Housing Your New Pet Snake or Boa Constrictor 

I boiled a 6 point elk antler and gave it to my 5 month boa. Every time I look in her enclosure she's on it or under it

All my heat emitters are from Amazon lol literally a third of the price as buying at a pet store and I’ve never had a problem. They keep a very consistent heat for me

Congrats on the sponsor! I'm glad to see one of the few people on RU-vid who knows their stuff about these animals succeeding. FB tub/racks house my boas right now and have been working better than their PVC cages did!

Keep up the amazing work Jason! You are providing information especially about Boas that is pretty hard to find elsewhere. And iv learned more here from you than anywhere else!

For humidity in my glass tank I put glad wrap over the top of like half the screen and tape it around the sides.

Congrats on the new sponsor. I’m not surprised because you always do great no nonsense videos, keep it up.

I’ve kept boas for years & I STILL find myself watching your care videos. Learning everything about these animals is soooo important to keepers & you do such an amazing job of demonstrating that. Very tough to find quality Boa care videos. Keep them coming!

I've been watching a lot of you're videos and I've been learning so much and I gotta say some of the types of snakes you've got are so cool

Congrats and thank you so much for talking about enrichment items and their potential long-term hazards but even with that great information we're still going to have people that put them in and we'll never clean them.

Going to an expo in mid August to get my boa. Your vids have been very helpful

This is awesome. I feel a lot more comfortable when I listen to guys like you and some of the others about getting your first snake. My girl comes in Tuesday so I'm just trying to get everything prepared for her. Checked off most of the things you mentioned. May go pick up a ceramic heat emitter because sometimes it drops down to low 70s in my apartment and I'm noticing it dropping in the enclosure too(Sterilite tub. I'd get a stand and have it well above the enclosure so it wouldn't melt and use a thermostat). Also going to move it out of the line of my AC. Thanks man

Mine is in a glass tank, bark bedding to hold humidity, under tank heat on the back half of the tank. The hide is big so it has a warm side and a cool side so the snake can thermoregulate without coming out if it wants. I mist the bedding. Temps are low 80's and low 90's. Humidity is around 70% and higher in the hide. I could always put a towel over the lid to raise the Temps and humidity like during the winter when my house is cooler and dryer. I am already shopping for the forever home. I like the PCV plastic ones. They are expensive! My neighbor is a carpenter and wants to build the home. The materials for a PCV house are pricey but not as bad as buying an assembled house. The price of labor would be beer, chicken wings and conversation. We always help each other out.

Great work on the sponsorship! New to your channel but have learned a lot from you. As your channel grows the more I can learn!

You are such a good man and wonderful advisor for us newcomers - it really warmed my heart when you said before you recommend that substrate to us you wanna try it yourself! Thanks for all your information and help, sir. It is truly appreciated out here.

Congratulations on the sponsor!! Excited too see the channel evolve even more!

My roommate insists on keeping the house at 67 degrees and it has been a nightmare maintaining temperatures.

Can't wait for the coco bloc review 😉

I’m always conflicted about enrichment vs simplicity, which is best for my babies. I think a lot of the “enrichment” might be just for me 😅 Maybe I’ll dial it back after this video. Great tips!

love all of your content, ive learned alot from you over the past few years. Id like to see a video of you handling some of your favorite boas, something a little different than usual

👍🏽Awesome episode again, n also about the FB upgrade! My boa actually is in a wooden 6ft enclosure. UVA/UVB basking bulb caged in. In hindsight I wouldn't put baby boas in there right away again. Even tho many hides were provided she was way too shy at first. Sweet but shy. Now that she's bigger no worries...

When compressing a concept into words the recipient has to decompress what you say, and after that, understand the concept. I hope you explode on youtube! You are doing amazing mah dude! Keep it up! You videos are super helpful on so many levels.

Great video. Congrats on the sponsorship!!

