I agree with you 💯 percent … this IS the most complete boa care guide on TH-cam. If only others would follow your formula for giving snake info… straight, clear, to the point information that is easy to understand without the bs . Thanks , I appreciate that.
Jason’s exotic reptiles has the best boa guides for sure along with Brian boas and New England reptiles. My Anery Colombian and pure argentine are looking beautiful af. Colombians iridescence is mostly deep blues my argentine has mostly deep purples.
@@ElliesExoticAnimals it's not a shallow breeder tub, it's 5x3x3 foot plastic tote. Room for a lot and have branches for an arboreal side. This is the best thing possible until she's big enough that I have to custom build something or get a bigger pvc enclosure
Thats a very calm nice boa, especially after getting smacked in its face from your animated hand movements 😆 and it still was chill afterwards. Nice video on the care. I am hoping to get a boa soon!
Such a great video I'm happy you're back making TH-cam videos and if you can I know you're busy man please keep up making videos so people could learn way more brother thank you appreciate you
This is exactly what I needed now that the boa (bc) I rescued is ready to come out of quarantine. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. I took notes as I watched and plan to work on Tiny Tim's enclosure today. He's already a good 7 feet long and a bit defensive but I'm hoping once I get him in a comfortable home with everything he needs that he'll start to trust me and understand I'm not going to hurt him. I have no idea what he went through before I got him so I plan on taking things slowly with him and following his lead when it comes to possible handling and enrichment outside of his enclosure. Wish me luck! And thanks again for an awesome care guide! 🤘🏻❤️🔥
Just read your comment and must ask, how did he do? I used to rescue snakes many years ago and getting them to the point that they don't mind being handled was a lot of work and I took a couple of good bites over the years. I know this is 5 months old but all I can say is don't give up. It's quite rewarding when you get them used to being handled again
Fantastic video! I have opted for a complete bioactive setup that hangs on our wall. Yep I went fancy lol. It is 6’x2’x3’. We’ve found that our BI boa gets her hot and cool side vertically! The cool side is in a cave we made from foam underneath, and above it is a basking spot, which both reaches the temperatures you’ve mentioned perfectly. She still needs to grow into it as she’s only about three years old and about 4 1/2 feet long almost 5 feet. I wish I could include a picture! The entire enclosure was welded and handmade by my boyfriend and decorated by me. We have a money tree in there, lots of Pothos that are growing like crazy, as well as mini monsteras. She has been in there about a year now. Believe it or not, you’ve helped with so much of her care!
A plus with coco I find is it's easy for them to scoot outta the way I use heat mats for my boas prob right on the bottom ziptied with 2ish inches of coco that it self makes a nice gradient for them and run the room at 82 -84 haven't had any issues thus far love your stuff Jason!!! Keep them coming
This was awesome and quite timely since I just purchased my first BI (I have other boas). She's not coming home for a couple of weeks which gives me time to get her set-up complete.
Great video! A ton of information well presented with a good pace that kept the info flowing. Thank you! Definitely a keeper video to look back on for clarification, and to send to any friends thinking about their first Boa.
This is extremely helpful; I feel fully reassured that my soon to be snake will have the right environment thank you for giving out the proper information for theese snakes!
Man, I love Boas so much.. Their heads and the way they move like they seem to want to explore and see everything at once sometimes remind me of cats. I'm from Germany and will probably never be able to get one of your snakes, so I'll just keep watching the videos you share with us :) I am well aware I could get a common Boa pretty easily around here, but you're kind of my go-to Boa guy on TH-cam and I don't want one from any other breeder. So thank you for this awesome video, I can still dream about having one for myself and know a little more about them despite never getting one for real X'D
You've come a long way with your editing. The first video of yours that I watched was the boa constrictor growthrate video and have been watching since. BTW, what happened to your big Peruvian?
Thank you! Still a lot to fix about it but progress for sure haha. Unfortunately she was one of the ones who died in my move. That one hurt as she was definitely in my top 2-3 favorite boas that owned. I used her in a few of the pics for the video for that reason. The very first normal BCI that I showed was that last pic I took of my very first boa. He was 28 years old in the picture and was on his way out. I took him in the yard for some sun. He died a few weeks after that. Had to put him in the video.
Best and straight to the point video on care I have seen. Easy to understand not a waste on BS info. I understand that the rack style tubs are a secure blanket for them , however- Would the boa’s climbing on top of them or up against them actually be the snake enjoying it, just a question. Im not a large scale as yourself, so i appreciate where you’re coming from. but my boas breed better and thrive it seems better in slightly larger, 4+2+2 semi realistic enclosures. They climb almost daily until around 3 years old and move around alot more than when i had them in tubs. The t8 UV light is always a fav. Spot after they go into blue. Maybe so they could see better? or who knows? We understand this is not feasible on large scale operations however, for that have a handful of snakes in my opinion, they thrive are more fun to watch and breed a lot better. Just my two cents. Your doing awesome education for the boa lovers. I just wanted to give another point of view and ask if anyone that have both types notice that the Boas do better when out of tubs and in more of a vivarium style enclosure. This question comes from comparing my tub success vs my breeding pair that are on display vs back in closed rack system.
Thank you!! I think if you can provide it it’s always worth it! I used to have 4x2x2 foot cages and I found my snakes didn’t use the climbing areas, but every snake is different! He could’ve also been because they were raised in Racks and then transition to two larger cages as adults so they got used to a certain type of Caging. I always say provided if you can.
I'm happy that I already fulfill most of this with my new Boa. I did bump my heatmap temp tho, gonna have to see if I can get abit higher. Was aiming a little low oops :) He's a great guy, can't wait till he stops shedding so I can handle him again.
