Big snake, small dogs

kvcockrell

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I recently rescued a seven foot Red Tail Boa from some pretty crappy conditions. I've had snakes before, but never this large. So today, I bought a 90 gallon tank for him and now I need to acquire a lid. Not just any lid though, a SUPER SECURE lid to protect my dogs and birds from him. I have scavenged all the snake forums and to be perfectly honest...no one sounds like they know what they're talking about. I thinks it's a bunch of teenage boys. Lol. Anyway, please tell me how to keep this beautiful creature on LOCKDOWN. Thank you in advance :)
 

ZEROPILOT

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All of the snap on lids I've seen for aquariums don't seem to be strong enough for such a muscular and strong snake. I think you'd be much happier and safer either building your own hinged, wooden and plexiglass with steel mesh enclosure or finding one online.
You can't teach a snake to not act like a snake and that one will get a lot larger and is an aggressive type to start with.
 

Itort

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Your best bet would be to build a secure enclosure or find one online (they show up on craigs list occasionly). Until that happens Zilla makes a fairly substantial screen when combined with bungee cords will work.
 

Floof

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As Larry mentioned, bungee cords can be utilized in a pinch. When I first brought home my 5' or so Woma python, all I had was a 75 gallon with a set-on screen.. Wasn't able to find clips worth a damn, but bungee cords kept that thing locked down TIGHT!

These days, I have my 3 largest snakes (the 5' woma, a 6'ish BCI (aka common red tail boa), and a 7' rat snake) in professionally made, front-opening PVC enclosures. I HIGHLY recommend going this route. It is FAR more secure than any tank, plus just plain more appropriate & overall easier to maintain the proper heat and humidity for your snake. If your budget is tight, watch Craigslist for used enclosures. That's where I've found all of mine so far. Boaphile, Animal Plastics, Vision, and similar are all great to watch for.

If money isn't an issue, buying a new one direct from manufacturer is also a great option. The wait time can be a bit long (a few weeks) with any of these suppliers, but Animal Plastics does have "Quick Ship" on their T8 model cage (meaning it ships out in 10 days or less). http://www.apcages.com/home/
 

kvcockrell

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Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I am on a bit of a budget . I'm going to have to stick to the tank for now. I REALLY want one of those majestic custom cage furniture enclosures. I just don't have a few grand to drop at the moment. So, it sounds like I either need to build a lid or...yeah, build a lid. Do any of these custom cage place just build custom lids? That might be a dumb question, as I'm sure they would only promote accessories for their own products. I'm just not 100% confident with my carpentry skills. So, the bungee cords really work? They don't stretch? Are there any other companies that offer "affordable" professionally made enclosures? I hate that money is even an issue, but damn it, it is. Thanks in advance! Katie
 

Floof

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I don't know of anyone who sells custom lids for tanks, beyond getting the regular metal screen lids at a pet store and locks and/or bungee cords. I can't attest to bungee cords over long term--I only used mine for 3 or 4 months before I was able to find him a more appropriate front-opening enclosure.

As far as affordable enclosures: Watch your local Craigslist and even local Facebook reptile groups for deals. Some areas will have more than others (generally, the bigger/more active your local reptile community, the better your odds). As far as ordering new, the T8 from Animal Plastics (enclosure dimensions 4'x2'x1') is probably the fastest and least expensive. The sliding glass door model is the one that ships within 10 days of purchase, and it's on sale for $150 + shipping ($45). Only pitfall is heat is an extra charge if you don't already have a reliable heat mat. http://www.apcages.com/home/terrestrial/T8/T8.htm

And remember, all undertank heating elements need a thermostat... Really, any heating element should be on a thermostat, but flexwatt & heat pads especially so. For something cheap but still reliable, look into Hydrofarm and Zilla thermostats. They run about $30-40 new.
 

HLogic

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I would not suggest a screen lid or enclosure. That may lead to a nose rub situation which would be a terrible thing. A Plexiglas lid with several holes drilled in it, fitted to the tank and secured with either weights or several of the tank lid clips may be a better route.
 

Turtlepete

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Yeah, a red-tail that size will go through a screen lid like it isn't there. You don't want any sort of wire either as they will rub their noses raw on it. If your going with a tank, I'd say your best bet for now is to get a big, thick piece of plywood cut to size and weigh it down with something. Plexiglass as Hlogic suggests would work as well if you can weigh it down and/or clamp it down very well.

Long-term, for a boa that size, I'd aim for either a custom built enclosure with a much larger footprint (and some height to it) or a 6' vision cage. Red-tails can be pretty active at times. Has this guy been feeding yet for you? If he was in crappy conditions, make sure you comb over him to check for mites and such.
 

kvcockrell

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So, I built a lid with hardware cloth and one by twos. So far it is working great! It is attached by four camouflage ratchet (not the new use of ratchet) straps. He hasn't rubbed his nose at all yet. So now, my next challenge will be keeping the temperature and humidity up in such a tall enclosure. I'm missing every two hours now, using cypress mulch, and his huge water bowl is directly under his heat light. So now I suppose my question is: how to create a closed chamber but keep the heat light? Should I switch to an uth only? AND can I use a 150 w mvb from Home Depot in my reptile lamp? Thanks ahead of time for any advice! Oh, btw, he is eating great and being handled about three times a week!
 

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