rainbow boa sick?

leoguy62 · 05-06-12, 11:52 AM

Hello, my rainbow boa has skipped her feeding this week and i offered her a mouse daily. Her temps were a little cold this week as well, about 69, so i turned a light on today wich brouth it to about 74 but i also notice she had cuts on a couple of scales
heres a pic:
IMGA0080.jpg

Strutter769 · 05-06-12, 01:17 PM

Hi, welcome to sSNAKESs! Don't be concerned about missing a meal, it'll happen from time to time. When it does, dont offer food until the next feeding day. Offering wvery day may cause stress, and waste a lot of food items! Chances are temps may have been to low to entice feeding. Try to increase your temps to about 77° with one side slightly warmer.

As for the cut, it doesn't look bad. You said "on a couple scales?" Is the other comparable to the one in the picture? It looks minor to me but definitely keep an eye on it. With the humidity need of Rainbows, bacteria can grow quickly. Some may recommend keeping her on paper towels for a while to keep the cuts clean while they heal also.

I'm sure some of our experts will be along to offer more tips and info.

Enjoy your stay with us!

alessia55 · 05-06-12, 01:17 PM

You shouldn't be offering a mouse every day when she refuses to eat. That will only stress her out more. Only offer food every 7-10 days, even if she's not eating.

We'll need more information about how you're housing her. What is her enclosure like? temps? humidity? What kind of substrate do you have her on?

USMCgunner11 · 05-06-12, 01:45 PM

What do you think caused the cuts? The one you showed looks small but obviously you want to prevent your snake from cutting itself more seriously. Are there any sharp edges on wooden branches in the enclosure? Are you using a bark substrate? Feeding live prey?

leoguy62 · 05-06-12, 02:48 PM

Right now she is in only a 10 gallon shes still only about 2 feet long. I moving her into a 36" x 18" x 24" or a 36" x 24" x 24" in about a month when me and my dad build my tanks for my birthday. I'm not sure if her humidity was over 90 over the week or i got water in the probe but it was rather high now I'm spraying her down less. I think she might have gotten cut on the rock but her other 3-4 cuts are like the one in the picture
I'll put her on paper towels today
Her enclosure is coco husk with jungle earth bark. she has a rock that she can go under, the dirt is dugout under the rock and there is a heatmat. She has a coconut hide on the otherside with a ceramic water bowl next to it. she also has a plant in the middle. I put I light on her earlier and i saw her under it for a couple minutes then she went back into hideing.

leoguy62 · 05-06-12, 02:49 PM

also she eats frozen/ thawed with holes poked in the head she its large hoppers and her temps now are like 73 and i think maybe like 80 on the other side, my probe is substrate level mid tank and its reading 75

Edmond Y · 05-06-12, 03:08 PM

There is a good chance for him to ready the next shedding cycle, see if his belly turn pinl in the new few days.

Edmond

marvelfreak · 05-06-12, 03:47 PM

First your temps should be warm side 82 to 85 and cool side no lower than 72. One very important thing to remembers is temps over 85 can kill a Rainbow Boa. Second you need to get a temp gun. All reptile owners should have one. You would be amazed at what a digital thermostat might say the temp is and what a temp gun will say. With a TG you can point it at surface and get a correct reading immediately.

leoguy62 · 05-06-12, 05:58 PM

alright thanks