My big question is what the humidity should ideally be. The imperators range across a wide variety of habitats and climate where the BCCs are generally only found in dense, humid rainforest areas so would the humidity requirements be different and how important is it to differentiate? great content as always. From my experience the imperators do seem to be more tolerant of temperature and humidity changes where the BCCs tend to be less active when the air temps are higher or dryer than it normally is.
It’s a good question. I don’t think the humidity really makes that much of a difference. I actually think they would be fine with much lower humidity. Where they come from is a factor of the temperature that keeps them alive. I think the humidity helps, but I don’t think they actually need it to survive. At least not to the same extent as the temperatures
@@JasonsExoticReptiles that makes sense to me. Do you think it matters any more for wild caught specimens? I ask because my guyana is wild caught(I didn't see the field collected label until after purchasing her unfortunately) and I am generally keeping her in the 70-75% humidity range which she seemed to love but during the summer I have issues keeping the humidity in my snake room as high and when it drops into the 55-60% range she seems to soak more and she also seems to be less comfortable with being handled when it drops. She's an anomaly in that she has never given me trouble with eating or keeping food down and seems to not mind handling at all, she's among the friendliest snakes I've ever met but she seems to not be as comfortable when that humidity isn't as high. Am I just overthinking it? Thank you for responding, you are my go to source for tips and advice so I greatly appreciate you for taking the time to respond 😁
thanks for touching on the UTH on glass enclosures. i have two ball pythons and my one in my glass enclosure i struggle to maintain the hot spot temp on the glass. i actually leave almost no substrate on the hot spot and monitor the temp of the glass to what its supposed to be at, then add a little substrate on top so the animal wont burrow down and burn himself. i never try to achieve the 88-92F on top of the layer of substrate and just let my snake move the substrate out of the way if he needs to access the bottom layer at the appropriate temp.
Do you generally rinse away chlorohexidine after cage cleaning? I rinse animals when I use it on them, but I've never been sure if I need to rinse it away from my tubs.
Excellent video! I have a question about the water bowl. I just purchased a new snake, a Sonoran boa about 18 inches long. I have her in a cage 48 x 24 x 24, and I put a fairly large bowl in there. My question is as the animal grows, do I need to keep a water container in there big and deep enough that she can submerge in it?
I have a question, I placed the thermostat probe inside the plastic tub and taped it to the bottom, I use a paper towel for the substrate, I put a shelter over the probe and I set the temperature to be 95F, however, I measured with a digital thermometer and on the surface of the paper it varied between 88 and 90 degree. Now I have the thermostat set to 98.5 and it reads 94F on the surface of the paper. Is it possible that a paper towel is such a good insulator and that there is such a difference? Otherwise, the snake is constantly lying in a warm shelter, so I believe that it is not too high temperature for her?
You always want the probe on the outside of the enclosure between the heat element and the cage. Anything on the inside can be moved by the snake and cook them when you’re not around. Thermostats generally need to be set 5-10 degrees higher than the actual temp you want as they control the temp of the heat element, not the cage itself.
Awesome video! My boa is weird and doesn't like the temps to get over 71 degrees Fahrenheit in his tank on the cool end. He tries to escape if it gets too hot. I'm not saying your guidelines are wrong, I'm saying he's weird.
Hi Jason, I'm back for some more of that boa info 😅 so we rehomed a hypo malinistic boa about 7 months ago now she eats a xxl rat every 4 week then I moved her to every 3 weeks.. Because she always seems hungry, now I fed her 2 days ago and again shes all s'ed up and if a shadow goes near her she flicks her tongue and strikes.. Do I need to feed her more often she's a great healthy looking snake, thank you in advance 😊
It’s best to stick with a schedule. Snakes are opportunistic so they are always looking for food. I’m the wild, this is necessary. I’m captivity this will lead to them being overweight very quickly.
Would it matter if I had a juvenile boa in a big enclosure? I wanna make a nice large wood enclosure but don’t know if that’s way overboard for a juvenile. Really enjoying your videos man. Haven’t found another channel that covers as much as you. Here in a little bit might have to buy a boa from you!
i just got a guyana red tail and i am having issues with my humidity bc unfortunately i have an open top 75 gal tank. what’s the best way to keep it up? been looking at sealed tops for it but nothing is secured. luckily i work from home literally next to my tank but i’m spraying it every 5-10 minutes 😂. any ideas? only thing i could think of was going to home depot and getting plexiglass cut to size and put holes in it
@@JasonsExoticReptiles i ended up doing 2 plexiglass pieces. the cold side has some holes drilled in for airflow, hot side has hole for probes and a square cut out for lighting/ceramic heater. also added temperature controller and a humidifier with a hose that goes in the tank with controller so i don’t have to keep spraying. with the top added it’s holding heat and humidity so much better. so thank you tons ❤️
Hi! i recently upgraded my reptile room and got my first rack system set up and i was wondering how do you keep your humidity in check ? in my terrariums i have a analogue hygrometer that i check when i enter the room .Also the substrate on the hot side tend to dry out within a week but on the cool side stays almost soaked (water dish is currently on the cool side) Thanks!
I need some opinions on enclosure size for my imperator. I have a pie cooling cabinet that i'm going to convert. it's 11" deep, 4.5 ft wide and 4.5 feet tall. The snake is currently 3 years old and about 4 ft long. will this enclosure work? it's a male. the cubic ft of proposed enclosure would be 17 ft
Jason thank you so much for the video I intend on buying a baby BCI female and put it inside a 4x2x15 in enclosure ... would you say assuming she hits 7-8 ft as an adult this enclosure would still be fine to keep as forever enclosure ?
