My boa won't eat!

dynastygm · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 04:18 AM

I know it's probably not cause for worry yet, because it's only been 3 weeks, but it bothers me none-the-less. He ate a black medium size rat 3 weeks ago, and he's refused to eat the two white rats in this three week period(I try to feed every 10 days :3). Temps are fine, although this past shed was a bad one(I had to help him with half of it), I don't know what to make of it.

What do you guys think?

edit: He's been eating f/t, btw.

richardduckworth · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 04:22 AM

try another black rat, i've had ball pythons and copperheads who'd only eat certain color animals. i had a big copperhead that refused to eat ANYTHING but black/white rats....wouldn't touch a black one, wouldn't touch a white one.....

but he could not eat the rest of the year and be fine, so don't worry, just make sure everything is in check, leave him alone another week or two and then offer him another black rat.

i'd double check the humidity though, the bad shed indicated a possible problem there. with low humidity could come respiratory problems so keep an eye out for the snake stretching his head up high or breathing where you can hear it at all. any whistling/puffing is a sign of an RI.

Stargazer · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 04:25 AM

We need more specifics: what kind of boa is he? How big? What kind of enclosure is he in? How often does he usually eat? What exactly are the temps and humidity?

I have a BCC who used to go on hunger strikes for 4-5 weeks at a time. I found out it was because he was being housed with a female BCI who was the dominant snake. As soon as I separated them, he started eating again. But he doesn't always eat when I dangle the rat. So now I leave it on a paper plate in his tank. I cover the tank and walk away. He usually eats it within 20 minutes. He's just a sensitive snake.

dynastygm · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 04:30 AM

Yeah, I've been watching him closely. The humidity was only low one day from when he turned blue. My younger brother left the towel for the cage off after changing his water bowl. I was mostly thinking the bad shed may have been stress induced, but I'm not sure.

He only stretches his head up when my arm is close, atleast as far as I can tell. But I'll keep my eye on him still. The only weird thing that has happened since is that he's stopped hissing at me before I take him out. Whether or not that could be interpreted as a sick snake or just getting more accustomed to me, I don't know. I've only had him for a month and a half, fyi.

Stargazer:

He's a Guyana Red Tail. Temps are typically 90-92 basking, 82ish on the cooler side. About 80 on the warm side at night, cool side about 77. I try my best to keep the humidity between 50-60%, but it will occasionally get as low as 48% when I'm at work. He's 4 and a quarter, possibly 5 feet estimated.

I'm working on building him a new tank, because aquariums suck terribly. He's in a standard 70 gallon enclosure at the moment.

Stargazer · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 05:35 AM

BCC's can be such finicky eaters. Make sure he is getting plenty of exercise to help him digest his food. I would bump up the warm side a little at night because that is the preferred time for them to come out and bask. By keeping a good variation in temps, they are forced to move around to thermoregulate. The exercise is good for them and helps them to digest. How often is he pooping? If he's not pooping very often, he may not need to eat yet.

Also you can add humidity by adding another water dish directly under the heat. You can also put moist towels in the tank while you are at work and cover half the screen top with a towel. It's pretty dry where I live, and I have to do all those things. Also misting twice a day (and more during shed) is good.

Adrya · #6 (**permalink**) 08-03-2007, 06:15 AM

A bad shed could also be caused by parasites, whether internal or external... stress can cause it too.

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