Need a little advise

[Deacon0722]

So I have had my current BP for quite a while now and looking into getting a fairly young juvi. A buddy has one and offered his to me at a great price. My questions would be...

I have a 40 gallon tank but have read that it may be to big for the BP. I read they usually want smaller for security reasons. Any advise?

Since I live in the desert...Mesquite trees are everywhere. Would using mesquite branches be ok in the tank for climbing. I didnt know if they may have some sort of reaction to a particuar kind of wood.

He feeds the BP frozen, how difficult is it to convert over to live?

Thanks guys and gals. Any advise would be really appreciated.

Daniel

[KMG]

My BP has been in the same 40 gallon tank her entire life. I have always given her a natural look with thick substrate, real and fake plants, hides, and some driftwood to crawl through. It most certainly can be done you just need to offer plenty of cover and concealment for the snake to feel secure while moving about.

I don't believe there is an issue with that wood especially if its well dried.

Switching from f/t to live should not be an issue. It usually goes the other way. Why feed live? F/T is much safer for the snake. If you raise feeders or can only buy them live there are easy ways to dispatch the rodent and feed fresh killed.

Once you have a snake that is taking a good size rat you will not want to be dealing with live ones. A rat can really do some damage and its not something that most keepers care to test.

[Deacon0722]

Great! Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you very much!!

[JoshSloane]

I would never put natural wood found outside into a snake enclosure without treating it thoroughly. Natural wood, even dried out can carry a whole host of parasites and pathogens that your snake's domesticated immune system cannot handle. Wood must be boiled and/or baked for a significant amount of time before using it. Definitely DO NOT just throw it in their cage.