

Heat should be provided with a ceramic heat bulb in a dome or with a radiant heat panel. nebulosa may need to stay at 80 degrees no matter the time of day. At night, you can let the air temperature drop to 68 at the lowest. The cool side should be 75-80 degrees during the day. The hot side in a boa constrictor imperator enclosure should be between 86 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. What is the right temperature for a boa constrictor enclosure? You need to offer a thermal gradient to allow your snake to regulate its temperature as needed. Heatingīoa constrictors rely on ambient air temperature to raise their internal temperature. You can use paper like paper towels if you need to quarantine your snake, but they don’t hold humidity well and do not allow for burrowing. Never use any wood like pine or cedar for reptile bedding or reptile carpet for boa constrictors. Both work well and hold humidity, but these can cause impaction in young boas if you aren’t very careful at feeding time. Other good options and common boa substrates include Reptichip and cypress mulch. Go for a bio-active soil if you want a bio-active set-up, or a mix including topsoil if you intend to plant the enclosure. These snakes like to burrow, so you will need at least 3 inches of substrate.Ĭoconut fiber bedding like Eco Earth is a great option for boas. You should also pick something that has a low risk of inaction and holds burrows well.

Substrateīoa constrictor substrate needs to handle high humidity and temperature. Most boas are heavy, large snakes which will require an equally large enclosure. If you do not have the space, consider a smaller species of snake like a ball python. If your pet boa constrictor grows to over 8 feet, you will need around 8 feet by 4 feet by 4 feet as the minimum size. Just be sure you pick materials that can stand humidity or coat any wood to protect it. Custom caging fit for large snakes can be very expensive, so building it yourself is a good option if you are worried about the cost. This is where a custom enclosure or DIY will help. Larger subspecies and large females will need more space. It should work well for smaller subspecies such as the Bolivian shot tailed boa or other members of the Boa genus like the Central American or Sonoran boa. This is the largest ready-made cage by Custom Reptile Habitats. You should have at least an enclosure where the diagonal measurement from corner to corner is as long as your snake. The higher perches should also have some coverage to help the snake feel secure. A few proper hides combined with loose substrate and some partially buried pieces of bark can offer extra hides. They need plenty of perches, levels to rest on, and hides.

They will make use of every square inch of space you offer them. While you may not see your snake move much, once night falls this species is very active. At a minimum, you need the snake to have enough room to stretch out and get exercise. Enclosureīoa constrictors need a lot of space. Your snake will also need plenty of water, provided in a dish. There should be hides, perches, the right temperature gradient, and humidity. It should allow for plenty of room to fulfill natural behaviors. The goal for housing is to create a slice of your snake’s native habitat.
