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My new boa

jglass38

jglass38

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My sister and her boyfriend are moving in together so I offered to take his 9 yr old, 9ft female BCI. My sister has cats and she is concerned. Anyway, she is gorgeous and supposedly sweet. Eating about 4-5 jumbos once per month according to him. Here she is:

boa.jpg


__________________
--Jamie

Glass Reptiles
www.glassreptiles.com


I may give advice, but understand that my reptile knowledge is limited compared to my extensive understanding of all things snack cake related. Please don't hold me to anything I say because I will deny it if proven wrong. Thank you and have a wonderful day!
 
Very pretty girl you have there. Interesting that you were given the same reason I hear all the time when someone offers me their snakes. What a coincidence!!-(enter sarcasm here)
 
Junkyard said:
Very pretty girl you have there. Interesting that you were given the same reason I hear all the time when someone offers me their snakes. What a coincidence!!-(enter sarcasm here)
Click to expand...

I really didn't need another snake that doesn't fit into my breeding projects but when he offered to pay for a new animal plastics cage and all food it wasnt a big deal. Now of course if I ever have to move to a smaller place in the future it might be but so will all the other snakes.
 
I can say one thing for sure, having a small place and big snakes is a bit difficult. I am moving to a larger home soon, I cannot wait until I am able to have more space. Though the trick at the moment is hiding my collection from the people who are looking to buy my home, usually the tought of snakes having once been in a home turns people off really quick from buying.
 
Yeah..Well I wouldnt say our place is small but it is only a two bedroom (or a one bedroom and one snake room). We still have plenty of space for now.
 
I am moving from a one bedroom condo to a two bedroom on an acre of land. My place is so small, it is under 600 square feet, Having cages everywhere for my snakes along with the tanks for breeding rodents. So saying I am cramped is an understatement. I already have the plans drawn up for a mouse house to be built in a shed outside, which will certainly clear up a lot of room. Along with building a huge enclosure outside for my iguanas.
 
So I got to see this girl this past weekend. She is large for sure! Closer to 9.5 feet and probably about 40 lbs. She was in blue but was still quite docile. She should be here on Friday. He feeds her 4-5 medium/large rats once per month. Any thoughts on changing to every 2 weeks?
 
Two times a month might work fine, she may like you more for it too. Is she on frozen thawed? This will make it easier to find what you need. If so think about feeding her colossal rats or small rabbits, this way you can feed her 1-2 rats or 1 rabbit every two weeks. I do not see a problem with switching feedings as long as the meals are kept in a descent size that will not cause obesity. The snake will be happier to be fed more consistently than to have to starve before her next meal.

I picked up a 6 foot male (I was told he was 8 feet) that was fed every 4 to maybe 5 weeks 1 large rat, the guy did not remember the last lime he fed the boa. I switched feeding to every week 1 med to large rat and the snake put on 6 inches in length in 5 months! His girth is perfect with no skin showing between the scales and his muscle tone is incredible. I have since switched him to every 2 weeks on a large rat. He knows when his next meal will be and he awaits it.

Is this your first boa constrictor?
 
She is on frozen thawed all ready. I figured it might be better to go every 2 weeks. I actually think she is a bit overweight. Ill post pics when I get her. Id rather stay on rats so I think a colossal or two every 2 weeks would work. I have a BRB and a Hog Island but this is my first big boa. Her size is a bit intimidating but that is mostly because I haven't spent much time with her yet. He has always kept her in a 55 gallon aquarium with a screen top and no heat or substrate. She probably spends about 2 weeks out of the month with free roam of his apartment, curled up in a closet under some clothes. I like to have everything perfect so she is going in a bit larger cage 4X2X1.5 AP with heat. She wont be able to have quite as much time out here but she will be able to hang out on my screened in balcony and enjoy the Florida sun every week or so.
 
I know frozen rabbits are expensive, so the rats are more economical. It will be interesting to see your face the first time she flinched on you and you are all alone with her. Good luck with her, post some extra pics, I am sure you will just love her. Being in a bigger cage and real sunlight she will love you too.
 
Thanks Michael. I appreciate the input. I am sure itll be fine. I will get some pics up after she is settled in.

