Epicrates cenchria

amsdadtodd

New member
I love watching my guys bask in the fog when I have it turned way up. I don't usually keep it on intense enough to fog the whole tank, but when they are in shed it helps them to do it.

Yesterday was feeding day for my guys, so they won't be out of their hides for a couple days now.
 

CWilson13

New member
Given the screen top and how quickly it dissipates, I figure filling it and letting the heat evaporate the mist will help. I really just want to get a proper enclosure, $200-300 isn't in my current price range however.
Feeding days are kinda sad for me, she disappears for at least 2 days.
 

amsdadtodd

New member
I have the same, a screen top and I place a towel over the half where the fogger enters. I'm putting some new enclosures together using melamine and glass front cabinet doors. I figure if I"m going to put the work into customizing it, I might as well do it from the ground up.
 

CWilson13

New member
Yeah, I have thought about building one from acrylic myself, but cutting that stuff is quite tricky. I have less experience with glass though. I did find a great sized enclosure online though. 4'x2'x2' is big enough for her even full grown. Just can't see much from the one photo Blue Lizard Reptiles has posted. That and they may charge a lot to ship from UK.
 

amsdadtodd

New member
There is a Christmas Tree storage tote available this time of year from Wal-Mart which a lot of keepers use. It's not the best display enclosure, but for housing them, they swear by them!
 

CWilson13

New member
Yeah, I have seen many people use those. In fact I probably would use something similar if I invested the money into starting any Herp breeding. Much easier to use than any kind of tank or enclosure. Heck, even if I had a Ball Python or Red Tail I might do that. With Pandora though, she is active enough and so colorful it would be tough not to display her.
I have gotten the timing down better with the fogger and the hygrometer finally started reading properly, it needed batteries was all. She is back to her normal 80% now. I still have to mist her substrate on the warm side but that is only every other day now. Used to be 2x a day minimum. This is the one I found that I might go with
http://www.bluelizardreptiles.co.uk/housing/vivariums/5060127650408 The bottom on the list, 48x24x24. According to a few care sheets from breeders, that is adequate size for even an adult. The acrylic would be better though, for humidity and creating a bioactive terrarium for her.
 

CWilson13

New member
Fogger is still going strong, and even better, Pandora actually comes out more often when it has been on. Even after feeding. I tried to get a video of the latest feeding, for those who are not squeamish about it. However the background was too noisy and I have not had time to filter the sound out of the video. Instead, I have a picture just after the strike. Can even see her tiny little teeth.


Feeding crop edit.jpg
 

CWilson13

New member
Quick update on Pandora;
She has started shedding monthly now and has grown at least 3in that I can tell. Best measurement possible with her was 40in but that could be +/- 2in or so. She weighs only 120g which isn't actually bad for her, but still a bit lighter than I would expect. She ate the last of her Hopper mice tonight and when I went to check on her she most definitely noticed me and approached the glass. It almost looked like she was asking for more. I am going to be checking on the size of rat pups next to see if those are a better option for her.
So far all 3 of her sheds have been perfect and did not leave anything behind. She even did me a favor and defecated outside of her humid hide this time.
 

JessJohnson87

New member
Glad she didn't poop in her hide this time, snakes love doing that. I just looked at rat pups and they're only 1/2" bigger than adult mice so it's worth a shot. Do you order your frozen feeders or buy them at the store? I found a couple of websites that sell frozen rats/mice in bulk packs of 10.
 

CWilson13

New member
Yeah, she did it the past 3 times in there. Having Sphagnum moss made it worse than usual too :? The last packs I bought were from a store, but I have been looking into ordering online. My biggest issue is that I am a very visual person and saying "Mice are 3in Rats are 4in" doesn't help me lol I tend to base it off of what I think is large enough to give her the full belly look but small enough that her little head can handle it. When I first got her she definitely wouldn't have been able to handle pups, but now I'm thinking they will be right at that perfect size range. Here in the next couple of weeks I am hoping to finally head down to Pure Paradise. If the weather permits, I am planning on buying a nice amount of pups so she has food for a few months. I'm really looking forward to tax season and going back to work though. Once those happen my baby gets to move into her forever house. After I figure out the bioactive setup of course.
 

JessJohnson87

New member
You could probably set her bio-active up similar to what most do for geckos and frogs. You would need a ton more springtails, isopods and earthworms. A sturdy tree that doesn't get very big would work to. Since she has to have a humid environment, I'm not sure how feigning death beetles or dermestid beetles will work in there, but those are great at eating poop.
 

CWilson13

New member
I was thinking the same thing. I am just wondering if there are any plants that would work best for her. She is mostly a terrestrial snake, but as I have said before, she does like climbing things. I know some species of Fig work for some folks, but her new enclosure will only be around 2ft tall so I am not sure how long one would survive. I did ask a breeder of her species for some advice but have not heard back from him yet. It is a shame because he has a couple GORGEOUS babies that I was considering purchasing along with a couple extras of the enclosures I plan on getting Pandora.
Yeah, the springtails and isopods are going to be a bit difficult. My wife was apprehensive enough about Dubias... Now tiny "bugs" :coverlaugh: I don't think she was fully prepared for me to have a snake again. Worms are no issue though. Heck, she may not even realize they are in there. Might just tell her that either I get the "bugs" or she can scoop the substrate out each time it needs to be replaced :D
 

JessJohnson87

New member
The thing with indoor trees is, you can cut them back every month so they do not get as tall as they should. But figs and ficus usually don't get that big, you might try searching some of the snake forums to see if anyone made a bio-active for theirs. Those bugs are beneficial to the environment of the tank, my husband thinks I'm weird for going into the yard and turning up leaf litter and piles of wood looking for isopods and worms. He was the one that asked me why I'm not breeding my roaches instead of going out to buy them all the time.
 

