHP, the animal on the floor will experience a much broader gradient.

Once you use one in a cage, you will likely be a convert.

My boas and pythons are in cages that are in normal room temperatures, or even a bit lower. For example, my basement can get down to 65, give or take, in winter.

All my cages are heated with appropriately sized radiant heat panel.

For me, NO type of under-tank mat, cable or pad has ever done anything but give me a hot spot in a cold cage.

The right size radiant heat panels give my animals the basking areas they need, PLUS the ambient cage temperatures they require.

Since the early 90's, when I first learned of RHPs.

B.