What to do when you lose power? (Husbandry in the event of Emergencies)

Hey y'all!
After losing power multiple times in the night and realizing I can't perpetually babysit my ball python for hours on end, I've begun to explore what sort of measures I can take in the event of a power outage or other emergency. I tried using a battery backup unit, but the heat lamps pull SO much power from it that it's dead within seconds. Are there better backup batteries out there, or what other measures can I take?

All advice is appreciated and please don't hesitate to share your personal experiences on the matter!
Thanks!

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Originally Posted by smakemom

Hey y'all!
After losing power multiple times in the night and realizing I can't perpetually babysit my ball python for hours on end, I've begun to explore what sort of measures I can take in the event of a power outage or other emergency. I tried using a battery backup unit, but the heat lamps pull SO much power from it that it's dead within seconds. Are there better backup batteries out there, or what other measures can I take?

All advice is appreciated and please don't hesitate to share your personal experiences on the matter!
Thanks!

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This thread has lots of good advice:https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ghlight=outage.

They've been warning about possible outages this summer, pretty much in all areas, & with the high temperatures we've been having, it's scary. I think it's easier to keep snakes warm enough when it's cold than to protect them from sustained high temperatures, but either way, we all need to plan. It's stressful for sure.

Good question, smakemom. It's generally impractical to keep your snake in their normal enclosure- thick styrofoam boxes or "ice chests" are essential. ;) And snakes don't seem to mind it (being bagged & contained) as much as you might think. At least mine didn't. And most of my snakes are more active by nature than BPs are. When I went thru the 2009 ice storm with my snakes, the one that objected the most was my large BCI boa- I never expected that, but even she settled down & relaxed too.

Measures you can take depend on:
- The ambient temperature and do you need to make your critter's enclosure warmer or cooler. Most of us are worried about our snakes getting too cold, but this time of year those of us with BRB's could be looking at 95*F or higher temps inside our houses if the power goes out. Most snakes would be fine with it, but BRB's and some gecko species that need a narrow temperature range may have issues.
- How many and what kind of critters do you have? Plans for an outage for one ball python will be different than for someone with dozens of snakes ranging from small colubrids to giant pythons.
- Do you own or rent your home? A homeowner can probably use a portable generator (unless it's a condo) or get a whole house generator installed, while someone renting an apartment will have fewer options.
- Do you have somewhere you can take your collection if need be? Again, easier for one snake than a large collection.

This thread is helpful as well.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-power-outages

I once put my beloved old Chilean rose hair in a cricket container, wrapped them in blankets, and then cuddled those blankets to transfer my body heat when the power got knocked out during a real bad winter - i also threw my whole collection of arachnids and snakes in travel containers during a tornado and put them all in my bathtub with me - i think coming up with your own individual specific plan of action is key, def have a “bug out” plan because you never know

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Originally Posted by YungRasputin

I once put my beloved old Chilean rose hair in a cricket container, wrapped them in blankets, and then cuddled those blankets to transfer my body heat when the power got knocked out during a real bad winter - i also threw my whole collection of arachnids and snakes in travel containers during a tornado and put them all in my bathtub with me - i think coming up with your own individual specific plan of action is key, def have a “bug out” plan because you never know

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I can totally relate. When I first lost power at the start of the 2009 ice storm it was in the middle of the night & I stupidly thought power would be back in a few hours, so I put each of my snakes in separate cloth snake bags, & each of those into plastic ventilated "critter cottages" & lined them all up with me as their heat source, underneath my down comforter- :rofl: But when power hadn't returned at daybreak, I knew I needed a new plan. That's when I got out the "ice chests" & jars of hot water- that worked great- spent 4 days without power that way- the snakes were all calm & comfy.

Another time I was doing a snake program for Earth Day at an out of the way location (a ranger station)- it was quite chilly, & luckily I had brought a long heat tape to put under the snake's temporary containers, but one was left over that didn't fit. So I tucked my bagged rosy boa into my shirt- the lump slid down over my stomach so when anyone noticed, I just patted the bulge & announced that yes, I was "with boa". Body heat works great- :D