My Boa Won't Eat. Help!

[zebo and nola]

well zebo refused to eat today after apearing hungry. he has done this the last 4 times, so he hasent eaten in 2 months! i think the rats are to big so im going to try some smalls and feed f/k. any thoughts?

[zebo and nola]

any one?

[morti]

I did the best thing I could... which is change the title of this thread to "Help! My boa won't eat" so people will actually look at it.

Oh... and please post all the details you can about the cage, temperatures, humidity, etc of your snake's care so that we can better help you assess the situation.

[zebo and nola]

cage 4x2x2
temp 90 hot 80 cold
humidity 81%
he seems fine acted hungry stalking me through his window shows very littel intrest at first then hides his head under a coil and thats that

[morti]

How are you offering the prey? Using hemostats or tongs and making it do the "rat dance" or just tossing it in there?

[zebo and nola]

i use tongs and did the rat dance for quite a while then let it lay there and nothing

[phillipswildbill]

IMO, your low temp is a little high and the humidity could stand to be lower but I don't think either is the problem. My first suspicion for a male not eating is brumation, a 4-41/2' boa is sexually mature, therefore will naturaly fast in the cooler breeding months. The other could be a long lingering shed cycle, they know when a sheds coming before we can always tell. Could be a plateau in his growth stage that might cause that just compounded by the fasting. With that much humidity I don't think the shed is it. I'm guessing brumation. I'm just throwing possibilities out. I had a columbian at the low end of sexual maturity that fasted for at least 3 months, ate 1 small rat, then fasted for another month. I don't think it's anything serious, I'd go with the smaller rat and when dancing it move it side to side and away and close to him without actually touching him with it.

[zebo and nola]

he sheds just fine only problem ever was 3 months ago he regurged but ate fine after tho so i think it might be a seasonal thing

[razeraze]

It may be a seasonal thing, it also may be because of the regurge. I would offer a different prey item like chics or quail, then try to go back to rats.

	regurgitate Throw up. Reptiles will regurge when they feel they are in danger or if they have some sort of health issue. If your reptile has regurgitated his/her food please seek help!