Why do Keepers Think Reticulated Pythons don’t need space?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ธ.ค. 2020
- Should we be Allowed to Keep BIG SNAKES?? Enclosure Size Questions... // In this video, I discuss the dilemma of enclosure size especially for large species of snake commonly kept in the reptile trade. Specifically, I discuss the importance of understanding not only the total length of your snake but the volume of space it displaces. Volume is a crucial metric when discussing snake size, as the circumference of a snake increases so does the importance of understanding volume. Large snakes are exponentially harder to accommodate than small snakes, simple as that!
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ABOUT DILLON:
Welcome to my channel, Animals at Home! Here you will find the reptile videos I have made as well as video versions of The Animals at Home Podcast! The podcast mainly focuses on the pet reptile industry. My mission with Animals at Home is simple: To inspire others to push the limits of their reptile husbandry by promoting the importance of high level, creative husbandry individualized for each reptile.
• Why do Keepers Think R...
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Try this at your own risk! I take full responsibility for the safety of this setup for myself but cannot recommend anyone copy what I have done unless you are willing to do the same.
Built an 8x8x8ft for my Burmese, a big shelf and a tree to climb, she uses every inch of it
Love it 👌🏼
You smashed this 100%
This was so well thought out, the guests adding to it adds another layer too! Brilliant!
Thanks, Mate!! 😀
I second that. Brilliant!
Keep in mind, the figures I have used in this video are theoretical. *The figures themselves do not need to be accurate to demonstrate the fact that when the radius is doubled, the overall size increases by a factor of 4. This means, on average large snakes will have less space than small snakes proportionally speaking... are we okay with this?* It also must be said that this video has *NOTHING* to do with how to set up your enclosure properly on both a dimensional level (eg. to add volume for a terrestrial species you'd probably consider expanding the floor space rather than height to achieve more overall space) or a décor level (adding furniture to create more useable space). That is for you, the keeper, to determine based on the natural behavior your animal exhibits (i.e. arboreal snakes should be in taller enclosures and terrestrial snakes should be in longer/wider ones)
Interesting take on an even more interesting topic. Well put together.
Thanks for watching, Brian! I appreciate you taking a look at the video. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this sometime I know we have different keeping philosophies, it’s always interesting to hear another perspective
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast sure I'd love to have you on our live stream. Please email me at bkusko@me.com anytime 😊
@@BrianKusko Cool! Will do!
I had a similar realization while reading a legal document from Sweden on husbandry recommendations for captive animals, including reptiles. The minimum enclosure size for reptiles is provided in floor space and height, prioritizing volume over length. At first I thought it was a bit strange, but as I've considered and reconsidered it, I think it's a better formula than simply going off a length-based recommendation.
I agree, it certainly gives the keeper more detailed information. And of course depending on the species you keep, volume can be increased via increasing floor space or height.
This is exactly what I hate about the reptile community; the need to own and conquer everything... I have one snake, only one corn snake in a 6x3x3 enclosure. I also have a bearded dragon in the same size enclosure and I don’t have room for anymore and I’m happy with that because the animals are happy
Yep that is definitely a real issue! 1 snake and 1 bearded dragon with large enriching enclosures that allow you to watch natural behavior is far more rewarding that a rack of 50 ball pythons.
This is why I hate people like you because if you keep a reptile in a fucking container at all you are not happy for it you are cramming it into a Box regardless whether we have 30 reptiles or not. No frontal lobe means no enjoyment that means it's best life would be out in the wild no matter what whether you have one or many. There have been studies where they do not enjoy a larger habitat rather it comes down to whether they are content in the circumstances they are given, if you give a snake with a great cage an upgrade to an entire bedroom it won't be any happier, rather know it has more area to protect and defend , doesn't necessarily mean he enjoys it.
6x3x3 for 1 corn snake? Whew, IF it is big for its size i may go 5x2x2, but most likely 4x18x18 would be more ideal
@@thomasmcdaniels6957
Yes cornsnakes are very active and more intelligent than what people give them credit for. They enjoy exploring, climbing and burrowing in natural soil and seemingly enjoy different scents and textures.
I did have my adult corn in a 4x18 and he was constantly glass surfing and trying to find a way out.
In a 6x3 enclosure he has stopped glass surfing and he uses the whole space
@@gibby7382
Jamie Mr mediocre please! I have had different enclosure sizes for my snake and observed how he behaves in different enclosure sizes with different substrates too. I am speaking from experience and observation. So take your minimalist care and shove it
Very well said!! Seeing 18 foot long snakes stuffed into a 6x2x2 enclosure makes my heart hurt. As an industry, we can do better. We NEED to do better.
Thanks for watching, Cassandra!
Absolutely agree it is 100% of batiks. I see it the most in big python owners but also anacondas. I think that the python owners know that what they are saying is bullshit but it's not just that they are putting their animals in horrible cages but they are calling other people stupid for giving their animals bigger cages. It's like they have to justify what they're doing by makes everyone do it. I mean look at megaconda. she is like the Holy Grail to the Anaconda people and her cages are pathetic. Look at Bryan barcyzk. He has a few enclosures that are decent sized but most of them are horrendous and most of his animals are grossly power fed to the point where I can't believe that so many people drink the Kool-Aid with him. The boa Community is getting better. I see that most people are promoting at least six to eight foot enclosures which is typically these for a male and female butt I've seen people say that no snake needs a 10-foot enclosure ever. Yes my anaconda is in an 11 x 6 x 6 at 8 feet and I would never dream of keeping her in that at 16 feet long and really it is big enough If I really wanted to. But I have an 18 x 12 x 8 plans for her with a 1500 gallon pond.
@@thickerconstrictor9037 The amount that Brian overfeeds his anaconda is really mind-blowing... you'd probably know better than me, but I reckon he feeds that thing AT LEAST 4x as much as he should... all in pursuit to have a large snake (who cares about the shortened lifespan right?). Cool to hear that you have such a large enclosure and plans for an even larger one! I'll check out your channel 👌
Great info here. Keeping giant snakes really isnt understood enough. People almost always cut down on their standards anyways for larger snakes
Thanks for watching! Yes I agree, it seems the larger the snake, The shorter the stick...
One important characteristic I think could be added to a video like this is discussing useable space. If you give a snake no options to climb on plants, rocks, branches, or to burrow. The amount of times they can fit in their useable space is much much smaller. I have seen many enclosures that are large and have so much potential but yet there is one small branch wasting almost all of the height it has to offer.
