Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in FL and 11 months out of the year the climate is perfect for my 9ft redtail to stay outside. Now its dropping to 50degrees over nite and i dont know how to keep him warm. He is far to big to keep him in the house but its sooo cold outside. PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO KEEP HIM WARM OUTSIDE WITH OUT HURTING HIM!!!
i have tried a heat lamp and it just doesnt produce enough heat.

you should follow suit or your boa probably won't make it through the winter. i can't think of an economical way to keep your boa warm until it warms back up.
jb
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Jonathan Brady
"Sarcasm is angers ugly cousin" -Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson) in "Anger Management".

I would recommend bringing him inside as well. I think bringing him indoors would be in the best interest of the snake. But if you can't, you can try using one of those Kane Heating Mats. They are like pig blankets and I believe that the heating element is encased in thick plastic that is water resistant. However, if you decide to try this, I would recommend that you monitor the temperature closely and make sure it does not get too hot. I've never used them myself but have heard that they can get rather hot. It would probably be best to use it on a thermostat or a dimmer. I believe the Kane Heating Mats are pricey as well. They come in two sizes and the last time I looked, were in the $100 price range. Hope this info helps.

Good luck.

Celia

>>I live in FL and 11 months out of the year the climate is perfect for my 9ft redtail to stay outside. Now its dropping to 50degrees over nite and i dont know how to keep him warm. He is far to big to keep him in the house but its sooo cold outside. PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO KEEP HIM WARM OUTSIDE WITH OUT HURTING HIM!!!
>>i have tried a heat lamp and it just doesnt produce enough heat.
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Celia Chien
Celia Chien Photography

I Love Boas

I used to keep all my boids in a modified screen patio at the back of my home near Ft. Lauderdale for many years where they were subject to FL weather....there were a few times I bagged all the snakes individually and placed them in a corner of my house and aimed a space heater at them...I had also bought an overhead heat panel that I attached to the inside top of the biggest cage I had at the time...but it wasn't cheap...I also used the ceramic bulbs in dome lamps which seemed to work sufficiantly for moderate temp. drops....and I always had heat pads from wal-stores available inside all cages all year long which I would move to the highest settings at these times as well....I have found over the years that most healthy boids are pretty tolerant of cooler temps as long as they aren't sustained for long periods of time. Just be careful of those freeze warnings and think fire prevention. Best of luck to you.
-Dino

i bought a heating pad from walgreens for $25 and placed it under the astroturf substrate on the highest setting. it seems like its a little warmer but im not quite sure if it is warm enough. Is it ok to leave him in a bag overnite in the house though? I thought of this but i wasnt sure on how safe it was for him. Also i thought it would be ok if i fasted him for 4-6 weeks being that most of there temperature goes toward digestion? He is about 9ft and ways probably a good 40-50 pounds. I have very limited space in my house and that is why i cannot bring his cage inside.

thanx again

I would bag him during cooler temps....they can safely be kept in large pillowcases for a while if necessary...just don't let him wallow in his own crap and whatnot...be sure he's getting water and take him out to stretch at least once every day to check his health...play it by ear...if he is very healthy, four to six weeks of fasting is no problem...heck I would bet some boas in the wild probably go much longer than that without a significant meal....good luck.
-Dino