Just bought Dumerils Boa - Page 3

Lankyrob · 05-17-11, 09:01 AM

I also thaw my prey items overnight at room temp and then heat them slightly on a plate on top of a radiator before feeding - right as i pick them up with tongs i heat the skull against the radiator to give a good heat signature.

FoxxyAzn · 05-17-11, 09:09 AM

Im so jealous! Is it a good pet and what's its name?

forza_inter · 05-17-11, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

I also thaw my prey items overnight at room temp and then heat them slightly on a plate on top of a radiator before feeding - right as i pick them up with tongs i heat the skull against the radiator to give a good heat signature.

heating up the skull is actually not a bad idea at all....kinda gives it a target to go for. i might just try that man....i just hope everything goes smoothly today

shes doesnt come out of her hidings....(not even at night)....i make sure the substrate is smooth and flat so i can see her tracks the next day and aside from the very 1st night i got her she doesnt come out at all. i know its a new environment for her and she has to get used to her surroundings....but is it possible that i rushed into handling her before she had time to settle in??

im actually thinking about skipping her feeding today and just leaving her in the tank with covers over the glass for a few days, undisturbed so she can get comfortable....

forza_inter · 05-17-11, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoxxyAzn

Im so jealous! Is it a good pet and what's its name?

haha yea i've only had her for a few days now, and i've tried to handle her for about 30 mins - an hour a day so she can get used to me...and shes been amazing. she gets a little nervous and tense when i go to get her out of the tank, but she calms down right away once shes out and im holding her

Marica · 05-17-11, 11:00 AM

Sounds like she's getting used to you and settling in well. It's usually recommended to give them a week to settle into there new home - this means no interaction except to maybe change out the water. Though, not everyone agrees with this - some even offer a meal the first day, which provides a no handling excuse while they leave them digest.

I like the warm water thaw method myself. One of my Dums will eat in his feeding tub, the other will only eat in his enclosure, and even after thawing I then have to heat the rat with a hairdryer otherwise he refuses. The picky one will also refuse if he's in any stage of shed, even if I can't tell yet, so that's usually my indicator. Both my boys didn't take their first meal with me for about 6 weeks and I've often read that young Dums can be finicky eaters.

Good luck with your first feed, hopefully she's got a good appetite.

forza_inter · 05-17-11, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marica

Sounds like she's getting used to you and settling in well. It's usually recommended to give them a week to settle into there new home - this means no interaction except to maybe change out the water. Though, not everyone agrees with this - some even offer a meal the first day, which provides a no handling excuse while they leave them digest.

I like the warm water thaw method myself. One of my Dums will eat in his feeding tub, the other will only eat in his enclosure, and even after thawing I then have to heat the rat with a hairdryer otherwise he refuses. The picky one will also refuse if he's in any stage of shed, even if I can't tell yet, so that's usually my indicator. Both my boys didn't take their first meal with me for about 6 weeks and I've often read that young Dums can be finicky eaters.

Good luck with your first feed, hopefully she's got a good appetite.

so i shouldnt be too worried if she doesnt eat then? and if thats the case, can i refreeze the mouse?

Lankyrob · 05-17-11, 02:28 PM

I dont refreeze human food and therefore wont refreeze my snakes food. You can leav the prey in the cage on a plate overnight and then ditch it in the morning if it isnt eaten.

Marica · 05-17-11, 03:03 PM

Indeed, never re-freeze. If she doesn't feed in the tub after being left securely sealed and covered or in a dark room for about a 1/2 hour, then put her back in her enclosure and leave the prey overnight. If it's still there in the morning, flush or toss, leave her alone and try again in a week.

Also, are you going to offer a mouse or a rat? Do you know what she was fed previously? I ask because it can sometimes be difficult to switch snakes from mice to rats, and being as your snake will eventually require larger prey it would better to do so sooner. It takes a lot of mice to equal a jumbo rat

forza_inter · 05-17-11, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marica

Indeed, never re-freeze. If she doesn't feed in the tub after being left securely sealed and covered or in a dark room for about a 1/2 hour, then put her back in her enclosure and leave the prey overnight. If it's still there in the morning, flush or toss, leave her alone and try again in a week.

