| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Roast |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 16:23:56
first off i apologize for the long thread
Ok so i bought my first rainbow boa... Infact my first snake.. i have been around and handled them before and helped care for but always to busy for my own until now. Unfortunately I think the guy I bought him off of was an idiot. He kept telling me it was a rainbow python and i kept researching until i realized that cant be because it doesnt exist.. I have come to the conclusion that he is a columbian rainbow.. I suppose he could be brazilian but my guess is columbian. Anyhow my point is this snake is of a decent size about 4.5ft long and this guy had him in a 20 gallon aquarium (30"L x 12"D x 12"H) which is 2.5sq.ft. of floor space.. all he has in the tank is a water dish a hiding box and a heating pad.. like a actually heating pad not one made for reptiles. the snake has been living like this for about a yr and is a little over 1 yr old.. He seems like a happy healthy snake, no eating issues or anything and he is extremely calm and friendly..
My problem is after researching these snakes, for one, i can't imagine his tank is reaching a daytime temp in the mid 80's with just that heating pad. He rarely leaves his heating pad when he is in the tank, there is no way to determine the humidity in the tank, and i feel his tanke is to small..
My plan is to upgrade or build him a new cage or tank that has at least 5 or 6 sq ft or floor space, add a ceramic heating element, a couple thermometers and a hydrometer to monitor humidity and give his some things to climb on inside..
again sorry for the long post and any input would be greatly appreciated... again this is my first snake and i want him to live a very long and happy life so any input on what kind of rainbow boa he is and any suggestions or input would be great..
dont no how to pist images... Im guessing i have to host the picture sumwhere.. dont have time for that now i do have a couple pictures though
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| jono-r |
Posted - 15/04/2010 : 16:04:01
hi, your plans sound good, and your right viv is too small, i am concerned about the heat pad, as the snake gets bigger it will icrease the risk of contact burns and thats bad news. the best way to go is the ceramic but make sure you put a gaurd around it. |
| Kazerella |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 18:37:08
You sound like you've got the right attitude for happy snake keeping anyway, so I'm sure your rainbow will appreciate it. Research is the key and your plans for the set up sound good. Ceramics tend to be more accurate than heat mats, so as long as you keep it on a pulse thermostat you should do well with it.
I'll wait for the pic to make an identification. 
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| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 04/03/2010 : 18:17:14
Have a looky at the care sheets here: http://www.therainbowboa.co.uk/rainbow_boa_care_sheet.htm
This will give you an idea of the basic care requirements needed for it, any other questions then ask away.
Instructions on how to post photos here: http://www.therainbowboa.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=25
Might be worth giving it a check over to see if there's any stuck shed on it's tail tip and eyes as well.
Have a good look over it to check for anything that doesn't look right, as you said you're unsure, but it's still fairly easy to spot things.
scratches, grazes, maybe things that look like tiny insects. (snake equivalent of fleas). |
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