Keeping a baby boa in an adult enclosure?

[Auriga]

People say you should keep babies in tubs and smaller enclosures until they get around about 3ft+ and are less likely to become stressed by a larger area. But if I fill a 6ft enclosure with a deep layer of substrate for burrowing, several hides for hiding, and put down maybe a layer of leaf litter or a number of plants so the snake can move around with lots of cover – shouldn't a baby Dumerils boa be ok with that? Or am I being stupid? I thought the issue was that little snakes are prey animals so they don't like to be exposed. But if given a plethora of hiding places, does that not solve the issue of exposure and stress, as it does in the wild? Or again, am I just being stupid?

I'm asking this question because I want to get a young Dumerils at some point. However, from what I've read, they can take 3-5 years to reach their adult size, and I don't really want to have the animal in small tubs for that amount of time.

[enginee837]

I think an enclosure cannot be too big as long as the hides are of the appropriate size and in proper locations to allow the snake to thermal regulate itself and escape is not possible. Keep in mind these creatures lived just fine as babies out in the world long before we started putting them in cages.
It has also been my experience that it appears to be much more stressful for snakes raised in opaque tubs to be moved to clear glass faced enclosures than it is for a baby raised in a clear glass faced enclosure from the beginning. I completely understand the efficiency of a tub system especially when you have a large number of snakes and limited space. From a pet standpoint however, we like to look at the little guys and my girls like to decorate and look at their enclosures.

[Eavlynn]

I have a young boa in a T13, which is 48 by 30 inches. She's as happy as can be. Big spaces don't freak boas out the same way that they would a ball python.

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[redshepherd]

PBut if I fill a 6ft enclosure with a deep layer of substrate for burrowing, several hides for hiding, and put down maybe a layer of leaf litter or a number of plants so the snake can move around with lots of cover – shouldn't a baby Dumerils boa be ok with that?

I'm asking this question because I want to get a young Dumerils at some point. However, from what I've read, they can take 3-5 years to reach their adult size, and I don't really want to have the animal in small tubs for that amount of time.

It would work- also to begin with, boas in general aren't as sensitive to open places/no places to hide like a ball python would be.

Though I think the tub sizes are totally fine for subadults until around 3 years old. They're light and easy to clean and you can still set them up in a fancier way if you want to. Doesn't have to be a "small tub". I keep my 3 year old female in a 110 qt tub, which is about 3 feet long, and the size still suits her. Here's my tub setup for her normally, but taken a few months ago.

[bcr229]

If your baby Dum has deep enough substrate that it can bury itself with a layer of fake greenery over that, it will be fine. You'll just never see it LOL.

[Sauzo]

Well think about it this way. A baby outdoors will not be living in a 4x2 or 2x1 or whatever size space. They have the whole land to wander in. The trick is that outdoors has lots of cover for them to hide in. The same applies to a cage. You can give any baby a huge cage as long as they have lots of hides and stuff to feel safe crawling through to the other hides. I started Dottie my BP in a 40 gallon breeder when she was a 2 month old little worm and she was fine. I just gave her silk plants, about 4 or 5 hides and paper towel tubes so she always had a "safe" way to hides and hides to sit in. Your dumerils should be fine. I got a little 2 month old girl who is 18" and I got her in a 30 gallon long atm until she gets a little bigger and I can switch her to my 4x2 Constrictors NW cage. I would do it now but I think the vents in the back are too big and i'm afraid she will squeeze out for freedom. In the 30 gallon she cruises all over at night and during the day, she stretches out under the aspen with just her head poking out.

[Auriga]

Thanks all! I really appreciate the feedback!

[GoingPostal]

My dumerils baby went straight into a three foot pvc cage-you might have a heck of a time finding one in a six foot cage once it burrows, I usually have to dig around a bit to grab mine but would probably be ok. You could also get a cage with a divider or put a smaller tub inside the large cage if your snake seems stressed or unwilling to eat.