Thank you for watching! Yep, agreed. I didn’t include anything in this video on how to set up your enclosure properly on both a dimensional level (eg. to add volume for a terrestrial species you'd probably consider expanding the floor space rather than height to achieve more overall space) or a décor level (adding furniture to create more useable space). Eventually, I’ll probably do a follow up on this video to add extra details for enclosure design But for now, I just wanted this video to focus on the volume issue for larger species.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast for sure, I really enjoyed the message and it gives great food for though. I think it’s moving us in the right direction!
Thanks for all you do.
I totally agree with you! Getting some of the larger species is definitely something we should put a lot more thought into! We can care for them in a far better manner with more space so we can give them the gradient they need and in fact with space they will show you what they need.
Exactly! 😃
Great demonstration, thank you! Also, highly appreciate showing everything in cm too. ☺️
Thanks for watching :) haha and no problem at all... metric is much easier for me in most cases!
Excelent video and another gem in our hobby, mate! Funnily enough this is what happened with my 4+ ft boa. She has a 6×2.5x4 enclosure but kept escaping despite the right temps and humidity. Since I live by myself I therefore decided to let her roam freely. Thanks to central heating and high humidity all year round and still access to her enclosure for basking and climbing; no worries...
That’s awesome! 😄😄
Couldnt agree with this more. Spot on!
Thanks, Landon!
I raise BIG snakes and they love to spend time out of their enclosures socializing with people so enclosure size isn't a priority if you allow your snakes time out of their enclosures.
Totally!
I love this and it reinforces what I once thought was overkill in buying a 6 ft long x 2 ft deep x 4ft tall enclosure for a jungle carpet python. Can’t wait to build that enclosure! I’ll be sending you pics so I can hopefully make it into a video where you show and discuss people’s setups and give praise and pointers for what’s missing.
I would love to see that enclosure! Definitely send it my way when it’s done
Very worthwhile discussion and so many great points made! This consideration is especially relevant for animals whose whole world is their enclosure and rarely if ever come out. On the other hand, if your large pet snake regularly gets to come out, stretch out, and explore, I believe an enclosure size that doesn’t quite meet the “ideal” standard can still serve that animal very well without sacrificing quality of life. Thought that was worth mentioning as another way a large snake enthusiast could do right by their snake without a ginormous enclosure. Just my two cents to add to this awesome discussion!
Totally agree! I think if you can't offer a larger cage, that is a perfect way to solve that problem, plus it's fun because you get to interact with the animal :)
Awesome video! I particularly like the point about the enclosure needing to be compatible with requirements like UVB and IR. You just have to have a rather large enclosure (relative to the specific snake in question) to properly offer these things in the correct way.
Also proper climbing requires some reasonable height.
Exactly! Thanks for watching!
Whilst I absolutely agree that more space is very important, your "volume" example doesn't take into account the two more important matters: the activity level of the snake, and to what degree the animal likes/needs to climb. A boa constrictor is way less active than most colubrids, for example. So, the general disposition of the animal is, in my view, far more important than the volume of the animal as a divisor of enclosure volume. I've just read your notes, and see that you cover the points I've just made! Thanks for bringing up this - it's really important.
Thanks, John! Yep I think a part 2 to this series would be good to get further into proper setup, etc!
In my native Denmark the "huge" constrictors (retic ect) are banned partially for this reason. People just cannot (or very few choose to anyways) provide the care that they should for these species.
Yep, many places in Canada have similar rules/laws
Awesome video. I think one thing that I would bring up is how increasing the amount of usable space within the enclosure can add surface area. You’re example of your room being the right size for your was so jarring because all you could do is walk back and forth. But if you added a jungle gym (lol) you could climb around. It’s funny to think about from a human perspective but that enclosure becomes a lot bigger when there’s multiple levels and climbing surfaces. So a more complicated model could perhaps combine usable surface area and volume to create the best enclosure.
Thanks, Jack! Yes, that is very true, supplying proper space is only half the battle. A large enclosure without anything in it, is no better than a small enclosure!
That was my exact same thinking. Its fair enough to have a large space but you have to make the space usable for the animal you are caring for. I like the analogy of a jungle Jim for Dillon's space 👍
I need to get some monkey bars in here!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast next podcast hanging from some monkey bars then 👍
I agree to a certain extent however one problem with the volume measurement is how much of that space is actually usable for that particular animal. For example short tail pythons are relatively short but rather large bodied so their volume would be high and would result in a high volume enclosure. However my understanding of them is that generally speaking they really wont use a lot of height as they are primarily terrestrial species. So I think maybe the better metric may be to look at the volume of the animal versus the usable space.
Yep exactly! The way the enclosure is set up dimensionally is totally the responsibility of the keeper (i.e. understanding the natural behavior patterns of the particular species you're keeping). Remember, increasing volume doesn't necessarily mean increasing height. You could easily increase the volume of an enclosure for a terrestrial species, say a blood python, by keeping the height low (maybe 2') and expanding the length and width.
Animals at Home Definitely, at the end of the day it comes down to the keeper to know the species and make the dimensions best for that species. I think I should have perhaps worded it differently but what I was trying to say was making sure the added space is usable. Having extra height is great but if the keeper doesn’t put anything to make that height usable then they really haven’t changed anything for the benefit of the animal. For example the dimensions for the retic I believe was eight feet in height but if the keeper doesn’t add any climbing features such as branches or ledges then the snake really can’t use it.
Ah yes, I see what you mean! YES, that is 100% correct, I completely agree... having a ton of empty space does not achieve anything of value!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast This was great to read through. Great conversation.
The Facebook group Not Just a Pet Rock has a great infographic created by one of the admins showing the need for a larger enclosure based off of the need for gradients alone. Great video, a good start to a conversation we need to have!
Thank you for watching! Yep, NJAPR is a great FB group 👌🏼
Very well said and perfectly illustrated. Thank you for this. We need to do better for these creatures, especially with so many laws trying to take them from us.
Thank you very much!
