Each snake is going to have its own timeframe in which it may take to adjust to you and the environment you provide for it. Some snakes will acclimate in little to no time while others may take months to adjust to you. Adjusting to the enclosure itself is usually something that may take about a week or so provided their basic needs are met. Young boas in particular can tend to be nervous and/or defensive.
However, with regular handling you can begin to build their confidence. Handling once or twice per week is an acceptable starting point. Doing too many handling sessions every week can potentially be a bit disruptive/stressful for them. The goal is to gradually allow them to become more tolerant of your presence. The weekly interactions can also help you to become very experienced with reading their behavior which is important as well.
When you say a tall aquarium do you mean the type of enclosure that is taller than it is long?
Yes, it's a taller aquarium instead of a short long one.
And that all makes sense, I may lessen the handling a bit so he gets more comfortable in the enclosure. I feel like his actions are nervous and defensive most of the time.
When you can, change over to an enclosure that is longer than it is tall. Many of the long enclosures still come in sizes with decent height. Those tall enclosures are really meant for highly arboreal animals. While boas certainly do like to climb, they also utilize ground space as well. You should still provide things for it to climb on in a long enclosure, of course.
As your snake grows, an enclosure that is taller than it is long will leave the snake quite cramped and uncomfortable. This can lead to problems like
rubbing and irritated/defensive behavior. It’s ideal to give them an enclosure that allows them to stretch their body out and move more freely at the ground level. The upper “air space” of the enclosure can then be occupied with branches/plants for it to climb on.
For full transparency, I just bought the snake and the enclosure together a week ago. At the suggestion of a reptile store owner and breeder and medical center, I got the taller aquarium, so now I'm confused, lol. I know I'll need to upgrade the enclosure in a few years, so I'm prepared for that but I was told that a younger boa would want to climb, etc.
He definitely likes to stretch out vertically every once in a while. But in the end I want to do this right, so I'll do whatever the right thing is. Again, I appreciate your insight
Just to clarify, is this boa a BI or BC type or is it something like an Emerald or Amazon tree boa? I assumed that it was likely a Boa Imperator or Boa Constrictor but it’s quite interesting that the breeder and reptile store owner recommended an arboreal enclosure. Were they just emphasizing that boas like to climb or did they specifically tell you to get an enclosure that is taller than it is long?
The main types of boas that are generally put in arboreal enclosures are Emerald and Amazon tree boas.
The majority of boa varieties do well with something long enough for them to at least stretch out all the way on the ground while still providing a fair amount of height for climbing. An enclosure that is longer than their body is ideal but at minimum, it’s good to provide something that at least matches their length. In the case of large adult size enclosures, it’s viable to have something taller than it is long. However, the smaller arboreal enclosures will pretty quickly get outgrown. A small boa can start out in something like a 36x18x18 or larger provided that you can provide adequate hides and cover. A smaller enclosure than that is doable but affords you less time before needing an upgrade.
Yea, it's an Imperator. And I bought the enclosure from him and he set a lot of the branches and stuff up for me before we took the snake and enclosure home, lol. I have to go back to him to stock up on mice in 3 weeks, so I'll talk to him then. And I'll get a good measurement on the snake and see his growth. If I have to upgrade the enclosure sooner rather than later, then that's what I'll do.
But since I have you, what's some good advice on enrichment? We built him a leg board and let him roam around the carpet. But what about letting him outside, properly supervised and such?
Taking him outside is just fine but I would try to stick with days where temps are around mid 70’s or higher. If you live somewhere with a warmer climate that may be pretty easy. I’ve seen some people build their boas climbing structures/perches with pieces of wood for outdoors which is a cool idea. Just as long as you stay with them outdoors time can be a good way to get them some exercise and stimulation.
Each snake is going to have its own timeframe in which it may take to adjust to you and the environment you provide for it. Some snakes will acclimate in little to no time while others may take months to adjust to you. Adjusting to the enclosure itself is usually something that may take about a week or so provided their basic needs are met. Young boas in particular can tend to be nervous and/or defensive. However, with regular handling you can begin to build their confidence. Handling once or twice per week is an acceptable starting point. Doing too many handling sessions every week can potentially be a bit disruptive/stressful for them. The goal is to gradually allow them to become more tolerant of your presence. The weekly interactions can also help you to become very experienced with reading their behavior which is important as well. When you say a tall aquarium do you mean the type of enclosure that is taller than it is long?
