Cage Size for BP

I'll be getting a young BP soon and was wondering what size enclosure to get.
I was looking at the Boaphile 123D (24"x24"x17.5") to start out with and when ne/she gets bigger, expanding it with another cage.
Would a shorter cage be better?
I was going to put branches and stuff in to give some place to climb.
How long would I be able to keep a BP in an enclosure this size?

That size of cage would be perfect for your BP for now and the rest of its life. Remember heat and hides are going to be the most important necessities. Also in my experiance I have only seen one BP that actually used the branches I placed in the cage, the rest were very content being on the ground, but I think it makes the cage look really pleasing to my eye so I would still go for it. Good luck on your new BP

I think the rule of thumb is 1.5 sq ft of cage space for every 1 ft of snake.
The avg ball is between 4-5 feet.
a 24"x24" would only be 4sq ft. I would say a bigger would be needed for full life span but not now.
I would think about 6sq ft would be ok for an adult for lifetime.

24" is definitely on the short end of the spectrum for what would be appropriate for an adult bp. I would go no shorter than 36" long x 18" deep (thats the footprint of a 40 Breeder tank). I mean, a 20 gallon long is 30" long. That boaphile cage you refer to is 6" shorter than even that.

Thanks to all.
I understand, that I will need a bigger cage when the snake is an adult.
How fast do BPs grow.
Baseed on appropriate food size, how long would a (1) yo BP be?

There's a store near here that's selling a baby (about 1 1/2 months old).
The store owners "reccomended" set up is a package deal (the snake, a 10 gal tank, and a small clamp lamp)!
I asked him about UTH and he said that he doesn't reccomend them and won't use them.
There isn't even a temp guage in the tank.
The poor snake looks underweight. He's obviously triangular shaped and his skin looks a little loose.

I would love to rescue the cutie from his Not-so-intelligent owner, but can't afford a large tank right now.
I plan on making several custom wood and glass cages over the next few months so I can resume my lost hobby of reptiles (had to get rid of them when the human babys came along).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aibhaeog

I asked him about UTH and he said that he doesn't reccomend them and won't use them.

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Generally, pet store people want you to use over head lights/CHE's because you will come in over and over to buy bulbs as they burn out. Their mark up on bulbs is somtimes as much as 300% and they want the repeat business. If you buy an undertank heater you'll be set for a very long time which means less money for them.

Of course they suggest lights and CHEs! :D:D:D ... If I sold them, I would too!

When someone that is selling you something suggests one product over another, always ask yourself why? If one was so much better for the animal than the other, why would they sell the lesser product? Money makes the world go round!!! :D:D:D:D

-adam

Seems if the pet shop guy can't even keep this snake in a decent condition I wouldn't follow any of his "advice" about what the best heating is for ball pythons. We had a pet store guy tell us recently that ball pythons never eat more than one mouse per week...ever. In the car later, my husband said to me.."Well I guess some of Adam's bigger snakes that eat multiple mice would hate that guy!" LOL


~~Jo~~

If cost is an issue, maybe consider Rubbermaid or Iris type box. That would be ideal considering it will only be temporary housing.

This seems to be a good point in the thread where I can share my awesome find :) I went to Big Lots and found a tub that is 40" long x 16.5" wide x 9" tall. The bottom is nice and flat, and the plus is, it was only $10... I think I might go buy the rest of them, LoL. It was a Rubbermaid, but it looked like the XMas storage boxes that iris puts out. Hopefully this is a big enough size for an adult, because I am so burned out on trying to find a huge underbed box, LoL. And darnit, I will have to find something else to go in the tub that Amani is occupying now... Such a tragedy... ;)

JotaY, I do like your formula but 24 x 24 is 4sq ft but if that is the dimensions your missing some walls to your aqarium. it is 16sq ft not 4sq ft which is around a 20 gallon tank which in turn should suffice the animal for its lifetime...

For terrestrial snakes, floor space is what matters. A 24"x24" enclosure isn't going to cut it for very long. Now a 3'x2' enclosure would be perfectly fine for the rest of the snake's life as it is 6sq. ft.

Forrest, have you seen some large female( or even male) ball pythons? I doubt that they would be comfortable in a 20gallon long tank, let alone be able to move or turn around. I have seen a large male in a 30 gallon tank and he just seemed very cramped and couldn't even stretch out all the way.

I was always told that an enclosure should be made so that the dimensions of the front and side of the enclosure are equal to the length of the snake.
For example, an enclosure that has a 36" x 17" base will hold a snake that is 53" long.

I have also heard of 1 sq. ft. per foot of snake rule of thumb. So for a enclosure with a 36" x 17" base(3' x 1.42'= 4.26 sq. ft),you could hold a snake that is approximately 4.26' or 51.12".

Both methods seem to give you somewhat similar numbers, but I prefer to go with the front and side summing method.

You must remember that these are rules of thumb for snakes in GENERAL. Each species of snake is different. Some enjoy a more open space while others prefer a slightly more confining enclosure. The enclosure should meet the needs of the snake. The height of the enclosure is also not considered in these rules of thumb. The height of the enclosure should also reflect the needed of the particular snake that you keep. I keep my ball pythons in enclosures that are 6" high. If I were keeping an tree dwelling species, I would probably have a much higher enclosure. It is always good to research the particular snake you wish to house so that you can choose an enclosure that will suit the snake's needs.

I own a very large male (4 feet 11 inches give or take inch and he is about 8-9 inches in circumfrence at his thickest part of his body)and have for years and Yes he is fine in a 20 gallon. Now I keep him in the 55 gallon tank but on occasion I do move him from the 55 gallon to a 20 and he is fine, I'm not a expert nor am I claiming to be one but I do know from experiance with my own snake that this can and will be ok. It is more a matter of personal preference on what you choose but to say that is to small is inaccurate information.

24 inches long is way too short i would definitely go with at least a 36 inch and bigger is better, i use a 48 inch long and 2 feet depp as well as 2 feet depp. they do not require climbing branches bu tthey may be added if you wish