CWilson13

New member
I have looked into the forums, but it seems that she is still not a popular breed, as compared to say Ball Pythons or Red Tail Boas. So it has been difficult to find info tailored to her needs. Hmm... gardening of any kind is not my strong suit. I would probably prune the wrong things and have a dead tree.
I am considering Spider Plants (hearty enough even I didn't kill one) too and just using driftwood or the false vines for her to climb on. Primary goal though is to actually get her enclosure and then start everything. Going to take much longer to get it set and running than a normal glass tank.
 

CWilson13

New member
Found an LLL Reptile page dedicated to non-harmful plants for reptiles. Been doing some research on what would potentially fit in a 48" x 24" x 24" enclosure. Also found a small and slow growing palm tree that reptilesmagazine says is safe... Obviously with any of these I will be double checking my info but figured I would share the link on Herp-Safe Plants.

List of non-toxic plants for your terrarium
 

JessJohnson87

New member
I think I know which palm you are talking about. I picked up a small parlor palm today for my new bio-active enclosure, snake plants grow big as well and are really sturdy. I have another list, more detailed than the LLL list, I'll Pm it to you since it's from another forum.
 

CWilson13

New member
Yup, it is a Parlor Palm. I have already begun my search for a very small one. Being that they take many years to grow to full height and they like moisture I figure they would be an excellent choice for her. I have also seen that some flowering plants can be used in there too. Primary reason for the plants is the retention of humidity and soil cleaning, not appearance though. Typically her breed is a primarily terrestrial one. Though, none of my animals are ever typical as many of you know. Least of all her, who still occasionally likes to wedge herself up on her screen top.
Because of her ground dwelling, I have been looking into soil composition for her native regions of Western Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, and even Colombia. Trying to get the right mixture of sand, soil, and even leaf litter is going to be the most important part. Her species is known to sometimes burrow, as she showed me when she was on Eco Earth when she was in her 20 gal. The downside for me is that because of what I do for a living, I am insanely cautious of just going outside and getting soil or cleaner crew. Once you know all the chemicals and fertilizers that are used near you, it can be a bit overwhelming. That being said, I am fortunate enough to have better resources for testing and evaluating the soil. Here in the next week or so I am planning on buying a few of the small shoe box totes to run mixture checks with. So far finding organic soil of any kind has not been easy but I blame that on the season. That and being in a mostly urban area.
With the cleaner crew, I am most likely going to order the majority of them. That way I have less to worry about when it comes to anything they may carry into the house. Funny how I get paid to eliminate some of these things from peoples lawns and property, yet here I am, looking to bring them into my own. Since Pandora is not known for being an insectivore like the Leos, I am fairly good on that front. Certain kinds of beetles i will have to avoid just because of their own appetites for living animals. I figure springtails, isopods, and nightcrawlers should do the job well.
I think the part that will be the worst is getting all of this completely set. Having a brand new type of enclosure and still keeping her in the right climate will mean buying all new lighting and heating too. That way she can move in and the only adjusting she will need is the new smells and possibly new hides. All in all, I am actually really excited for this project. Like I said when I first got her, she is the culmination of a 20yr dream and I am going to do all I can to give her as good of a life as she can get outside of being out in the jungle.
 

JessJohnson87

New member
Always try to find plants that can tolerate high humidity for periods of time. Bromeliads love humidity and do not require fertilizer to thrive, I actually water mine by misting it since the roots are merely anchors. Look up the care requirements for the plants before buying, I found a couple at Home Depot that I liked but decided against getting them after I came home and read about their care. Organic soil without fertilizers is hard to find, I happened to find some organic soils without fertilizer at the feed and seed store but I still have some of the seedling starter mix left that I can use. You can try adding some smashed up hardwood charcoal to the mixture as well.
 

CWilson13

New member
Just another small update on Pandora, her new enclosure and thermostat are ordered and in the case of the cage will eventually be here. The cage is an Animal Plastics T12 with sliding acrylic doors. Animal Plastics cages do take a little while to arrive, but they came highly recommended from a breeder who specializes in BRBs. Her new thermostat will be the Spyder Robotics Herpstat 1. Still waiting to hear back from the Radiant Heat Panel manufacturer so I can order the proper RHP.
Back to the breeder, I have been in contact with him for the past couple of weeks and I have to say, he has been immensely helpful, from putting up with all my silly questions, to even going out of his way to offer extra advice. I know that many of us here do not keep snakes along with our geckos, but if anybody is in the market for either a BRB or Boa Constrictor Imperator, I would definitely give him my recommendation.
Now for a couple stock photos and his link.
http://rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com/index.htm

The cage: T13 Large Web view.jpg
Thermostat: h1_front.jpg
 
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