Any Hog Island Boa owners?

[Jus1More]

I've just achieved my wish yesterday and purchased a 4 month old female Hog Island Boa. She is so amazing and has such a sweet nature. I named her Raina, which means Queen and I'm sure she will live up to the name..

I have a few questions and so if you have a HIB, please chime in and comment below..

What substrate do you find best to use?
What temp is your thermostat set at? (What's the min temp and max temp?)
Do you absolutely have to have branches in the enclosure?
Does your HIB use a hide or mainly stays out in the open?
Besides using a UTH, do you also have to use a heat light?

I'm sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but I know that this is the best place to ask.. Thanks

[Randall L Turner Jr]

I kept them just like any other Imperator. I used aspen and cypress as the main bedding, occasionally would use paper. Yes hides were used. Didn't use a heat light, used a space heater for the reptile room, and heat tape for the hot spot.

[KevinK]

I've just achieved my wish yesterday and purchased a 4 month old female Hog Island Boa. She is so amazing and has such a sweet nature. I named her Raina, which means Queen and I'm sure she will live up to the name..

I have a few questions and so if you have a HIB, please chime in and comment below..

What substrate do you find best to use?
What temp is your thermostat set at? (What's the min temp and max temp?)
Do you absolutely have to have branches in the enclosure?
Does your HIB use a hide or mainly stays out in the open?
Besides using a UTH, do you also have to use a heat light?

I'm sure I will have more questions as time goes on, but I know that this is the best place to ask.. Thanks

My pure female Hog is about five years old now and doing great. I've had her since she was a few months old. She's right around 6ft and seems to be done growing length wise and only seems to take on girth.

Substrate?....it depends on your setup, I use PVC cages which hold humidity very well (Animal Plastics). So as a result I have always used newspaper. Monitor your humidity, and use a substrate that is appropriate. If you use something like a glass tank for your setup, cypress mulch or coco fiber may be a better choice. 50% humidity normally, 60% around shed time is ideal (I move the water bowl closer to the heat source around shed time to accomplish this).
Temp?.....I aim for 78 on the cool side of the cage, and 90 for the warm side. Hogs seem to enjoy slightly cooler temps than a standard BCI boa.
Branches?.....nice touch that your snake would enjoy, but no, not at all necessary for husbandry.
Hides?.........my girls LOVES her hides. She spends 90% of her day in them. I use inverted cat litter boxes now with holes cut in the side as anything else is too small.
Heating?......I use a radiant heat panel. Nothing more. Animal Plastics T8 cage and a ProProducts 65 watt radiant heat panel connected to a good quality thermostat of your choice. If you don't want to, or cannot heat your room, this is your preferred method. If you already heat your room, then I would use flexwatt/heat tape.

Cheers.