enclosure size

[Frank]

help getting BHP for XMAS need to build box. What is the best size to build

[olivehydra]

If it is an adult I would suggest as big as possible. Floor area of 2000mm by 1000mm. Height should be governed by door width of your house (unless you dont want to dismantle if you need to move) usually between 700 and 850. A lot of people may suggest smaller tho.

[Surfcop24]

I may be wrong..... But 2 metres(wide) by 1 metre(high) by 850mm(deep) is pretty big for a BHP isnt it??? They dont grow to be a huge snake....

My opinion only.....

I am building a 4ftwide x 3fthigh x 600mm(deep) for my Coastals..... I have two of them.... and I have been told that is big enough....???????

[munkee]

My 4 foot something bhps are currently living in 4'Lx2'Dx1.3'H dimensions. I've been told a good measure is the length of the snake shouldn't be longer than the length plus the width of the floor space. Mine tend not to move around too much, they find a nice spot to hide and tend to spend a lot of their time there. They don't need much height from who I've talked to. If you can give them more space it's always better than less. Space available to you and cost is something you know best. Cheers

[pugsly]

Dont grow big?? Not huge? They get up to 10 Feet mate, possibly bigger, thats pretty big if ya ask me!

[olivehydra]

Originally Posted by Surfcop24

I may be wrong..... But 2 metres(wide) by 1 metre(high) by 850mm(deep) is pretty big for a BHP isnt it??? They dont grow to be a huge snake....

My opinion only.....

I am building a 4ftwide x 3fthigh x 600mm(deep) for my Coastals..... I have two of them.... and I have been told that is big enough....???????

The formula of cage length plus cage depth being equal to overall snake length is suggested in a lot of books. I personally feel that this should be a minimum requirement. I have no doubt that a snake will thrive in a smaller environment and would go further to suggest that most quoted stats on caging are given by breeders whose space is at a premium. I think if the animal is a "pet" then why not go bigger.
I would suggest that your cage is too small for a coastal, particularily if they are bigguns. I kept coastals in caging that big only up to 2-3 years in age, but that is just my opinion. Thermal gradients are so much harder to achieve in small cages, while a 2metre long cage can easily have 10 deg. varience.

[Surfcop24]

Length of cage, plus depth being equal to the snake's length??? Gee's a lot of people have undersized enclosure's then...

I am not saying your wrong.... Just .... Dont agree....

And I apologise... I didnt realise BHP's could grow to 10ft....

I'll stop leaving my opinions now..

[Frank]

Thank you all for your input but I h ave organised wood to the length of 1500 long and 600 deep with a height of 700. If this is too small please let me know. At this stage it is only a hatchie.


Cheers

[olivehydra]

Originally Posted by Frank

Thank you all for your input but I h ave organised wood to the length of 1500 long and 600 deep with a height of 700. If this is too small please let me know. At this stage it is only a hatchie.


Cheers

I would get the cage built but keep the hatchie in one of those plastic "pet habitat" enclosure until it is bigger. Depending on how you construct your timber enclosure you may find gaps small enough for a hatchie to escape (between sliding doors etc). Unless you put heaps of hides in your timber enclosure a hatchie may feel a little exposed in a cage that size, and with heaps of hides it becomes a pain to "find" the little guy. Otherwise it sounds OK. Depending on what sort of "timber" you have sourced you may find that if you went larger the cost shouldnt change because of standard sheet sizes, as long as you keep dimensions divisible by O/A size. Say increase the 1500 anywhere up to 2400 whilst maintaining the 600, or reduce the 1500 to 1200 and increase the 600 anywhere up to 1200. I hope this dribble makes sense? :wink:

[olivehydra]

Originally Posted by Surfcop24

Length of cage, plus depth being equal to the snake's length??? Gee's a lot of people have undersized enclosure's then...

I am not saying your wrong.... Just .... Dont agree....

And I apologise... I didnt realise BHP's could grow to 10ft....

I'll stop leaving my opinions now..

Its good to sometimes not agree, so please dont stop leaving your opinions, otherwise things will get pretty boring around here :wink:

Yeah I honestly think the hobby can be quite addictive and some people may go for quantity over quality, I know I have in the past, but have since slashed my collection to just a few animals. I wish I had the space for more though

[munkee]

If its a hatchie you wont need such a big enclosure. If you have a heat mat and probe thermostat the hatchie can live in a storage tub (breeder style).

[Frank]

Sorry sould have been clearer. Will put in container on heat mat for a while, as I did with my Maccie. When I put her in her final enclosure she seemed to find a hole to get out, twice 2nd time i watched. Fixed that hole and went on hols months later for 10 days, she had been out for 9 of them found her in tv unit put her back in box in the heat and after a few days fed her and she has not looked back even eating thawed mice. she is nearly 12 months old and her box is 1200X600X700, planning to put a male in with her in the next 6 - 12 months ans eventually breed.

[BROWNS]

Dont grow big?? Not huge? They get up to 10 Feet mate, possibly bigger, thats pretty big if ya ask me!

Just as an example i came across an 11 foot easy r/kill bhp recently they are big bloody animals most of them and this was in the wild.

[Surfcop24]

Ok OK.....I did say I was wrong..... Anyone else wanna push me down further..LOL.....

[africancichlidau]

1220x600x450high is a reasonable size for them unless they are big specimens, don't forget that when adult they are not arboreal so height is not a concern. Give them as much length and depth as you can afford spacewise in ya hoose.