Info TexHiss Jimmy Horton - Poor Animal Condition, Bad Shipping Practices

[Kuamata]

Wow... I was so high strung yesterday I didn't even put two and two together on that May and 5 feedings bit... that's horrendous... Poor fella, he would have surely died, I'm glad he's here! He's currently content to sit in his warm hide. I signed up for iHerp yesterday, so all his meals will be tracked!

I was so bothered by the shipping because, one, I know, from prior experience, that it's serious business to NOT mark a live shipment. Two, the last time I was sent a live package in a blank box(from Backwater) it was a DOA, but even they weren't so cheap as to not insulate. Three, it wasn't insulated, he was cold and limp from being exposed to chilly temperatures for majority of his trip. The sock is a moot point, but it was just like a little cherry on top of the whole mess of unprofessionalism I received. This isn't about Backwater, but we all know they're a 'Bad Guy'. It's really saying something when a breeder that's been in this business for years is cheaper, in practices, than they are. Every single breeder I've bought from SINCE Backwater, with this new exception of Jimmy Horton, did things the RIGHT way. A box that clearly said LIVE ANIMAL and to handle with care, a styrofoam box inside the packaging box, newspaper inside the styrofoam insulation, and some form of containment for the animal, usually a deli cup or a snake sack with a damp paper towel inside. Heat pack as needed, obviously.

I will say this, again, I have no experience shipping reptiles, personally... but I do have experience on how reputable breeders do it, and it's not like this.. Not at all... Even in the summer months I've had breeders provide the styrofoam box insulation. :/

 

[Kuamata]

Additionally, I also think it really says something for a breeder, who has been doing this for several years, to defend feeding a newborn boa once a month, and to insist the boa is healthy when he quite clearly is not...

 

[calmolly1]

I'm finding it really hard to believe people are sticking up for the seller, saying it is ok to send a snake out in that condition AND improperly packaged!! It is tantamount to approving animal abuse! That snake is dehydrated and skinny. It has been maintenance fed to keep it alive until it was sold, a practice that is not unheard of, and simply wrong on so many levels. That type of shipping may be "old school" but it is inadequate and again putting the animal at risk. Never mind breaking the law. This hobby has seen too much of this behavior recently, and supporting it is doing nothing to help it.

 

[ShadowAceD]

This animal was not maintenance fed.

Do not confuse maintenance feeding for complete failure to feed or not treating properly for regurgitation.

 

[Black Adder]

I'm finding it really hard to believe people are sticking up for the seller, saying it is ok to send a snake out in that condition AND improperly packaged!! It is tantamount to approving animal abuse! That snake is dehydrated and skinny. It has been maintenance fed to keep it alive until it was sold, a practice that is not unheard of, and simply wrong on so many levels. That type of shipping may be "old school" but it is inadequate and again putting the animal at risk. Never mind breaking the law. This hobby has seen too much of this behavior recently, and supporting it is doing nothing to help it.

If I am not mistaken there was only ONE member who tried to stick up for the seller, quite unreasonably so in fact and as both are in the same state....well does make me wonder?
But I feel all his arguements have been scuttled for good and leaves us with a snake that was fed a bare survival regime and horrible illegal packaging.
Mr. Horton needs to take deep stock of his current trading practice!

 

[calmolly1]

This animal was not maintenance fed.

Do not confuse maintenance feeding for complete failure to feed or not treating properly for regurgitation.

I should have put "maintenence fed" in sarcastic quotes...I was referring to the practice of starving animals while barely keeping them alive to save $2 a week feeding it...pathetic and cruel, and anyone who is found to be doing this should be called out.

There were 3 or 4 people early on in the thread supporting the seller...I'm not going back and quoting each one, but my jaw kept dropping open. Then the time changed and the good people who actually care about the animals started speaking up.

 

[pythonbreeder]

I don't over feed my animals, I feed ever two weeks that's more than enough food, the animal in question is 100% healthy and after a few meals and a shed or two will lose the loose skin, I have produced thousands of boas and I'm being judged by people who have never produce a single animal and have no idle, as for trying to save of food, that's crazy I have a breeding facility and I still feed twice a month. Like pure bred dogs boa morphs are a genetically jacked up and if you over feed you will kill them.

 

[LauraB]

I don't over feed my animals

That's very obvious.

Is that your snake room? No labels, no IDs, no feeding records or birthing/hatch records on a single tub; absolutely nothing on any tubs or racks to indicate any kind of ID/record keeping at all?
No nuthin' on any tubs? Sorry, but I would have expected better from a breeder in business as long as you claim.

It does look clean and spacious, I will admit that; but how can you possibly / how do you keep track of the health, growth, feeding of all those snakes if that is, in fact, your snake room?

What is with that Mazuri rodent food bag sitting in that chair? Just curious.

 

[calmolly1]

Every two weeks of an appropriate sized rodent is enough for a healthy adult but not for a skinny dehydrated baby.

 

[pythonbreeder]

Its a rodent room there are no snakes in there wow you people see what you want to see, if the snake was dehydrated its because it was in a box for 24 hours I know I should have put water in the box right
DA. He had a water bowl of water in his tub, I know I should have made him drink, really. Think what you want your minds are all made up.

