Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I am setting up a habitat for a 3-year old male rosy boa whom I want to adopt. Clearly, I am new. Now, the enclosure I have is a converted Contico locker, because it is basically a glorified Rubber maid container that has more space inside (probably about the equivalent of a 22 gallon container, the size of his old home) and is sturdier and closes better, which I have drilled air/light holes into. My concern is the amount of light that the boa will have. For this question I'm only talking about light, not heat, for heat I intend to use heat tape under the tank. But I'm concerned that with its opaque sides, the snake's home will need more light coming in for the sake of his natural sleep patterns. Do I need a light inside the enclosure? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but I really want to do everything in the snake's best interest. and not screw it up lol

If I was going to use something completely opaque, I would probably cut out a panel of plastic on the top/side and replace it with a panel of plexiglass. You want the snake to be able to see natural light to some degree to allow it to maintain a normal photoperiod. If you just keep it in the dark all the time, it might go off food due to it trying to hibernate.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Rosyboas spend most of their lives in burrows and in and among rock crevices. They do not need lots of light, but they should have access to even very filtered light for light cycle purposes. If you look at rosyboa eyes, you can tell they are well-suited to low-light conditions. In the wild, they are often out and about at dusk or evening. During midday they are usually hidden. So rosies are not needing lots of light.

Simply having some air holes in the lid and sides with a low-wattage fluorescent light nearby should do just fine. Enough light will likely get through to provide a light cycle. You do not want or need it inside the cage.

As suggested previously, a clear window is another option. IMO, with plastic storage boxes, it is easier to drill (stepped drill bits work the best) or poke (soldering iron) numerous holes to be your window of sorts than try to cut a large hole without damage for a window. With the numerous holes you do not need to cover it with clear plastic.
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Mark

Thanks both of you! I appreciate the help. The enclosure does have holes and I will set up a lamp next to the warmer side, and if that doesn't seem to be enough I suppose I can always drill some more little holes. I like the window idea but I've worked with glass and plexiglass before for my major and it's deceptively frustrating stuff to work with! And I would be concerned about sharp spots, etc

I also plan on hanging out with him obviously, and that will certainly give him some extra sunshine during the day.

Thanks again!
Erin