What to do???

[drewlowe]

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