housing question!

[rosie617]

I have grown up with lizards, but rosie my new BP is my first snake! My boyfriend and i had a large (insulated, plexiglass) cage built into the corner of one of the rooms in our house. Its about 5 feet high, two feet deep and three feet wide. We dont have any animals in it yet because we're letting it go for a month or 2 so we can gauge the temperatures and humidity in all areas of the tank. My question is, when my BP gets a little bigger we're going to move her into this cage. Are there any other reptiles that she can safely cohabit with? I know 2 snakes in one enclosure isnt ideal, but what about lizards, etc? Just curious!

[tigerlily]

I think maintaining the correct temps in a cage that size is going to be extemely difficult. It doesn't sound like the best cage for a terrestial species, but maybe better suited for an arboreal one.

As for cohabitation, I can't think of any lizards with the same husbandry requirements, but even if I could I wouldn't recommend it.

[SPJ]

That would be a nice cage for some blue tree monitors but not for a ball python. Way too tall. BP's are clumsy. Think loud thud if they decide to try climbing in that cage.It would me VERY difficult to maintain a temp gradient for an animal that is not arboreal.
I wouldn't add ANY animals as roommates with a BP. Too many problems can occur.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I have grown up with lizards, but rosie my new BP is my first snake! My boyfriend and i had a large (insulated, plexiglass) cage built into the corner of one of the rooms in our house. Its about 5 feet high, two feet deep and three feet wide. We dont have any animals in it yet because we're letting it go for a month or 2 so we can gauge the temperatures and humidity in all areas of the tank. My question is, when my BP gets a little bigger we're going to move her into this cage. Are there any other reptiles that she can safely cohabit with? I know 2 snakes in one enclosure isnt ideal, but what about lizards, etc? Just curious!

1 Snake = 1 enclosure BP are solitary animals and need to be housed alone regardless so no other reptile either.

Now your enclosure has the right footprint but as far as height, it is too high and will likely stress your BP and I would think that keeping proper temps and humidity in something that would be impossible.

BP are not arboreal snakes they are ground dwellers so all that space will be a waste that will cause you trouble to maintain.

[rosie617]

Thank you!! I didnt know that about the 'clumsiness' of BP's! I guess we'll just have to get some more reptiles that will be better suited for the cage! The humidity and temperatures are a little tough, but actually with the amount of insulation, heat lamps and heat pads, and we have a 6-prong mister that goes off a few times a day, so the cage is holding the temps and humidity much better than we thought it would.

[Rapture]

I also just want to say that I have definately read that even though green tree pythons or other aboreal species shouldn't injure themselves from a fall from a high point in a cage, a tall cage is still not ideal for establishing a good horizontal thermal gradient, which is recommended for those species. Just to discourage the author of this thread from impulsively going out and getting an aboreal snake to use in the cage.

[rosie617]

Haha, thanks! Dont worry, i'm just learning about snakes, only got my first one 2 weeks ago, it'll be awhile before i venture on to another one!!!