boa wont grow

wisherp · #1 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 12:21 AM

Ok i got a free boa couple years ago which i have good sources which says he was couple years old when i got him.. well like most free boas he was abused. He was in a cage with a ball python filled with crap. no water and shed flaked all over him. well anyways he isnt growing he is prob around 24 to 30 inches and girth is well i feed him weaned rats so small.. Is this going to be his final size?cause he hasnt grown much since i have had him.

pcncb · #2 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 01:03 AM

Don't worry about him getting bigger. As long as he keeps a healthy weight, thats all that matters. My best advice is to just feed him enough to keep him at a healthy body condition without getting too fat or getting skinny, the rest he will do on his own terms. Hope this makes sense and helps a bit

phillipswildbill · #3 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 02:03 AM

I'm glad you took risk of time and money lost and got him out of there. When that snake stablises he will be an aggressive eater and will soon be up to his normal size. I rescued a very near death Burmese that was 7' tops and skinny as a rail. It was cold and limp, I was furious about the abuse, I didn't think he'd make it through the night, terrible RI, couldn't even drink water or crawl.
Long story short, He got some new owners one year later measuring 11' and weighing 40 - 50 lbs.
One of my baby boas got out before it even had a meal, it turned up 5 or 6 months later looking bad, she's a large 3 years old now and will be mating by Jan.
So if your guys over the hump he'll be of plenty normal size in my opinion.

wisherp · #4 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 03:02 AM

well it has been almost 2 years of steady feeding and he is not growing at all. my yearling rainbow boas are getting bigger than him

pcncb · #5 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 03:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisherp

well it has been almost 2 years of steady feeding and he is not growing at all. my yearling rainbow boas are getting bigger than him

in my oppinion, its nothing to worry about. As long as he is eating regularly and is healthy, he will grow at his own pace. Just be glad he is still with you

wisherp · #6 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 03:40 AM

yeah it is just weird how small he is i will get some pics soon

phillipswildbill · #7 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 03:58 AM

My bad, it should be normal size if it followed suit with my experiences. So apparently I'm completely wrong. I didn't realise he'd been eating well for 2 years. So he's 4 years old and 30" or less. It would be pretty cool to have one like that, just because it's different.

Stargazer · #8 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 04:06 AM

I'm envious. Mine won't stop growing. You are lucky...you will have a little dwarf boa. How adorable. I don't know much about growth being stunted in boas, or if the process will reverse itself, but as long as he is healthy, enjoy your tiny little mini-boa. Do make sure his environment is as stress free as possible, that he has good places to hide, and the temps/humidity are good. Stress can stunt their growth. I'm assuming his enclosure is large enough and that he is being housed alone. Both of these factors can contribute toward stunted growth. Got any pics of snake and set up? Also, you didn't say what kind of boa he is. Could be some variety of dwarf boa. Also BCC's are much slower growing than BCI's. I've had my BCC for one and a half years, and he has hardly grown at all!

razeraze · #9 (**permalink**) 11-01-2007, 12:04 AM

Sounds like something is wrong. Did your vet check fecal and blood tests? Please post pics of the set up describing it and the temps as well as the feeding schedule and pics of the snake eating so I can get prey size reference. I have adopted abused and sick animals and they all grew normal in my care. Our water monitor took a while but it was only because she was so stressed she kept throwing up all her nutrients. After the first year she started to hold down her food and grew like wild fire. I have also heard and seen first hand horror stories of abused snakes that have all reached healthy lengths. I would say something is wrong.

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