My new boa *PICS*

[ChunkyMunky]

My first Boa, bought it yesterday at a local pet store. I have a few questions about it.
1.Can you tell if it is a male or female from the pics so i dont have to call it "it"
2. Does it look healthy?
3. What is the best way to heat the mice before feeding?
4. How often will a Boa of this size eat.

It is currently living in a 260 gallon enclosure and looks happy.
Will this cage be big enough for it when it is mature?

Any other advice is appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/movies/1.jpg<p>
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/movies/2.jpg <p>
http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/movies/3.jpg <p>
Sry for crappy pics.

[lakeridgekennel]

take it out of the reptarium it will die soon. Trust me it's happend. It will get a cold from the draft and it might die. they are just to open for a snake great form a lizard but bad for a snake.

[reptile boi]

Hey Chunky Munky,

1.Q:Can you tell if it is a male or female from the pics so i dont have to call it "it". A: No, you need to get it probed or popped to be sure.

2. Q:Does it look healthy? For a snake from a pet store. Yes.

3. Q:What is the best way to heat the mice before feeding? A: a bucket with hot water will thaw the mouse or rat in 30 mins. I like to keep rats in hot water for 1 hour because it will make sure that the large rats im feeding mine are fully thawed and with time the water gets cooler (not too cold, just warm) so the prey gets a bit cooler to so it wont burn your snakes mouth. But if your using mice-small rats, itll only take 30 mins.

4. Q:How often will a Boa of this size eat. A: A boa at this size would eat a hopper mouse or rat pinky once every 5 days.

Also, did you get it checked by a vet? Reptiles at pet stores i find are always loaded with internal and sometimes external parasites, also i don't like acquiring snakes from pet stores because most of the times they look healthy, and do great for a couple of weeks and one day when you wake up from bed or come home from work or school you usually find a dead snake.



Thanks,
Ben

[Pythonian]

I want a boa :(
mike

[Linds]

First, congrats on the new addition! He's very cute :)

Originally posted by ChunkyMunky
2. Does it look healthy?

Its hard to tell from distances. We can't get a good look at its eyes, vent, scales, mouth/nose, etc. I would strongly suggest having a fecal exam done on your snake to check and possibly treat for internal parasites.

3. What is the best way to heat the mice before feeding?
In a bucket of hot tap water. Do not nuke it in the microwave, and don't use boiling water... you may end up partially cooking the rodent or burning your snake.

4. How often will a Boa of this size eat.
Every 5-7 days is good for neos. Generally you feed the snake a rodent that is roughly the same size as the largest part of the snakes girth. The sooner you can switch your boa on to rats the better... the longer you wait the harder it will be.

It is currently living in a 260 gallon enclosure and looks happy.
Will this cage be big enough for it when it is mature?

I would strongly recommend getting a different enclosure. As mentioned above, repatriums are not suitable for snakes, especially larger stronger snakes such as BCI. Not only were they not made to hold the animal as securely as it should, but it is extremely difficult to maintain any humidity levels and proper temps, unless your whole house is the perfect environment, which is unlikely. For enclosures, custom enclosures are best for adults, and rubbermaids (or smaller custom - but people don't usually want to invest the money if they will have to upgrade very soon) do best. Tanks are better left for fish or desert animals. General rule is to give your snake 1 square foot of floor space per foot of snake. Most male BCI can be housed in 4x2 enclosures, females usually stay small enough for them too.....however the more space the better... if your snake gets to be more than 7.5' you will want to go up to at least a 5' or 6' cage. If you want to put decorations such as climbing brances and plants and hides, then you will also want to go larger.

Words of advice for the future: Please put more research into your snake before buying it... these questions should have been asked and answered before you brought your new little guy home. Its important for the snakes well-being that all the details are worked out beforehand ;)

[JeffT]

Is that a heat rock its on or a water dish?

[Zoe]

looks like a water dish

[Lisa]

How long is it? it looks to me to be big enough to be taking small rats or bigger.

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

CHUNKY MUNKY:

Nice boa, lots of good information here on these threads.

Good luck

Tony

[ChunkyMunky]

Thanks guys for all the help/info. Yes that is a water dish, heard the heat rocks were bad so I didnt get one. He still didn't eat, its been 6 days, i offered him 4 f/t mice but ignored all of them. The guys at the pet store gave me mice that were a too small for him (could this be a reason?) Also his eyes have already opaqued and are back to normal now so he should be shedding anytime now, so i'm gonna wait till after he sheds them i'm gonna try to feed him again. If that doesn't work i guess i'll go back to get bigger food(Should be about the girth of body, correct?) Any suggestions are welcome.

Thank you,
CM

Edit: Lisa, he is roughly 2'. I haven't got around to measuring him yet.

[Linds]

Yeah let him chill out until he's completed his shed then try offering him his meal again (roughly the same size as the largest part of his girth). Be patient with him as well, you don't want to be offering him a meal every day or every few days, give him time in between each offering... I would keep offering no less than every 4 days, being constantly offered food when he doesn't feel up to it can stress him out more, and once he starts feeding then you can offer every 5-7 ;)

[leolover]

nice snake