What to do???

drewlowe · 04-15-04, 12:19 PM

Hello all,

I have a friend that has a boa i belive it's either a bci or bcc i'm not to familar with them and a pair of leos. He's not taking proper care of all 3. His gecks look like they could go at any time. His snake is surviving but for how long i don't know, and i don't know if there will be any long term affects his health.

His setup is a 55 gallon (that me an my man gave him a long time ago in exchange for his first born leo, crappy deal for us but I really wanted the leo and we never used the 55 gal. he was supposed to use it for the leos not go out and get a snake). He has bed a beast for the substrate, one small hide and one branch, NO HEAT SOURCE what so ever. We don't go over there very much, but everytime i'm there i ask how they are doing, his reply "he hasn't ate so he's aggressive" I ask how long has it been since the last feed his reply "a few weeks". This is EVERY time i'm there, which is once every couple of months. The snake looks horrible, saggy skin really really dark (which i remember it being light when he first got him so i think it's lack of heat/proper husbandry that's doing something to him). When i go up to the cage he will follow me like he's STARVING!!!! I have never held this snake because i don't want a bite from a starving snake, so i don't know how the disposition is, he says it's a aggressive snake, but i would be to if i wasn't fed properly. I've tried giving him some advice but it's like talking to a wall. I did just get my order of mice so this Sat. when we go over there i'm taking 2 jumbo mice with me and making him feed it with me there, so i know it's ate. He feeds live (which i don't even want to get started on), but i belive this snake is so hungry that it would most likely take a f/t mouse.

I know if i told him Give me your snake he would, he wouldn't like it but i know he would. The thing is i don't know if i want another rescue, i have a rescued veiled cham that cost a pretty penny for vet bills and cage requirements. I do have a soft spot though and would be there ASAP if he called me and said to take it. The thing is how do i get my boyfriend to want it, after Neo (rescued veiled cham) my boyfriend said no more rescues, he likes to purchase nice healthy animals (which i totataly agree with), but on the other hand i know this snake is coming no where near proper care and feel like i should step in and say give it to me. Plus we still live in the basement of his moms house and we are trying to save up for our own house, she kinda flipped when i brought home my corn snakes then when i brought home a T. I'm sure she would flip out if we brought home a "big" snake, but she would shortly get over it but my mans biggest concern is HER & the fact that he likes healthy herps (but who doesn't).

Not knowing what kind of boa it is makes it hard for me to do any research on it and have a setup ready to go for when/if i brought it home. I do know the basics and would be willing to research the animal in question. What should I do, Take the snake, leave it in his care, or i could see if he would let me take it to the herp society and let someone else adopt it???

I would take the leopard geckos but i have my issues with mine and will not take on anymore leos (personal reasons). I would love to take and get them euthinsed ( not being cruel). They are so far gone it's pathetic, there the same way they have NO heat and bed a beast for substrate and a few hides throughout the cage. They are so skinny and lethargic, it's like there barely hanging on. When i go this Sat. to take some mice i'm also taking some parazap and instructions on how to use it, i would make the liquid form in advance but it goes bad in 24 hours. I know parazap isn't going to be much help but it's something.

Our friend is a good person he just doesn't relize the care that should go into these animals and i don't want them to suffer anymore. I guess i'm asking what would you personally do if you knew this was going on????

Thanks in advance for any help or advice on this situation.

Jamie

marisa · 04-15-04, 12:25 PM

I was in the SAME situation when my ex-roomate had Gus the vieled cham.

He was a nice person, he was just neglecting Gus and telling him the proper way to care for him got me no where. At the same time, I couldn't freak out because this person lived here and was a personal friend at the time.

What I did was fall into a medium somewhat. Instead of regular gifts, for Christmas I bought Daryl some UV lights to use on Gus. Birthday, same thing...a misting bottle and some white heat bulbs.when I'd go to the pet store or the show I'd pick Gus up silkies and mealworms etc..he ended up going back to his bad care ways but at least I made these things an option for him to use and also kept our friendship. Later on as you know I got Gus, so it all kinda worked out without major drama aside from Gus getting the crap end of the stick.

Marisa

drewlowe · 04-16-04, 08:09 AM

Thanks Marisa,

I think for now i'll just give him some mice and the parazap on sat. Then there is a show next month, if i have some extra money i may buy some bulbs (he supposedly has the heat fixtures) or maybe a UTH.

I have some mice that i think are just a little to big for my guys (LOL i was weighing them on the digi scale last night) I took out all of the 50 gram+ and put them in a baggie and plan on taking 2 over everytime i go there or giving him 2 when he comes over. Hopefully he takes the hint...

daver676 · 04-16-04, 09:08 AM

I think instead of buying this individual supplies for HIS animals, you should print out a few care sheets for him and just be blunt. Let him know that this is not the proper way to care for his animals. I would think, since you and you partner are trying to save up for a house to start a life of your own (I'm in the same boat currenlty), then you have better thing to spend your money on then on trying to correct someone else's mistakes. Just my 2 cents Jamie.

JonD · 04-16-04, 09:15 AM

Yeah if this person is a friend, than they won't mind constructive critisism. Just tell them straight up, and help them change the situation.

drewlowe · 04-16-04, 09:50 AM

If this person was my personal friend i would have already stepped up and said something, but it is a long time friend of my mans, so there is that invisible boundry i have to worry about (you know me being the girlfiend and all).

I really do like the idea of printing him out a caresheet as that would be a "low key" approach of telling him to "step it up" on the care aspects. If anyone can point me in the right direction of a GOOD solid caresheet for bci/bcc, seeing as i have NEVER done any research on them. I only know "common sence" or basic knowledge on keeping snakes. I don't want to counter act his bad habits with more, if ya know what i mean.

I'm still going to give him some mice, cause i have no use for them anyway, and i still have tons of parazap (a little bit of that stuff goes a long way).

Thanks for everyone's suggestions, this is alot harder than i thought it would be. If it was my family or a friend i would have already slapped em silly and told them to straiten up. LOL

Jamie