enclosure size for coastal

[pixie]

just a quick Q.. i have a coastal carpet python (he's only little now) and i would like to know what size enclosure to make/buy when he grows up as i have decided to start planning and saving now so im all set for later, thanks in advance ,
PiXiE

 

[TrueBlue]

6 footx 2 foot x 2 foot, with a division in the middle and NO thermostat. :wink:

 

[Kersten]

We have our adults in an enclosure that is approx. 8 foot high x 6 foot wide x 10 foot long and it's outside. But obviously you'd need to take how much space you have to work with into consideration

 

[waruikazi]

A general rule i go on is half to 2/3rds the snakes length and then about a 1/4 high and wide. Coastals can get to the 10' mark so you i would be looking at 5-6 1/2' long and 2 1/2-3' high and wide. Hope that helps.

 

[Kersten]

Going to have to disagree with that one I'm afraid. Coastals are arboreal and therefore need room to climb, height over width is best IMO.

*dons flame retardant clothing*

 

[cris]

IMO height is the first priority(I rekn atleast 1.5m), then after that make it as big as is practical in your situation.
They seem to be happier when they are high :lol:

 

[waruikazi]

Sorry. I've never worked with coastals so you'll have to forgive my ignorance, but you could always make it a couple of feet higher and put all your branches and hanging things in for them to climb???

I'm sure pixie is looking for as much info as possible, so the more opinions the better... IMO :wink:

 

[reptilemart]

at the risk of being flamed here as well.. The americans seem to be doing fine using the 'boaphile' style cages for their coastals. I believe these are only about 12-17" in height which is certainly not much. I have also read in many forums that placing a perch (PVC pipe or similar) even 15cm off the floor will keep some of the climbers happy. I know many say that bigger is better in regards to caging, but I must say that I've built decent sized enclosures in the past to find the snake only uses a quarter of it!

 

[pixie]

hehe.. i might have to send the b/f off to work more so i can rent a bigger place... sounds like i'll be building something id fit comfortably in... thanks for the advice

 

[waruikazi]

Well this is what i've made for my 7'6" bredli, (sorry these are the best pics i have of it) its about 5' by 2-1/2' by 2-1/2'. She has always been a very terrestrial snake so i have never had to put much in for her to climb. This probably wont suit your environment as well as it does mine but hopefully gives you some pointers on where to start.

her partner is much more abboreal so he has an enclosure about the same dimensions but up the other way, so it's taller than it is long. sorry don't have pics of that one (it's not at my house, he's out on loan).

 

[cris]

sounds like i'll be building something id fit comfortably in...

I think you have the right idea pixie

You could probably keep one alive in a box 1 foot cube, just because an animal doesnt die doesnt mean it is happy. Coastals get up to(possibly over) 4m i wouldnt consider 12 -17" climbing, JMO
I have never had a carpet that doesnt climb all around its cage. Bigger is always better(provided suitable hides etc to make the snake secure) IMO and allows for more exercise. In their small brain going up means safety to them IMO.

 

[pixie]

in the future ill buy a house and modify a room for him...

 

[rascal779]

click this link and use my dimensions to make your own
this size enclosure is more than big enough.

http://www.aussiepythons.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=17314

 

[steve6610]

hi,
i keep my coastals in a 4x2x2 foot enclosure, mine are around 6 foot long and are very happy, i tryed the high enclosures (old cloths cupboard) and my male refused to even come out of his hide box, i left him for about 6 weeks and he didn't eat or drink , i moved him back into his cage that was 4x2x2 and he spent about 5 minites drinking and the next hour climbing over it and then spent the next few hours hanging on his log, i put his rat in and he took it straight away, so anybody that says a coastal isn't happy unless he has a high cage isn't always right, it all depends on the individual snake, just also to add he was so upset at being in his low enclosure that he bred last season to 3 different females with all 3 producing hatchlings,

but thats just my opinion and i'm sticking to it,

cheers,
steve.................

 

[cris]

just also to add he was so upset at being in his low enclosure that he bred last season to 3 different females with all 3 producing hatchlings,

Steve, He cant of been too happy if he got out and into another cage :lol:
I would say the reason they didnt like the higher cage would proby be the decoration or maybe smells.

 

[steve6610]

pmsl, he didn't get out on his own, i had to push him into them,
sorry i don't agree with the smells or decorations being the reason,
the only differance was one was long and one was high, still had the same hid box and water bowl,
therefore his smells were already in the new enclosure,
it's just like saying maccies and bhp's don't like climbing, my bhp loves his log,

cheers,
steve.......

 

[cris]

I was thinking of smell in the wood or something of the cage it self, maybe he is just scared of heights :lol:

 

[Dicco]

Cris, if a snake has been raised in long but not very high enclosures, being moved to a real tall one is a whole new thing for it which can stress it out which is what seems to have happened to Steve's Carpet, things vary for individual animals.

 

[steve6610]

what dicco said, lol, i'm glad somebody knows what i was meaning even if i didn't, lol,

i'd love nothing better then to move him back into a higher cage, and i will be trying again, but i won't do anything that i think might stress my snake for no reason, you only got to watch him to see that he is happy, that is until the girls start letting him know they want him to visit, pmsl......

cheers,
steve.........

 

[waruikazi]

You just need to remember that what works for one snake may not work for the other, alot of the time you just need to suck it and see.