help with young redtail boa

kennedy63 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-06-2009, 11:55 PM

Hi, I recently bought a redtail boa from a local pet shop and brought it home about 2 1/2 weeks ago and he is maybe 2 months old, they didn't tell me age(which probably wasn't a good sign in retrospect) but anyways when I first got him he was very active and healthy looking and feeling, I let him adjust to his cage for about 5 days before I tried to feed him and tried with a defrosted pinky, with no success, he had no interest, so I tried again 3 days later, no success again. It has now been almost 3 weeks and he hasn't eaten yet and is looking very unhappy and skin looks wrinkled and he is not moving around anymore like he was. I have tried live and frozen pinkies, a frozen fuzzy, and tried isolating him in seperate enclosure overnight with food and even tried braining a pinky and he couldn't care less about it. He is in a 10 gallon tank with a heat pad on one side and hiding spot on other, temp is 80 degress on hot side, I also recently put a reptile alamp on the hot side to raise the temp to 90 just to see if it'll make a difference if he will eat. Any tips??? I'm really worried worried about the little guy

Rex322 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:16 AM

how are you taking the floor temp where the heat pad is? also whats ur cool side temps? they should be 88-90 warm, 78-80 cool side

nitram · #3 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:25 AM

your best bet is a temp gun. i use both analog and digital thermometers but i also use the gun daily to make sure everything is smooth sailing. unfortunately i've no experience with my girls refusing to eat. but something i read brought some kind of idea; have you tried feedsing something larger? my baby josie ate a pink only once then she was good with the larger fuzzies or mice hoppers. she's now 3 months old and continues with frozen/thawed weened mice. i hope your snake takes soon it must be stressful to have it refuse feedings.

tbowman · #4 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:27 AM

Something nobody has pointed out yet. You said the skin is wrinkly, that's usually a sign of a dehydrated snake. What is your humidity like in the cage? Is water readily available? You should probably cover up the top of the tank with foil and maybe mist it once a day. You should get an acurite thermo/hygro from walmart if you can.

kennedy63 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:31 AM

I don't have a temperature gun :-/ I did buy a fuzzy, i guess its the next size up from the pinky, and he wasnt interested. Another thing is, he has never gone in his hiding spot, he doesnt seem interested in it. hes active when i pick him up, he slithers around and sticks his tongue out alot.

AGActaeonia · #6 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:31 AM

And yet another possibility that I'm surprised has not been suggested is that the snake is in shed.

Boas appear wrinkly, refuse food, and are lethargic while they're awaiting to shed.

In the future, it is also a good idea to ask the proprietor of the pet-outlet for information regarding the snake's feeding habits, i.e. "When was the last time it ate? Was it being fed f/t, p/k or live animals, and were they rats or mice?" It is also a good idea to tell the salesperson that you want to see the snake eat before purchase, as well.

Temperature, the level of humidity, clean fresh water, a hiding place on either end of the enclosure to allow the snake security, providing the correct temperatures and ensuring the snake is not placed in a high-traffic area are all things that should be considered with a new purchase, especially a very young Boa Constrictor.

Good luck.

nitram · #7 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:32 AM

do you happen to have a picture of his enclosure? maybe someone can point something out.

nitram · #8 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:34 AM

my girl eats while in shed =D but i guess not all are the same.

kennedy63 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:49 AM

I thought that 2 months was too young to shed? and I never saw blue eyes

AGActaeonia · #10 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitram

my girl eats while in shed =D but i guess not all are the same.

As do one or two of mine. While on the topic, it is not wise to feed a blue snake while its phased. A considerable amount of energy must be concentrated for a snake to shed its entire skin, and said energy should not be reduced to digestion. The stretching of the skin is also a means to damaging the developing under-layer.

It is my opinion that yes, some can be fed while in blue, others refuse meals. Those that will take food while in blue - in my experience - are those with renowned feeding responses such as Reticulated and Burmese Pythons. Otherwise, I should think that a snake in a new place, surrounded by new smells, being offered food-stuffs with some relative frequency would be somewhat more put off by the idea of eating than a newly acquired snake would be otherwise.

Blue is a very stressful time for a snake, especially a young one. Boas all the more so. Having poor eyesight, there's is reduced to virtually null during this period, and, alive or dead, many snakes follow their instincts instead of hunger.

AGActaeonia · #11 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennedy63

I thought that 2 months was too young to shed? and I never saw blue eyes

A snake may very well shed more times in the first year of its life than that any other time. Two months old is by no means whatsoever too young. In fact, it may have already shed two or three other times.

As for opaque-eyes, the eyes only milk over for 3 to 5 days before clearing somewhat. A week to two later the snake most often begins shedding.

One thing that caught my attention in your earlier description of your setup is that you've a single hide on the cool-end.

There should be one on both the warm as well as the cool-end.

If the snake is not using its hide, rest assured that he or she will do so when it feels like it.

Stargazer · #12 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 01:05 AM

There is any number of reasons he could not be eating, but in a baby boa, I would take it seriously. Please read this care guide, and make sure your temps and humidity are correct.
Redtailboas.com - Amazing Boas and the Ultimate Care Guide

How often are you handling him? Did you give him time to settle in before you tried to handle him? He could be stressed from too much handling.

If he looks dehydrated, it wouldn't hurt to soak him in lukewarm water (barely warm to your touch but not too warm) with a place to rest his head so he doesn't drown.

Another possibility is parasites, which you can't tell unless you take a fecal sample to the vet.

kennedy63 · #13 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 01:08 AM

He has only had one bowel movement with green feces, does that mean anything? I will not handle him for a while before i try again

tbowman · #14 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 02:16 AM

Although I've no experience with boas, I don't think green poop is a good thing.

Stargazer · #15 (**permalink**) 09-07-2009, 02:26 AM

I did a search and found this useful link:
The Learning Center - Help! My Snake Won't Eat!

One of the links on the left mentions green snake poop but I don't know which one.

BlackLava · #16 (**permalink**) 09-08-2009, 02:18 AM

i wouldnt worry too much about 3 weeks of not eating. some of ours have gone up to a month or so without eating when they first came here. the babies seem to have done alot better with their food and overall temperament if they were given tons of fake leaves and hides and stuff to hide in though, instead of just the bare minimums. i believe they settle in quicker and feel more comfortable, so they feel like eating quicker after arriving. if he looks wrinkly and not moving much, hes prob in shed, even if you didnt see its eyes turn blue. sometimes they turn blue and clear up very quickly. none of my snakes are active at all when they are in shed, they just sit in one place the whole time pretty much. mist its tank every day and keep the humidity higher, around 75% for at least a few days and see if you find a shed skin.

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