Thanks Jason, great video. I love seeing my boas ( I Only have 2 ) in their glass 50 gallon reptile tanks, they are both young. I have them decorated awesome and I really ENJOY seeing them , but I totally UNDERSTAND no way , if I had MORE than 5 snakes .I Do the EXTRA to maintain humidity and husbandry.

Congratulations on the new racks! And definitely make a video about the bedding please!

Nice, I love your videos. I gotta say though I used to be all about going out and getting wood as well, but I’ve had 3 incidents from doing that now.. once I had spider wasps emerge from the log and get out into my house.. another time I had some unidentifiable species of pale white detritivore introduced, which although I don’t believe was eating at the snakes, they were taking refuge in their eye sockets… and once I had ants, absolutely took over the entire wooden enclosure. All of these were a simple fix once the problem emerged, but nevertheless a pain in the ass that I avoid now by buying some nix shampoo, and scrubbing the wood with that and water and a bristle brush. I then pour boiling water over it a couple times and let it dry.. so far it kills everything.. of course the thicker the log, longer to let the permethrin sit.

My new baby boa is in 100 gallon tank, coconut fiber, live mosses, a good size cork log, heat emitter, fake plants, , water bowl, rock heater with ledge, and light.

Always love your videos. My first boas i went strait to a tote setup with a heat mat above and below to keep it nice and warm. Just put holes in the side and boom nice and toasty snake. My corns are in tanks but they don't need it as warm. Totes are also grate for keeping humidity better. I use Tupperware containers for hides and for the water bowls. I make sure it is big enough for them to fit in completely for my boas my Guyana red tailed loves to soak when he is about to shed ill see him just soaking for days where i need to take him out to change is

I finally got over my fear and bought my first female Columbian Albino BCI boa this past weekend-coming from a ball python, I’m obsessed with boas now-thanks to you. I feel like after watching your channel for a lil bit these snakes don’t seem as big as they first did. Kinda reminds me of the sandlot scene where Squintz recounts the story of his cop uncle encountering the beast Hercules (the oversized Clifford looking Bull Mastiff), and then when the kids finally see the dog for themselves, it wasn’t as big as they had first imagined. Anyways your vids are awesome!

corn snakes don't like it too dry. sure you can do 35% humidity on a corn snake without getting an RI, but they need around 55% humidity to get a good shed. you can even do 70% humidity, but I think you are getting into the danger zone. Jason, you are not kidding about making sure everything can be cleaned. I switched to plastic for all of my enrichment stuff. I use plastic water dishes for dogs because they have that cavity under them. I put a plastic milk crate for my rat snake to climb on. The hot hide is a plastic dinner plate turned over with a cave hole cut into the side. I use alot of pvc pipes to. If a hide is too big I use a rock in it to take up some of the space. Everything can be done cheap, and right at the same time

Sorry I'm late but.. I've tried so many different types of bedding and honestly the best combination of value, quality and results has to go to Hardwood mulch! It's ground up smaller than the cypress mulch so you don't have huge chunks but it packs like dirt and has the capacity to hold 100% humidity in a standard Exo Terra only by duct taping the top of the screen. I had to remove some of the tape to increase ventilation! Comes damp, no additional water needed! Can also be dried out to use for other species. My boa constrictor is housed in half hardwood mulch/half shredded aspen bedding. I keep the water bowl on the mulch side with a cool stone hide and a cardboard box (omg she loves that damn box lol) over the warm dry aspen side. This set up has resulted in perfect sheds every time. She must love it cuz I open the doors so she can come out at her leisure while I'm in the reptile room and she comes to the front door and hangs her head out and watches me but never makes an exit lol Maybe she's Agoraphobic? lol

I use repti chip...I love it I have 2 snakes and 1 block is enormous have enough for 2 change outs

Sounds like your mic is loose again bro lol great video love the content keep up great work. Have great day an stay safe.

you really gotta squeeze that coco dry after you break it up and hydrate it. It's going to send your humidity to 80-90% for the first few days. I like a blend of Cyprus and coco

More great information, thanks!