I don’t really have a set schedule. When cleaning, I’ll o er scoop the area and then I’ll do a full dump and clean when it looks like it needs it. Sometimes that’s in 2 weeks, sometimes 6 months. Really depends from snake to snake.
If you dont have one already, could you make a video on how to get a large boa off of you when they bite and wrap around your arm, leg, etc without killing the snake? I will be inheriting a large 7ft boa who has a bad attitude 😅. TIA
I see in several boa groups people say "humidity and soaking etc doesnt help with shedding, only after a bad shed" they say that the boa being hydrated is the only thing that helps shedding, what are your thoughts?
Hi,im watching you for some while,im new into hobby,almost a year,i cant find too many good info because are to many debates between breeders and keepers.I have 2 girls,2 years both bci,my question is can i feed them baby rabbits or quiails?Will they benefit from a diversed menu?
Great video, the enclosure can grow with the snake. I have containers and hydes of different sizes for their growth. So important to let them feel safe. My snakes have heat mats, thermostats to control temp. Babies eat once a week, after they are over a year, they are every 2 weeks. My snakes eat rodents and quail. I have heard they can also eat chicks. Keeping the snakes clean is very important. If a snake soils the enclosure, I clean them promptly. I use F-10 solution.
Dumerils are a different species of boa all together. Acrantophis dumerili is the scientific name. They are from Madagascar rather than South America. With that said, most of this still applies.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles looking into getting one. I had one about 11 years ago, been so long since I’ve had reptiles. When regulating temps, if you have a heat panel on warm side would you regulate cool side with just a uva bulb?
Odd question but do you ever hear your boas fart I have a young male that is right next to my bed and every so often at night he lets them rip lol. I got fecals done just in case and nothing was found but just wanted to ask lol thanks!
Nice video, but I think something is wrong with the microphone you speak into, the directional audio is messed up somehow and I only hear you in my left ear.
Between these 3 bedding what you recommend Repti Bark ZooMed ,Coco Husk Exo Terra or Aspen ZooMed ? I tell you that three because it what I find in PetSmart is near to me, Can you tell me in order what you think is best for Boa
I personally would just order something online like the gaps coco that I personally use. If you Google gapsecosys the website will pop up. It’s cheaper and goes further. To directly answer your question and assuming it’s a boa, I’d do aspen, reptibark, cocohusk. Aspen and reptibark is probably a tie, but I think the aspen is easier to clean while the reptibark is better for humidity.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles the reason I don't want to order is because I order two times Reptichip and work excellent with my boas, but when I storage the rest in containers what is a lot, always take mold (fungus) and am loosing money, I need to buy something do not have a lot of quantity to storage in case it is damaged, the loss will not be much. I only have 4 boas I don't need to have to much substrate in storage. What you think is the best for me
Such an awesome video 👍 I would really like to pick up a male Boa in the future. I have experience with ball pythons and would like to expand into a larger species. Not ready for Burmese or reticulated pythons 🤣
Where boas occur in the wild, their night time temps can do do drop into the mid-high 60's, with highs generally in the high 80's and low 90's. Boas can definitely handle temperature fluctuations much better than people give them credit for. In this scenario I want to reference GoHerping, and the 20+ year old Boa named Rosie he took in that spent her first 21 years of life in an unheated, room temperature cage on newspaper with no humidity control whatsoever, in a school classroom. That snake still managed to be a quite large specimen, well over 7 feet. Of course that is not an ethical way to keep a boa and it should go without saying that nobody should keep their snake in those conditions; but using purely as an example, these snakes can handle a hell of a lot more than they're given credit for, and be perfectly healthy.
Had me until you got to enclosures lol you want your cage to be as long or longer than your Boa so their able to fully stretch out… not be smushed into a little space. Minimum for a male bci you’d want a 6 foot long enclosure and for a female usually a 8 foot long enclosure. I like my snakes not thrive not just survive yk.
You do not need an 8 foot enclosure for your average adult boa, lol. Unless you mean 6'x2'. If not, then the enclosure size you're talking about is completely unreasonable for most households. If you want your snake to be able to stretch out, then let it roam on some grass on a regular basis. Not that hard.
@@maxmcqueen1196 yes, you're right. The average household can't cater to larger snakes. However the general rule of thumb for ethical keeping is to have your tank be at least as long as your snake. Studies have show being able to fully stretch out and have a nice cluttered tank is less stressful than a smaller, less cluttered tank.
Very good and informative video but one thing I don't agree with is that boas don't need climbing space. Are they gonna die without it? No. But just look at any adult boa when it's being handled, it 100% climbs you like a tree. Of course making sturdy enough climbing fixtures for such heavy snakes can be difficult and expensive, and a large scale breeder would go bankrupt if they wanted to give every snake the most perfect enclosure but these animals think and have preferences too but they can't tell us about them so we need to think for them and meet in the middle if possible.
There's a few things i disagree with in terms of enclosures size and heating/lighting but overall good info. I'm just a fan of advanced keeping rather than basic. This looks to me as a "basic" care guide for the ultra new keeper. Just remember folks, there are better, and more up to date keeping methods out there now.
