expected adult size question

[challenger]

I have 4 RTB one of which is a female Suri about 4 yrs old and is about 4.5 ft eating F/T Lg Rats. Another is 2 years about 4' but thinner and eats F/T Med rats-won't eat larger or does and then barfs a day la8tr (worst smell ever?). Another 4 yr old female is on XXXL rats and is about 7' and maybe softball size around. Lastly is a 100% het for albino male 1 year old eating med rats. All are doing fine but I want to build a 4 tier cage "rack" and would like it to be 4 enclosures of the same size. I'm wondering what to expect size wise especially from the one big food hound.
I'd also like to bring up the subject of water bowl size. I was under the impression they should be able to soak however read that this is a no no. The water bowls in the three larger snake cages are about 2'X16". they are hard to maintain due to their weight and size. Can I go to just water dishes??
Thanks all
Howard
Wilmington, NC

	Heterozygous Heterozygous - the animal carries the gene for a genetic trait but does not outwardly demonstrate the trait. Example: A boa that is het for albino looks normal but carries the albino gene. When it is bred to another het for albino boa or an albino boa, a percentage of the offspring will be albino.

	Suriname Redtail Boa Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor constrictor) from the locale of Suriname. Considered to be a "True" Red Tail.

[BFGoodrich]

Im not sure, maybe Suri's are smaller. But my CAB is only a year and a half ish and its already 4.5 feet. Is 4.5 feed a normal size for a 1.5 year CAB?? Just making sure the Breeder is being somewhat accurate in the age :P

	Suriname Redtail Boa Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor constrictor) from the locale of Suriname. Considered to be a "True" Red Tail.

[dhonaker]

suries grow very slow 5x2x18 for each cage schould b good

[LS84]

The bare minimum is 1 square foot of floor space for each foot of snake. Lets just say the biggest one gets at the most...10 feet (which may not even happen, and if it does, not for a very very long time) I'd say each cage being 2x5 is perfect and would give them all space with room to spare. If you did 2x4...that gives 8 square feet, which COULD be outgrown by your largest after some time. Some people may disagree and say 2x4 is fine, but I think larger can NEVER hurt. hey, even 2x6 is great..but most people dont have the room for a cage that big especially when their boas arent close to needing a cage that size.

As for water bowls, all my snakes including my boa have water bowls big enough to soak in, but they rarely ever do. I know its very hard to have a water dish that big, but if you can, it cant hurt as well. I know plenty of people that just have a small dish for drinking, bathe their boas often, and keep the humidity level up well enough that they dont need their boas to be able to soak in their water dishes

[challenger]

Sorry for the error but the biggest one I described as softball size in girth. This was meant to say baseball. Softball would be on rabbits I imagine.
Anyway the H2O still has me puzzled. In one of the caresheets is states strongly against soaking bowls saying there is a great chance of germs/bacteria/other nasties when they deficate in a bowl they are soaking in. Mine soak on occasion and all of them do their business in the H2O bowl often as well. It is about the grossest thing carrying a splashing 25 lb bowl to the toilet when it is containing last weeks rat. Still undecided. To me it's easier to scoop up & replace feces & urates along-w-a couple of handfulls of cypress mulch.
I am leaning to the 6X2X2 size for my future cages. Bigger is always better right? So at least I can apply this to my cage design. I'm OCD so 5' doesn't click-w-me plus I think the number will work out best-w-the 6-2-2 from sheet material

[Slithers]

listen to the caresheet.

boas dont NEED a place to soak, if you keep the humidity up like you should.

I have gone to smaller bowls with my boas.

Go for a 6x2!

[mpgt]

I read somewhere that the largest boa on record was a suri. Not sure if it's true...anyone?

	Suriname Redtail Boa Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor constrictor) from the locale of Suriname. Considered to be a "True" Red Tail.

[smash_57]

Feel free to build me one, too, while you're at it

[challenger]

I will be looking for a new home for my current setup which are 3 homemade 4'X2"X18"-w-2 bottom hinge doors and light fixture for CME in one side of each. The cages are great except I'm really not happy-w-the doors. They are plexiglass and I didn't get the fit very good-I like things perfect but did a rush job cutting the doors. I'm in SE NC if anyone is interested in picking them up when I get the new ones built. It won't be for a few months and I'll post when I start the other cages. I won't be asking for any money for these.

[dhonaker]

Originally Posted by mpgt

I read somewhere that the largest boa on record was a suri. Not sure if it's true...anyone?

it is but it takes a very very long time to get there

	Suriname Redtail Boa Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor constrictor) from the locale of Suriname. Considered to be a "True" Red Tail.