My boa doesn't thermoregulate? Help pls

[lemunhed134]

So I just got this new colombian imperator, shes really nice and I love her bunches, but she just sits in one side of the cage all the time and doesn't seem to thermoregulate alot. She either coils under the hot spot for extended periods of time, or sits in the cool side. For a while I had her hide box on the cool side and she would just sit there, she threw up her first meal after 3 days due to lack of enough heat (at least in my opinion). I just went out and got another heat lamp for the enclosure so that I can maintain the temps more carefully, but is this normal? Should I move her to the hot spot when she's digesting or just wait for her to get it or what? I'm new to snakes, but I have done a TON of reading and this doesn't seem normal.

[eddie]

Just be sure that the temps, as well as a gradient are within the range needed.
Once it is established, don't worry about it, cause believe it or not, the snake will know what it wants to do and when, more than we will know for it

[JuliusSqueezer]

She's choosing saftey of her hide over thermoregulating. Put a hide on both sides Also, a night time drop where your daytime temps are 88 hotside and 79-80 coolside...should drop at night about an overall 5 degrees. This night cooling will force them to move around in the morning to warm up which will keep them from getting lazy and stagnant. It works in nature. Tell me a place that doesn't get cooler at night outside. Good luck.

[Heidi]

I have one that seems to do this too but just trust that as long as I keep his husbandry right he'll do what comes natural. I would worry though myself if he regurged. He likes to hide and has hiding spots on the cool and the hot but just doesn't use his hot. Last night he at and spent the night on the hot side and then later this morning went to hide in his usual cool spot. Try to give him a hiding spot on both sides and I bet he'll use that hot spot more.

[lemunhed134]

Yeah I redesigned the cage yesterday. I have a box to hide in n the warm side, as well as plants which she seems to love to be under/climb on. She didn't leave the box for like 3 days when the plants weren't there, but now she just sits under them, and I have some paper crumpled so she can get under it on the cool side by her water dish. Lets hope this works out. What temperatures are boas supposed to maintain their body temperature at? I have heard 88 for when they are feeding and lower normally.
Also, I have trouble with the hot spot. When I put one of my analog thermometers out in the open with the lamp on it, its like 95 degrees but then under the plants where the snake likes to hide, its only 87... then there's also the cool side. Is this dangerous? I figure right now its probably better for her to be hotter than colder so that she can build up her digestive fluids again.

[Jem_Scout]

Remember, you can always use boxes for hides...Just have them be big/small enough for her to curl up into and feel secure. Cereal boxes and mac-n-cheese boxes work great! Just cover them with the fake plants so you can't see them!

[JuliusSqueezer]

95 is too hot, especially for a young boa. It's probably why she puked and why she avoids that hot side. Cool that down to no more than 88. Cold blooded animal's body temp is the same as the ambient temp of their surroundings. Crawling over to a 95 degree hotspot would be the same as you having a really high fever...so high in fact that you probably wouldn't survive at least without severe brain damage...if at all. Dehydration from overheating probably caused your snake to barf. Mix pedyalite into the waterbowl 50/50 for awhile and make sure and change that out daily. Do NOT attempt to feed any snake that regurged for at least a couple of weeks or they will just puke again and probably die. They need time to replentish gut flora. Overheating and dehydrating them will not aid them in replentishing. If you want to help with this, go to an avian store or even petco's bird section and buy some benebac. Benebac is a probiotic (opposite of antibiotic) It is a green paste with millions of colonies of live beneficial bacteria that they need in their digestive track to properly digest. Overheating to the point of dehydration, vomiting, any illness that might lower the immuno system will deplete the gut flora more than they can quickly replentish it on their own so this stuff really helps speed them along to recovery. Dosage doesn't really matter. Just get some down there. It multiplies fast and there is a limit to what they can support so surpluss will die off and pass.

[RioBravoReptiles]

I recommend getting away from using infra-red emitters or heat lamps as a heat source. You cannot adequately control the size of the hot-spot or the (thermal) calories the animal takes in. Plus, these devices drive moisture from the cage and it's contents, complicating proper Boa husbandry.

Instead, set up a substrate (under the cage) heat-source. Set your temperature probe on the heat-strip or under-tank heater (fish-tanks are poor Boa cages but I know many people use them) itself to avoid overheating. Adjust the temps a little higher than optimum body temps for the snake (which we only guess at anyway), the low 90s.. the Boa will do the fine-tuning. The size of the hot spot should be no larger than the 'footprint' the animal takes up on the cage-floor when comfortably at rest.

Boa thermoregulate in subtle ways by raising or lowering the mass or surface area of their bodies on a heated surface. You can see this in action with substrate heat if you look closely.. they become more rounded so less of their body is in contact with the heat when they want to lower their temps and more flattened to absorb more heat. Boas cannot do this with radiant heaters like heat lamps, they have to move if it is too hot. A Boa digesting a meal (or incubating babies) will move little but can still closely adjust it's body temps (in the proper places!) with a good substrate heat-source.

If you like a cluttered cage you can also place a solid object, such as a massive, smooth stone on the substrate heat, your boa will use that as a source of heat when needed or to lose heat when it is cool, compared to the snake's core temperature.

Peoperly set up you will get superior results with substrate heat and your Boa will be healthier. Pregnant Boa or Boa digesting a large meal are vulnerable in nature and don't move unless needed.. the substrate heat system allows them to closely regulate their own temperatures and feel secure.

Like everything else heating requires close attention and adjustment, if needed.

Gus

[lemunhed134]

I am planning on doing just that, however I am waiting for my boaphile plastics cage, jeff is really busy I guess. Been about 5 weeks now. That cage will have a radiant heat panel, as well as flexwatt tape, and will be much more optimal. Right now though I have a 20gal long aquarium. I went out and bought another light that can go on the coolside. Now I have the temps stable at 82 or so on the cool side, low 90's on the other side, and only dropping a few degrees at night.
And Julius, I'm not sure but I don't think it was too hot for the snake in the cage. the 95 spot was only obtained once or twice within a 1-2" area right under the light, which my snake never goes in because she likes to hide. I think it was lack of temp that caused her to throw up, because the ambient temps were probably 73 before I got the second lamp, at least at night and the hot spot was more around 87. It is a realy pain in the #$%^&#$%^&#$%^& trying to get temps and environmental conditions right without a proper cage/thermostat but I think for now with the two lights its ok.
Also, I talked to the breeder I got the snake from, and she said to feed her on her next feeding date, which would be sunday and she threw up monday. Is it really necessary to wait for weeks? Like I said, i'm