@@selene_7191 this comment was 3 months ago and I don't have time to go back and watch a 20 minute video to give all the details. However, I skipped forward to the enclosure and heat sections for quick reference. 4x2 is entirely too small for an 8 foot snake. At minimum, you should be keeping a full grown 8 foot boa in at least a 6x3x3. Larger is better. Remember, this isn't about looking pretty, the habitat has to be enough for a captive wild animal to live comfortably with plenty of room to roam and stretch out. Talking about heat, he's very misinformed about how snakes absorb heat. Belly tape/heat pads are an archaic technology. They produce IR-C, which is not going to efficiently be absorbed by the snake but only on the surface of the skin. Overhead heating is the most ideal due to the use of IR-A and B which will penetrate the skin and into the bloodstream to better heat the snake. Keep in mind, he's a breeder. It's simpler for him to use tape and racks because he won't keep the snakes long enough to see any adverse effects. Regarding UVB.... he's very wrong about not needing it. Can they survive? Sure, but they benefit from the use of UVB much like every other living creature. They're not purely nocturnal and will come out when it's daylight out. The "no uvb" crowd comes from old breeders and keepers that refuse to submit to new technology and discoveries in the hobby. Just because people think they don't need it, doesn't mean it's true. Remember, it's not about what you can't afford or think is not needed, it's about the snake's best care and well being. If you want more info on heating and lighting, check out the Reptile Lighting group on facebook. They have scientifically backed info and promote the best possible sources for heat and light based on specific species. I'm not in any way affiliated, I just really like the work they put in for the betterment of the hobby and educating people. The biggest thing, stay open minded and receptive to new info to provide the best possible life for your animal. Hope this answers your question.
@M45T3R_B8ER Seems you're already sorted in regards to Boa Care. Which raises the question of why you're seeking additional information in the first place. Are you looking for advice or a pick-me up?
@@maxmcqueen1196 I keep ball pythons and that's the basis of snake care that I'm most familiar with. At the time of my original comment, I was looking to see the basics in terms of heat/humidity requirements but I quickly realized that it's about the same as ball pythons. Thing is, as I watched this video, I realized there were things that were entirely too close in regards to care... Specifically, the above listed things. This was why I watched the video in the first place.
@M45T3R_B8ER Fair enough, but getting the basics right always comes before any of the intricacies. Once you're past that first most important step, everything else becomes much easier, and the chances are that your idea of the perfect boa enclosure will differ from others.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles yes i understand that. I saw some people on youtube that just write down under the imperial measurements the measurements in cm. I really love your content and love to watch it. Thanks to you i started to rapidly improve my body language reading ability on my male nica! Keep up the amazing work cause i really love watching your vids ☺️☺️☺️☺️😊😊😊
I agree with you 💯 percent … this IS the most complete boa care guide on TH-cam. If only others would follow your formula for giving snake info… straight, clear, to the point information that is easy to understand without the bs . Thanks , I appreciate that.
Thank you so much!
Jason’s exotic reptiles has the best boa guides for sure along with Brian boas and New England reptiles. My Anery Colombian and pure argentine are looking beautiful af. Colombians iridescence is mostly deep blues my argentine has mostly deep purples.
Thank you!
Getting my first boa in a month, setting up a big ol tub right now, wrote the numbers down on the lid for Humidity and Heat. Ty ty very helpful
if you are not a breeder then there is no reason to be keeping a snake in a tub
@@ElliesExoticAnimals it's not a shallow breeder tub, it's 5x3x3 foot plastic tote. Room for a lot and have branches for an arboreal side. This is the best thing possible until she's big enough that I have to custom build something or get a bigger pvc enclosure
Hey an actual honest care guide. Refreshing to see. Great video thanks for this.
Thank you so much!!
Great video! Love the editing
Thats a very calm nice boa, especially after getting smacked in its face from your animated hand movements 😆 and it still was chill afterwards. Nice video on the care. I am hoping to get a boa soon!
Glad ur making more vids on TH-cam! Watched ur vids when I was getting my first boa a couple years ago
Such a great video I'm happy you're back making TH-cam videos and if you can I know you're busy man please keep up making videos so people could learn way more brother thank you appreciate you
Thank you!
Ive learned so much from you thanks! Theres so much contradicting information out there
This is exactly what I needed now that the boa (bc) I rescued is ready to come out of quarantine. Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video. I took notes as I watched and plan to work on Tiny Tim's enclosure today. He's already a good 7 feet long and a bit defensive but I'm hoping once I get him in a comfortable home with everything he needs that he'll start to trust me and understand I'm not going to hurt him. I have no idea what he went through before I got him so I plan on taking things slowly with him and following his lead when it comes to possible handling and enrichment outside of his enclosure.
Wish me luck! And thanks again for an awesome care guide! 🤘🏻❤️🔥
Just read your comment and must ask, how did he do? I used to rescue snakes many years ago and getting them to the point that they don't mind being handled was a lot of work and I took a couple of good bites over the years. I know this is 5 months old but all I can say is don't give up. It's quite rewarding when you get them used to being handled again
Fantastic video! I have opted for a complete bioactive setup that hangs on our wall. Yep I went fancy lol. It is 6’x2’x3’. We’ve found that our BI boa gets her hot and cool side vertically! The cool side is in a cave we made from foam underneath, and above it is a basking spot, which both reaches the temperatures you’ve mentioned perfectly. She still needs to grow into it as she’s only about three years old and about 4 1/2 feet long almost 5 feet. I wish I could include a picture! The entire enclosure was welded and handmade by my boyfriend and decorated by me. We have a money tree in there, lots of Pothos that are growing like crazy, as well as mini monsteras. She has been in there about a year now. Believe it or not, you’ve helped with so much of her care!
I love it. Bio active is amazing if you can dial it in.
I follow you from Belgium and you are my informations boa's guy, thanks man
I appreciate that! Honored to have you following along!
A plus with coco I find is it's easy for them to scoot outta the way I use heat mats for my boas prob right on the bottom ziptied with 2ish inches of coco that it self makes a nice gradient for them and run the room at 82 -84 haven't had any issues thus far love your stuff Jason!!! Keep them coming
This was awesome and quite timely since I just purchased my first BI (I have other boas). She's not coming home for a couple of weeks which gives me time to get her set-up complete.
Great video! A ton of information well presented with a good pace that kept the info flowing. Thank you! Definitely a keeper video to look back on for clarification, and to send to any friends thinking about their first Boa.
