curiosity: shelves to increase "floor space"?

Has anyone ever used or considered using a taller than necessary viv and putting a shelf about halfway up to increase "floor space"? Like say you have an adult dumerils boa and a 3x2x2 viv, and you build a shelf that's 3x2 with a 1 foot square cut out for access. Would that be considered acceptable space for the snake(11 square feet including shelf) or would the shelf not matter because the cage dosent have actual length To it?


Not planning on doing this, just curious.

I think it depends. For a large snake, the idea is for them to be able to move around comfortable, and be able to stretch out. Just adding an additional level above won't allow them to stretch out length-wise completely. On that, not all of those larger snakes may want to even climb up there. I can imagine others, like corn snakes or other species (or individual snakes that you know like to climb) would take advantage of that feature, but not sure about them big gals.
:P

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Originally Posted by NH93

I think it depends. For a large snake, the idea is for them to be able to move around comfortable, and be able to stretch out. Just adding an additional level above won't allow them to stretch out length-wise completely. On that, not all of those larger snakes may want to even climb up there. I can imagine others, like corn snakes or other species (or individual snakes that you know like to climb) would take advantage of that feature, but not sure about them big gals.
:P

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Yeah, I was thinking something like that but even with the regular cages most large snakes won't have enough room to stretch out anyway and most snakes will try to climb anyway, given the chance. It also just occurred to me that a Dum may not have been the best example, being a ground boa and all. Maybe a male boa constrictor or SD retic would have been a better example.