LSama
New member
And I'm sure you're sick of seeing these types of threads, but I've looked and looked for answers. My questions are kinda specific and I didn't find answers that suited me(I'm the kind of girl that likes to make sure I have 100% of my facts straight. Oi!), so I figured I would make my questions a little to the exact point.
First of all, I'm going to a be a first time owner. I've never had a snake, but I've wanted one since I was six, but due to a mother that adamantly refused, it's not been until sixteen years later I could get one. ...Ten years of reading every thing I could get my hands on sounds like good research to me; The past several weeks I've really buckled down on my reading, though. I'm just buying a plain normal BP; Nothing fancy or extravagant. They're all beautiful to me. So here we go:
I've been considering using Rubbermaid/Sterlite for housing. It's easy to clean, easily replacable if something should go wrong and it's cheap; I'm not saying I'm cheap, but I simply don't have $200+ dollars to by a custom made enclosure. Add onto it that I'd have to buy a new one when it reaches adult size..well, it's just not sensible to me. They also retain heat and humidity much better than plain glass aquariums. But today, when looking at UTH pads, they read not to use directly on wood or plastic. I know that Rubbermaid/Sterilite is heavy duty plastic, but has anyone ever seen a UTH pad melt through one? Would it be safer to perhaps place a thin, plain ol' terrycloth towel between the two(would this also help with insulation?)?
On the tail of that, has anyone found Rubbermaid to be better than Sterilite, or vice versa? Also, while I know a good size for housing adults(or from 2.5ft, aftwards), what sizes have you found to be the best for younger BPs?
Secondly, another heating question: I'm seriously considering using UTH(hence above question), but I'm a little confused. Does one pad cover the ENTIRE bottom of the enclosure? Or do you buy one that covers 2/3s, then another for the last 1/3 hot spot? If the latter, do they have low/med/high switches so you can put the 2/3s on say, med for that belly warmth of 82-85F, and set the last 1/3s UTH on High, for the 90F hot spot? Or would it simply be better to use a full sized UTH that covers the entire bottom and then on one side maybe use a ceramic heat bulb to get the extra heat needed?
Ah, another question! I was talking with my roommate about using the ceramic bulb and how to install it: Cutting a circular hole in the lid, cover it with some metal grill and having the lamp above it. However, I had concerns: Would the metal grilling get too hot, so close to the bulb? I know BPs like to nose around lids(they are escape artists, of course!), and I'm worried that it might burn itself if it nosed up against the grilling.
Humidity: I've read up on humidity and I've read several conflicting opinions. Some people say that, as this is species that stays underground a lot, they don't need a lot of humidity. Other people, however, say that they as snakes from Africa, they're used it it and like a lot. Too much leads to scale rot, but not enough is bad as well; They shed improperly, etcetc. So which is it? Or should I stick to the general rule of thumb that if the ambient humidity inside the enclosure is at least 50-60% most of the time, and 70% at shed, they should be okay?
Feeding Time: I've already decided that I will most certainly feeding my snake killed prey; It's not worth the risk of my snake being hurt. But all these pinkies and hoppers, I get a little confused! So can anyone give me a...timeline, if you will as to what the snake should eat, for how long/weight size? Like...as a hatchling, how long will it eat pinkies? After that, what will it eat, how long? Also, is there really any benefit of eating mice over rats, or vice versa?
One more question: How long should I wait, after hatching, before purchasing the snake? The breeder I'm thinking about buying from, said she usually waits at least 3 weeks before she sells them. She at least wants to see them eat healthily(she also said this gives her time to get a first fecal test done. She breeds CBs, but she said it was better to be safe than sorry)before she sells them. Is three weeks adequate time before selling? Seems a bit short to me, but seeing as I've never purchased a hatchling, I wouldn't know.
I appologize for the long-windedness, but not only did these strike me as very specific questions that I couldn't find answers for that suited me...but I'm also a writer. It makes for an ugly combination, folks.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou for, if nothing else, taking the time to read this. Any and all information, assistance, and input will be greatly appreciated!