I always watch even if i already watched it!

My big boa is in a wood enclosure with only a heat rock, and a light....but she favors upper shelf or lower corners.

The pvc enclosures i build i use a router and route a place for uth... Im sure u can do same with wood. I also use radiant heat panel

Useful vid as usual. I ‘ll sound a little bit preachy but I must insist on the thermostat which is not an option,it’s mandatory!i also use the inkbird.for that price I do not know better.take care.greetings from north Deutschland.

Yea I need this video even though I know how big they get I still want one

A heatmat works for me in the summer. But end of september I will use a lamp also. Otherwise the temperature will drop too fast.

I’m hoping to become the mother of a boa imperator some day, so this is really useful.

Started watching a few days ago love the content

Re snake hooks: I bought a large one with a wide flat hook design: the width means that damage to a largish snake’s ribs is almost impossible, though I almost never use it. Cleaning: Al Coritz (Viperkeeper) said that a study done at one of the major zoos concluded that too clean an environment actually weakens the animals immune system. I use cypress mulch, and for some of the others coconut bedding, which I like. The only downside with coconut is that the dark colour can make poop hard to see. I check for poop/urate very carefully, and remove the substrate near to it, but do complete substrate changes very rarely. Unless “furnishings: are soiled, I don’t clean them when changing substrate: the snakes settle in much faster when their own scent is left on their “furnishings”. If one disinfects anything with bleach, this MUST be very thoroughly rinsed off: chlorine is toxic to reptiles.

Very cool.. Very informative thank you

I use 100w basking bulb (and a 5.0 UVB, but obv not for heat lol) and it doesn't seem to drop below 75 in there. I have a space heater that kicks on if it does in the room they are in at night, just in case, but my dude seems to regulate his temp quite well. I use a mix with Coco and bark for the substrate, but wanna set up an auto sprayer. Arduino to the rescue lol.

You won't regret going with freedom breeder Coco Blox it's the best stuff out there hands down. I bought one block and then bought a pallet a week later it's worth all day long. Great video keep it up

I do the heat admirers I switched over from Matt's to those I dont regret it

Just fyi, plexiglass can warp over time with humidity! I learned this from a buddy who learned the hard way. Use glass instead!

Really so humity counts

Great video! How often should you disinfect the props inside of the cage, and how often should you change the substrate for a 1 year old boa?

Epic vid bro

I use eco earth from Zoo Med Coconut Fiber substrate and my ball python loves it

Love the video bro it was a good video

This is such good information. I'm not a "new" owner per se, I've had my ball python for 2 years and my boa for 4-5 months. I would love to have your opinion on my setup (ExoTerra Large Wide) and perhaps offer me some tips/advice if I'm doing something wrong. Humidity over time is tough (I work out of town every other week) as Canada isn't known for humidity lol. I was thinking about adding a misting system for my boa. I just don't want to make it too much of course. Love the work you do!

I wish we had breeders like this guy in the UK👍

What is your opinion on bioactive set ups for boas? Obviously they are a bit more complicated for new keepers, but I have found it an excellent option for my corn snake and would like to use it for other snakes in future. I could watch 24/7 and I don't think I would be as efficient at cleaning the viv as the clean up crew are!

My dude, love your videos. That said, my girl went from fitting in my hand to stretching across both my arms in about 3 years. Still a big baby to me, but I know i'm going to have to get a bigger tank. The tank I have is glass, i know, but I cant take it apart which is important. I started looking at some PVC ones that could be assembled/reassembled, but they are almost $900 which is crazy. Would it be easier to just make one?

Slate is great that is true

Enjoyed the video.. Shame about the continued adverts!

