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Can't leave the air conditioner on in the summer

V

vandrad9

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Hey everyone so I'm real excited to get my first snake ever a Western hognose! But I'm a little worried about the upcoming summer, you see I live in El Paso Tx and it gets triple digits over here: (. I'm a low income single guy so I live in an efficiency where I'm not allowed to have pets and to make matters worse the manager lives across the hall from me. I hope the hissing doesn't give me up. If it does she really likes me so she'll probably let me keep it who knows. anyway I'm not allowed to leave the air conditioner on while I'm out cause I don't pay utility bills here. plus if she comes in to shut it off and the hoggie starts hissing, no bueno. This room faces south so it gets real hot. I even had to ask the manager to install a window unit. They have central air conditioning here but I'm guessing my room still stays between 80 and 90 possibly more I don't know I never measured it. I've been thinking. Get some dark curtains leave him in the coolest part of the tiny room I live in, put some cold water in his dish before I leave, but just try to be in my room as much as possible so I can keep the air conditioner on. Does anybody have any more suggestions? Thanks
 
vandrad9 said:
Ok I'll hold of on the snake. Whats a comfortable room temperature for a hognose?
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The temperature isn't so much the issue. A hot spot in the 90s is just fine for a Hognose. The issue that I see is that with your housing arrangement you aren't allowed to have a pet. You would be ignoring the rules and it isn't worth getting in trouble with the roof over your head. I am sure you would take great care, you seem genuinely curious and concerned for the health of the hog and that's awesome, but it isn't worth getting in trouble.
Possibly have a talk with the management of your housing and maybe they can make an exception if you can be convincing and prove that you would be ultra careful with your hog.

Best of luck! I also want to add that I think it's kind of silly to not allow a tiny pet reptile, but some places do that so we kind of have to follow the rules.
 
Oh, well I thought you were saying that cause it's a danger to the animal. I appreciate the concern that's very sweet of you, but sometimes I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want and this is one of those times. If I ask the manager to let me have a snake, as open minded as she is and as much as she likes me; enough to install the air conditioner in my room and let me run a business out of the communal kitchen without the owners permission, she'll probably say no. Cause snakes carry to many negative connotations. If I do get caught and that's a big if, there's a saying, it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. It sounds better in Spanish. She'll see that it's not bothering no one and most likely let me keep it.

blbballs said:
The temperature isn't so much the issue. A hot spot in the 90s is just fine for a Hognose. The issue that I see is that with your housing arrangement you aren't allowed to have a pet. You would be ignoring the rules and it isn't worth getting in trouble with the roof over your head. I am sure you would take great care, you seem genuinely curious and concerned for the health of the hog and that's awesome, but it isn't worth getting in trouble.
Possibly have a talk with the management of your housing and maybe they can make an exception if you can be convincing and prove that you would be ultra careful with your hog.

Best of luck! I also want to add that I think it's kind of silly to not allow a tiny pet reptile, but some places do that so we kind of have to follow the rules.
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With all due respect, Victor, if your current housing arrangement does not allow you to keep pets (or snakes), and you are not certain how to care for a Hog in your current abode, given the temps, the space and the manager who lives across the hall, then perhaps you might reconsider purchasing one for now.

I agree with Bran that it's dumb that a contained, harmless snake would not be permitted where you live, but for the sake of the animal, you might want to do more husbandry research and perhaps hold off until you are certain you can care for it properly and without the possibility of that animal suddenly being homeless due to infraction of your apt. regulations.

And no, it is not better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission when you knew it was forbidden in the first place. For the sake of the animal, not ego.
 
To be fair, I've lived in 3 different apartments that were all no pets and had 2 cats and a few dozen snakes. I even had a home inspection at two of them, I simply covered the snakes with towels and had a friend watch the cats. It's none of their business what's covered up.

That being said, if you're not sure how hot it gets during the day it may be wise to hold off. Snakes can't tolerate heat like we can, that's why most keepers recommend providing both a hot end and a cool end so that the snake can self-regulate. If you end up having a day where your apartment gets too hot it could kill the snake; not worth it in my opinion.