Great video. I have a 16 month old BI age is currently in a 4 by 2 by 2 but my plan is to get her in an 8 by 3 by 3 in 2021 and when I have the space and month I want to get her a large setup built into a room about 10 or 12 by 9 by 6
Thank you for watching! Sounds like you have an excellent plan 👌🏼
I just want to thank you for your instuctive videos. I decided to get a burmese. Did the research. Made sure I could care for it, knew what size was recommended for an adult enclosre, where I was going to get it, roughly when I was going to need it and the money set aside for it. I then set up the first grow out container then ordered the snake. After I had the snake, I found your channel and you have such informative videos. It made me realize that I have no business keeping a giant like that and also my current set up for my boa constrictor is sadly lacking. Thanks to you and your videos, I found someone who can adequately keep the burmese, they are building him an enormous enclosure as of this posting and I am, with the help of your videos building a new home for my boa constrictor. I also really loved the comment about collectors wanting to collect and its best to turn that in to collecting knowledge. So thank you for helping me to become a better keeper. I thought I was doing my research on my pets, but apparently not enough of it
I can’t love this comment enough! Thank you so much for watching the content. I’m so happy to hear your boa is getting and upgrade and that the burm found a great home! Keep learning ✌🏼 that’s all we can do! Thank you for sharing 😊
Not sure what your boa is in but for just one snake and display purposes, a 55 gal aquarium would work. I personally used a 75 just in case she grew out to be on the bigger side. Good luck with your pets!
i have been thinking on this too. obviously species and habits are very important here. good research can soon tell you how to arrange a cubic measurement, but i do think a volume based size guide is more constructive. especially for large species. quite how to go about that i dont know. there is the x-gallon thing but that is rather open to interpretation as it doesnt tell you anything about the shape.
i thought on whether i wanted to own any of the giants at some point and quite quickly came to the conclusion that unless i could spare a room or keep outside i wouldnt be happy with it.
Thanks for watching! Yes, I went through the exact same mental exercise as you. I love some of the larger species of snake, I think owning a retic would be an incredible experience… However, I just could never be axle to offer a space that I would be satisfied with and therefore it just doesn’t make sense
You made an interesting comparison when you compared a large snake to a great Dane. And you implied that a great Dane would be a poor fit for a city or small suburban home. Big dog small space not a good fit.
However they are actually more appropriate than a high energy medium sized dog. Take one of the bearding breeds like a border collie they need more space because they’re very active and they need that space to burn off the energy. However very large dogs usually don’t have a lot of energy, they don’t typically require as much exercise. Responsible owners will walk these dogs or take them somewhere to let them exercise. Then they spend the majority of the time vegging out in their small apartment. Unlike the high energy medium size dog who doesn’t wanna veg out who just needs that constant outlet.
So for dealing with massive snakes and they are similar to dogs and that they’re not as active, then they may be more appropriate than a very active inquisitive snake that needs more space to investigate and explore. A very large snake might do well with a little out of cage exercise then back to veg out.
Yes, overall energy/activity level definitely plays a major role as well!
Fanatic video! Well researched and expertly presented. This is something that I think about a lot, but it certainly gets tricky when the logical conclusion is that most people cannot/don’t keep these giants adequately. Folks don’t like to hear that... Keep up your great work!
Thanks, Lucas! I enjoyed the chat yesterday on MPR 👌🏼
This is a little off topic and is a very general observation but I'm very interested in keeping larger arboreal snake species and I'm wondering if the volume consideration should take into account other factors like tank decoration and basking spots, opportunities to lounge and move on branches and how these other objects might affect both the gradient you can create (especially if it's an animal that enjoys more vertical space like tree snakes). I'm pointing this out because I noticed a lot of keepers that like to keep larger snakes keep them in really barren tanks of minimum size, even if the snake is semi-arboreal in the wild, but "if they can stretch out on the ground/from one branch to the other then it is fine". Well, if it's a tree snake they need adequate accommodation for both the ground and branches since they *will* use both; and not only that, if you're going for a naturalistic look it's quite cluttered so "just" being able to stretch out might be assuming a lot about snake comfort, especially for species that are not the typical ball python or small colubrid that are ground snakes. And many tree snakes like to be on the ground at night in addition to wrapped up on a perch. So I think this video also points out just how cramped certain recommendations for snakes can be, especially if you have a keeper who is under the impression that a snake "just" being able to stretch out somehow is good enough. Yes in the wild, a snake can stretch out, but there are also so many other things for comfort that many snakes at least appreciate in their enclosure that going bigger is always seeming like a good idea, especially for bigger species or snakes that are arboreal or obligatory social species.
Either way, I'm glad you brought this up because it's comforting to know that I'm worried about something that's very valid when it comes to having a snake, and doing my research. I'm not opposed to people keeping snakes in modified tub enclosures but so many of those kinds of people are also the ones to argue for the "just" thing while also not being a breeder where space is more of a consideration. And even then most ethical breeders seem to prioritize getting the best type of enclosure possible for the size of the snake, because stressed breeding animals will affect not just the quality of the breeding but also the way the breeder looks around others.
Very well said! 👏🏼
I have 4 snakes, with the largest being a ball python. And while I’d love to own larger snakes (having blood python is a dream of mine), I know I could not realistically give a larger snake the size of enclosure it would need to have adequate space. I 100% agree with you that needing to ‘catch ‘em all’ is a really big issue in the reptile hobby. People want the biggest, the coolest, the largest number of reptiles, without considering the amount of space each animal needs, and that’s when you end up with someone with 20+ snakes shoved into racks, or a full-grown retic in a 6’ enclosure. People really need to consider what is humane for the animal rather than just mindlessly growing their collection. This is a great video and one that more people need to see.
Thank you very much for watching the video! I completely agree with you
Blood's are not too fond of large spaces, a full grown female will still need a large enclosure but not as big as you may think, they don't move much, similar to a Gaboon Viper
If you haven't already, look into African House Snakes. Males stay 2ft-3ft, females around 4ft. Many morphs too! They're very under appreciated imo
A great species!
Good video and great wrap up at the end with the gradients piece, you give a useful way to look at things.
Obviously, you did not have time to go into snake behaviour. I suspect that snakes which are more active and use more space are often lower in girth than ambush hunters who may not move for days or weeks. So niche/wild lifestyle is also clearly a factor (and Royals ARE semi-arboreal even if they rank high on the chunkiness!!!!).
Thanks for watching! And yep, exactly! Next to add to this would be A) Dimensions/décor (arboreal, terrestrial, etc.) and B) activity level of species.
Ahhhh, so now I know why you wanted to know the diameter of my corn snake! 😆
Great video Dillon, thoughtful and well put together.
😂😂 exactly! I hope you liked my depiction of Red 🤣 thanks for watching!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast Well you got the colour virtually right, and he IS long and thin... But I still feel that the diagram was somewhat lacking in its anatomical accuracy.
