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Ok so I've looked a little more into IBD after seeing some videos. I don't think my boa has IBD, and I don't have too much experience with boas. My boa tends to put her head up in the air or crawl up the side of the aquarium. She has absolutely no balance issues, but she also tends to "spazz out" when I hold her. Pretty much just flipping her head around my fingers or flipping her belly around my wrists or fingers. I do not handle her overly often, usually just 10-15 minutes a day occasionally an hour with her just chilling out next to me. During longer periods of handling I leave her alone for several days. There is minimal movement around her cage since it's out of the way. I have her light shining on the side of the cage to better regulate temps. And over the past two days she's been nonstop all over her cage, today is her feeding day but she normally doesn't act this way before feeding time. I feed her every 5 days, sometimes every 6 if she doesn't eat. I wash my hands before taking her out, I see no point in after since my boa and my BP are at different houses. During the day her basking spot is about 87 and the cool side 80. I cool it off to 82 on the warm side and 72 on the cool. The humidity is 70%. I could take a video, but I don't know how I'd share it. She stares up at the top of the cage only about a minute then moves. But if it is stress, I will gladly cover the sides or change my habits.
The looking up for 1-10mins is nothing to worry about. If she's stargazing for hours on end, then you can start to fear IBD. If her balance is fine, that's another good sign. Boas with IBD will have a lot of trouble flipping back over if they're put out of balance. Boas with IBD will usually flip their heads upside down and backwards, and act really, really odd. You might just be over-analyzing her every movement. Sometimes boas and pythons will look upwards to stretch their necks. Crawling up the sides of the enclosure is normal, inquisitive behavior.
Here is a video that shows more typical behavior of a boa with IBD. Mainly the first 10-12 seconds of the video. Ignore the rest.
You should still keep an eye on her and watch for worsening symptoms.
__________________ Alessia
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that would be stress, she's trying to get away, when she's "spazzing out" as you put it. Last time I was holding a python that did that I got a nip shortly afterwards.
I am very doubtful about the IBD too, but it made me think it's possible that something might be going on. It's not the cage climbing itself that worries me, but she goes up as far as she can and sits there. And also she acts different than many people's boas I've seen. Where most of the handling videos I've seen the boa constantly moves, squeezes, looks around and flicks their tongues, mine "windmills" her back half in the air until she gets a good hold. I make sure to balance both ends and give her a good grip with her tail or head or both if she chooses. But sometimes she'll let go and do the windmilling. It's not a balance issue since she remains upright and has no problem flipping over onto her belly. Just I've never seen a snake "spaz" like that while holding. Once again, not worried but open to possibilities. It's better to check and be proven false than to end up with a dead snake later. She stretches her neck and sits there for a short time, yes, but she does it very often. I can see her do it multiple times at intervals.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "windmilling" It sounds like she's getting a bit stressed by handling. She might be more comfortable on the ground or on your lap or the sofa rather than just in your hands, that way she'll have more stability.
__________________ Alessia
Quote:
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." -Anatole France
She makes her back half go in circles. When she does that, I normally slide her off and let her crawl on the bed. It's probably the stability issue, my hands are puny. She's still a baby and my hands can barely hold her, so I use both or let her crawl on the "ground".
My adult corn thrashes his rear half round like that when he lets go of my arm, i personally think it scares them to have so much of their body unsupported and they are just looking fir something to grip to. Mine stops as soon as i get the back end on my arm again.
If yours is perfectly stable at all other times then i think you have little to worry about.
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I am very doubtful about the IBD too, but it made me think it's possible that something might be going on. It's not the cage climbing itself that worries me, but she goes up as far as she can and sits there. And also she acts different than many people's boas I've seen. Where most of the handling videos I've seen the boa constantly moves, squeezes, looks around and flicks their tongues, mine "windmills" her back half in the air until she gets a good hold. I make sure to balance both ends and give her a good grip with her tail or head or both if she chooses. But sometimes she'll let go and do the windmilling. It's not a balance issue since she remains upright and has no problem flipping over onto her belly. Just I've never seen a snake "spaz" like that while holding. Once again, not worried but open to possibilities. It's better to check and be proven false than to end up with a dead snake later. She stretches her neck and sits there for a short time, yes, but she does it very often. I can see her do it multiple times at intervals.
it seems like you have a snake that gets VERY nervous when being handled
i have 1 carpet thats like that,i have to lift her out her tank by a different method to all my other carpets
i have to make sure her tail has a grip of my wrist and i support her WHOLE body
only then can i raise her off the floor of her tank
i then keep a firm grip of her
holding her close to my body,so she feels something touching all her sides and belly
even after doing all that,she will sometimes still freak out a bit and try and tightly wrap her head and neck around something
imo,if you were to adjust your handling to suit her needs,then she may calm down (mines never though)
re IBD
if it was ibd,then imo there would be a lot more very unpleasant symptoms showing,if it was as far on as the star gazing stage
all the best shaun
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Maybe until she gets a little bigger I'll just let her crawl on the bed or the floor. It seems to me to be more of a grip thing, not enough hand. When she gets bigger, there should be more she can hold onto. My hands are pretty small, so I try to compensate with both of them, but maybe that's not enough. When I take her out I normally touch her tail or stroke her back so she knows I'm there and then lift her tail until about half is up and immediately put my hands under her belly and let her get better grips. When I'm holding her, if her tail has no support I immediately put my finger next to it, sometimes she wraps her tail around it, sometimes she doesn't. She doesn't get defensive or anything when I hold her i.e. s-shape, hissing, striking, flicking her tongue overly much, not even elevated breathing. My BP usually just wraps around my arm or crawls off to investigate something. But when he was smaller, he also had problems gripping my hands. My RTB normally just crawls through my fingers and sometimes crawls off to investigate the bed.
Maybe until she gets a little bigger I'll just let her crawl on the bed or the floor. It seems to me to be more of a grip thing, not enough hand. When she gets bigger, there should be more she can hold onto. My hands are pretty small, so I try to compensate with both of them, but maybe that's not enough. When I take her out I normally touch her tail or stroke her back so she knows I'm there and then lift her tail until about half is up and immediately put my hands under her belly and let her get better grips. When I'm holding her, if her tail has no support I immediately put my finger next to it, sometimes she wraps her tail around it, sometimes she doesn't. She doesn't get defensive or anything when I hold her i.e. s-shape, hissing, striking, flicking her tongue overly much, not even elevated breathing. My BP usually just wraps around my arm or crawls off to investigate something. But when he was smaller, he also had problems gripping my hands. My RTB normally just crawls through my fingers and sometimes crawls off to investigate the bed.
If you just let her crawl around the ground, just don't expect her to become any more comfortable with being handled when she is larger... also, you won't be able to learn how to handle her in a way to suit her.
Instead of just placing a finger next to her tail when it is unsupported, follow Shauns advise and make sure you aready have her whole body on supported by your hands and/or arms and let her move herself around.
It sounds like she's getting a bit stressed by handling. She might be more comfortable on the ground or on your lap or the sofa rather than just in your hands, that way she'll have more stability.
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