Jamie
 
Well, the new girl has arrived. I have a feeding question. I need to order food for her. He had been feeding her 4-5 large rats once per month. To me that is a huge toll on her digestive system all at once (and she is also quite girthy!). My thought is to switch her to one jumbo every 2 weeks. Any thoughts on this? She just crapped this morning and it was like a large horse had been in her cage.
 
I should have mentioned a you may think a St Bernard left a present for you in her cage. My boas purposely deficate right after I cleantheir cages. I think they do it to me on purpose. They nice boas poop in their water bowls, which make it easier for me to clean.

If she is really fat feeding twice a month would probably tone her down. I had to do the same with a boa I bought back in February, she was power fed to breed this last spring, but she did not take. You could see her skin between her scales throughout most of her body. I put her on two jumbo mice (unlike the two medium rats she was eating) which is not so high in fat and fed her weekly.

She dropped a lot of weight and shed every 3 weeks for about 3 months striaght I think it was because of the power feeding the guy put her through. I felt so bad for her becuase the previous owner did that to her, she will be perfect size for this coming spring though(she is now 3 years old and 6 feet). I now feed her every two weeks one med-large rat and she looks so healthy now. No skin showing between the scales and sheding every other month.

This will save you money too. Figure 4-5 large rats a month compared to 2 jumbo rats a month.
 
Junkyard said:
I should have mentioned a you may think a St Bernard left a present for you in her cage. My boas purposely deficate right after I cleantheir cages. I think they do it to me on purpose. They nice boas poop in their water bowls, which make it easier for me to clean.

If she is really fat feeding twice a month would probably tone her down. I had to do the same with a boa I bought back in February, she was power fed to breed this last spring, but she did not take. You could see her skin between her scales throughout most of her body. I put her on two jumbo mice (unlike the two medium rats she was eating) which is not so high in fat and fed her weekly.

She dropped a lot of weight and shed every 3 weeks for about 3 months striaght I think it was because of the power feeding the guy put her through. I felt so bad for her becuase the previous owner did that to her, she will be perfect size for this coming spring though(she is now 3 years old and 6 feet). I now feed her every two weeks one med-large rat and she looks so healthy now. No skin showing between the scales and sheding every other month.

This will save you money too. Figure 4-5 large rats a month compared to 2 jumbo rats a month.
Click to expand...


I will post some pics tonight if I can. If she was being powerfed, it wasnt intentionally. The guy is my sister's boyfriend and she was his pet. I dont think 4-5 rats once per month is all that good for the digestive system and she definitely is quite big (although I am not sure how think a 9.5ft BCI should be!). The money isnt an issue since they are paying for food forever!! woohoo! But I think I will go with one jumbo every 2 weeks and see how she does. If it is too much still then we'll have to re-evaluate. She is sweet though! Great temperament...Thanks Michael!
 
Here are some pics of Tequila enjoying the outside today. She was a bit hissy and didn't really want to come out of the cage but once out she was cool. Aside from expelling air every few minutes when she was moving around. Not sure why but it didn't sound like a respiratory problem. Not a wheeze...Anyway, here she is in all her girthiness!

tequila1.jpg



tequila2.jpg



tequilakisses.jpg
 
She is georgeous, very, very nice. She seems happy and wants your cat. It is funny how they can be so hissy in their cage, but once out, they are the sweetest things. I love her markings, she is a perfect looking boa.

As far as the weesing, sometime while in shed my snakes will almost whistle from the loose skin on their noses. I also have two very healthy large boas that "wheeze" when they breathe. From what we have found out through vet check and such, it is a just because thing. We do not know why, they just do. Your boa may be the same.
 
She is a very beautiful snake!

My MoonShadow (8'5") does the same thing...makes loud exhalations. It bothered me at first, but he doesn't seem to do it as an expression of anything and is healthy. My big girl Harmony (7'4") does it as well, just not as often. I accept it as a boa thing.

My Blood Pythons and Blue Beauties make loud exhalations too, but that's because they are hissing... :hehe:
 
Thanks folks. I didnt figure it was anything. Probably because she is such a load! haha...Its definitely not a wheeze so I will keep an eye on it but its fine. She is very cool and we love having her here.
 
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