@JTB Reptiles 😂😂
in the wild, these full grown adult reticulated pythons are almost never found roaming territories except for males loooking for a mate. female reticulated pythons will stay and ambush near caves, big logs, or under big rocks and ambush prey near the rivers or lakes. however when they are juvenile they will be mostly arboreal. theres a reason why these big giant snakes are so rare cause they just hide and sleep all day, they like small spaces.
So this is a very interesting topic for sure and well put together. The one flaw i find is more of a mindset that the enclosure is a prison so to speak than say a bedroom. Large snakes especially need excercise and allowed time to roam and work their muscles and lung the enclosure is more of a bedroom to go back to to get warm, eat, sleep, etc. Which i think alot of keepers dont understand. But overall i think this was a very good video. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, agreed! If you are someone who takes out your snakes regularly for exercise, then you can certainly warrant a smaller enclosure!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I plan on keeping my 13 footer in a 8x6x3 but with outside handling every other day. or more depending on what the snake decides.
@@zachheisen5022 Awesome!
Minimal standard, u are correct
I'd also be interested in the territory a snake inhabits in the wild. When you think about it, even a 5' x 5' x 3' enclosure seems small for a 5' snake. Thanks Dillon, this is the best channel for reptile information!
Thanks, Tabatha! :)
This is such an important conversation to have and you've provided some super interesting perspectives! I never thought of it in terms of snake volume before, and it makes a lot of sense. There are soo many more factors to consider though. I didn't hear mention on the activity level of the snake, for example. An ambush hunter that sometimes spends weeks at a time in one place wouldn't necessarily need an enclosure as large as an active species of similar size. I definitely subscribe to the "bigger is better" movement (and if you're just keeping a few pets I absolutely encourage giving them mansions!), but I do not agree with the new idea that minimum enclosure size should always be as long as the snake is. To me, in most cases the old rule of cage length + width = snake length seems to work pretty well for most species, but height is the larger consideration (adding to that volume for sure), and shelves add more usable space too. I consider myself a "recovering minimalist," as when I started breeding boas 10 years ago I copied what the successful breeders were doing and invested in enclosures I feel are too small now (mainly in height and substrate depth), so I'm making bigger investments and considerations going forward to improve my care. That said, I think the biggest takeaway with enclosure size as a keeper OR breeder is to ask yourself two things: 1. Can this animal get some exercise in its enclosure? As in, can it move its body around in a way similar to how it would in the wild? and 2. How often am I taking this animal out of its enclosure for exercise? The answer to those questions will lead most keepers down a path toward quality care. This is the second vid I've watched of yours (first being Nido with Elijah) and I had to sub today. I like what you've got going on here. See you later at Kusko's!
Yep completely agree, establishing a minimum is very difficult! I think the W+L rule works fine, it seems appropriate for the average small-medium sized species. I think the next layer to add to this would be A) appropriate dimensions (arboreal vs terrestrial, etc.) and B) the activity level of the species as you say. Eventually, I will do a follow up to this, for this video, I merely wanted to demonstrate the dilemma of large-bodied snakes. See you tonight and thanks for the sub!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I'm looking forward to the follow-up! You illustrated the big snake point perfectly. Cheers!
I had 10x4's for my retics and it wasn't big enough. I really wish mainland retics weren't so damn common. I don't know that I buy volume as such a great metric, but regardless, 16' plus snakes need bigger than 8x3s or even 10x4's
Thank you, i hate seeing snakes in racks! I'll never be able to get a retic or even a boa in my house, its just too small...the thought of it being too big for its enclosure gives Me claustrophobia!
Thanks for watching! 😁
As someone who has owned a horse for most of my life, it has been mind boggling seeing what the reptile community finds acceptable housing particularly for large species. I will always advocate if you can’t designate at least a small room to a very large snake/monitor/tortoise don’t get one. There are plenty of amazing species that stay within a reasonably manageable size that are just as interesting.
Precisely 👌🏼
I have my 15 foot retic in a 10Lx8Wx8H outdoor enclosure and I wish she had a bigger one.
That's awesome! I wish I could have outdoor enclosures!
I agree with you, unfortunately sometimes i find myself in the situation of arguing with people that keeps Boa constrictors in 100x50cm tubs, that sucks, i offer 200cmx70x50h enclosures and i feel like i should give them more space
Thanks for watching!
This video has been such an eye-opener! As I've been researching various snakes, I have been baffled as I have tried to navigate recommended enclosure sizes for different species. I have seen everything from children's pythons to corn snakes to ball pythons to blood pythons to boa constrictors being recommended for 4x2x2 enclosures, and it has been absolutely baffling. I am so glad you have brought this question to the table, as I feel like people forget about the girth of a snake when picking out an enclosure. (Then, suddenly, when it is time to buy feeders, they know EXACTLY what the diameter of their snake actually is!) For someone new to the hobby such as myself, seeing such recommendations like that makes no sense! Your video is the most logical enclosure guideline I've seen yet!
Thanks, Cary! Yes, so true! There is no consistency in the recommended snake enclosure size, which is obviously frustrating for newcomers. hahah and yes... they always seem to know exactly how thick their snake is when it comes to mealtime 😂
I agree with you to some extent, but I think this argument misses two components. For one, having a larger enclosure means it's more difficult to maintain a proper humidity and temperature. And also, I think what's most important is whether or not the snake is happy or not within the enclosure regardless of the actual size. This is obviously impossible to determine with any degree of certainty, but I would guess that more active and curious snakes would need a larger enclosure than something like a ball python. I don't know...maybe I'm just trying to justify my desire to get a boa and I doubt I have room for an enclosure bigger than 8x3x3..
Absolutely! Maintaining proper climate is key regardless of the size of the enclosure, I actually talk about that in the podcast clip I first showed in this video (if you listen to the full episode I mention the challenges that present themselves with a lager enclosure). Maybe a good idea for a future video would be how to maintain climate with a larger space... but I am like you, I certainly don't have room for massive boa enclosures for my animals. I don't want to deter people from keeping larger animals, the video is just meant to prompt some deeper thought on enclosure size.
cool video did you just do LXWxH to get the vol. of the enclosure?
