cage size for these big guys.

What size cages do you all keep your pits in? 50 gallon?

I am interested in getting other opinions too.

I need to upgrade my yearlings' enclosures soon. I am currently using Sterilites (19 qt. I think). I was thinking about using the VE 175 (20 7/8"W x 52 7/8"L x 14 1/16"H) from reptiletubs.com for their adult enclosures. It just seems like a shame to put the in a smaller home as active as mine are.

When I pull them out of brumation, my male bull will be in either a 28qt or 41qt...my females will be in 41qts. Ultimately, how big an enclosure you use will depend on what you like and how much space you have available/are willing to devote to a particular snake/group. I have a relatively small group of colubrids, and every year I consider getting rid of them entirely (I'm just a boa/python guy at heart, I guess)...but they're still here. The only reason I haven't gotten rid of them is that I just plain like the ones I have. If I had a smaller collection, or didn't need my larger cages for larger snakes, I think a large naturalistic enclosure would be the way to go

I've never used plastic tubs. What kind of heat source do you use? Will a heat pad melt the plastic?

I use 3 inch heat tape run through a rheostat...but I really only use it for 4-5 months. Don't need it when they are brumating, or during the summer months, and don't use it for a couple of weeks before/after brumation. The heat tape will reach temps of about 130, so you have to control it somehow

Depending on how big your collection is, you could get a plug and play heat tape all ready from mg reptiles. You will at the very least need a dimmer switch but from my experience they won't melt the plastic. I have my pair in 28 quart tubs and will keep them there for awhile and then move them to a 41 quart rack. A 55 gallon tank would be plenty big for an adult bull.

Originally Posted by starwarsdad

I am interested in getting other opinions too.

I need to upgrade my yearlings' enclosures soon. I am currently using Sterilites (19 qt. I think). I was thinking about using the VE 175 (20 7/8"W x 52 7/8"L x 14 1/16"H) from reptiletubs.com for their adult enclosures. It just seems like a shame to put the in a smaller home as active as mine are.

You can definitely find the VE 175 at WalMart around Christmas time. It is seasonal only and won't be stocked after the holidays. Picked up 6 for $20 each.

I keep my biggest pines in vision cages, My 5' Southern pine is in a 54" x 28" x 18". I know that may seem big but she uses every inch of cage space. My little bulls and gopher are in 12" x 18 " x 6" polycarbonate tubs right now. I use 11" flexiwat (with a thermostat)in the polycarbonate tub rack. The big cages have Kane heat mats under them at the moment.

Amie

Pits are large as we all know when it comes to the bulls, northerns. southerns and sometimes the black pines as well. We start the hatchlings out in shoe boxes and move them to 16 quart box as yearlings, two year olds are in rack systems with boxes ( ancient no quart size) that are 18"X36"X10" and the adults are in neodesha cages that are 30"X42"X18". It has worked well for us for a number of years and we house about 190 adults of these guys.

John Cherry
Cherryville Farms