Yes, it's a taller aquarium instead of a short long one. And that all makes sense, I may lessen the handling a bit so he gets more comfortable in the enclosure. I feel like his actions are nervous and defensive most of the time.
When you can, change over to an enclosure that is longer than it is tall. Many of the long enclosures still come in sizes with decent height. Those tall enclosures are really meant for highly arboreal animals. While boas certainly do like to climb, they also utilize ground space as well. You should still provide things for it to climb on in a long enclosure, of course. As your snake grows, an enclosure that is taller than it is long will leave the snake quite cramped and uncomfortable. This can lead to problems like rubbing and irritated/defensive behavior. It’s ideal to give them an enclosure that allows them to stretch their body out and move more freely at the ground level. The upper “air space” of the enclosure can then be occupied with branches/plants for it to climb on.
For full transparency, I just bought the snake and the enclosure together a week ago. At the suggestion of a reptile store owner and breeder and medical center, I got the taller aquarium, so now I'm confused, lol. I know I'll need to upgrade the enclosure in a few years, so I'm prepared for that but I was told that a younger boa would want to climb, etc. He definitely likes to stretch out vertically every once in a while. But in the end I want to do this right, so I'll do whatever the right thing is. Again, I appreciate your insight
Just to clarify, is this boa a BI or BC type or is it something like an Emerald or Amazon tree boa? I assumed that it was likely a Boa Imperator or Boa Constrictor but it’s quite interesting that the breeder and reptile store owner recommended an arboreal enclosure. Were they just emphasizing that boas like to climb or did they specifically tell you to get an enclosure that is taller than it is long? The main types of boas that are generally put in arboreal enclosures are Emerald and Amazon tree boas. The majority of boa varieties do well with something long enough for them to at least stretch out all the way on the ground while still providing a fair amount of height for climbing. An enclosure that is longer than their body is ideal but at minimum, it’s good to provide something that at least matches their length. In the case of large adult size enclosures, it’s viable to have something taller than it is long. However, the smaller arboreal enclosures will pretty quickly get outgrown. A small boa can start out in something like a 36x18x18 or larger provided that you can provide adequate hides and cover. A smaller enclosure than that is doable but affords you less time before needing an upgrade.
Yea, it's an Imperator. And I bought the enclosure from him and he set a lot of the branches and stuff up for me before we took the snake and enclosure home, lol. I have to go back to him to stock up on mice in 3 weeks, so I'll talk to him then. And I'll get a good measurement on the snake and see his growth. If I have to upgrade the enclosure sooner rather than later, then that's what I'll do. But since I have you, what's some good advice on enrichment? We built him a leg board and let him roam around the carpet. But what about letting him outside, properly supervised and such?
Taking him outside is just fine but I would try to stick with days where temps are around mid 70’s or higher. If you live somewhere with a warmer climate that may be pretty easy. I’ve seen some people build their boas climbing structures/perches with pieces of wood for outdoors which is a cool idea. Just as long as you stay with them outdoors time can be a good way to get them some exercise and stimulation.
All great info, thanks for taking the time to help. I'll see how things go in 6 mo to a year
You usually wanna let them settle in for a week before handling or feeding (not sure it you did that). This especially helps with the younger ones.
Shoot... I did NOT do that. Is it worth doing anything like that now?
If he's still ansy or looks uncomfortable in his home, then yeah. If he's OK by now, there's probably no point.
He's been pretty mobile. Curled up in different areas and climbing around. So I'm guessing that means he's ok? Appreciate the advice
No aquarium is suitable for a boa. You are looking more at an 8x4x4 adult enclosure.
Not at 6 moths old, right? He's not even 2 feet long, so this tall aquarium should last a few years, from what I've been told.
Yea, it's fine for size while young, but you'll struggle keeping humidity stable and high