Advice on my Hogg Island please

[Niki]

I have just recently bought a Hogg Island, she is 4 years old and about 5 and a half foot. I held her on several occasions at the reptile shop while making my decision and always found her placid and calm. I have had her 2 weeks and her behaviour hasn't changed until I fed her 2 days ago. She took 2 med rats, after looking hungry after the first one, seemed to go into a frenzy striking at the glass when I walked by and looking agitated. Today she still seems p***ed off. This my first boa, I have 1 ball python and 2 carpet pythons and havn't experienced this sort off behaviour with them. Temps are high eighties she has a hide but has never used it. Is this normal? Any advice would be much apreciated

[boa]

hi is she still hungry where did you get her?

[Niki]

I told she was eating a med rat every 2 weeks but I defrosted two because it didnt look enough. I live in England and got her from my local reptile shop. She looks in good health and I am taking her to the vet this week for a general check.

[LdyDrgn]

She may be going into shed. Our Hoggy always gets hissy when this happens, LOL When it's over he goes back to his usual placid self.

[stormyva]

It may be that it still smells rat in it's cage.
Might want to try feeding it in a different enclosure next time around.

[Linds]

My Hog Isle stays has a killer feeding reflex, and continues to stay in "feeding mode" for anywhere from 24h-72h after her meals, striking at any movement outside of her cage. I've spoken with many people whose hogs display similar feeding behaviours. I wouldn't worry about it, as long as everything else appears fine.

[Frankie]

I agree with Linds about feeding response I know my female Dumerils has a ferocious feeding response. I can pretty much tell when she is still in a striking mood by her body language. The last time she done it I took her out just to show her that wasn't going over to well with me haven't noticed anymore.

[djnzlab]

Hogs, are a little different in disposition and temperment, they can be high strung in the cage.
Mine will act all pissy in the cage and is a sweet heart out of the cage. SHe's just wants you to know that its her cage and stay out..
hehe
Love them snakes..
maybe after a while she'll chill out,, she was proably nervous at the pets store and is settling in now and letting her true feeling show..
she''ll come around if she grumpy in the cage throw a hand towel over head and scoop her out.
good luck
doug
had a young arggie acted the same way for a couple months even hissed at me I just laughed and went for her.after feeding I would carefully dump her out of the feeding ice chest back in her cage and she would be all grumpy and noisy.. two days later she was all better some snakes are like this
doug :grab:

[hip]

I had the same thing happen with a male Suriname (W.C) oooooh
he was so nasty during and after feeding,He would stay coiled around the rat look at me and hiss with an open mouth,Quite an impressive show I must say.He would then be hissy for a day or two after.With some handling and giving him a chance to get used to me he has calmed down quite a bit ,so now he only strikes at me once and a while and hardly ever hisses.I know his body language well enough now to avoid that nasty bite he has



Hip

[Steeve B]

This is normal behaviour for hog’s as there environment has conditioned them to react to a sporadic feeding schedule, there natural habitat consist of very small islands often flooded by tides, they literally spend months hanging on small bushes surrounded by hot sand, very hostile environment, with limited food.
They are genetically programmed go off fed for very long times, this is why when fed they stay in a feeding mode long after, you may what to read Bob Sears, he suggested sporadic feeding of small prey to captives.

[djnzlab]

Hi,
i have a couple of those Sears Orange Hog island Boa's is that Bob Sears the original breeder of that strain of hog Islands I would love to read anything he has to say about this species of Boa.
Does it involve a book or web page.???
Sorry I don't know more about the origins of the Species but I am willing to learn.
Doug

[Steeve B]

let me serch my library, and get back to you on what Sears has published on them, if I cant find anything Il make a very long post of what I remember from him. cheers