Thanks! Yep, that’s correct 👍🏼
l have a 13ft girl and she is in a 4ft by 2ft by 4ft and l hate that l cannot offer her something bigger but l try to compensate to get out a couple of times a week to stretch out or we go outside for about an hour a day
Actually they all come out and do this big or little but l still wish l could offer bigger enclosures and those that build them didnt charge as much as they do too. My next enclosure build will be for my Coastal boy who is only young right now but he will be looking at a 1600x700x3ft high now that is going to take up a huge amount of space, l will just move out LOL.
Time and exercise out of the enclosure is so important! I know Lori Torrini does the same thing, even if a few of her snakes have enclosures that are smaller than she would like, it doesn't matter because she gives all her animals opportunities to come out and get some exercise! I think if you can't offer a larger cage, that is a perfect way to solve that problem, plus it's fun because you get to interact with the animal :)
Id be interested to see how substrate and decoration factors into this as well. Like if you have 12 inches of substrate in a boa enclosure, by the volume standards would you now need another foot of height? Same with backgrounds, etc.
That’s a very good question… Unless it is a burrowing species, I would think the substrate takes away from the space available. Backgrounds take up space as well, however they are typically utilized by the animals for climbing, so maybe that doesn’t have as much of an impact? I think a great part two to this video would be enclosure design rather than just enclosure size!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I agree! I think there's some good points to be had about the value of the space available in that sense
Hi I keep large snakes myself, and I really think this video is over thinking the mathematical, and not thinking enough about the comfort, activity level, and nature of these large constrictors. Now while i agree a large 18 foot retic shouldnt be kept in a 6×3x2 ft enclosure. That should be the just of the message. With no need to imply they may need an 18'×10'×8' enclosures.... An enclosure built to fit the specific species and what they utilize in nature, if done right will be fine without being monstrously oversized. Even large snakes like to feel secure and so excessively large enclosures can also be a problem. The key is to find the balance where they will have space to thermoregulate and exercise, without over doing it. Ive currently built 2 large constrictor enclosures. One for a female Green Anaconda that is 10'×6'×5.5' tall with a large water feature. And the second for a soon to be large female Retic at 6'×6'×6.5' tall to allow branches for climbing as they are more arboreal of the large constrictors. The anaconda has her favorite spots she uses regardless of the extra room which is only there to allow more room for growth. At 15' she only uses the basking area on land occasionally, while mostly using the water area to cool down, hide, and enjoy the weightless feeling of the water. I very rarely see her use the cool side on land set in the low 80s. The problem i see is here is many smaller snake species are active and hunt, while the larger animals are ambush predators who conserve energy and wait for food to cross their path. I realize many large snake keepers do still house them in small areas and i dont fully agree with this as a long term home, as it isnt fair to the animal and its needs. But using the enclosure size of smaller, more active snakes and trying to match its volume and comparing them with these large constricto wont benifit these animals with this math and may even lead to less comfortable housing for the animals. Youve already pointed out the tanks will be huge if youre too match their smaller counterparts tanks in volume. And while an interesting thought i feel ive answered. I see this as a chance of fueling the fire of those who would have no one keep larger constrictors at all. Those people use their personal fear and common misconceptions to try and make laws and regulations that over step the governments boundaries. If its done right and it should be, keeping large snakes is safe possible and a passion many hold dear...
Here is a link to a video of my anaconda in her enclosure at 15' long the tank is 10'×6'×5.5. th-cam.com/video/Wf-num7d0oc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for watching the video and participating in the conversation! As you may have read on the FB comment- This video was not a call to encourage keepers to calculate volume, (and therefore come to the conclusion that their cage must be massive), it was simply to demonstrate the fact that if you use length alone you will run into some serious space issues with larger species due to the increased proportion of volume they displace within the enclosure. Retics are a great example... how many people actually keep those animals in semi-arboreal setups? I'm so glad to hear that you do, but I think you would agree that you are probably an outlier in that regard.
It also must be said that this video has nothing to do with how to set up your enclosure properly on both a dimensional level (eg. to add volume for a terrestrial species you'd probably consider expanding the floor space rather than height to achieve more overall space) or a décor level (adding furniture to create more useable space). That is for the keeper to determine based on the natural behavior the animal exhibits (i.e. arboreal snakes should be in taller enclosures and terrestrial snakes should be in longer/wider ones).
I THINK activity level MAY play a role in cage size, but I'm not sure. Although a good ethical question would be something like: does infrequency of activity warrant the provision of less space? Surely extra space would still be used by a slower/less active species but it just may not be very often. Does the fact that they only utilize the extra space maybe 1-2x per month make it different than a species that would use it daily? Who knows, something to ponder on for sure!
So the overall point is, from a welfare standpoint when considering space and necessary gradients, large species are much, much more challenging to care for. They are an advanced project; I personally do not think retics and burms should be the hobby staple as we see them today. _That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow them to be kept_ , it means we probably should temper back their popularity and encourage keepers to consider the commitment of a 15-20’ snake. *To refine it to a sentence: It is far easier to maintain high-welfare with small-medium sized species, and animal welfare should be a foundational concept for all of us.*
As far as I’m considered, this isn’t fuel for AR groups… the fuel for AR groups can be found when you type “reticulated python” on TH-cam. 100’s of videos showing them kept in small, low rack style, unenriched enclosures (as you know, these are intelligent animals and deserve more than a water bowl and craft paper substrate), and on top of that, you have “big name TH-cam personalities” overfeeding and parading out their obese snakes as if they have accomplished something impressive.
As I always say, it is OUR responsibility to prove to AR groups that we have the animal’s best interest in mind. Having open discussions about welfare (lighting, heating, enrichment, enclosure size, recreating the wild, etc.) is how we move forward in the hobby and prove to non-reptile people (government, AR, etc.) that we are responsible. We don't want to hide these conversations from the public, we want to show the public, that as a community we are open to having these discussions because we yearn for progression. If this video makes people second guess investing in a 12-20’ snake, then I am satisfied.
Thank you for your comment! And for watching the video, and providing critical feedback in a polite way. Love your anaconda enclosure, very cool water feature! As I said in the video, there are people (like yourself) who are capable of mastering the husbandry of a large snake, however, it’s fair to say that many, if not most cannot.
