Better Than TV!

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Yes, my 3 Coastals made/make use of any upward space.

It was somewhat of a mistake going from 4x2 to the 6 foot T-25s because they are only 18" tall. So I moved Etta, the smallest (6.5-7 ft) back to a 4 x2.

I originally was going to get 6x2x2, but I got a good deal on 2 new T-25s on CL. I now wish I waited.

But I ordered shelves and Mack and Lizzy really make good use of them. And they both really take advantage of being able to stretch out in those 6 foot cages.

The number one best improvement was adding skyhides. None of my Carpets will use hides on the ground except on a rare occasional shed.

All four use their Skyhides extensively, especially for hunting in ambush mode. They will hunt for days and rarely move. It is amazing behavior to observe. In fact when they are in hunt mode there is no way I'm reaching for their soaking bowls to clean!

I decided to go all out for my Jungle since she never ever used the ground in her old cage except for soaking. Now since she has lots of options, including belly heat for the first time. She does use it after meals sometimes. I find her using every aspect of that big cage. Money and space well spent!

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That's just great!

I wish I could pop a sky hide into the mix but 24" tall is too small for that in the carpet cage with perches. If I went 30" tall I'd have really done well.

The T-25's were still a good move on your part I was so close with the retic, but Ed from Constrictors NW can get me a 72" x 30" x 24" for far, far less than an equally sized cage from AP so I had to go for it. Every time I've purchased a cage except the carpet cage, and to some extent the boa cage, I've always wanted more ceiling space.

You did right by your jungle! Well done sir!

Thanks!

You made a wise decision on that cage for Wallace. That should do him well. :)

Also, I added some photos that you may not have seen to that previous post.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Thanks!

You made a wise decision on that cage for Wallace. That should do him well. :)

Also, I added some photos that you may not have seen to that previous post.

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Those are cool and thanks for pointing out that I missed them.

Your crew seems to be thicker than my girl here. Maybe she (jewel) is younger. She's closing in on 7 feet but doesn't have the substance your animals do,

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Originally Posted by Gio

Those are cool and thanks for pointing out that I missed them.

Your crew seems to be thicker than my girl here. Maybe she (jewel) is younger. She's closing in on 7 feet but doesn't have the substance your animals do,

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Lizzy is pushing 8 ft and full bodied. Mack is not too far behind.

Etta on the other hand is about half as thick as Mack and I am pretty sure that they are siblings. She may be about the size of Jewel as far as slender and between 6.5-7 ft.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e6a6e4c605.jpg

The first time Etta has been in the tub. She had been soaking in her bowl along with her waste. A tall order for a damp towel.

This a recent photo,so it may give you an idea on her size.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Lizzy is pushing 8 ft and full bodied. Mack is not too far behind.

Etta on the other hand is about half as thick as Mack and I am pretty sure that they are siblings. She may be about the size of Jewel as far as slender and between 6.5-7 ft.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e6a6e4c605.jpg

The first time Etta has been in the tub. She had been soaking in her bowl along with her waste. A tall order for a damp towel.

This a recent photo,so it may give you an idea on her size.

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That looks to be about Jewel's size. Jewel is a 2014 hatchy so she is pushing 4 years old which has to be close to fully mature. I think her poor eating habits have kept her a bit smaller as her mother was 9.5-10 feet.

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Originally Posted by Gio

This girl (Jewel) is a bit of a trip. She's coastal carpet crossed with something and is not known for her steady eating habits. She is very busy at night and an absolute pleasure to hold and work with. She's closing in on 7 feet and is still light bodied and nimble. She is probably the nicest snake here.

She took a smaller, large, live rat that the royal refused yesterday, and then a large F/T quail. She fed from, and stayed in her perches all night.

Her coloring is certainly more coastal looking these days. Greying and browning out which is OK with me as I like natural looking animals that resemble the "wild type" critters in their habitat.

Here is Jewel after a nice meal.
http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...tput_4751.jpeg

I used my I-Phone and I typically take a photo with and without the flash.

This is an identical, or almost identical shot with no flash.

This is why I like display caging, and semi arboreal snakes. When I walk into the snake room, I don't always have to look underneath hides, or check the corners of the cages for curled up snakes.


http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...tput_4752.jpeg


This was my version of watching TV last night!

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Yey !!

Can't imagine why so many happily miss out on the viv experience tbh . It's like going snorkelling to the seaside and not actually breaking the surface to see the wonders below !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

That looks to be about Jewel's size. Jewel is a 2014 hatchy so she is pushing 4 years old which has to be close to fully mature. I think her poor eating habits have kept her a bit smaller as her mother was 9.5-10 feet.

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She is a 2013, I got her in 2014, so I have to correct myself here.

Where do you get the sky hides and mounting hardware? It looks like just normal hides and I'm sure you could just drill holes and screw them in but I'm wondering if there are better ways to mount them so they are removable for cleaning, etc...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gio

She is a 2013, I got her in 2014, so I have to correct myself here.

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Mack and Etta are a year older than Jewel. Etta has a much milder appetite than Mack, so I suspect that is why she is so much smaller than her brother.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ba198da165.png
Mack, Coastal Carpet in the bottom cage.

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Originally Posted by dboeren

Where do you get the sky hides and mounting hardware? It looks like just normal hides and I'm sure you could just drill holes and screw them in but I'm wondering if there are better ways to mount them so they are removable for cleaning, etc...

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DB, you are correct that they are normal hides. But they easily slide in and out by mounting with wall mirror mounts.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c8ec7b5d8e.png

If you have a big snake, use a lot of mounts! The hides will flex due to weight of a big snake and the hide will dislodge and then the hide and snake will come crashing down! Don't ask me how I know that. :D I use 13 of the large mounts per large and XL hides.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...930e31d963.png

It has has been a learning process. Three mounts up front is a hassle to remove when cleaning the hide. I found that at least one mount or even just one screw with dulled threads or siliconed is all that is need as a stop. If no stop is used, my snakes will wedge there heads between the wall and back of the hide and slide the hide out enough to make it unstable.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8916e3372d.png
Butch, Wild Type Boa, note just one clamp up front.

I stole the original idea from Cody at Reptile Experts and then adapted it for my use.