finally have a snake

akane · 09-15-16, 10:41 AM

Apparently I made an account here in 2013 but no one I have lived with would let me have a snake. I finally wore my husband down. I made a post last night but I included links and then clicked wrong and it went poof.

So impulse pickup I got a rosy boa. In cedar shavings, constant large water dish in high humidity state, no heat and it was in the 60s F when I picked her up, no hiding place.... They said she refuses to eat anything but a pinky mouse every 7-10days. Maybe because of that heat thing? Signs of respiratory problems in snakes?

At 1am I was hunting the house for a working incandescent bulb and never found one and the husky ate the electric blanket cords last winter so she has water bottles tied off in socks and laid next to rocks we are heating until we can get bedding and heat source this evening. She draped and wrapped herself right around one.

She bit me a few times while getting her settled. I can't say I blame her given the stress. I'm not sure how much 2 hr bumpy car rides impact snakes. Then my animals were making noise and I have the smell of rodents in the house from wild mice (been working on that since we moved in 3 years ago), my gerbils, and my guinea pigs. For now I'll blame it on the day. I just picked her up and moved her from the cooling water bottle to the newly heated one without issue.

I don't know enough yet to know what I don't know but I would not take in an animal I wasn't ready to learn to care for and provide it's requirements. I guess I'm looking for advice to make sure she's healthy and get her eating better. This time I will attach photos instead of links. My camera ran away and my phone is a bit crazy about colors in poor light so one is too dark and one is over exposed. Her color is in the middle.

**Minkness** · 09-15-16, 11:03 AM

Well, first thing is, you need a UTH (under tank heater) and a tstat to help monitor the heat output.

I'm sure someone with more specific care info will chime in.

It's good that you got it from what sounds like a pretty awful set up. Don't expect it to readily take food for about a week if not longer. You can try to offer once you have all the supplies, but don't loose hope if it takes a while.

=)

akane · 09-15-16, 11:13 AM

I know under tank heat and a thermostat would be best but I was cobbling together a safer home for her last night. I also had picked her up after martial arts classes and got home at 1am. I laid down and died at 3am and now I'm working up the motivation to see where my pain medication rolled to off my table. I will also disinfect her cage and water dish when I change to bedding tonight.

jay's reptiles · 09-15-16, 11:16 AM

Change bedding now and get a uth also. 2 hides also.

jay's reptiles · 09-15-16, 11:16 AM

Thermostat as well.

**Andy_G** · 09-15-16, 12:08 PM

Cedar is toxic to all reptiles. Be sure to use aspen instead but keep on paper substrate for at least a couple of weeks to monitor for any health issues. Let us know if you have any questions along the way.

akane · 09-15-16, 01:43 PM

That's why she's on paper for now and I turned over a paper bowl and ripped out a corner but she mostly likes her new heat source. I even ranted on facebook about how little research you have to do or questions asked to use cedar in a low ventilation enclosure with any animal. Shouldn't people know by now? Everyone has been saying no cedar for more than 2 decades. I was around 8 (31 now) when we switched our guinea pigs after a respiratory infection. Half the people I warn get all defensive and ask why the stores sell it then. Someone who works in a pet store was complaining about that too. Because ignorant, lazy people buy it for the wrong purpose. I might use it in a large, ventilated chicken coop and I know some use it in dog houses or the oil added into cat litter to keep bugs down but those animals aren't in the shavings all the time and there's still better options. That's why I just asked when she was last fed and took her. I figured I wasn't getting much useful info out of her previous owners.

akane · 09-15-16, 09:36 PM

Warmed up she started striking anything with a heat signature like she hasn't seen food in months so I got a pinky and a hopper. I warmed them in plastic bags in warm water and she downed the pinky in seconds. I gave her the hopper and she snatched it so forcefully she crushed it's guts out everywhere then couldn't figure out opening her mouth over it's head. She tried to swallow from the legs. After awhile I tried to help but she let go, tried to swallow it tail first, and dragged it into her new shelter so we'll see if she figures it out. Do you need to clean a snake if it gets dirty? She had guts and goo on her when she dragged her prey away and she's on paper where she can't burrow right now.

jay's reptiles · 09-16-16, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by akane

Warmed up she started striking anything with a heat signature like she hasn't seen food in months so I got a pinky and a hopper. I warmed them in plastic bags in warm water and she downed the pinky in seconds. I gave her the hopper and she snatched it so forcefully she crushed it's guts out everywhere then couldn't figure out opening her mouth over it's head. She tried to swallow from the legs. After awhile I tried to help but she let go, tried to swallow it tail first, and dragged it into her new shelter so we'll see if she figures it out. Do you need to clean a snake if it gets dirty? She had guts and goo on her when she dragged her prey away and she's on paper where she can't burrow right now.

Well i wouldn't mess with her after eating. Because there is the chance she could regurgitate her food. Give her a day before cleaning. You could spot clean. Just don't bother her.

macandchz · 09-16-16, 07:29 AM

akane- don't be alarmed if the snake eats his prey feet first. they will do this. it takes a little longer but it goes down. i wouldn't suggest you helping her. the only time i interfered with mac eating was when he accidentally bit himself while eating. some times there's a long pause after constricting and eating. it's almost like they are savoring the catch.

akane · 09-16-16, 09:10 PM

When should I think about feeding her again and what size? I have some fuzzy gerbils and some thin juveniles along with other juveniles and young adults right now. Everything but the fuzzies are destined for the freezer as soon as I finalize new breeding pairs.

**Minkness** · 09-16-16, 11:15 PM

Wait 7 days to feed again. =)

akane · 09-18-16, 02:00 PM

How much would you feed? Someone on an fb group showed me a pic of what she should look like at her age and wow is she skinny. I was thinking a couple gerbil fuzzies which would be about smaller end hopper size on a mouse.

**Minkness** · 09-18-16, 04:59 PM

That should be fine.