I am away from my computer for the rest of the day so I may not be able to respond for a while (if you write back). I hope you check out the podcast as well, you are a reptile person clearly concerned with welfare so I think you will appreciate it!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I believe I see what you were getting at, don't keep 20' snakes in 6x3x2 foot boxes... I only dislike the lack of an solid answer to what should be acceptable with the only mentions being to dimensions that were extremely oversized. This made it sound near impossible to meet the needs of these snakes and so making them not a suitable group to keep... I do like how it shows the awareness of the large constrictor small enclosure issue in the reptile community which is great. I also agree it definitely doesn't have the same negative impact as those photoshopped fake snake videos we all see with views in the millions on youtube. Still it seems like it could be easily misinterpreted as a negative on keeping large constrictors, from the many misinformed viewers out there continuing the belief it is a poor practice. That is what i meant by the "fueling the fires" comment. I feel the entire video could've been simplified into "Big snakes need bigger cages, so if you don't have the space, time, or capability, please keep a smaller animal" and leave out all the mathematical equations, as too let the people with these negative misconceptions understand the actual point of the video is to encourage potential keepers of large snakes to reconsider, if they cant meet the animals needs. I completely agree with the message that all snakes especially large snakes who often don't receive adequate cage sizes, need proper room and mental stimulation to live happier healthier lives in captive care. Just thought it was a very inconclusive in the end, with an unnecessarily repeated math problem that im sure confused some viewers...
Yes, the inconclusively was by design! I think if I did offer a recommendation (as a non-large snake keeper), I would have had some pretty interesting feedback as well from angry, large snake keepers. Either way, I certainly see your point! Thanks again for sharing your thoughts 👌
something else that needs to be considered is how much space in the enclosure is usable space. If there are a lot of wide open spaces in the middle of the enclosure that is usually not usable space unless your snake can stand straight up in the center and actually do something. The way an enclosure is furnished plays a key role in making whatever volume is there actually available to the animal. I I have kept large species in the past and when I realizaed that I could not provide them with enough space to put my conscience at ease I stopped keeping them. The largest I keep now are boas and while they could use larger enclosures than what they are in currently I don't plan to keep them where they're at forever.
Completely agree, I think the next layer to add to this would be A) appropriate dimensions/ decor (arboreal, terrestrial, etc.) and B) the activity level of the species.
I’m with you I have commented how wrong it is my god so many times it angers me how they say it’s not but it is very wrong to throw your pet snake in a sandwich box just because you want room for another 100 sandwich boxes full of snakes it’s cruelty simple as that my children’s python male is 31/2 years old he is now 1 meter long he has been in an enclosure longer than he is all his life at 4months he went into his 1 meter long enclosure by 60cm high 45cm deep and he loves. I’m sick of breeders speaking for snakes that are stuffed in shoe boxes . A SNAKE CANT TELL YOU HE IS DEPRESSED OR STRESSED so don’t speak for them that they love a sandwich box !
Great video. A quick way to check volume of your snake is see how much water it displaces. People need to remember that minimum requirements are just that MINIMUMS. Meaning, its what will in general be sufficient to keep an animal alive, but not thriving, and why keep an animal that you can't ensure will thrive under your care? My dream animal would be a retic, until I can keep it above the minimum requirements I won't own one.
Yep, exactly. Very well said! Thank you very much for watching
the one thing that i do feel is overlooked, and as you said, having an enclosure 500 times the snakes volume is impractical. but so is keeping a large snake in my experience, if you cannot house the animal in an enclosure that it can express it's natural behaviours and move around and live an enriched life, then you simply shouldn't be keeping it, it's unethical and cruel to keep an animal in inadequate housing, and it's your responsibility as a keeper to meet the animals welfare needs. like racking systems full of royal pythons or burmese pythons, i feel the volume measurement is overly intimidating to newer keepers though, like if you went to a newer keeper and said "this snake needs an enclosure so and so times bigger then its volume" they might look at you funny. in my opinion a good rule of thumb, if the snake looks big in the enclosure then the enclosure is to small, let's say for example a 15ft burmese python. in my opinion needs at very least a 15 ft long by 7.5ft deep and 6ft tall enclosure and bigger is always going to be better. and yes even this, what i would consider to be the minimum requirements for that animal is to big for a lot of people, in which case i would say you absolutely should not be keeping it, big snakes are a big responsibility and are a big commitment and take a lot of space and work that's just the reality of a giant snake this is in no way an attack at any one person this is just my humble opinion based on my experience and i know there will be some keyboard warrior who will need to be right at all costs, so to save both of us the time and the effort i will just say, this is my opinion yours might differ and i'm open to constructive conversation to open different insight onto the subject. but please keep it respectful otherwise i will start spouting nonsense to waste both of our time🤣
This funny I put my baby burm in a 40 gallon it stressed her completely out.. Read your animals.. lol.. your literally using textbook .. I'll let my animals let me know what they like and need.. And what they like is a warm spot a cool spot and a little room to slither around.. put all my animals that are in too large of tubs whether it be boas burms balls or retics.. which is my snake experience.. and they get insecure and temperamental.. I put them in something snugg with warm and cool spot with a little space and a hide.. they're happy as pig in you know.. so yeah you use math I use it too. But the math I see that really works is square foot for foot with height depending on species.. and my animals are very healthy and happy.. so thanks..
Yaaaaaay Snake Math with Animals at Home!!!
Haha love snake math!!
Awww man!!!
Desired next snake before watching this video: Carpet python.
Desired next snake after watching this video: Barbados threadsnake 🥺🥺
😂😂 nooo!! I didn't want that to happen! get your carpet... you can make it work! I'm still laughing at the thread snake 😂 Thank you for watching!
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast No, thank you again for bringing awareness to where is needed. 👏👏👍👍🎉🎉🙂
Be careful, those who use rubs will be cramming corn snakes into smaller space if you can fit 500+ in a 5' viv !! :) - Only kidding. Interesting video, and a tough topic. Back in the late '80s early 90's when I started my collection the "rule" used to be that the distance between diagonally opposite corners (bottom left front to upper back right) should ideally match the length of the snake, or at worse 3/4 it length. So an 8' boa could fit in a 6' long enclosure. The problem with suggesting volume is that you can manipulate the three dimensions to give the same answer, eg, turn that 10' x 5.5' x 8' on end so 10' is the height and the floor area may get restrictive. But then that 10' tall viv might be suitable for an arboreal snake of same volume.
I think the main issue is that people see a 4' royal of 2.5kg coiled up in a space no larger than 18", so assume it doesn't need space, heck, double that to 36" x 18" and it will be fine, doesn't need height as they don't climb so 36" x 18" x 15" (LXWXH) and that's fine.... when it real terms a 4' or 5' x 2' x 2' would be more practical (not if you follow the logic in this video).
