Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey I drew this up and plan to have a tree boa. This would be for an amazon tree boa so any suggestions would be much appreciated since I am just considering buying the atb. Thanks. You have to imagine since I can't get pictures to post on here. the deminsions would be 4' tall 2' deep and 3' wide. It would have a built in ceramic light fixture on the very top and a built in heat pad in one corner on the bottom of the cage. Also almost the entire cage would be filled with your average everyday tree skeleton, and a hide box on the ground. Does this sound adequite or not? I have a pretty decent pic if anyone wants to see I will e-mail it to them. Thanks for your time.

Sounds great! Keep in mind a smaller tree boa (under 3 feet or so) might get lost and/or stressed in something that big. I have found over the years the little ones prefer smaller enclosures and feel much more secure in them. For a well-established adult or sub-adult (or even a pair), that size sounds awesome! Some other things I would recommend would be some very wide resting places/shelters at various heights in the enclosure. Ammies like to rest on wider perches (preferably covered) than do Emmies or GTP's. Cork bark and those half logs make nice options and you can affix them right to the back or sides of the enclosure, or even hang them from the ceiling with lightweight chain (then put some silk plants/vines around the chains for more aesthetic appeal). Also, make sure your heating elements can maintain the proper gradient throughout the enclosure. If it were me, I would ditch the light fixture altogether and get a radiant heat panel with a thermostat and affix it to the insided back of the enclosure, about 2/3 of the way up. That should give you a much wider, more consistent gradient. Keep the bottom heat as well, and if you want it lighted, I would go with a daylight fluorescent tube mounted outside the cage so your thin-bodied snake won't be able to get wound up in it as a resting place. Good luck and post some pics of the construction process!! Billy

>>hey I drew this up and plan to have a tree boa. This would be for an amazon tree boa so any suggestions would be much appreciated since I am just considering buying the atb. Thanks. You have to imagine since I can't get pictures to post on here. the deminsions would be 4' tall 2' deep and 3' wide. It would have a built in ceramic light fixture on the very top and a built in heat pad in one corner on the bottom of the cage. Also almost the entire cage would be filled with your average everyday tree skeleton, and a hide box on the ground. Does this sound adequite or not? I have a pretty decent pic if anyone wants to see I will e-mail it to them. Thanks for your time.

The major criticism i have would be to keep light fixture out of the cage, a tree boa has amazing reach, and migh burn itself if it came in contact with the heat buld or, any bulb at that matter. Best to be cautious when it comes to your pets. Best of luck otherwise! Oh...if you want to buy a cage i would recomend BARRs herp cages....great arboreal cages for resonable coast.

http://www.herpcages.com/cages/cprice2.html

THe have adjustable vents on the side front acess door, removable screen pannal on the top. Hold humidity very well. And give alot of privacy to the animal

ok I have a stupid question, How big does an atb get? because that is the snake the cage was originally intended for. But I have heard some things about them that is making me reconsider.... I have a ball python, I have had it for almost a year now. The perfect snake... never bitten anyone eats regularly and all. I wanted an amazon tree boa because I like the way they look and am interested in having an arboreal snake. But I have heard that they are agressive and strike regularly. If I were to get an atb How often should I expect to be bitten? Also I heard they can be quite finicky eaters. Also are they hard to care for? And I am wanting a cage that can house the snake through it's entire life. How big will an atb get? What is the minimum sized cage u would recomend for an amazon tree boa to comfortably live? lengthXWidthXHeight. Thanks again for your time.

You must remember, these are arboreal snakes. They can be, and tend to be, more fragile than ground boas. It is because of this that they tend to be more agressive. Not aggressive in the sense of "out to get you", but more like "I dont want to be touched". I breed northern local Emerald tree boas, and I never "handle" them. If i need to move them, I pull out my trusty snake hooks. You must remember that arboreal snakes, especially boas, are very sensitive to light and heat. Your snake will see your hands by their heat signature. They use heat to see what they are hunting and what they are protecting themselves from. I have always told people, if you want a snake you can hold do not buy an arboreal snake.