(Semi) newbie here with many, MANY questions!

[JRLongton]

He does have a humidity box exactly as you described (sizable lidded tupperware with a hole cut out and damp sphagnum moss within) and he's been using it quite liberally.

As for keeping the humidity up I've resorted to literally just sprinkling entire cups of warm water throughout the enclosure whenever the readings dip into the 60's. The substrate is a coconut fiber and sphagnum moss mix so I'm no worried about mold and rot but I plan to completely clean everything out after his shed is done anyway.

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Sounds great! Please post an update after the shed and keep up the great work.

[Snagrio]

Sounds great! Please post an update after the shed and keep up the great work.

Zebes has done a perfect shed, and looks stunning.

My pretty banana boy.

What's more, the weird line of scales I was worried about are gone (guessing they were just scratched up from something), so needless to say I'm quite pleased. First thing tomorrow I'll clean out his home so it's not a swamp anymore and get a mouse ready afterwards as, knowing him, I'm sure he's ravenous.

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[Zincubus]

He does have a humidity box exactly as you described (sizable lidded tupperware with a hole cut out and damp sphagnum moss within) and he's been using it quite liberally.

As for keeping the humidity up I've resorted to literally just sprinkling entire cups of warm water throughout the enclosure whenever the readings dip into the 60's. The substrate is a coconut fiber and sphagnum moss mix so I'm no worried about mold and rot but I plan to completely clean everything out after his shed is done anyway.

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Have you tried spraying well a few times daily when in shed ??


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[Snagrio]

Have you tried spraying well a few times daily when in shed ??


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Spraying isn't enough even normally (even with aluminum panels covering the screen top the CHE saps moisture super quickly) so there was no way that was going to work for the shed cycle unless I literally sat there to reapply every 5 minutes.

What I do instead is every other day or so I apply a cup's worth of water and wet certain sections of the substrate so there's a "reservoir" of moisture to draw from, taking care to leave ample dry spaces (like his hides) so he doesn't get scale rot, and a humid hide with damp moss is available at all times in case he feels the need for a little extra (and a water bowl of course). But for the shed cycle I all but turned the enclosure into a bog in order to keep the place humid enough. A whole cup of water 2-3 times a day.

Obviously tomorrow I'm going to clean the whole thing out (both because everything's been soaked and it's needed to begin with) but his perfect shed shows it clearly worked so, there's that.

[JRLongton]

Congrats on the nice clean shed! I always feel like its a personal achievement when the process goes off without a hitch. Given your circumstances drenching the substrate is probably your best bet. Are you thinking about your next snake yet? lol.

[Snagrio]

Congrats on the nice clean shed! I always feel like its a personal achievement when the process goes off without a hitch. Given your circumstances drenching the substrate is probably your best bet. Are you thinking about your next snake yet? lol.

Probably TOO much thought lol. But I'm not going to for some time for several reasons (finances, making sure I can care for the one I already have, not overload myself, ect.).

But what I've looked are species that would make a good "garbage disposal companion" whenever Zebes inevitably has a series of refusals as BPs tend to do. A corn snake would be ideal but it'd have to an adult unless I got one far sooner than I plan to so it'd grow up with him to a degree.

Have also looked at others like rat snakes, gophers, beauties, kings and smaller but sizable boas like Dumeril's (BCIs and the like are just a tad too big for my experience level). I only ever plan to have around 3 snakes at the most so the choice would be important.

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[dakski]

Probably TOO much thought lol. But I'm not going to for some time for several reasons (finances, making sure I can care for the one I already have, not overload myself, ect.).

But what I've looked are species that would make a good "garbage disposal companion" whenever Zebes inevitably has a series of refusals as BPs tend to do. A corn snake would be ideal but it'd have to an adult unless I got one far sooner than I plan to so it'd grow up with him to a degree.

Have also looked at others like rat snakes, gophers, beauties, kings and smaller but sizable boas like Dumeril's (BCIs and the like are just a tad too big for my experience level). I only ever plan to have around 3 snakes at the most so the choice would be important.

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Good that you are learning/acknowledging your limits and setting a goal of 3 snakes. Also good that you are considering some cool species, but pacing yourself.

If you want a garbage disposal for a BP that might miss a meal here and there, I would not go with a corn snake. Corn snakes really should only eat mice (my two corns - female who's about 360G and a male I admit I fed too frequently for a while and is about 595G) and adult mice at the most, not even retired breeders/XL mice (too fatty). Both of my corns eat an adult mouse (F/T) every 2 weeks and maintain weight (Figment, male), and are growing slowly still (Solana, the female). Don't get me wrong, Corns are awesome snakes and great pets. I just don't think it's a good idea to throw them a small rat that your BP won't take.

Dumerils are cool boas, but don't get too much smaller than certainly a male BI likely would. I am not telling you to go against your instinct. If you think a BI is too much boa, that's fine, but a lot has to do with how often and what they are fed. I thought that too and 27 years into reptile keeping, I got my first boa. I now have 3 and I adore them. One is a dwarf BC and the other two are BI's (one male and one female).

