Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just bought a 40 gal. terrarium for my baby boa, and then came home last night and was reading on the internet where someone said that snakes don't like to be in a glass tank but would rather be in a snake drawer or a rubbermaid container. Is this true? I was planning on making a sort of natural environment with non-toxic live plants and such with plenty of hiding places as well as a large water bowl for soaking, a basking place and a full-spectrum bulb for the proper UV lighting and such. But, if that's not what's best for my snake, I would gladly exchange it for a drawer or rubbermaid. Please lend me your thoughts. Thanks

Snakes don't like to be in a drawer or rubbermaid just as much as they don't like to be in a glass tank.

Rubbermaids used in drawer like racks are what breeders use - people who own and produce hundreds of snakes.. The racks I have seen come in a minimum of 5 or 6 drawers/tubs - which can house 5-6 snakes.. (doesn't mean someone with less than 100 snakes can't have a rack..)

Your boa would probably be happier, because of the space, in your decorated aquarium than in any tub or drawer which has limited space, but if you decorate it the way you wrote, you probably won't see him much and will have a very hard time taking him out, because he will be comfy and cozy in his hide spots, considering the ambient heat/humidity is adequate.

If you want the simple/best solution, in my opinion, go to www.boaphile.com and look at the cages/racks.

These are built and sold by Jeff Ronne - who has been breeding BOAS for about 15-20 years or so...
Made by a boa breeder (also cabinet maker) for his boas - not by anyone for any snake - again, by a boa breeder, for his own boas.

I swear by these cages and wouldn't waste my time or money on anything else.

Sure there are plenty of other similar cage makers, and other old favorites...

I still have nothing but Boaphiles...
got rid of all my Neodesha's, wooden cages (thank the almighty!) and even new Visions.

You'll find TONS of important info in the Boaphile ThinkTank too. Check it out!

Take care - Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

I agree,boaphile cages work great. I disagree about drawers not being better then glass. Drawers give the feeling of not being so exposed. Just my opinion though. If you want decorative boaphiles are great. Craig

I don't think I've ever seen anyone so sold on one type of cage! I think ol' Jeff should hook you up with a couple freebies for all the plugs you give him!!! Take it easy, Joe!

Paul

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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

the only thing i would worry about is the animal rubbing its noise on the screen top,maybe you have some thing deffent then a screen lid,,other then that if you only have one animal,why not not use the glass cage,i gusse what i'm saying is ,if you allready have it make the best of it,you could cover the side's and back with foam board,although racks are nice,they can be costly for just one animal,and you wouldn't get to see it very much in a rack system

yeah, that's kind of what I was worried about.....my snake is more of a pet than a breeder. I like to watch my snake do what's natural. I want to be able to watch her rather than have her in a dark little shelf. Besides, you're right about the boaphiles, they're kind of expensive. The tank that I bought though was $109, and it will last a long time with the room that it has. Thanks for your advice and suggestions.

Hi,

I agree with what Joe said.
If you like plastic type cages Jeff does make very nice cages.
Now if you would like a wood cage I make furniture grade custom cages. They will look great in your living room, family room, office, den or bed room.
THESE CAGES ARE NOT YOUR STANDARD MELAMINE CAGES. They will not absorb water like melamine can once the surface is scratched. There is more info and pictures on my website.

Take care,
Tom

McCarthyBoas.com

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McCarthyBoas.com --------- Thanks & Take Care Everyone

The racks and rubbermaid type containers are fine for those with large collections or limited space, but I wouldn't go so far as to say the snakes prefer them - especially since many of those type of setups provide only minimal requirements for space. They serve their purpose, but aren't my personal choice for my pets. There are also a lot of different manufactured cages out there and most of them are pretty good. Even so, with just a single animal or even a few, I don't see anything wrong with using glass tanks providing it has enough room for the animal and you maintain the temperatures in the correct range. Also, with enough space to move around, it has been my experience that most snakes won't rub on the screen. That's not to say it will never happen, but I've never seen it in my personal collection or that of any of my friends. The important factor is providing enough space for the animal with proper temperature gradients. I still have a handful of snakes in my own collection that are housed in glass aquaria. I will grant that some snakes seem to get stressed from being exposed from all sides, but it is an easy enough solution to cover the sides. With one large tank I own that has several smaller tubs in it, I simply covered the exposed sides with brown shipping paper. Since you're looking to arrange the tank with a naturalistic design, I'd recommend purchasing some of the sheeting sold in petstores for just that purpose. You can get jungle or desert scenes and just about everything in between. It's functional and looks attractive.

Raven

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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin