very different habbits one year later...

[cobrax333]

my rtb, lola, is about a year and a half old...i got her a good 14 months ago, and i always fed her in a box by dangling a thawed out mouse and after a min or two she would pounce, constrict, and swallow...

now all of a sudden she refuses to attack the already dead mouse and she'll only eat if NO ONE is watching her (this is why she must be a she)... this new routine has been going on for about a month now...anyone have any theories on the suddent attitude change?

...also on a non-feeding related note, she also discovered the ability to burrow under the reptibark about a month ago also... is that normal for a boa, and could it in anyway be linked to her feeding changes?

thanks,
mike

[BWSmith]

First, welcome to RTB. There are manyt ings that can effect a snake's habits. There are always snakes that will have to be left alone with dead food before they will eat. Everyone has thier quirks. Burrowing is also very common and nothing to worry about.

she'll only eat if NO ONE is watching her (this is why she must be a she)...

I don't quite follow on this one.

[trinitywolf]

I think he is making a joke about how some girls only eat salad and drink water when you take them out to dinner Brian. LOL

I think a change may mean something and it may mean nothing. Check your temps to see if she may be trying to regulate. If you use UTH she may be trying to get warmer, but if it's overhead she may be trying to cool down.
Also, is she in a high traffic area? Does she have a few hides? I use newspaper as substrate for my boas and find that a few of them really appreciate it when I throw in a few extra sheets that are loose on top for them to hide under. Some use them, some don't. I think it all depends on the demeanor of that particular snake.

	Under Tank Heater Under Tank Heater

[Ed_r]

Welcome to RTB!!
Was her location in the house changed, to possibly a high traffic area? Does she have a hide spot? Could just be nervous. Not really uncommon behavior either. If she is burrowing, while this is not uncommon, it does show she feels a need to hide.

Also Are you feeding in the cage? On the substrate? If so either change her substrate to newspaper or similar, or feed her in a seperate feed tote. Reason being, she will eventually ingest some subtrate and cause her harm, either blockage or infection.

[savannah_babe]

my bci burrows as well. hide or no hides..lol and..about the women eating like birds? HA HA...not i...*giggle*i still pig out. :P if im hungry, ill eat

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

[BWSmith]

I believe he said that he was feeding in a tote. Given that and the fact that she IS still eating, I can't see a big issue with the enclosure. If it was too far skewed, I don't think she would be eating at all. Perhaps the palcement of the tote has changed or maybe she is too big for the tote after a year.

[serius007]

If you feed in a tote? Method: leave snake in there for one hour then introduce food.

Will they get cold? How soon should they be moved carefully back in to their home?

I need to learn to do this. I have been feeding from the cage.

Thanks,
James

[JuliusSqueezer]

they will get cold if you put the tote in a cool room you can lay it on a heating pad though if the room temps are low. when to safely put it back?....depends on your snake and your handling abilities. got a snakehook? lol....usually boas will calm back down and be less likely to strike after about 30 minutes...depending on the snake, I put them back up anywhere from "just swallowed it" to ...."hmmm maybe I check back in the morning". I have a fairly wide range of species though and they all require something different it seems.

[BadKarma]

We feed in a tote and in the cage. Our snakes don't seem to care for the most part. If we feed in a tote we put the snake in the tote and then put the food item in and leave them (with the lid on). We've left them overnight in the tote before. As far as feeding off of the tongs, I prefer not to feed them like that. I'd rather them just take it off the bottom of the cage/tote. Some still require us to feed with the tongs but most don't.

[suzi]

If you feed in a tote? Method: leave snake in there for one hour then introduce food.

I've never heard of that one. We put ours in their totes and feed immediately. Reason? They all try to escape the tote eventually. Is there a good reason to leave them an hour before feeding?