 

[calmolly1]

That's very obvious.

Is that your snake room? No labels, no IDs, no feeding records or birthing/hatch records on a single tub; absolutely nothing on any tubs or racks to indicate any kind of ID/record keeping at all?
No nuthin' on any tubs? Sorry, but I would have expected better from a breeder in business as long as you claim.

It does look clean and spacious, I will admit that; but how can you possibly / how do you keep track of the health, growth, feeding of all those snakes if that is, in fact, your snake room?

What is with that Mazuri rodent food bag sitting in that chair? Just curious.

That's <his> rodent room. Maybe if the rats spent less time in their palatial surroundings and more time in the snakes, he wouldn't have the problem of skinny babies. I have a rodent room a quarter of the size, a mish mash of racks, but happy well fed rodents and most importantly well fed healthy snakes. Just Cuz it's famcy doesn't mean it anything.

 

[Kuamata]

Wow, every two weeks?... For a baby?... I'm sure you probably think my girl is 'fat', then. I've had her since the end of January. She eats every week and is what a healthy boa should actually look like, not wrinkly, thin, or with sticky skin. :/ She's suitably filled in, in all the places she should be. Strong, you can feel those muscles when she moves, and that squeeze when she wraps around your arm. This baby? He is weak... this is not a condition a boa should be in.

I find it really funny that you said, earlier, that the baby you sent me has only had five meals since May, and then when people called you out on such a horrendous practice, you changed and said every two weeks(which still isn't acceptable for a baby, more so for an adult)... You may of been great in 2011... but today, in 2015, I can't say that peoples' raving of years ago quite match up to what I've experienced. This is why I put this out there, so others can take what's happened here into consideration. If I had known this was the state of the snake I was buying, I probably would not have purchased and would have looked for someone more... ethical... but, you know what? I'm glad you falsely advertised with that healthy picture, because now he's going to get the care he deserves.

I'm still in utter awe of the things I am hearing from you. Once a month for a baby, every other week for a baby, loose skin is perfectly normal... I'm just appalled, truly.

 

[LauraB]

I know it was his rodent room ... which is why I posed my question and wondered why he would post the pic when the OP's snake was so skinny, and clearly not "maintenance" fed, especially when he has so many feeders at his disposal.

I wanted him to explain ... and maybe even to post a photo of his snake room.

You do have a beautiful snake, Mikasa. I know you will do right, despite the breeders neglect.

 

[Casey Hulse]

I could be mistaken, maybe an old picture, but that looks like an empty rodent room. My rodents all have food on top of the screen, and the floor is always covered with shavings (that one is pristine). That room looks like it just built, def. not well established. IMO.
As far as the snake. I have had baby boas several months old that I had to assist feed small prey items that looked much healthier.
Just admit you messed up, apologize, make it right with the O.P. and this will be a done issue.
Unless you want it to remain on page 1 for a few more weeks??
Good luck to both of you!

 

[Lucille]

if the snake was dehydrated its because it was in a box for 24 hours.

A magician!!! You put a fat happy snake in a box, and 24 hours later,voila, out comes a miserable skinny dehydrated creature!!!
You could make millions with weight loss salons, have some large boxes made, collect a fee and have the client walk into the box, and 24 hours later your client emerges skinny!

 

[tim brophy]

It was maintenance fed. Some breeders do it to save money. If this snake was not sold this year, it would simply be sold in 2016 as an undersized 2015. Some dealers just keep it alive until it sells. Whatever happened to the fun in keeping herps? These are not beanie babies. They are living organisms.
The good news is that this buyer can save this snake with decent care. Good on her!

 

[Guy Castro]

A magician!!
You could make millions with weight loss salons, have some large boxes made, collect a fee and have the client walk into the box, and 24 hours later your client emerges skinny!

Can I get in on the ground floor??

 

[Guy Castro]

It was maintenance fed.

The glamorous way of saying...STARVED!

 

[ElexisC]

That's very obvious.

Is that your snake room? No labels, no IDs, no feeding records or birthing/hatch records on a single tub; absolutely nothing on any tubs or racks to indicate any kind of ID/record keeping at all?
No nuthin' on any tubs? Sorry, but I would have expected better from a breeder in business as long as you claim.

It does look clean and spacious, I will admit that; but how can you possibly / how do you keep track of the health, growth, feeding of all those snakes if that is, in fact, your snake room?

What is with that Mazuri rodent food bag sitting in that chair? Just curious.

Those are rat racks Laura.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[AbsoluteApril]

So many people overfeed their snakes, boas really do better with slow growth. Generally, feeding every 2 weeks is going to be okay, I usually do 10 days for baby boas until they are a year old. Adults every 2 weeks can be a bit much even, 2-4 is usually better for boas. Opinions and results can vary, depending on the size/qty of food.

The baby boa in the ad looked pretty good. However, I think the majority of us agree that the baby the OP received appears to be in terrible shape. These two photos stood out the most to me. There should not be sagging in the lats! The tail looks deplorable! It's sinking in around the bones. That baby needed either a larger item or to be fed more often. He should recover in the OP's care, thank you for letting us know about this.