should i?

[Sauzo]

ok, a couple of questions here: i am going to get a boa thats for sure i THINK am going to get a columbian red tail i think they look awesome and from what i am reading they have been cative breed for along time so that means they are more docile (right?) ok but for the questions

1. t10?
2. can i use aspen for bedding?
3. can i use a radient heat panel from reptile basics for heat?
4. what is a good dealer to get the snake from? i live in oklahoma, us
5. will i ever have to feed anything other than rats his whole life because of size? (im going to get a male)

Any help is very appreciated. thank you

1. Its the size designation that Animal Plastics gives to cages. A T10 is a terrestrial cage 48x24x15. T10 or T13 would work fine unless you go for something like a BC or if you end up with a large female, then you might need something like a T25.
2. Yes. I use aspen for all my snakes and it works fine. just be sure you get the shredded stuff and not the chipped or shaved stuff like for rodents. The shredded packs down better. I personally buy the 7 cu ft bails of American Excelsior aspen.
3. Yes. It is your choice between flexwatt or RHPs. I use both. RHPs are good if your room temps get kind of cold in the winter. Flexwatt is good if your room temps stay 75F+.
4. That's a loaded question as there are lots of good breeders out there. If you are looking for locality stuff, I would recommend Legacy reptiles or Cutting Edge Herps. For morph BIs, there are tons. Check out FaunaClassifieds.com and Kingsnake.com as well as join The FB group Boa Constrictor Keepers.
5. For a male, you can keep him on rats or small rabbits if you want. My big girl is 6-7' right now and she eats large rats and small rabbits. I just vary it up.

Oh also forgot, no matter what heat source you use, you MUST get a quality t-stat to run it. Don't guess on temps. I recommend Herpstats but a lot of people also like Vivarium Electronics. In a pinch you can also use Jump Start ones. I have 4 Herpstats and 3 Jump Starts for back ups.

[erebus45]

1. Its the size designation that Animal Plastics gives to cages. A T10 is a terrestrial cage 48x24x15. T10 or T13 would work fine unless you go for something like a BC or if you end up with a large female, then you might need something like a T25.
2. Yes. I use aspen for all my snakes and it works fine. just be sure you get the shredded stuff and not the chipped or shaved stuff like for rodents. The shredded packs down better. I personally buy the 7 cu ft bails of American Excelsior aspen.
3. Yes. It is your choice between flexwatt or RHPs. I use both. RHPs are good if your room temps get kind of cold in the winter. Flexwatt is good if your room temps stay 75F+.
4. That's a loaded question as there are lots of good breeders out there. If you are looking for locality stuff, I would recommend Legacy reptiles or Cutting Edge Herps. For morph BIs, there are tons. Check out FaunaClassifieds.com and Kingsnake.com as well as join The FB group Boa Constrictor Keepers.
5. For a male, you can keep him on rats or small rabbits if you want. My big girl is 6-7' right now and she eats large rats and small rabbits. I just vary it up.

Oh also forgot, no matter what heat source you use, you MUST get a quality t-stat to run it. Don't guess on temps. I recommend Herpstats but a lot of people also like Vivarium Electronics. In a pinch you can also use Jump Start ones. I have 4 Herpstats and 3 Jump Starts for back ups.

So I CAN use a jump start for a rhb I already have one t8 set up with a 80 watt rhb hooked into a ve-200 and that's what ima gunna set my next cage up with too but just for like pinches I can use the jump start t-stat?

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

[Sauzo]

So I CAN use a jump start for a rhb I already have one t8 set up with a 80 watt rhb hooked into a ve-200 and that's what ima gunna set my next cage up with too but just for like pinches I can use the jump start t-stat?

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk

Yes you can. Just remember, an off/on T-stat of any kind is going to have a wider swing in temps than a proportional or dimming style t-stat. With that said, it will work fine.

[Gio]

Yes,

The Brazilian boas have a unique look to the saddles and pattern that is different form the other BCC. However all of the true reds can have variation and there are some stumpers out there. I replied last night but I've been having some computer issues and the post didn't stick here I guess.

If you go with a Colombian, non morph I'd recommend a locality like mine if you want something interesting. These share BCC and BCI traits and they were almost called BCC by the breeder but he felt they didn't meet all of the BCC parameters. Legacy Reptiles works with the very same lines that my guy came from.





These 3 different pictures show how the pattern and coloring look different depending on lighting and background.



As for caging, I tend to like bigger cages for boas. They are active if not over fed. They will climb and I don't like caging that is less than 18" for them. It is personal preference and not a rule. However if you want to see a lot more of their natural behaviors, give them space.


This particular cage is 48" wide, 30" deep and 20" tall. I wish I went 24" tall. I use radiant heat panels for all of my cages and they all look similar to this one. It is a Pro-Line cage from Constrictors NW.


Larger caging with some ceiling allows you to watch things like this.


This guy is perched just about every night.