Thank you so much
Excellent and comprehensive video. Thanks!!!
This is extremely helpful; I feel fully reassured that my soon to be snake will have the right environment thank you for giving out the proper information for theese snakes!
Thank you!
Thanks for the video! We use a lot of what we learned from your videos with our boas! Hope to get another snake from you soon
C&J Reptiles
Thank you!!
Man, I love Boas so much..
Their heads and the way they move like they seem to want to explore and see everything at once sometimes remind me of cats.
I'm from Germany and will probably never be able to get one of your snakes, so I'll just keep watching the videos you share with us :)
I am well aware I could get a common Boa pretty easily around here, but you're kind of my go-to Boa guy on TH-cam and I don't want one from any other breeder.
So thank you for this awesome video, I can still dream about having one for myself and know a little more about them despite never getting one for real X'D
Getting my set up together for one of these, def getting it from Jason’s Exotic reptiles
Let me know when you are ready, and I am sure we can find the perfect one for you!
Right on!! awesome my man can’t wait Just need a couple more things and a couple more checks and I’ll let you know, big fan 🤙
I really like this format!
Thank you!
Great video Jason. Covered everything from A-Z. Thanks for sharing
Was bang on mate, Brian boas really good also 👍
You've come a long way with your editing. The first video of yours that I watched was the boa constrictor growthrate video and have been watching since. BTW, what happened to your big Peruvian?
Thank you! Still a lot to fix about it but progress for sure haha.
Unfortunately she was one of the ones who died in my move. That one hurt as she was definitely in my top 2-3 favorite boas that owned. I used her in a few of the pics for the video for that reason. The very first normal BCI that I showed was that last pic I took of my very first boa. He was 28 years old in the picture and was on his way out. I took him in the yard for some sun. He died a few weeks after that. Had to put him in the video.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles So sorry to hear that. But again, great progress!
Best and straight to the point video on care I have seen. Easy to understand not a waste on BS info. I understand that the rack style tubs are a secure blanket for them , however- Would the boa’s climbing on top of them or up against them actually be the snake enjoying it, just a question. Im not a large scale as yourself, so i appreciate where you’re coming from. but my boas breed better and thrive it seems better in slightly larger, 4+2+2 semi realistic enclosures. They climb almost daily until around 3 years old and move around alot more than when i had them in tubs. The t8 UV light is always a fav. Spot after they go into blue. Maybe so they could see better? or who knows? We understand this is not feasible on large scale operations however, for that have a handful of snakes in my opinion, they thrive are more fun to watch and breed a lot better. Just my two cents. Your doing awesome education for the boa lovers. I just wanted to give another point of view and ask if anyone that have both types notice that the Boas do better when out of tubs and in more of a vivarium style enclosure. This question comes from comparing my tub success vs my breeding pair that are on display vs back in closed rack system.
Thank you!! I think if you can provide it it’s always worth it! I used to have 4x2x2 foot cages and I found my snakes didn’t use the climbing areas, but every snake is different! He could’ve also been because they were raised in Racks and then transition to two larger cages as adults so they got used to a certain type of Caging. I always say provided if you can.
Do you breed to sell or keep the babies trying to find good breeders especially bcc
Great and informative video bro and super cool boas 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Appreciate it!!
I'm happy that I already fulfill most of this with my new Boa. I did bump my heatmap temp tho, gonna have to see if I can get abit higher. Was aiming a little low oops :)
He's a great guy, can't wait till he stops shedding so I can handle him again.
Great video, brother. I'm glad to see you make a video. I hope you have been doing good and have been having a great summer so far.
Thank you so much bro! Same to you!
My big question is what the humidity should ideally be. The imperators range across a wide variety of habitats and climate where the BCCs are generally only found in dense, humid rainforest areas so would the humidity requirements be different and how important is it to differentiate? great content as always. From my experience the imperators do seem to be more tolerant of temperature and humidity changes where the BCCs tend to be less active when the air temps are higher or dryer than it normally is.
It’s a good question. I don’t think the humidity really makes that much of a difference. I actually think they would be fine with much lower humidity. Where they come from is a factor of the temperature that keeps them alive. I think the humidity helps, but I don’t think they actually need it to survive. At least not to the same extent as the temperatures
@@JasonsExoticReptiles that makes sense to me. Do you think it matters any more for wild caught specimens? I ask because my guyana is wild caught(I didn't see the field collected label until after purchasing her unfortunately) and I am generally keeping her in the 70-75% humidity range which she seemed to love but during the summer I have issues keeping the humidity in my snake room as high and when it drops into the 55-60% range she seems to soak more and she also seems to be less comfortable with being handled when it drops. She's an anomaly in that she has never given me trouble with eating or keeping food down and seems to not mind handling at all, she's among the friendliest snakes I've ever met but she seems to not be as comfortable when that humidity isn't as high. Am I just overthinking it? Thank you for responding, you are my go to source for tips and advice so I greatly appreciate you for taking the time to respond 😁
This is a great video. Well detailed
Thank you!
Thanks Jason! My Nicaraguan and Colombian boas thank you! My struggle is keeping that heat/humidity in the winter.
Substrate will definitely help and sealing off the enclosure a little bit to stop the airflow
Thank you for uploading a shirtless photo. I finally have new phone wall paper.
There is more where that came from. Stay tuned for my only fans soon
@@JasonsExoticReptiles awesome to see you got a new camera brother
Great video 👊😎 thank you for sharing
Thank you!!!
thanks for touching on the UTH on glass enclosures. i have two ball pythons and my one in my glass enclosure i struggle to maintain the hot spot temp on the glass. i actually leave almost no substrate on the hot spot and monitor the temp of the glass to what its supposed to be at, then add a little substrate on top so the animal wont burrow down and burn himself. i never try to achieve the 88-92F on top of the layer of substrate and just let my snake move the substrate out of the way if he needs to access the bottom layer at the appropriate temp.
