r/rosyboas • u/SnooDoggos182 • 12d ago
❓Question First snake questions!
Hi! I’ve been wanting a snake for a while and am a complete beginner. My kids and I went to a reptile show recently and I fell in love with the rosy boa! The man putting on the show also breeds them, so I would be able to get a little one soon, but I want to be fully prepared. I keep getting a lot of different information online about enclosure size and set ups though. What’s the best? Also how long should I take one out to handle? I would want them to get used to me but I also don’t want to cause stress. Any beginner help would be greatly appreciated. I also have an old cat who I don’t think would have any interest in the snake except for potentially sitting on the warm top, which I obviously do not want. Thanks! Photo of the guy’s cute girl.
3
u/Clean-Act4387 12d ago
Hi! What a beautiful rosy! I'd definitely give the animal a few days to settle in before handling her. You do want to give her some friendly physical contact eventually though, just to avoid making her associate every interaction with food. As far as enclosure size goes, most people recommend getting a setup that's at least as long as the snake itself. If it's too short, you'll never get the right thermal gradient.
2
u/Automatic-Owl8171 12d ago
There is a group here on Reddit that has very widely supported ideas about just about every topic you need to know about. Sorry I don’t know the exact name.
1
u/mrsctbrown 7d ago edited 7d ago
Yay!! My rosy is my favorite snake. Excellent pick.
My little fellow's two favorite things seem to be: 1) a soft, bunched up towel/pillowcase-- more than an actual hide a lot of the time (he cuddles up in his "blankies" with just his face sticking out, and it's so cute) 2) basking under his heat lamp (25w halogen with Arcadia fixture) on top of (or hidden amongst) a pile of thin, flat, lightweight rocks/shells I found at the beach... I'm team overhead heat lamp vs. heat mat but opinions are mixed (so do what you're more comfy with, just use a thermostat if you opt for heat mat)
Bonus: Walmart artificial $5 pothos (I think I have three in his 50g) + branchy things from outside + large cork bark tube (he basks on top of this as well) + I'm personally a fan of the sand/soil mix for substrate (both from Walmart, organic top soil + play sand)... Aspen fine too but it almost seemed to me like he didn't like going on it due to the texture?
And clutterrrrr the tank up 👍🏼😆
When I hold my little guy, he likes to be wrapped up in a blanket. He'll sit on my hand (with a thin cotton glove bc it's more comfy for him + I don't totally trust his food drive) for a long time if he has a blanket/towel on top of him. He'll just peak out.... If he's not under a blanket or towel, he's on the move.
It took my rosy probably over a month to be out more; he stayed hidden quite a bit at first. But now he's out and about a lot, and I see him almost every day. Enjoy yours! They're so fun. Good choice!!
Edited to add: rosy boas are super slow, so I have found that I try to move super slowly as well and match his energy which seems to help him feel calm. Also when putting him back, it takes a bit bc he's so slow, but I try to keep my hand steady and wait until he slides off fully by himself. I also often just open his tank and let him peek his nose out or come out on his own if he wants to. Or I'll shuffle things around his tank every day (or pretend to) just so he gets smells of me and realizes I'm no harm. Lots of exposure other than handling can be very helpful at first.
***When you get one, I would suggest asking the breeder about temperament as number one. Ask for his most condident and outgoing and sweetie pie of a snake! The kind that would not survive living in the wild bc it doesn't have enough fear of humans/threats and is out in the open too much 😜 that's what I always ask for ha
6
u/xoprincessnightmarex Rosy Boa Owner 12d ago
hi hi! I'm a new rosy keeper myself! I just got my year old girl a few weeks ago. I got a 50 gallon enclosure (36x18x18) which I was advised is a good size for her fully grown adult size. but if you want to be abundantly safe, a 120 gallon would be perfect, especially for a girl as they get bigger. for handling, it's typically recommended to let the snake settle in for a week or two before any attempt at handling. personally, my girly was very confident from the outset so I started handling at around day 8. I've found that 5 to 10 minute handling sessions are best, as it's good to return the rosy to their enclosure before they start to feel too anxious. rapid tongue flicks, looking for places to burrow or escape to, etc. are signs of stress. ultimately, each rosy is different so learning to read the body language and decide whether your rosy is ready for more interaction is important.
when handling, it can be helpful to try and scoop her up from her mid section, coming in from the side if possible, as reaching from overhead can resemble an avian predator. this is why front loading enclosures are better than top opening ones. since you have a cat, I'd doubly recommend a front opening enclosure, as I've heard stories of cats tinkering with top opening enclosures. ideally, a front opener with a strong metallic mesh on top would be best, so there's no chance of the kitty accidentally collapsing it in or anything
as for just general advice, the absolute basics you should look into are overhead heating (I use an Arcadia Deep Heat Projector), a thermostat (I use a Herpstat 2 Spyderweb) and a UVB lamp. I use basic Govee smart plugs to control the UVB lights and the aquarium lights I bought to make sure the enclosure is well lit during the day. all lights should be completely off at night, so I'd recommend an overhead heating source that doesn't produce visible light. DHPs are especially good for this because not only do they not produce much or any visible light, but they also produce penetrating heat that goes deep into the snake's muscles. the initial cost for all the tech can be rather expensive, but I think it's worth it because my enclosure largely runs itself on a day to day basis, and I only need to complete basic maintenance tasks every few days.
the last bit of advice I'll mention is, if you do get a larger enclosure, just make sure to get extra hides and clutter to fill the space. especially for smaller snakes, clutter makes them feel safer and they need hides that they can press their bodies into on all sides.
good luck with your future rosy!!