our newest snake

[ls1grrrl]

We brought home our second Brazilian Rainbow Boa today. He's been through a couple of owners at least, and hasn't been kept in optimal conditions for a BRB - too low humidity for at least 4-5 months that *we* know of, probably longer. He's showing some signs of dehydration mostly in his eyes - they're dry and have a dented appearance (which you can see in one of the pics below) though we gave him the "pinch test" and his skin seems pretty resilient. We were lucky enough to have seen his last shed a month or so ago, and he didn't retain his eyecaps, so we're sure its from his extended low humidity. He's still pretty irridescent, which makes me wonder if the dryness in his eyes is repairable or if he's suffered some long-term permanent damage. We've got him in a proper setup now with the right temps and humidity in the upper 80s/low 90s. We'll be giving him regular soaks to help with hydration. Does anyone have any additional suggestions for anything we can do for his eyes?

At best guess, he's approx 3yrs old and is just under 5 feet long. He's been fed well and isn't over- or underweight. He's beautifully marked with very light/high orange coloration. The couple of pics we snapped after bringing him home don't do him justice even in his dehydrated state. He also has a good temperament tho a little head-shy, which is understandable since his vision is impaired.

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2226.JPG

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2223.JPG

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2221.JPG

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2231.JPG

[Clownfishie]

He's beautiful! :) Best of luck with him...

[Linds]

Great colour! He looks like he could use a little weight, but nothing major. Glad he's finally in a better home :) As for his eyecaps, there isn't a whole lot you can do. Just keep humidity right up and see what happens. Keep us updated on his progress! :D

[Lisa]

Looks like he's a pretty snake.

[ls1grrrl]

Just an update on the big guy. After being in the proper humidity for a few days, his eyes are already looking much better. He's edgy when anything (including his own tail) touches him near his head still. I figure it will probably take a shed at least to really clear up his eyes. Hopefully the damage isn't too deep.

Here are a couple of pics from today. You can still see the indentations, but they're immensely improved from the day we brought him home. In the second pic, you can see he's getting a bit more irridescense back throughout his body too.

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2238.JPG

http://64.45.232.21/gallery/newbrb/DCP_2237.JPG