Emerald Housing

I'm looking to get an Emerald Tree Boa or two (1.1) and the main consideration is that I'm getting a really nice, large cage that could easily see the two into adulthood. Getting two setups would up the ante considerably on the wallet as well as space in my living room. The seller is pretty firm about their need for separate housing, but she/he said that all snakes should be housed separately. Sure, they're soliditary animals by nature with the exception of hibernation and breeding, so I understand the whole mother nature thing. In the past though, I've kept boas in a communal cage, never having more than one male. I never had an issue. I fed them separately to prevent them from fighting over food. I can't find any other reason to house them separately. Thoughts?

If you can't afford to house two snakes, either financially or spacially, don't buy two snakes.

That said, sure, if you are that set on it and want to risk losing the animals, it can be done. Keep in mind that these are not BCI, or any other largely terrestrial snakes...they are almost totally arboreal. Removing one for feeding is more of a chore than you make it out to be. And there will now be two mouths to watch out for when you are trying to clean the cage.

Wow, I wasn't exactly trolling to get flamed. I was simply asking a question as to why it would be bad for them other than making sure they're fed separately so they don't fight over food. I'm perfectly aware of the difficulty involved in handling these snakes, so let's not go there. The setup I'm looking at will cost more than each specemin and take a relatively large footprint in my living room. It's not like my motivation is to be cheap and save a hundred or two.

Regardless, I still haven't heard a reason why it's bad for the snakes. You said I'd risk losing one. Why? I'm not trying to argue or anything. I just want to know the reason why it would be bad for the snakes. That's why I posted is to learn.

My first post wasn't intended to "flame" you...you asked for thoughts & I gave you mine.
As for the rest of your question - I can't say anything about the merits or pitfalls of your desired setup, because you have said nothing about it. You say that you are perfectly aware of the difficulties, and you don't want to go there...so be it, but that really limits my abilities to help you

I'm looking at getting the unit listed here: http://www.animalplastics.com/arboreal/a30.htm

For humidity, I'm planning on getting a Rainmaker Jr. which could be used to mist two of those enclosures. For plants and such, grapewood or something similar for the "perches", fake vines, and a few ficus trees from lllreptile.com. A couple of water dishes to be placed up with the perches.

Do requirements change for housing multiple?

Ahh, I think I get where the miscommunication was. When I said I'm aware of the difficulties involved in handling these snakes, I meant it literally. I'm aware that they are defensive and will bite with really sharp teeth if I'm not careful.

The cage you show is certainly big enough to house two emeralds. Scrap the grapewood, though - it tends to mold/fungus in high humidity environments. Have you given thought to what you plan to do for lighting/heating? Both can be problematic in the type of environment that these snakes thrive in (esp with a cage that size).

Now, to your question. Emeralds are not the easiest snakes to keep...well, let me rephrase that - emeralds have specific husbandry demands; and if those demands are not met, they do poorly. I'll trust that you have done your research on how to care for them, so we will move on. Housing them together is dangerous, especially initially, for a variety of reasons. To wrap it all up in one brief description: When you first get them, they should be quarantined for a period of several months. Putting them in the same cage means that if one has a problem, they will likely both have the problem before you realize it...whether it be parasites (internal or external) or infection. In a cage that size, it will be difficult to control the temp/humidity; and if one ends up in a less than ideal location, it could be detrimental to his health. The big cage idea is wonderful, and it will certainly make an interesting focal point in the room, but I would strongly recommend housing the snakes separately for a while...at least until they are well acclimated in your care. gotta run

So maybe getting two temporary cages for them, something smaller since they're still juveniles would be a good idea. Keep them separate for the first six months or longer if they're not at 100% health. That'll also give me time to ensure that the permanent home is setup properly, moving sensors around to make sure that the whole area is safe in terms of temp and humidity. Also, I sent an email to the manufacturer asking if they can make one with a divider down the center. That would give the best of both worlds! Even then, I'd probably put one of the two in a temporary space in another room for the first few months in case of parasites.

Thanks for the feedback and I appreciate any other advice you can offer.

keep in mind that the bigger the cage, the more effort it will take to clean. Using a smaller cage will also make it easier to employ removable perches, which will make your job much easier. you could set up 2 - 2x2x3 cages...it would offer the same footprint if you put them side by side, but you could also have the flexibility of separating them (nice if you ever decide to move furniture or otherwise redecorate, lol). it would also simplify environmental control.

If you want to stick with the single big cage idea, you could set them up in 78 qt sterilites until they are acclimated.