Good video, Jason lotta knowledge😊😊😊
Do you generally rinse away chlorohexidine after cage cleaning? I rinse animals when I use it on them, but I've never been sure if I need to rinse it away from my tubs.
It is usually safe to put them right back. It’s a pretty good cleaner for that reason.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles hell yeah. Thanks!
We just rescued 3 boas one has bad stuck shed but I got it and they are doing great now
I guess the only thing left out was comon health issues, how to find a vet, or at home remedies for common issues.
But this is a great video! Thanks 😊
Excellent video! I have a question about the water bowl. I just purchased a new snake, a Sonoran boa about 18 inches long. I have her in a cage 48 x 24 x 24, and I put a fairly large bowl in there. My question is as the animal grows, do I need to keep a water container in there big and deep enough that she can submerge in it?
I have a question, I placed the thermostat probe inside the plastic tub and taped it to the bottom, I use a paper towel for the substrate, I put a shelter over the probe and I set the temperature to be 95F, however, I measured with a digital thermometer and on the surface of the paper it varied between 88 and 90 degree. Now I have the thermostat set to 98.5 and it reads 94F on the surface of the paper. Is it possible that a paper towel is such a good insulator and that there is such a difference? Otherwise, the snake is constantly lying in a warm shelter, so I believe that it is not too high temperature for her?
You always want the probe on the outside of the enclosure between the heat element and the cage. Anything on the inside can be moved by the snake and cook them when you’re not around.
Thermostats generally need to be set 5-10 degrees higher than the actual temp you want as they control the temp of the heat element, not the cage itself.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles Thanks for the quick reply and advice. You have great stuff on your channel, keep it up, I wish you all the best👍
Awesome video! My boa is weird and doesn't like the temps to get over 71 degrees Fahrenheit in his tank on the cool end. He tries to escape if it gets too hot. I'm not saying your guidelines are wrong, I'm saying he's weird.
Do they require a larger than average water bowl, will a boa enjoy soaking?
Not really, but just like most snakes, they will utilize to occasionally soak if provided
@@JasonsExoticReptiles awesome
Well done Jason ,,,, man u is one of the best out there ,,,, Congrats A +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ,,, 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Thank you bro!
Hi Jason, I'm back for some more of that boa info 😅 so we rehomed a hypo malinistic boa about 7 months ago now she eats a xxl rat every 4 week then I moved her to every 3 weeks.. Because she always seems hungry, now I fed her 2 days ago and again shes all s'ed up and if a shadow goes near her she flicks her tongue and strikes.. Do I need to feed her more often she's a great healthy looking snake, thank you in advance 😊
It’s best to stick with a schedule. Snakes are opportunistic so they are always looking for food. I’m the wild, this is necessary. I’m captivity this will lead to them being overweight very quickly.
Would it matter if I had a juvenile boa in a big enclosure? I wanna make a nice large wood enclosure but don’t know if that’s way overboard for a juvenile. Really enjoying your videos man. Haven’t found another channel that covers as much as you. Here in a little bit might have to buy a boa from you!
That is absolutely fine as long as you provide appropriate cover and can hit your temperatures
i just got a guyana red tail and i am having issues with my humidity bc unfortunately i have an open top 75 gal tank. what’s the best way to keep it up? been looking at sealed tops for it but nothing is secured. luckily i work from home literally next to my tank but i’m spraying it every 5-10 minutes 😂. any ideas? only thing i could think of was going to home depot and getting plexiglass cut to size and put holes in it
Plexiglass over the top can help significantly. You can also use plastic wrap in a pinch. Adding thicker substrate will also help.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles i ended up doing 2 plexiglass pieces. the cold side has some holes drilled in for airflow, hot side has hole for probes and a square cut out for lighting/ceramic heater. also added temperature controller and a humidifier with a hose that goes in the tank with controller so i don’t have to keep spraying. with the top added it’s holding heat and humidity so much better. so thank you tons ❤️
Hi! i recently upgraded my reptile room and got my first rack system set up and i was wondering how do you keep your humidity in check ? in my terrariums i have a analogue hygrometer that i check when i enter the room .Also the substrate on the hot side tend to dry out within a week but on the cool side stays almost soaked (water dish is currently on the cool side) Thanks!
Less ventilation
I need some opinions on enclosure size for my imperator. I have a pie cooling cabinet that i'm going to convert. it's 11" deep, 4.5 ft wide and 4.5 feet tall. The snake is currently 3 years old and about 4 ft long. will this enclosure work? it's a male. the cubic ft of proposed enclosure would be 17 ft
Jason thank you so much for the video I intend on buying a baby BCI female and put it inside a 4x2x15 in enclosure ... would you say assuming she hits 7-8 ft as an adult this enclosure would still be fine to keep as forever enclosure ?
That should be plenty for most adults, especially if you get some of the more dwarf lineage with Nicaraguan base in there.
Thanks so much for this Jason. Now… can you do one for Burms please ?😁 🙏
I will see what I can do!
excellent info thank you
Thank you!
Awesome video!
Thank you!
Do you take the whole tub out for a complete clean or just swap substate out once a month or so and wipe with chlorhexidine?
I don’t really have a set schedule. When cleaning, I’ll o er scoop the area and then I’ll do a full dump and clean when it looks like it needs it. Sometimes that’s in 2 weeks, sometimes 6 months. Really depends from snake to snake.
