Help me to save a boa .... need advice

i was in my local herp store the other day and i noticed someone traded in 2 red tails for some salt water fish.... well anyways i bought one of the red tails the bigger one.... it has a beautiful pink all over its body... well the other one is much smaller probably only 3 months old or so and it is dehydrated badly... it has wrinkles all over its body and its scales get tougher as you get closer to the body... the guy wants 100 for him but im sure i can get him lower because of the poor condition it is in.... i want the snake mainly to save it because i feel so bad for it (money isnt the problem) also this snake has a awesome pattern on its back... it starts out having saddles then a long stripe then a couple more saddles and the rest of it is stripe all the way to the base of the tail... i want to revive it and maybe in a few years possibly breed it because it has such pretty patterns... so what is the verdict do i pay and possibly say it but possibly have it die too or do i just leave it knowing it will not live?

Ross, that's always a tough question, and one I have personally struggled with MANY times.

On one hand, I can't stand to see an animal suffering needlessly, and am determined to "save them all", as my vet puts it.

On the other hand......by buying this animal, are you just going to perpetuate the cycle? This shop owner gets his money, is he just going to get more boas, and care for them poorly as well?

Does this shop normally carry snakes, or is this just kind of a one-time thing? Are you prepared to take on the expense of caring for this sickly animal....because it can get VERY expensive if the animal has multiple problems. Do you have the knowledge to care for this animal, or at least a well-qualified herp vet that can? Can you keep this animal strictly quarantined from any other snakes you may have for a period of months, to avoid any possible cross-contamination?


All questions to ask of yourself.....it's never an easy answer.

Cat_72 said:

Ross, that's always a tough question, and one I have personally struggled with MANY times.

On one hand, I can't stand to see an animal suffering needlessly, and am determined to "save them all", as my vet puts it.

On the other hand......by buying this animal, are you just going to perpetuate the cycle? This shop owner gets his money, is he just going to get more boas, and care for them poorly as well?

Does this shop normally carry snakes, or is this just kind of a one-time thing? Are you prepared to take on the expense of caring for this sickly animal....because it can get VERY expensive if the animal has multiple problems. Do you have the knowledge to care for this animal, or at least a well-qualified herp vet that can? Can you keep this animal strictly quarantined from any other snakes you may have for a period of months, to avoid any possible cross-contamination?


All questions to ask of yourself.....it's never an easy answer.

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i dont think they are prepared to pay to fix the animal... and this snake came to the store like that from the previous owner... he brought in two red tails one of which i bought yesterday the big healthy female (i had her vet checked [my cousin is a herp vet]) they came to the store yesterday right before i went in there.. and yea they carry snakes all the time.. mainly BPs and corn snakes and anacondas mostly.

i think i may be ably to recover it by just providing it adequit humidity and a large bowl for soaking... my cousin (the herp vet) also told me to put gatorade or pediolyte in a plastic tub and let the snake soak in that for a couple hours

Cat_72 said:

Does this shop normally carry snakes, or is this just kind of a one-time thing?

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Perhaps more importantly... do they normally carry snakes that are in poor condition?

Good reptile specialty shops often get animals semi-dumped on them that are in poor condition. Sometimes literally dumped... sometimes they'll take an animal that's unsuited to a customer and give them money or credit if the animal is in a condition that, while negative, is reversible. Dehydrated and underweight is *sometimes* a major concern and *sometimes* a quick fix with a little TLH depending on the underlying cause. It may have been accepted as a project animal by the shop owner where a small investment in attention will result in an animal that's in excellent quality to resell- thus the pricetag. Paying for the animal wouldn't perpetuate any bad situation with the shop if there is no bad situation with the shop.

The flipside of course are the murderholes that frequently seek out D grade stock and throw a retail markup on it with no intention of getting it up to shape for the end consumer; those are the ones where no money should be given to them under any circumstances because it simply perpetuates their behavior.

im sure though that this can be fixed because the other boa that came from the same guy was in perfect health minus the small scar it has from bein fed live when it was younger so if the littler snake had any diseases or anything at all that the bigger one would possibly have them also seeing is how they were brought in in the same container?

Seamus Haley said:

Perhaps more importantly... do they normally carry snakes that are in poor condition?

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You asked the million dollar question Seamus

I work part time in a petshop and its amazing The condition some of the pets that people dump off are in. I think it says alot about the store to allow an animal in poor condition to be left for public view and sale. If it is a special case and they generally keep good animals I say spend the money if it makes you feel better to save an animal. And you are equipped to handle it.. Just my two cents