Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an Oxy that was a rehab and is now ready for a perminant enclosure, and I was wondering how much time they really spend arboreally. I have a few enclosure options right now, but if she doesn't really need a very high enclosure I would prefer to put her in something that she would be more confortable in.

I've read that they spend alot of time on the ground, and presently that would be the only option for mine, so I figured I'd check in with those of you that know!

Freight

I've kept about a dozen of these and have never found them to be significantly arboreal. I even sprinkled cypress mulch on the branches to see if it would be knocked off overnight - it wasn't.

I have tried to encourage arboreal behavior with vertical thermal gradiants, arboreal hides, and lot's of foliage, etc., but still have not seen a lot of it.

I should add that all of my specimens originate from Java. I don't know if there are locality differences across their massive range.

Thank you, that definitely helps in my decision making, as I have an Amazon tree boa that would greatly benefit from being homed in the arboreal enclosure I have. How big of an enclosure are you using for your Oxy's, and are you finding them to be very active? Mine moves from place to place, but doesn't seem overly active till she gets hungry. Of course I have no idea how she was kept before I got her, and I only know she was neglected due to being agressive, and was eaten up by mites for a long time.

Freight

Hi Freight,

I had my place wiped out by a flood in September and have had to keep my G. oxycephala collection in clear plastic boxes since then. The boxes are about 32" x 14" x 12".

I'm working on new cages that are about 26" x 24" x 18". I was going to make them the same size but oriented vertically until I noticed how little my specimens climbed. If that changes as my specimens become more acclimated I may still turn them upright.

I have found mine to be very nocturnally active.

Please e-mail me through my name-link regarding surplus G. janseni.

Chris

These snakes are arborial but that doesn't mean the box should be tall and thin. Arborial means that the snake likes being on branches some of the time and hiding in a hide box some of the time. Snakes respond to gravity like everyone else, so they can only use lateral branches not anything diagonal. I keep my adults in a 2'x2'x4' box. If I oriented the box vertically as some people do the snake would have a 2'x2' floor space and a few 2' long horizontal branches. This is small for a 6-7 foot adult. I always orient my cages horizontally so the snakes have a 2'x4' floor space and a few 4' long branches. Height from the floor does not seem to matter to the snakes and it doesn't make up for the loss of usable space.