If you dont have one already, could you make a video on how to get a large boa off of you when they bite and wrap around your arm, leg, etc without killing the snake? I will be inheriting a large 7ft boa who has a bad attitude 😅. TIA
Excellent video topic
@@JasonsExoticReptiles Thank you 😊
I have a colombien type boa male , 5 years old for 4 feet , is dat normal ?
Sounds small but every animal is unique and grows at different rates
Can a tank be too big if the humidity and temp is still dialed and there is plenty of enrichment and hiding spots? I have a 16 month in a 4 x 2 x 2.
No it cannot. As long as you hit the temps, humidity and provide appropriate hides, you can put the snake in any size enclosure you would like.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles has been a concern of mine. I highly value your opinion and appreciate the feedback. Thanks, Jason!
I see in several boa groups people say "humidity and soaking etc doesnt help with shedding, only after a bad shed" they say that the boa being hydrated is the only thing that helps shedding, what are your thoughts?
Dehydrated snake can have trouble shedding but humidity is essential. A hydrated snake in a dry environment won’t shed correctly.
Hi,im watching you for some while,im new into hobby,almost a year,i cant find too many good info because are to many debates between breeders and keepers.I have 2 girls,2 years both bci,my question is can i feed them baby rabbits or quiails?Will they benefit from a diversed menu?
Yes you can. I personally prefer mice as babies and then rats as they get older since it’s a balanced meal, but diversity never hurts!
@@JasonsExoticReptiles thank you.
Great video, the enclosure can grow with the snake. I have containers and hydes of different sizes for their growth. So important to let them feel safe. My snakes have heat mats, thermostats to control temp. Babies eat once a week, after they are over a year, they are every 2 weeks. My snakes eat rodents and quail. I have heard they can also eat chicks. Keeping the snakes clean is very important. If a snake soils the enclosure, I clean them promptly. I use F-10 solution.
100% awesome additions
jason you are the man 🥰🥰🥰thank you
Thanks for the video Birdman!
Thanks bro!
can i put a baby boa in a 6*2*2 enclosure?
Absolutely as long as there is adequate coverage and hides
You could keep a baby boa perfectly fine in an enclosure roughly the size of a 10 gallon aquarium, or even smaller, for at least a year.
Where does the dumerils boa come in this video?
Dumerils are a different species of boa all together. Acrantophis dumerili is the scientific name. They are from Madagascar rather than South America. With that said, most of this still applies.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles looking into getting one. I had one about 11 years ago, been so long since I’ve had reptiles. When regulating temps, if you have a heat panel on warm side would you regulate cool side with just a uva bulb?
Usually see you with a hat. That was surprising 😅
Haha you need to catch up on some of the new videos
Odd question but do you ever hear your boas fart I have a young male that is right next to my bed and every so often at night he lets them rip lol. I got fecals done just in case and nothing was found but just wanted to ask lol thanks!
Hah. Yes, this can happen
Nice video, but I think something is wrong with the microphone you speak into, the directional audio is messed up somehow and I only hear you in my left ear.
Thank you! I will definitely look into it. I was using a different computer to process.
Can a boa live its whole life on newspaper or just for Quarantine?
Technically yes they can as long as you have the ability to add humidity and keep temps where they need to be.
Damn son about time!!!
Thank you! I’ve been getting my new camera and computer set up. My last computer fried and I lost some good stuff
Between these 3 bedding what you recommend Repti Bark ZooMed ,Coco Husk Exo Terra or Aspen ZooMed ? I tell you that three because it what I find in PetSmart is near to me, Can you tell me in order what you think is best for Boa
I personally would just order something online like the gaps coco that I personally use. If you Google gapsecosys the website will pop up. It’s cheaper and goes further.
To directly answer your question and assuming it’s a boa, I’d do aspen, reptibark, cocohusk. Aspen and reptibark is probably a tie, but I think the aspen is easier to clean while the reptibark is better for humidity.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles the reason I don't want to order is because I order two times Reptichip and work excellent with my boas, but when I storage the rest in containers what is a lot, always take mold (fungus) and am loosing money, I need to buy something do not have a lot of quantity to storage in case it is damaged, the loss will not be much. I only have 4 boas I don't need to have to much substrate in storage. What you think is the best for me
Aldo I find this Zoo Med Forest Floor Reptile Bedding, is good and safety ?
Is that a adult male you was handling jason ? I’m still getting into boa’s
That was a small adult male that is also a dwarf.
4x2x1 for an 8ft snake? Don’t be crazy.
He’s talking about a bare minimum for it, and afterwards he does say that bigger is better as long as you can heat it all up
@ he should be saying minimum 8x2x2 and bigger if you can. 4x2x1 you might as well keep it in a suitcase.
@@johnhufton5787 he does say that, rewatch it, I agree with him that 4x2x1 is a bare minimum for an 8ft snake
@@johnhufton5787 8x4x4 or larger is best for an 8 foot snake. 🙂 I realize that is not going to work for a large scale breeder.
Such an awesome video 👍 I would really like to pick up a male Boa in the future. I have experience with ball pythons and would like to expand into a larger species. Not ready for Burmese or reticulated pythons 🤣
Thank you! Let me know when you are ready! I currently have stuff in most price ranges
Where boas occur in the wild, their night time temps can do do drop into the mid-high 60's, with highs generally in the high 80's and low 90's.
Boas can definitely handle temperature fluctuations much better than people give them credit for. In this scenario I want to reference GoHerping, and the 20+ year old Boa named Rosie he took in that spent her first 21 years of life in an unheated, room temperature cage on newspaper with no humidity control whatsoever, in a school classroom. That snake still managed to be a quite large specimen, well over 7 feet. Of course that is not an ethical way to keep a boa and it should go without saying that nobody should keep their snake in those conditions; but using purely as an example, these snakes can handle a hell of a lot more than they're given credit for, and be perfectly healthy.