Also, are you going to offer a mouse or a rat? Do you know what she was fed previously? I ask because it can sometimes be difficult to switch snakes from mice to rats, and being as your snake will eventually require larger prey it would better to do so sooner. It takes a lot of mice to equal a jumbo rat

alright sounds good, thanks guys.....i heard its better to feed them later on in the day since they come out at night to hunt, so i'll be attempting the feeding soon (little nervous :S)....if she doesnt eat i'll leave it over night then dump it

also...this is random question, but i read that if you put an article of your clothing inside the enclosure it will help get the snake used to you a lot faster....any truth to that? or is it a complete myth?

Lankyrob · 05-17-11, 05:18 PM

Have heard the same about the clothing item, never tried it tho! It does kinda make sense but cant say yes or no.

forza_inter · 05-18-11, 06:48 AM

so, as expected, she didnt take the mouse...i let it thaw out all day....heated it with a blow dryer and then tried to wiggle it in her feeding tank....she didnt seem interested at all. so i left her and the mouse together in the dark for a half hour....nothing. then i left the mouse in her cage over night....and nothing

little concerned, even tho ive read a ton of owners having trouble with feeding the first few times.....on a positive note, just before going to bed i crept over and took a peek inside the enclosure....she was out and about, drinking water and exploring around. which made me feel better because shes actually coming out and not staying in her hides all day

forza_inter · 05-18-11, 03:07 PM

QUESTION FOR EVERYONE: i have a 55 gallon tank....a 150 watt heat lamp....and a 14 watt heat mat....how should i position the lamp and the mat to ensure i have a perfect set up for my boa??

all ideas and opinions are welcome

forza_inter · 05-22-11, 03:01 PM

got a surprise when i got home this afternoon....

By dan_mancuso at 2011-05-22

TeaNinja · 05-22-11, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza_inter

thats a really nice enclosure man....im a big fan of the red heat light as well. the white light seems too bright.....im assuming you turn it off at night or at some point of the day....so the heat from just a lamp is enough to keep your snake comfortable while its off?

and how often do you change the substrate?

haha, i just saw this now.

i actually leave that red light on 24/7. in the summer i use a 100 watt red bulb and in the colder parts i use a 75 watt. i wondered if turning it off at night would get too cold so i tried it one night and hit it with the digital thermometer like 20 minutes later and it was already in the mid 60's so i just leave it on 24/7. as for substrate change, i just spot clean whenever i see him poop or something. sometimes when i have him out i stir up all the substrate in the viv and spray it all down and such. i havn't actually done a full substrate change in months.

my dum is an adult male and he put off food for like 4-5 months then finally started eating again a month or so ago. was nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza_inter

yea those ceramic heat emitters sound like a good alternative to an actual bulb....i've beem trying to go with a day/ night pattern for her, but because at the moment i only have the 1 light, in fear of temperatures dropping over night i have been leaving it all 24/7

i have a ceramic for my BP. i leave that on 24/7 also.

and very nice shed btw

TeaNinja · 05-22-11, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza_inter

heating up the skull is actually not a bad idea at all....kinda gives it a target to go for. i might just try that man....i just hope everything goes smoothly today

shes doesnt come out of her hidings....(not even at night)....i make sure the substrate is smooth and flat so i can see her tracks the next day and aside from the very 1st night i got her she doesnt come out at all. i know its a new environment for her and she has to get used to her surroundings....but is it possible that i rushed into handling her before she had time to settle in??

im actually thinking about skipping her feeding today and just leaving her in the tank with covers over the glass for a few days, undisturbed so she can get comfortable....

snakes are ninja's. my huge dum doesn't even make tracks in his substrate unless he wants to. sometimes i'll wake up and he'll have dug around and there will be little substrate dunes and peaks everywhere lol. it looks crazy. but i've definetly seen my snake going around and go back into his hide and he hasn't made any tracks.
also i sometimes stay up till like 5am and both my BP and dum are usually only out at like midnight to 6am lol. that's when the nocturnal animals roam. of course there are acceptions. i come home sometimes and my BP will be out cruising and i'll walk into my room and he'll look at me like O.O , then he hides lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by forza_inter

haha yea i've only had her for a few days now, and i've tried to handle her for about 30 mins - an hour a day so she can get used to me...and shes been amazing. she gets a little nervous and tense when i go to get her out of the tank, but she calms down right away once shes out and im holding her

i wouldn't hold a snake every day, they get stressed if handled too much. i hold mine MAYBE twice a week.