Worried!

[vwbabe]

Hi all
I have 3 Boa's & 1 corn which a lodger left behind{All not kept properly, no adequate heating ect!}. Having heard nothing from owner I decided to keep them.
1 Boa a male about 2yrs old but very small{smaller than the 10month old salmon Boa.} I was handling him regularly & he was lovely. He hadn't eaten for the 3months the boy had him. Now it's 5months & still he won't eat! Tried fluffs, medium mice & small mice regularly, tried moving them about like a live rodent would, but he turns the other way as if he is scared of them!
They all had mites, which have been treated now.
But this one Boa was in with an 11month old female & the 10month old male.
Last week he started being very offensive to me. Then two days later I found young male, alone & shoved out of the hide. I removed him from viv' as he was so very traumatised!
Next day the female was snuggled up to the still nasty male. But the day after I found her evicted & very nervy so to help the situation{which I believe to be 2yr old male being offensive to her}
I removed him from viv'.
He flies at the sides of the tub he is in now{tempoarily}whenever anyone passes it!
I am so worried about him. My son who keeps snakes went to check him out & got tagged rather deeply, drawing blood.

Does anyone have any idea's why he would have turned so nasty even to his own kind for apparently no reason??
This boy has apparently been neglected before the lodger had him, so i'd love to be able to make him a happy Boa & show him how his life should be. He deserves it & i'm worried that I might lose him.

All the others are making progress eating, growing & shedding well. All very friendly & love being out & handled now.

[dinosaurdammit]

Because you dont need to keep multiple boas in the same viv. Move them to tubs if you dont want to spend a whole lota money on vivs. What are your temps like? Your humidity? Pictures can say so much more than words. Do they have good hides? A good water dish? How often do you feed?

[totheend]

Have you tried to feed him since he started striking?

[Jendee]

I would leave a.frozen thawed in there over night..I would also use newspaper in his tub keep it open so it covers the sides and gives him lots of privacy. a health snake is a happy snake a defensive snake has nothing to do with happiness it can be a nervous snake but some boas are nasty regardless of their living situation. you were smart on separating them u should keep it that way I wouldn't hold him at all until you have him feeding regularly 3 months for a baby boa is a long time and it will take time for him to recover. leave him alone, water him him drop a mouse/rat in before u go to bed check on it in the morning if it's still there throw it out try again in a week. if you keep trying to feed him everyday he's going to turn away from his food more.

[vwbabe]

Hi and Thank you for your replies

Yes I have tried feeding whilst he's been striking as thought it would be a good time as he might strike at food but he just ran/slithered away from food. Left him with food all night & he never went near it!

He has water dish & one adequate to bathe in too. I know they're not meant to be kept together after researching it but they've been together for 5months & is how they were left by a/hole boy.Yes I have put hides in with all as guessed they'd like something like that & would be warmer{before I sorted heating out properly}before I saw about hides on net.
Heating is not really perfect in tub he's in{but 10 month old salmon boa is inn a tub too with exactly the same temps ect & happy} but was in viv' when this nasty side started.
Humidity I don't know but will be getting a hydrometer{is that right?lol}tomorrow as already planned, son & I are going to get some more stuff |for them inc' thermostat.

[vwbabe]

Thank you Jendee
I was handling him for a couple of months & he was a sweety. I do only offer food every week, never daily. He is 2years old but smaller than my 10month old salmon. I so feel for him as he seems to be so angry & he must be suffering as it's more like 5months since he fed.{Not sure but he's been in this house about 5months & the owner left 2months ago. My son said he'd not eaten since the owner had him}
Don't know what his history is but been told he was neglected! I have made a point of trying to turn that around & made special efforts with him to compensate for hell life he's lived & show him a better happy life...

[Jendee]

well Idk how small he is or how big your yearly salmon is but all my yearlings are on rat pups....my 2 yr old makes on small moving to medium rats....your 10 month old could be a beast for all I know

temp is the most important and basic thing for boas....temps and privacy

[vwbabe]

Cheers yes I know i've got to get the temps sorted as I have more permanent enclosures. I have vivs but not kitted out.
My young salmon is 290kg & 70cm{2' 3.5"} a bit small himself & is on medium size mice my female is very large at 595kg on jumbo mice/weaner rats.
I've not been able to measure or weigh the 2yr old but he'd definitely smaller than baby salmon. His skin is rough, I bathed him in warm water when he had a nicer moment recently as seemed to be starting shed. He is looking rougher all the time{not surprising!}
He is on news paper & has almost complete privacy in tub. Only open partially so I can see he's ok & only going into tub to do necessary things like change water. Have to hold him away with an object wwhilst doing anything in tub. So very different than he was a week ago!!!

[vwbabe]

So has anyone got any idea's why this lovely friendly Boa has gone ferrel/mad?

Any suggestions even, all appreciated.
Did think it was because he was in with a female or with other Boa's if used to being kept alone. But his nastiness has not lessened at all since i've corrected these possible reasons?

[Corey209]

Originally Posted by vwbabe

So has anyone got any idea's why this lovely friendly Boa has gone ferrel/mad?

Any suggestions even, all appreciated.
Did think it was because he was in with a female or with other Boa's if used to being kept alone. But his nastiness has not lessened at all since i've corrected these possible reasons?

I would assume if the boa was fine then all of a sudden flipped balls that something in the husbandry has changed. If he was stressed you need to give him time to readjust.

Also I'd like to kindly ask if you could stop using such bright blinding colors. It's not really pleasant to read.

[Jendee]

maybe he's feeling better and u see his true colors lol I've had boas since 1993 lol they don't have feelings lol don't know what kind of answers ur looking for but i'm literally a book when it comes to boas =)

[vwbabe]

HaHaaa yes i've read quite a few of your posts, most impressive!
I do thank you for your help with this. Maybe he is just like this, but he was so sweet & loved coming out & being handled for last couple of months. It's such a shame & I hate to think maybe he's in pain or something? Read that worms have these symptoms, got to research it more yet..
I've got my baby salmon lying on me all warm & calm now lol

[KORBIN5895]

Breeding mode. I have a very docile make that started striking about two months back out of the blue. It would Aldo explain why he won't eat.

If you want him to be truly happy put a couple of hides in, add a water bowl and get the temps and humidity right then leave him be. Snakes don't really enjoy handling.

[vwbabe]

He has hides & water & the female boa isn't mature enough to breed & don't know if he was around females before or alone but has never eaten since he has been here, that's 5months now. I am leaving him alone & his temps & humidity will be sorted properly in proper housing in next two days. I was going to exactly that leave him be & see if he settles.
Just wanted to know if anyone could tell me of problems like sickness, any conditions or even if he might be in pain as i'm so worried about this mood change & for his welfare!

[KORBIN5895]

Like I said, its the middle of the breeding season..... bug hey what do I know.