How old is that baby you’re holding?
Thanks mate
Had me until you got to enclosures lol you want your cage to be as long or longer than your Boa so their able to fully stretch out… not be smushed into a little space. Minimum for a male bci you’d want a 6 foot long enclosure and for a female usually a 8 foot long enclosure. I like my snakes not thrive not just survive yk.
You do not need an 8 foot enclosure for your average adult boa, lol. Unless you mean 6'x2'. If not, then the enclosure size you're talking about is completely unreasonable for most households.
If you want your snake to be able to stretch out, then let it roam on some grass on a regular basis. Not that hard.
@@maxmcqueen1196 yes, you're right. The average household can't cater to larger snakes. However the general rule of thumb for ethical keeping is to have your tank be at least as long as your snake. Studies have show being able to fully stretch out and have a nice cluttered tank is less stressful than a smaller, less cluttered tank.
What’s up baldylocks 😂 jk great stuff man.
What about chew toys???
Very good and informative video but one thing I don't agree with is that boas don't need climbing space. Are they gonna die without it? No. But just look at any adult boa when it's being handled, it 100% climbs you like a tree.
Of course making sturdy enough climbing fixtures for such heavy snakes can be difficult and expensive, and a large scale breeder would go bankrupt if they wanted to give every snake the most perfect enclosure but these animals think and have preferences too but they can't tell us about them so we need to think for them and meet in the middle if possible.
I keep my male adult in home made 3/4” plywood enclosure 4’x8’x16”
anyone can help me with a sunglow boa please and thank you
I really want a boa sigma been on my woshlist for a while now
Ya, but what about chew toys?
Fixings for sure.
There's a few things i disagree with in terms of enclosures size and heating/lighting but overall good info. I'm just a fan of advanced keeping rather than basic. This looks to me as a "basic" care guide for the ultra new keeper. Just remember folks, there are better, and more up to date keeping methods out there now.
like what?
@@selene_7191 this comment was 3 months ago and I don't have time to go back and watch a 20 minute video to give all the details. However, I skipped forward to the enclosure and heat sections for quick reference. 4x2 is entirely too small for an 8 foot snake. At minimum, you should be keeping a full grown 8 foot boa in at least a 6x3x3. Larger is better. Remember, this isn't about looking pretty, the habitat has to be enough for a captive wild animal to live comfortably with plenty of room to roam and stretch out.
Talking about heat, he's very misinformed about how snakes absorb heat. Belly tape/heat pads are an archaic technology. They produce IR-C, which is not going to efficiently be absorbed by the snake but only on the surface of the skin. Overhead heating is the most ideal due to the use of IR-A and B which will penetrate the skin and into the bloodstream to better heat the snake. Keep in mind, he's a breeder. It's simpler for him to use tape and racks because he won't keep the snakes long enough to see any adverse effects.
Regarding UVB.... he's very wrong about not needing it. Can they survive? Sure, but they benefit from the use of UVB much like every other living creature. They're not purely nocturnal and will come out when it's daylight out. The "no uvb" crowd comes from old breeders and keepers that refuse to submit to new technology and discoveries in the hobby. Just because people think they don't need it, doesn't mean it's true. Remember, it's not about what you can't afford or think is not needed, it's about the snake's best care and well being.
If you want more info on heating and lighting, check out the Reptile Lighting group on facebook. They have scientifically backed info and promote the best possible sources for heat and light based on specific species. I'm not in any way affiliated, I just really like the work they put in for the betterment of the hobby and educating people. The biggest thing, stay open minded and receptive to new info to provide the best possible life for your animal. Hope this answers your question.
@M45T3R_B8ER Seems you're already sorted in regards to Boa Care. Which raises the question of why you're seeking additional information in the first place. Are you looking for advice or a pick-me up?
@@maxmcqueen1196 I keep ball pythons and that's the basis of snake care that I'm most familiar with. At the time of my original comment, I was looking to see the basics in terms of heat/humidity requirements but I quickly realized that it's about the same as ball pythons. Thing is, as I watched this video, I realized there were things that were entirely too close in regards to care... Specifically, the above listed things. This was why I watched the video in the first place.
@M45T3R_B8ER Fair enough, but getting the basics right always comes before any of the intricacies. Once you're past that first most important step, everything else becomes much easier, and the chances are that your idea of the perfect boa enclosure will differ from others.
Hi
Hi!
I lost n found my boa in my pillow case...
🎉
he's so handsome
I ain’t even mad at you. I’m a dude and I’m jealous
With a great personality to match ❤
Right?? Oh, and the guy is cute too..
💚💜💜💜💚
👍👍👍
And you left out the brazilian rainbows:(
I did but those have some different care as they are a totally different type of boa. They are Epicrates cenchria.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles i will search them.
Stopped watching at the enclosure recommendations. Absolutely not sufficient at all. That’s what you get from breeders I guess…
You can always get something larger and more elaborate. These are minimums.
Can i have a smaller request 🥹 could you please put measurements in cm too cuz i dont know imperial only metric
I will try for future videos. My audience is mostly based in the US. For your own knowledge, every 1 foot is about 30.5cm.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles yes i understand that. I saw some people on youtube that just write down under the imperial measurements the measurements in cm. I really love your content and love to watch it. Thanks to you i started to rapidly improve my body language reading ability on my male nica! Keep up the amazing work cause i really love watching your vids ☺️☺️☺️☺️😊😊😊
I recommend checking out REPTIFILES. Author is Maria Healey.
Great and informative video bro and super cool boas 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thank you bro!
@@JasonsExoticReptiles always welcome bro