Personally, I would show the landlady pictures of hognoses and how cute they are, most people come around after that lol. Unless there is a stigma associated with snakes in her culture, I know Chinese see them as bad luck and won't go near them.
 
It is my guess that one of the issues is financial. Snakes, no matter how tame, and no matter how well locked up, are characterized as wild animals which means that the owners may suddenly be financially liable for damage claims with very little in the way of argument that can be offered. If there is a wild animal being kept on the premises,the landlord may be included in the liability.
 
Alright people so yesterday it got pretty hot in in my room on account of the all the tenants having their hot water radiators on. I never turn mine on. Usually I have to open a window cause the building gets so hot, just as if it were summer. Lately it has been 44 degrees at night and I have to turn my air conditioner on cause opening the window won't get the room down to 75. So having purposfuly let my room get hot I measured the temp a and it didn't get over 81 and it felt the same as when its summer. It's crazy how just 6 degrees can make me so uncomfortable. Like I said there's central air conditioning here. I'm thinking it won't get hotter than 85 max. Now I plan on being in my room a lot. Im kind of a hermit. Will the snake be alright with that temp for the couple hours I'll be in class twice a week? has anyone ever felt with this problem? Does anyone have any suggestions on how to keep the snake cool?

I have looked at a lot of hognose care sheets and I know it would be appropriate to have the cold spot in the high 70s and the hot spot at 90. I've come across articles saying ambient temp should be 80. But I've never had a snake so what do you all say.

I told the guy I'm buying the hognose from that my room possibly Gets up to 90 and he still agreed to sell it to me. And the guy seems like he really cares about animals.
 
In that case I wouldn't worry about it. Being a little warm for part of the day isn't going to bother him, they can tolerate warmer temps for a while (as long as it's not going over 90-95 ambient). Are you sure it isn't going to get super hot in the middle of summer though?
 
MCMB-2 said:
In that case I wouldn't worry about it. Being a little warm for part of the day isn't going to bother him, they can tolerate warmer temps for a while (as long as it's not going over 90-95 ambient). Are you sure it isn't going to get super hot in the middle of summer though?
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Cool! Yes I'm sure now. The night before last I stripped down and just laid on the bed without covering myself because I felt so hot. That's how I used to do in the summer before I got my window unit air conditioner. I've just never known what my exact temperature tolerance was. I swear it feels like 100 degrees when it's only 80. thanks!
 
Cool! Yes, the night before last I had to strip down on the bed and not cover myself cause I was so hot. That's how I used to do before I got the window unit air conditioner. I guess it just feels like 100 degrees when it's only 80.
 
I would not buy one until you actually know your daily summer temps. Just because it feels the same as it does in the summer doesn't mean it is really that temp in the summer. I like wearing a t shirt and shorts when it hits 50 degrees in the spring cause it feels like summer. However the temps are not close to summer temps.

Even worse is your issue with the AC. If your temps are going to be all over the place and getting to high you should not be getting a snake.

I'd would hold off until you know you can control the temps 365 days a year.
 
Lucille said:
It is my guess that one of the issues is financial. Snakes, no matter how tame, and no matter how well locked up, are characterized as wild animals which means that the owners may suddenly be financially liable for damage claims with very little in the way of argument that can be offered. If there is a wild animal being kept on the premises,the landlord may be included in the liability.
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This. I would not want an eviction on my record, it makes it very difficult to find rentals in the future. Get permission first to have the snake.

As for keeping cool, a few years ago we lost power completely for four days after a summer storm. Daytime high temperatures were 102-104*F. We do have a generator but it only provides enough power for the refrigerator, chest freezer, and a few lights, not for running the HVAC.

So, we made "redneck A/C" for the hottest part of the day:
- Take an empty 2 liter plastic bottle and fill it 2/3 full with water.
- Put it in the freezer (a full bottle will crack, one filled 2/3 is ok)
- Once frozen remove it and put it in front of a small fan.
- Enjoy the cool breeze.
 
Nice I'll have to try tthat thanks! As far as the eviction goes there's no contacts where I stay. It's a real shady place. El Paso has very cheap rent. I only pay $340 bills included. If I get kicked out I'll just find another place on the fly like I always have. not really worried about it.
 
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