First of all, I'm going to a be a first time owner. I've never had a snake, but I've wanted one since I was six, but due to a mother that adamantly refused, it's not been until sixteen years later I could get one. ...Ten years of reading every thing I could get my hands on sounds like good research to me; The past several weeks I've really buckled down on my reading, though. I'm just buying a plain normal BP; Nothing fancy or extravagant. They're all beautiful to me. So here we go:
I've been considering using Rubbermaid/Sterlite for housing. It's easy to clean, easily replacable if something should go wrong and it's cheap; I'm not saying I'm cheap, but I simply don't have $200+ dollars to by a custom made enclosure. Add onto it that I'd have to buy a new one when it reaches adult size..well, it's just not sensible to me. They also retain heat and humidity much better than plain glass aquariums. But today, when looking at UTH pads, they read not to use directly on wood or plastic. I know that Rubbermaid/Sterilite is heavy duty plastic, but has anyone ever seen a UTH pad melt through one? Would it be safer to perhaps place a thin, plain ol' terrycloth towel between the two(would this also help with insulation?)?
On the tail of that, has anyone found Rubbermaid to be better than Sterilite, or vice versa? Also, while I know a good size for housing adults(or from 2.5ft, aftwards), what sizes have you found to be the best for younger BPs?
Secondly, another heating question: I'm seriously considering using UTH(hence above question), but I'm a little confused. Does one pad cover the ENTIRE bottom of the enclosure? Or do you buy one that covers 2/3s, then another for the last 1/3 hot spot? If the latter, do they have low/med/high switches so you can put the 2/3s on say, med for that belly warmth of 82-85F, and set the last 1/3s UTH on High, for the 90F hot spot? Or would it simply be better to use a full sized UTH that covers the entire bottom and then on one side maybe use a ceramic heat bulb to get the extra heat needed?
Ah, another question! I was talking with my roommate about using the ceramic bulb and how to install it: Cutting a circular hole in the lid, cover it with some metal grill and having the lamp above it. However, I had concerns: Would the metal grilling get too hot, so close to the bulb? I know BPs like to nose around lids(they are escape artists, of course!), and I'm worried that it might burn itself if it nosed up against the grilling.
Humidity: I've read up on humidity and I've read several conflicting opinions. Some people say that, as this is species that stays underground a lot, they don't need a lot of humidity. Other people, however, say that they as snakes from Africa, they're used it it and like a lot. Too much leads to scale rot, but not enough is bad as well; They shed improperly, etcetc. So which is it? Or should I stick to the general rule of thumb that if the ambient humidity inside the enclosure is at least 50-60% most of the time, and 70% at shed, they should be okay?
Feeding Time: I've already decided that I will most certainly feeding my snake killed prey; It's not worth the risk of my snake being hurt. But all these pinkies and hoppers, I get a little confused! So can anyone give me a...timeline, if you will as to what the snake should eat, for how long/weight size? Like...as a hatchling, how long will it eat pinkies? After that, what will it eat, how long? Also, is there really any benefit of eating mice over rats, or vice versa?
One more question: How long should I wait, after hatching, before purchasing the snake? The breeder I'm thinking about buying from, said she usually waits at least 3 weeks before she sells them. She at least wants to see them eat healthily(she also said this gives her time to get a first fecal test done. She breeds CBs, but she said it was better to be safe than sorry)before she sells them. Is three weeks adequate time before selling? Seems a bit short to me, but seeing as I've never purchased a hatchling, I wouldn't know.
I appologize for the long-windedness, but not only did these strike me as very specific questions that I couldn't find answers for that suited me...but I'm also a writer. It makes for an ugly combination, folks.
Thankyouthankyouthankyou for, if nothing else, taking the time to read this. Any and all information, assistance, and input will be greatly appreciated!
