Back Heat/Belly Heat for Boas

[Texas Rattlesnake]

I thought this would be an interesting discussion for the "cool" boa geeks on the site. Sorry Stargazer, spelling geeks are not "cool", at least not in this thread.

How many of you use back heat? I have some racks with back heat, and what I've noticed as compared to my racks with belly heat is that it takes much longer for boas to digest their meals even at the same temps. Boas seem to digest much faster with belly heat. They also seem to grow faster in tubs with belly heat. I have to be real careful with the animals that only have back heat. We can't feed them as often, and we need to wait longer to handle the animals. I am not sure that back heat is a good idea for boas. Our king snakes seem to do just fine with it. But they do not sit and digest like boas. They are always moving around.

Your thoughts?

[danktat]

I am personally a fan of belly heat. That is one of the reasons that I use Animal Plastics caging for my larger cages. The heat rope that is routed into the belly of the cages. My rack system has the same heat rope in the back of the rack but it is routed into the shelf so that the gradient is pretty decent on temps in the tubs.

I like the heat source being on the bottom due to the basking area it provides. Direct contact with the heated area seems to raise body temps a bit more quickly than sitting under a light or haveing a radient heat pannel. The disadvantage is that you don't really raise the ambients as well as a pannel in the back or a light from the top. I remedy that by keeping the air in the room the snakes are kept in around 78°-80° so it doesn't require much in the way of raising the ambients in the cages.

Even in the couple of Glass "tanks" I have use the UTH heat pad type elements. I just find them easiest to work with as far a space consumption, safety (as long as it is regulated properly) and effectiveness in raising the body temps of the snakes.

These are just my opinions and everyone will have to look at their situations and decide which strengths you want to expolit in a heater and which weaknesses you can live with.

	Under Tank Heater Under Tank Heater: A commonly used method of heating a reptile enclosure.

[razeraze]

I am a fan of both. I find belly heat aids in digestion but air (surrounding) heat keeps them from basking too long and burning their stomachs.

[Kobi Baby]

For Jezi, my suri, I have a UTH to aid in digestion, and a daybulb/nightbulb to give her a temperature gradient throughout her tank. Oh, and I keep her in a 40 gal terrarium.

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor

	Under Tank Heater Under Tank Heater: A commonly used method of heating a reptile enclosure.

[david]

i dont relly know the answer for boas but with my retics and burms small ones dont get belly heat i grow them slow they get belly heat after they get on bunnies to help digest food better im probley going to get hammered for this but oh well

[Special_Ed]

The key to providing supplemental heat for Boas seems to be INDIRECT heating..
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Back heat may work, substrate heat seems to be better. In a cage under a heat lamp or emitter, especially a glass cage the radiant heat reflects all around and the snakes may not be able to closely control how much heat they take on except by entirely avoiding it.
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If you observe a boa (easiest with a big one) on a substrate heat source you'll see how they will either riase or lower the mass of their bodies on or near to the hot spot to get just the right exposure and effect. Pregnant females especially will add heat to specific portions of their body.. and they can do so with very little movement.
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I use the under cage or substrate heating and it works very well in my set-ups.
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Hope that helps.

[Texas Rattlesnake]

Originally Posted by Special_Ed

I use the under cage or substrate heating and it works very well in my set-ups.
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Hope that helps.

I'm going to phase out my racks with back heat. I just don't think they supply enough heat for boas to properly digest their meals.

[ssjsmits]

Seems like they are doing pretty well though considering.