ugh... sand boa prob...

DeesBalls · 06-04-09, 01:31 PM

ok guys, its been a while since my last post. so far evertyhing is going good with the snakes but everytime i feed my sand boa, Kenya, while shes in the feeding tanks, she sort of a bitch when i try and pick her up. she dont stike at me, she just like twitches and jerks around... i dont know what is going on with her but its getting pretty annoying lol. i hold her and stuff like im supose to its just when she is in her feeding tank she hates me picking her up..

so whats going on?

also everyone look at my other post:
"ugh... ball python prob..."

siz · 06-04-09, 02:20 PM

How long do you wait to take her out of her feeding tank once fed? I would recommend feeding in the tank, assuming you don't have a substrate that would cause impaction..

Chu'Wuti · 06-04-09, 04:17 PM

I think Jess is on the right track. If you are picking up your sand boa immediately after she has swallowed her meal, she is feeling pretty defensive. Many snakes bathe immediately after eating to remove any blood scent from their bodies in order to keep other predators from eating them! You are a predator as far as your snakes are concerned. You either want to steal her meal or you want to eat her when she's less able to defend herself because she just ingested a heavy meal.

I was also told to feed my BP n a separate "feeding tank," but after learning more from the folks here, I no longer do so, and my BP has been a better eater. I never tried to feed any of my other snakes in anything but their main enclosures, and we never had any trouble with impaction, though it can depend upon your substrate, as Jess noted.

DeesBalls · 06-05-09, 11:39 AM

well i would feed her in her tank, BUT i use sand like substrate... i tried to use some aspen bedding stuff and it pissed her off so i had to go back to sand. i usually wait like 20 min before i put her back in normal tank after feeding.

i also feed my BP in her tank and it works begtter

Will0W783 · 06-05-09, 02:04 PM

Hmmm. How did you know the aspen was "pissing her off"? They usually can't really tell the difference as long as they can burrow in it. Using sand for any snake is a very bad idea. It can get between their scales and scutes and cause irritation and even infection. IT can also get in their eyes and cause some serious infections. Definitely change your substrate. The snake will get used to it. I use aspen for my sand boa- a good 3-4 inches deep so he can burrow down in, and he is fine. Then you could feed in the cage and eliminate the problem of handling too soon after a meal. If you don't want to do that, try getting a snake hook to scoop her up and back into her tank.

**Aaron_S** · 06-05-09, 07:51 PM

I would like to add that waiting only 20 minutes after feeding a snake is still risky. The snake can still be in "eating mood".

siz · 06-06-09, 06:48 AM

It can also lead to regurgatation, which is bad for your snake, and disgusting for you.

I used to catch snakes all the time as a little kid, once I picked up a big, fat water snake and..surprise! yuck!

BP_okay · 06-06-09, 11:45 AM

I have a sand boa, and I am currently switching over from crushed walnut shells(very similar to sand), per everyone's consensus on the forum. Eiither aspen bedding or carefresh seems to be the new subtrate I am going to use. Just to let you know, I have had a terrible time with the walnut shells. If you read the thread Coverting from live to F/T - you can read about the retained eyecap I have had to deal with b/c the tiny pieces got stuck between his eye and the newly formed eyecap. I am certainly a newbie, but I am just speaking from personal experience, and advice learned from these guys.

DeesBalls · 06-06-09, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

I would like to add that waiting only 20 minutes after feeding a snake is still risky. The snake can still be in "eating mood".

how long do you think i should wait
?

**Aaron_S** · 06-07-09, 01:00 PM

Just feed the snake in it's "regular" enclosure and you don't have to wait.

BP_okay · 06-13-09, 01:13 PM

Also, I have never had a prob with feeding my sand boa in his enclosure. They are so docile, IMHO,there is very little risk of being nipped/bitten, albeit your hand not smelling like a mouse or not picking him up properly.