They also grow (if fed properly) really slowly. My female BI, Behira, is 4 1/2 years old and about 5 1/2 feet and 5 pounds or so. She has great body definition and is still growing well on medium rats every 2-3 weeks. However, she's definitely giving me time to adjust to her growth and by the time she's 7+ feet, I will be very used to her and her size. Males tend to be thinner bodied if not shorter as well. If a well fed, but not obese female is about 14-20 pounds +/-, a male might be 7-12 pounds +/-.

That brings me to my second point; there are plenty of dwarf boa species that can be really cool pets AND be your BP's garbage disposal that will not get bigger, or even as big, as Behira, my female BI who is about 1/2 to 1/3 size now.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw those ideas out there. 1. Corns are great, but shouldn't eat more than adult mice. 2. BI's and Dwarf BI's and BC's can be awesome pets and take time to get to size, so you can grow with them.

Finally, on the boa issue, if you think they are too big, again, stay away. It's up to you. I just know my mind changed when I got my first and handled some big female BI's and a male Suriname who was full grown. If treated right, 97% of boas are docile as can be when out. They do have a HUGE food response though, so be aware.

[Snagrio]

Good that you are learning/acknowledging your limits and setting a goal of 3 snakes. Also good that you are considering some cool species, but pacing yourself.

If you want a garbage disposal for a BP that might miss a meal here and there, I would not go with a corn snake. Corn snakes really should only eat mice (my two corns - female who's about 360G and a male I admit I fed too frequently for a while and is about 595G) and adult mice at the most, not even retired breeders/XL mice (too fatty). Both of my corns eat an adult mouse (F/T) every 2 weeks and maintain weight (Figment, male), and are growing slowly still (Solana, the female). Don't get me wrong, Corns are awesome snakes and great pets. I just don't think it's a good idea to throw them a small rat that your BP won't take.

Dumerils are cool boas, but don't get too much smaller than certainly a male BI likely would. I am not telling you to go against your instinct. If you think a BI is too much boa, that's fine, but a lot has to do with how often and what they are fed. I thought that too and 27 years into reptile keeping, I got my first boa. I now have 3 and I adore them. One is a dwarf BC and the other two are BI's (one male and one female).

They also grow (if fed properly) really slowly. My female BI, Behira, is 4 1/2 years old and about 5 1/2 feet and 5 pounds or so. She has great body definition and is still growing well on medium rats every 2-3 weeks. However, she's definitely giving me time to adjust to her growth and by the time she's 7+ feet, I will be very used to her and her size. Males tend to be thinner bodied if not shorter as well. If a well fed, but not obese female is about 14-20 pounds +/-, a male might be 7-12 pounds +/-.

That brings me to my second point; there are plenty of dwarf boa species that can be really cool pets AND be your BP's garbage disposal that will not get bigger, or even as big, as Behira, my female BI who is about 1/2 to 1/3 size now.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw those ideas out there. 1. Corns are great, but shouldn't eat more than adult mice. 2. BI's and Dwarf BI's and BC's can be awesome pets and take time to get to size, so you can grow with them.

Finally, on the boa issue, if you think they are too big, again, stay away. It's up to you. I just know my mind changed when I got my first and handled some big female BI's and a male Suriname who was full grown. If treated right, 97% of boas are docile as can be when out. They do have a HUGE food response though, so be aware.

That's too bad, thought a corn would be too small for the task but figured it was worth bringing up for the sentimental value as a corn was my first snake years ago (still heavily regret rehoming it).

As for BCIs, I did a little more research just now and it seems I made an error, always though 10 feet was the norm for an adult, but apparently that's an exceptional instance and the most even the females get is more around 7-8 feet, in other words not much different from the likes of bull snakes and kin I've looked at. At any rate it's not that the size intimidates me in of itself, I fear no animal, but more that I'd be able to make such a leap from a smaller species. Though your comment on how slow they grow is encouraging.

Ironic however that I get annoyed at friends and family freaking out at hearing I own a python and thinking I own some supergiant serpent only for me to practically to do the same thing with boas.

Could just get another BP since there's more morphs to choose from, many that I'm still discovering to this day, but that'd kinda defeating the purpose plus I'd like different species experience anyway.

[Snagrio]

I don't know what it is, but there's just something I find incredibly cute when he rests his head just out of the hide like this, like a game of peekaboo. (Still always having reflection issues whenever I try to take enclosure pictures but what can ya do).


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[Snagrio]

I've started to notice he pokes his head out like the pic in the previous post in direct response to my presence half the time. Today I even saw him physically move his head out from his hide when I approached the glass.

It's neat that he recognizes me, but something tells me it's more out of "Oh do you have food?" than anything else. It's like a much more subtle version of the attention I get from my fish lol.

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