Interesting video... interesting topic, and one that will spark a lot of debate
😂😂 "hey, this video on TH-cam claims we can quadruple our corn snake colony!" Yep, the diagonal hypotenuse is something many people don't think about! As long as there is decor of some sort running on that line (maybe a branch from one corner to the other) I think that works great! And as far as manipulating dimensions go... that is so true. I think I naively assume people will automatically set up the dimensions of their enclosure using their animal's natural behaviors as a starting point (i.e. arboreal=tall, terrestrial=wide/long, etc.). I think I have seen enough industrialized setups to know that is certainly not the case haha!
But I think I didn't say explicitly enough that the dimensions do not need to revolve around the length, if you want to increase the volume you can increase it in any direction (go longer or wider), it doesn't have to only be in the upward dimension. It's not necessary to be forced into using the length of the snake as the permanent length of the enclosure if that makes sense!
Retic owner here-
Ive got a smaller sized male who is actually growing normally (many retics are obese and powerfed, bigger longer animals). Im wondering, what SHOULD the minimum be for larger sized snakes then, at least in your opinion.
Totally agree... must Retic's are fat and way overfed! It doesn't help that some of the big names overfed there snakes on a regular basis on TH-cam. It's a tough question to answer... I still think the length rule works, so for a 10' long retic a 10' long enclosure would be fine. I would just try and encourage you to add as much height as possible, 8' high would be great. Or at least I think that would be a good goal to shoot for in the future i.e. 10L x 3W x 8H, or something along those lines! Retics are really semi-arboreal.
Reptiles are not the only animals facing this problem,so are birds and most mammals kept as pets. Fortunate birds get aviaries,cats get catieos and I feel large reptiles should be given enclosures like these and smaller ones,screened window enclosures as well for nice days.
I had house rabbits for 13 years and they free ranged in my house,head a litter box and such.
While that can't be done for reptiles,still,people need to do better. I think moving to smaller reptiles is really the way to go in the long run.
Yep, completely agree!
In my opinion anyone who wants to own any type of pet requiring a a enclosure needs a video timestamped of their enclosure with a measuring tape to prove the size and already set up, other than that no problem,
Good idea! A new episode of the podcast will be released tomorrow that covers the topic of keeping giant snakes. You'll have to check it out!
Leave me alone.
I had this insane idea last week- I aspire to own and breed amazon basin emerald tree boas, which are thick and longish, 7' maybe. Roughly 40K cubic centimeters of snake. I have this absolutely hideous melamine curio/china/hutch cabinet I got off craigslist, that has 2' deep, 4' high, and up to 11' long, with 2 end spaces that are 18" wide, 2' deep and 8' tall. (although i was thinking about skipping a 3' long section to make it more practical). So at a minimum 2.4 million cc of cage, works out to be about 80 snake volumes in there. Better, but not great. Especially if I want two someday. So if I put a zig zagging floating shelf that divides the cage almost in half diagonally on the verticle axis, with 2 small openings. Then the snake could start out in half the cage, climb to the top, cross over, climb down and then slither through another opening, cross the bottom of the cage, and circle back around. Also can explore a "pit" at each end (which might be aquascapes or caves or something). It would also allow for creation of a lot of microclimates because of the shade the shelf would put in the cage (might have to put lights or heat or something on underside of shelf to make this work).This would be easier to draw than write about, lol! My kids are little and run around the house a lot- but they love to find a circular path to run in. Hence, into my bedroom at a godawful hour of the morning, around my bed, across my bed (vertical element!) and then back out the door while I'm yelling at them for stepping on my anatomy. Has anyone tried this with their snake?
This sounds like a really neat idea! Although like you said, it’s hard to visualize without an image. Just based off your description though, I think it would work out really well. Cages do not have to be simple rectangles, having different areas for the animals to explore seems like it would be a great benefit! You’ll have to keep me posted, I’d love to see how this project turns out!
Excellent video! I'm not very good at math but I absolutely despise the reptile Community when it comes to big snake cages. The Anaconda and reticulated python people are horrible. I mean it is really embarrassing. The python people, will straight up insults you if you try to promote bigger cages. They are 100% convinced that if you give a big snakes room, they won't use it, they will become extra defensive, and blah blah blah. I've had friends who promote bigger cages, be told that they are stupid and committing animal abuse by giving a reticulated python more than a 10-foot enclosure. Reticulated python loves to climb and swim. But if you check out my anaconda enclosure, she is in an 11 x 6 x 6 with a 450 gallon pond and she went in there at six foot two. She also has a 5 x 2 x 3 Cabinet below the floor of her enclosure that she can access and hide in. Now she is 8 feet and if you check out my video from last night with her, she is on top of the rock wall inserts in her enclosures 5 feet off the pond. He climbs all the time and most people would not even give a 16 foot female a case. They would give her like an 8 x 3 x 1.5. Just enough room for the snake and a water bowl fit for my chihuahua. Whereas my huge enclosure is not even her permanent one. My goal is an 18 x 12 x 8 with 60% of that being a pond, with an additional hiding cave underneath, and Ledges entries for Basking. That's the goal in 5 years. And then once my new cages come in the next few weeks, I will have an 8 x 3 x 4, and two 8 x 3 x 2.5 enclosures for my 3 BC red tail. And then my boa imperator Who is likely going to stay no more than 6.5 feet, is getting a 6 x 3 x 2.5. But check out my anaconda enclosure and maybe see ifwe can do some type of video chat for your Channel or both or w.e. whatever you want to do if you're willing to do it. I think we could really have a great discussion. I have reached out to multiple herpetologists, including my vet who spent 10 years in South America studying anacondas. And I've had conversations with Jesus Rivas, as well as a zookeeper / herpetologist named Troy, and local zoologist as well. If that's something that you might be interested in, let me know and maybe we can shoot each other a private message or something. I would also be 100% in favor of regulations for big snakes. I don't think that they should necessarily be legal, but I would absolutely support every state requiring permits. Where you get inspections and you have to have a specific minimum size cage and have it actually be a quality guy. And I would also be in favor of making it mandatory to take a course on large snakes with proper feeding and all that other stuff. And if people get caught illegally with it, harsh punishments. They are amazing amazing animals soap I would be completely on board with mandatory inspections and shit. Because I think it's safe to say that it's the very least 90% of the people who own big constrictors, shouldn't.