Thanks for the video Jason. Just bought my first boa, an Orange Pastel Leopard. I’m thinking of getting a 28quart bin for the little guy while he grows into something bigger. Any recommendations on something beautiful I could breed him to for some sick looking babies?

We want updates on your recent Kahl litter!

Hey man, love your videos, a question for you or anyone that can answer. My 6 month old retic hasn't shed since I've got him at an expo 2.5 months back. Yes, humidity is good, I soak him too. He eats every 6 days, decent sized meals. He looks healthy. Why won't he even start his shedding process? Thanks.

I noticed that you speak about getting several items from Home Depot, what about some of the coconut fiber substrates can this be purchased from home depot also? I’m currently trying to set up a 100 gallon for a adult boa

Jason was wondering if you have any baby female columbian red tail bcc with green eyes.i said with green eyes bc my old boa had green eyes it was really cool and how much are babies? Thank you

Hey bud. Dont know if it was just me but first 1.15ish there was a thrumming sound

If you have a mat heater under the glass wouldn't that dry out the mulch from the ground up and not from the top down?

Can you do a video on how to house small snakes

I have 1 yo boa, in a glass terrarium, 80cm x 40cm x 40cm. I used coco block for some time, but the problem was, that even though the coco chips were big, there have been also a lot of very small particles that were getting stuck in my snakes mouth when he dig. I switched to paper towles as the bedding. A local breeder that I've bought a snake from, recommended that. However right now, the hummidity oscillates between 45-50%. The only source of hummidity right know is a bowl with water(it has a discent decent surface). That local breeder told me that he keep his snakes like this for over 20 years, and they are ok. I'm a littler worried though after watching this video. Is it really dagoreous for my animal? Is there any way besides misting system, to keep hummidity high without spraying it 3 times a day? I'll be very gratefull for your opinion Jasson.

Jason my boas dont use their hides they dont actually like them they prefer to be on the branch or little trees they have is that wrong ? They eat prefectly tho

It’s not funny but how u said it 🤣.. Too hot and you’re gonna kill them and to cold and they’re gonna get sick and you’re gonna kill them... aye man please please keep it up with the videos!! We love you and the information is so on point I check to see how many subs u have every month u should have way more subs!!! Subs ain’t a measurement of your success. U a beast!!! Let’s go!!! 🦍🦍

Looked at your website, I’m guessing you don’t have any normal redtails for sale?

Can you mix substances up like e.g mix coco husk with coco bark???

I use RO water

Perfekt in my Bedroom it’s always 80 degrees or higher 😅

Is it bad that i use plyers because i keep dropping the rodents with tongs and i use a snake hook for training i use it to let them know its not food time

Do you have baby central american boas (male) that grow to max 3-4 feet (no Colombian cross)??

How do you feel about humidity hides/boxes?

So are you saying to do little enrichment?

What's better food? Frozen or live or both once in a while?

Love to talk to you by email about boa constructors I have two red tail boas but they don't look the same I have loads of questions want to breed them but I need all the info first as my animals welfare always comes first

So here’s my thing I love these animals and really want to breed snakes but I’m worried I won’t be able to house 20 snakes in the event that I can’t sell them or give them away. How can I prepare my self to house this many animals And what is the cost to do so?

Which plants would you recommend for a larger bio-active boa enclosure?

Do you import them or export then ????! I've been looking for a redtail because I dont have any bcc yet only bci's???

Do you got any snakes that will only go to about three to four feet

Do you have those shirts/or sweaters for sale?

Inkbirds.....”IF” they fail do they fail on the “ON” position and can then cook/kill ur animal?......based on the snippy comment I got from their customer service when I attempted to ask that question I’m assumed the answer is yes but would u happen to know?

Do you breed Peruvians. If so where do you sell

Hello how do I buy a snake from you?

5Gal tank, 100W red heat bulb, under tank heater, no lid, yard grass substrate and sparkling water....!! Totally joking.

👍👍👍👍👍🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤❤❤❤❤

almost first :(