Newbie boa owner

[CRG]

Okay I went to the petstore to buy other stuff and found this boa stuffed in a 5 gal tank with 3 other ball pythons. I made the mistake of asking to hold it and well, I ended up buying it. Anyway all they knew is that it is a boa constrictor.It was owned by a college student who had to move and is about 8mnths old, I measured it and its about 30 inches...Right now I have it in a 20long with a 89 degree hot end and 75 cool ( is this about right?)I use cypress mulch for all my other reptiles so this is what he is on now..
He did eat a f/t mouse yesterday for me so that is a good sign. I have other snakes and lizards but never owned a Boa before so any help would be great...I did find a care sheet the other day.
So what do you think? the pic is really bad, Im no photographer thats for sure.

	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

[toker]

Welcome to the site!!

Nice critter! Congrats on your new baby.

Since it was kept the way it was, I would suggest having it checked out by a vet soon, just to make sure

[pathfinder36]

At 30'' you boa would be a happy critter on either rat pups or weaned rats. Rats are far more nutrtitious for your boa then mice. Other than that, temps sound good ( I use 77cool 88 warm). Cypress is fine but I prefer newspaper, butcher paper or industral paper towels. I'd say you have a very pretty Colombian BCI. Congrats on your purchase! Check for mites and watch carefully for unusual bowel movements, as pet store critters usually come home with unwanted guests. Check out the caresheet section too!

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[nycsfinezt61189]

First off, I would recommend watching the snake closely to see if it does anything odd, or seems to have some type of disease. Being in a 5 gallon tank, with ball pythons, probably being fed live mice at the store, for eight months, is probably not going to be good. In fact I would recommend taking the snake to a herp vet for a check up just to be sure. Also, you said that you fed him a f/t mouse. Switch him over to rats. F/t Rat fuzzies would be good for his size. Feed him one about every 10 days. Rats have much more nutrients than mice. Other than that, you can pretty much find everything out on a caresheet. Just watch his behavior for any signs of illness. For example, too much time in water could mean mites. If you have any questions just ask.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[pathfinder36]

Originally Posted by toker

Since it was kept the way it was, I would suggest having it checked out by a vet soon, just to make sure

Much agreed. I'd also keep it away from anything else you have in your collection for a good 6 months (or a year if you have the patience). Always wash your hands after handeling one snake before handeling the others. I'd do this even if the vet gives a clean bill of health as a saftey measure to the rest of your snakes... Good Luck!

[nycsfinezt61189]

Originally Posted by pathfinder36

Cypress is fine but I prefer newspaper, butcher paper or industral paper towels.

Paper towels are what I use too. They are really easy to clean and spot check.

[pathfinder36]

Oh yea... humidity should be sittin' at about 50-55%. This is absolutely critical to maintain proper skin conditions and to aid in shedding.... but all that is on the caresheet.

[nycsfinezt61189]

Here is a link to a pretty in-depth caresheet that I found extremely useful with my boa.
http://www.redtailboas.com/general_c...eral_care.html

[ann0306]

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know what, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done.

This cracks me up every time I read it.

[lethargiic]

Originally Posted by toker

Since it was kept the way it was, I would suggest having it checked out by a vet soon, just to make sure

I agree with toker and path but i just add a lil note to this comment toker made....make sure the vet is herp experienced!! A dog/cat vet wont do you any good and would prolly say..yep she looks good gimme my money now... =/

i think i should put this in my signature somewhere im always saying this.. lol

[pathfinder36]

Originally Posted by lethargiic

I agree with toker and path but i just add a lil note to this comment toker made....make sure the vet is herp experienced!! A dog/cat vet wont do you any good and would prolly say..yep she looks good gimme my money now... =/

i think i should put this in my signature somewhere im always saying this.. lol

Agreed there too. Try the search feature. I think there's a Herp Vet listing somewhere buried in the forums. You could probably find one in your area.

[CRG]

I should have mentioned he was only at the petstore for two days. I've checked him for mites when I got him. Ive had a bp with mites once so I kinda knew what I was looking for. I will eventually get him/her on rats but it just happens I have a freezer full of mice that I was trying breed and it didnt work out.
Thanks for input and the caresheets.
One thing that kinda concerned me was he had some stuck shed(which I removed with babyoil) and he seems to have some pretty loose skin, is this normal for a boa? Im actually able to pinch it easily. Im thinking it could be dehydration so I need to give him a good soak just to be sure, I just hate to stress him any more than I have to right now.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks