Is it true....

That a snake will only get as big as its enclosure? My friend believes his red tail Boa could never reach 6 feet because it's enclosure is too small. I say this is false. Who is correct?

A snake will not be 'limited' by it's enclosure. Nor will underfeeding keep him from getting longer, may just end up with a pissed off and hungry skinny boa who lives in a cramped enclosure.

No un true snakes will continue to grow. The small enclosure will not stop growth.

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Originally Posted by EvesFriend

That a snake will only get as big as its enclosure? My friend believes his red tail Boa could never reach 6 feet because it's enclosure is too small. I say this is false. Who is correct?

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False. A snakes size is mainly determined by genetics. Food consumption will also play a factor in size, especially in younger snakes during their growth spurts.

Completely false! A snake will grow based on how much you feed it.

Fish are the only things that are hindered by the size of the tank aren't they? But some species can still 'outgrow' the tank.

Ask your friend this, "if your parents gave you a closet for a room would you turn out a dwarf?"

That is false with fish as well. The only thing that hinders fish is dirty water and not enough food! (and, in the case of betta fish, siblings in too small of a tank release hormones to prevent growth, but when the siblings are removed they still end up growing to their full size) Goldfish need a lot of food and a lot of water(no bowls will work!)

The boa will get big! You might end up experiencing a lot of escapes from a cramped up snake in a little tiny enclosure, though!

That is incredibly false! Give yourself a pat on the back, you're right.

And tell your friend that they should think about getting a bigger enclosure. There's no healthy way to limit the snake's growth through housing or feeding.

This is a very damaging myth perpetuated especially in the fish and bird world. No, you cannot keep a red-tail boa at 24" long by cramming in into a 1 gallon plastic Critter Keeper, nor can you entice a ball python to grow 12' long by putting in a 300 gallon tank.

As with pretty much all creatures, including people, snakes grow to the size determined by their genes, and trying to regulate the size of a snake with enclosures is as ridiculous as trying to keep your child 3' tall by stuffing them into a trunk, or make him grow 9' tall by stretching his legs, it doesn't happen. Best case scenario, the snake will outgrow it's enclosure and force you to get a bigger one OR refuse to eat from the stress of a monster tank, forcing you to get a smaller one. Worst case scenario, you'll stress your snake to the point of illness or even death.

Gale

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Ask your friend this, "if your parents gave you a closet for a room would you turn out a dwarf?"

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:rofl::rofl:

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Originally Posted by purplemuffin

That is false with fish as well. The only thing that hinders fish is dirty water and not enough food! (and, in the case of betta fish, siblings in too small of a tank release hormones to prevent growth, but when the siblings are removed they still end up growing to their full size) Goldfish need a lot of food and a lot of water(no bowls will work!)

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I'm not entirely sure that it's false though.... If they are stressed from the conditions of the water, overpopulation, hormones, oxygen levels, or like you said too many sibs in the same tank, they are growth stunted. So technically their growth can be impeded by the size of the tank because they become stressed/release hormones right? Bad husbandry is bad husbandry regardless of the species, but snakes will not stop growing because the owner doesn't know how to take care of them or puts multiple bps in the same tank.

The only way you can make an animal grow a certain way is by feeding it less. I dont mean like starvation, I mean maintenance feeding

While it is NOT okay to "maintenance" feed while an animal is young, once it is of breeding size (if you are breeding) you can maintenance feed it. Like a male ball python for example.

Feed to much, it gets fat and becomes a lazy breeder, feed to little, and all it cares about is food.

Thats why you "maintain" their weight at the desired level.

The same is true with lizards

For example, my Savannah Monitor gets 2, maybe even only 1 meal a week. Usually only one meal a week. The reason for this is because he/she is about full grown at 2 years old and 2 feet long. (Previous owner, dont get me started)

So I "maintenance" feed him/her. Enough food to keep the animal happy and tame, yet not to much that will make him/her fat/obese, which is extremely common in monitor lizards.

You just have to know your animal and feed it the PROPER amount. Not to much, not to little. Just enough to keep the animal happy and healthy :)

Just my 2 cents