feeding question

[zupanm]

I got my new boa about 16 days ago. Tonight she just shed for the first time. She has yet to eat. She seems healthy. She has gone to the bathroom also. The temps and everything are fine. Mid 90's on the hot end and mid 70's on the low end. I've been trying froozen mice. I've tried pinkies and fuzzies.

I'm hoping its just she has to get use to getting fed froozen mice and/or her new enviroment. Any comments or ideas out there? [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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[XzyluM]

Welcome to RTB. Well, if you have just tried feeding it, some snakes refuse to eat during shed. Was it CB or WC? If is was WC, then it could be a problem getting it to switch to F/T, same goes if it was fed live prey. How many days has it been since it fed. 16 days isn't to much to worry about yet.
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	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

	Captive Born Captive Born

	Wild caught wild caught

[Countryboy]

Your temps sound a little high on you hot end mabey you should lower them to the upper 80's mabey around 87 unless you are treating for a RI infection i don't think that you temperatures should be that high. If i'm wrong someone correct me. More peole will be along in a little bit to help.
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	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[LdyDrgn]

MID 90's??? That's too hot! MID 70's??? That's too cold! Warm end should be high 80's, cool end high 70's, low 80's. Too hot or cold will prevent it from eating.....

You say you're feeding frozen mice...you do mean frozen/THAWED, right? You are warming them all the way through?
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[NYCSpeedcore]

Try getting some tongs and moving the mouse around to entice a feeding responce. As cruel as it is sometimes you have to paralize a live mouse, so it is twitching and then put it in. After two times of doing this take a f/t and try twitching it with the tongs. Usually by then they will take it and eventually you will only have to leave the food item in the tank and they will go for it. Mine does not even constrict anymore. Safer for you, safer for them, and more human for the rat.
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	Geek Auto Linker or Gallon Geek Auto Linker Gallon - United States liquid unit equal to 4 quarts or 3.785 liters

	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[zupanm]

its thawed and then heated with hot water. I've tried moving it around with tongs. I'll try to lower the hot part temp a bit maybe that will help. what is a length of time if the snake does not eat to get worried? Also when i move the mouse around the snake seems to be scared of it.
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[Countryboy]

Don't put it right in her face move it around to the sides of her head mabey tap her on her side about 1/3rd of the way down her side. Since she just shed today I wouldn't be to worried if she didn't eat today, try a little longer if she doesn't eat, then get rid of the mouse. You can't refreeze it. Good luck
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[JuliusSqueezer]

It could be all in how you are thawing the mouse too. If you are laying them out to thaw and then later warming them in warm water, they are probably somewhat spoiling and while boas and other snakes have been known to eat dead animals that are somewhat rancid in the wild, many if not most will not. If they smell freezer burned or spoiled when they thaw, throw them away. The best way I have found to thaw is to put them in a ziplock and put them in a bowl...fill with hot water and then place another bowl of the same size over that bowl, sandwitching the ziplocked mice in between the 2 bowls...most of the water will spill over but enough will stay...to keep them warm enough to thaw...keep running hot water into the top bowl. When you think they are thawed. make sure the abdomen of the mouse is very soft and then wrap your fingers around his head, if you can feel any cold they need to thaw more. The brain is the last thing to thaw because of skull thickness. Other problems could be the size, type or even color of the prey offered. Sometimes you have to try different things. <TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>I've tried pinkies and fuzzies. </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE> Pinkies and fuzzies are really too small and he may just not be interested. Baby boas from the first meal should be taking small hopper mice or pink rats....preferably pink rats...try one, you may be surprised at how fast he snapps them off the tongs. If you aren't using tongs...get some. He may be cowering back from your hand feeling threatened by that.
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[impermanentrage]

OK. I'm not trying to step on anyone's toes or slam their underwear into uncomfortable positions, but unless your keeping your BC in a rather small enclosure there is really no reason to fret over the temp's you've posted. I do realize that there are those who would greatly disagree, and that's fine, i would just like to point out that although BC's are ectothermic that doesn't indicate an inability to properly thermoregulate. They do so behaviorily and with a side in the mid-70's and a basking area in the mid-90's your BC should be more than capable of reaching an his/her needed tempature. In fact what you have presented is considered by many to be well within the POTZ(preferred optimum temp zone). These temps will actually be conducive to proper thermoregulatory behavior and considering that BC's are one of the most widely distributed species of snake in the world , filling various ecological locales from semi-arid regions of northern mexico to the peruvian montane regions and argentine coastlines(this is considering only the specific level and not the sub-specific) i am sure that some can readily agree). My only concern would be if the enclosure were to small to allow the animal to fully escape the basking area, but i am assuming this not to be the case.


Peace,love, and entropy,
Alex

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[ss26969]

my bci wont eat if theres someone in the room or its light out .... dont know why... try this drop in a mouse at night and see what happens [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

[driftwooddodgeman]

Luckily, my (aprox.) 18&quot; RTB eats anytime, anywhere. I was able to get both pics and movies on my digicam of the first feeding. It lets me sit right up close and watch it. Really fascinating to watch! quick question, though. Someone said earlier for a baby boa, that pinkys are too small. I have fed nothing but pinkys to it, trying to best judge both size ratios. Today, I fed it a pinky which left quite a nice bulge in it's sides...is this the right size? The 2-3 other times feeding, I never noticed this much of a bulge. It's body is quite slender, being taller than it is wide, and therefore I have stuck to fairly small pinkys. I don't want to stretch anything out or whatever, so is it normal for there to be a little bulge in the sides, or should I step down a size? Thanks for the help... [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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[impermanentrage]

The response by julius was that neonatal BC's can consume hopper mice w/out effort but that it is best to feed them pink rats. If you're not sure of the difference between a pink mouse and a pink rat just ask. I'm not sure if i can articulate this but a pink rat is significantly larger than a pink mouse. Most pink rats i've been around were an inch and a half to two inches long and plump lil' buggers. Most pink mice are about a fifth that size at best.

Entropy,
Alex

_________________
&quot;We are destined to become the most well informed society to ever die from our own ignorance.&quot;
Edward Abbey

[RevMojo]

So far you've gotten great advice from everyone...the only thing I do different is thaw my rats in the fridge rather than in water. If thawing in water spoils the taste of a steak, I cant imagine what it does to a rat...I heat em in water, but thaw em the same as I would my own food. Just be sure to warn whoever you live with that there's rodents thawing in the freezer



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[impermanentrage]

Agreed.


Peace
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