I have an 11 foot reticulated python she is 2 years old the only thing I see wrong with your math is my 11 foot snake is about as big around as your boa retics in the wild are thin most people over feed them now I plan on fixing an entire room up for her or atleast a 20x8x10. But to people that want a retic but don't have a 2 car garage super dwarf retics can be about the same size as a corn snake just feed appropriate sized meals and don't make them the sanke that eats your f/t leftovers when your 10 ball pythons refuse to eat.
Thank you for watching! As I said, don't get too caught up in the figures as I was just using hypothetical numbers. I just wanted to show that when you increase girth, you dramatically increase the overall size of the animal. Although I have a feeling you might be underestimating the girth of your retic, I can't imagine an 11' retic only being slightly larger than a paper towel roll? when you get a chance, I'd love to see what the real measurement is if you wrap a string around the thickest part of her body. Circumference measurements can sometimes be deceiving, I could be wrong as well, I'm more curious than anything!
And yes... I totally agree with you, most retic's we see in captivity are WAY overfed and seriously obese! I'm sure you've seen Dav Kaufmann's videos of wild retics, quite a difference from the sausage-shaped snakes we often see in captivity haha. Cool to hear that you have plans for such a large enclosure! *"don't make them the snake that eats your f/t leftovers when your 10 ball pythons refuse to eat"* SO TRUE HAHA!!
so this one has really stuck in my mind. perhaps a more workable standard would be ratio based. forgive the maths, i am really awful at it. so if we take a corn snake as an average for a colubrid and what is generally thought a minimum viv size for an average 4ft adult, roughly a 60 gallon/9.6 cubic feet viv (roughly 4ftx18"x18"). you could say 15 gallons/2.5 cubic feet per foot of snake (15:1). you could take that as a general minimum for a colubrid, and your research can tell you how to arrange that space to suit. that way people could figure a general guide much easier than working out the volume and they could soon plan ahead. eg a ringneck would be 15gal, a taiwan beauty snake 150gal etc.
there is a couple of tricky spots in that activity levels and outlying body sizes could change things. that would be where proper research comes in to tell you if it needs vertical space or if the volume should be mostly substrate/shallow lateral space. you would also need a different figure for boids as they obviously take up more space. however you could still work out an ethical minimum ratio for each group and people can use that to look up the average adult size of an animal and what size of enclosure it would need long term.
i dont know enough to actually make a reliable ratio but i think it would make it a more accessible thought process for people.
This is great! I think this is an excellent way to frame it... reminds me of what they do in the aquarium hobby (I think they have a 1” per gallon rule or something like that). At some point I’ll do a follow up to this video, I’ll include this idea. Like I said, this is a problem for us (hobbyists) to figure out an answer for, so brainstorming ideas is exactly what we need to work this out. Thanks for adding the additional comment and spending some time thinking about it 😎
Once you start thinking about the girth of the snake itself, the enclosure will suddenly shrink.
8ft Burm needs a much larger hide than an 8ft rat snake for example. (Commented before finishing video so if this exact thing was said there, oops)
Exactly! The other example I originally had in the video was comparing a 5 foot blood python with a 5 foot Amazon tree boa… I took the example out only because I had already made the point and it didn’t need to be redundant. But yes, girth is crucial!
Yeah that's wrong no question whoever put it in there put them in a little box see how they like it
Snakes literally love small spaces. They like to feel the walls around them. If there is too much space, it will stress them out.
This is a great theory, but your comment at then end when you compared your space needed based on this theory is why most of this is wrong. You need to know and understand each snakes needs. For example, if you put a ball python in a larger enclosure as you suggest, the enclosure will be too large and stress your snake out. Thus possibly creating eating, health, and other issues detrimental to the snake. Before purchasing any pet, reptile, bird, 4 legged kids ie dogs cats, or anything research what that animal, and breed of that animal needs. Because it can vary very drastically and what you think is helping could be hurting your pet.
Thank you for watching! This video was simply meant to demonstrate the fact that if you use length alone you will run into some serious space issues with larger species due to the increased proportion of volume they displace within the enclosure. It also must be said that this video has nothing to do with how to set up your enclosure properly on both a dimensional level (eg. to add volume for a terrestrial species you'd probably consider expanding the floor space rather than height to achieve more overall space) or a décor level (adding furniture to create more useable space). That is for the keeper to determine based on the natural behavior the animal exhibits (i.e. arboreal snakes should be in taller enclosures and terrestrial snakes should be in longer/wider ones). I personally do not subscribe to the line of reasoning that suggests an "enclosure can be too large", I discuss that more here: th-cam.com/video/og7UMyC46yA/w-d-xo.html
No, no, no and no. There is no sense in this calculation at all.
The space ANY animal needs depends mostly on its urge to move and the space for the enrichment to keep it in healthy condition. That is the reason why snake make the best pets by far. They don't want to move around all day long, they are not very smart. That makes it easy to make them happy in an enclosure.
Do you own a snake?
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast my eldest snake is a ball python born in 1998. I got a boa c. c. and two Burmese. I used to have different lampropeltis.
For the size of the enclosures I follow the law here in Germany. The length of the enclosure has to be same as the length of the snake. For large snakes it's 0.7 times its length.
That appears to me way enough space for them. As you know if there is no need to move a snake won't move. If you see it wandering all the time, be sure your snake doesn't like it there. No matter what size you give it.
@@brightstar0815 I’m surprised someone who has kept snakes for so long would consider them to not be intelligent. There is plenty of research on snake cognition at this point to say the contrary. Activity absolutely plays a role in enclosure size but so does overall size. An inactive 8 foot burm in an 8’L x 2’W is still way too small. Even inactive snakes have moments of high activity. Record your snakes at night.
@@AnimalsatHomePodcast I know studies that tell the King Cobra is more intelligent than the average snake. Also I know from Retic keepers that say they are different somehow. My Boa c.c. is more interested in the things that around then my other snakes. At least she is staring at the TV when she is with me on the couch ;)
Her enclosure is 5 ft high as she is arboreal. But also she never leaves her favourite place in her tree except for having a drink at the water bowl.
I admit many colubrids are more active hunters. They might need a bigger enclosure because of this fact maybe this should be one variable in your calculation. But boas and pythons just wait for prey. For safety reasons there are few reasons for them to relocate. I would never recommend keeping snakes in something like one of those racks many people use nowadays . But I say that because for me it feels wrong to store animals like that . Although anyone should admit the snakes are not doing badly in racks. They look healthy and they breed.