3ft vs 4ft enclosure for adult Stimson

[Marty75]

Hi guys,
I'm tossing up whether to get a Reptile One Saburra 90 or 120 tank for my lone adult Stimson. Width and Height wise they are both the same 45cm x 60cm dimensions, the only difference is the length.

The 4ft model would no doubt give the little fella more room to move/hide etc but is there a downside to going for a larger tank (perhaps unnecessarily) vs a smaller one. The only issue I can think of is needing more power to keep the tank warm.

My Stimmie is roughly 80cm in length.

If I go for the larger tank would it be out of the question to introduce another Stimmie (opposite sex) around the same size?

Thanks in advance.

Marty

 

[borntobnude]

Marty , another way of looking at it is that is gives your snake more variable temp control , if its cold amazingly it will go towards the heat and vice versa . we don't have lots of snakes so we keep them in larger enclosures and we feel that we have happy snakes for it .
yes they tend to not stretch out that often but its nice to see that when they want to they have the room .

 

[12-08-67]

Most people will say that 3ft is sufficent enough and really depends on how many hides etc you will have in enclosure for room. My female adult is over 1.1mtrs and currently in a 3ft enclosure though will larger hides on both sides and branch in the middle it doesnt look alot of room but she gets plenty of exercise when she wants to come out. Though after winter i may put her in a larger on just to compensate for queensland heat so she can keep cool easier.
I would not recommend permanent housing of snakes together as the risk of injury is very high, you will see numerous threads on here and whilst some have done it for years with out injuries more so have not been so lucky.

 

[Bluetongue1]

An adult length of 1 m is what you could reasonably expect. A 3 ft vivarium is more than adequate, given the other dimensions. It can stretch out fully and get plenty of exercise, while allowing an appropriate temperature gradient to be established.

Just a comment on hides sizes. The actual space in a hide should make for a cosy fit, with the snake able to touch both the sides and the ceiling when coiled up. This allows the snake to retain heat and for the humidity from breathing to be retained within the hide space, reducing water from the snake. A large chunk of styrofoam makes for an excellent hide. Metho applied carefully with a small paint brush will dissolve the foam and allow you to create an entrance and cavity and to shape outside surface. "Igloo" style entrances are best. It can be easily shaped to resemble a chunck of rock. A coat of ochre coloured paint with a bit of lighter paint not fully mixed with give a genuine rock like appearance.

As mentioned, having branches, or for that matter even a length of say 20 mm or 25 mm irrigation pipe from front to back, is important. This will assist in the movement of food through the gut as the snake goes over it, helping to avoid constipation.

Blue