Questions about the care of my newly rescued boa

Freakzilla6942 · #1 (**permalink**) 07-26-2004, 04:37 AM

hi everybody..I'm a moderatly knowledgable snake owner...dealt mostly with ball and burmese pythons..recently rescued a 6-7ft red tail boa from a friend of a friend..hadn't eaten in like 6 months..2 questions...1) i've fed it 2 large rats since i got it thursday..one thursday and one friday...should i feed it again tuesday or wednesday to make up for the lack of food for so long...and 2nd....outside of having it probed how would i determine the sex...
thanks for any responses

trinitywolf · #2 (**permalink**) 07-26-2004, 04:56 AM

Hey guy, I split this off as it's own topic since I thought it warrented more attention than being buried in another post.
First, Welcome aboard.
Second, you are risking a regurge with that boa feeding it so much after such a fast. If the boa has been without food for six months, it is really better to bring them back up slowly. Don't get me wrong, boas are hearty animals, but feeding large, closely spaced meals can stress an already stressed digestive tract. Don't feed that boa again for at least 14 days. If she does digest all she has in her stomach, GREAT!! Next feeding try to giver her something just a little smaller than her largest girth. It should not leave a lump in her. Feed her that way for about 3 feedings and then offer her a prey item that is about the same size as the largest size of her body. That should leave a small lump in her and you can continue to feed her that type of meal every 14 days forever.
I suggest feeding rats or rabbits and always feed frozen/thawed food.
If you have more questions, fire away.

Freakzilla6942 · #3 (**permalink**) 07-26-2004, 05:16 AM

ok well thanks..i'll just feed it on the same schedule as my other snakes...
don't know much about this snakes history...it's currently very aggresive but i don't think it was handled much and being so hungry for so long...handling it a couple of times a day...hoping to tame it...anyway thanks for the help..if anybody could give me any clues as to how to tell the redtail's sexes apart please feel free...or is it the same as pythons male=short fat tails females = long thin...i know it's not 100% accurate but a clue would help thanks

trinitywolf · #4 (**permalink**) 07-26-2004, 06:03 AM

You can apply that to the boa. It holds true a lot. I think that problng is the only way to really tell, but You will probably be right about 75-80 percent of the time with the tail.

Reptscue · #5 (**permalink**) 07-27-2004, 03:54 AM

Welcome to RTB.net!
Trinitywolf has got it right about the feeding.
Just one thing...
If you just got this boa. I would wait on the whole taming thing. S/He is already very stressed out by the move and eating. Wait at least a few weeks to let him/her to settle in. Then start handling. You can also put a worn stinky shirt in her/his cage. Smelling your scent might help her/him get used to you.
S/He may be aggressive due to stress. Or just unhandled like you said.
Good luck with the baby.
Let us know how it goes.

Freakzilla6942 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-27-2004, 05:25 AM

Thanks again for all your help....I should be fine from here on out....once i get s/he tamed i might find a mate for it...will probably have the snake probed later on anyway....one more question while i'm thinking about it..ok two...one should i keep the boa and pythons seperated..(even after i get s/he tamed) and two if they can be around each other is there any worries about cross breeding...have two female boas 1 ball 1 burmese and one male burmese...don't want any mixed breed babies or anything....unless that is acceptable..don't know if i ever heard of a boa/python mix...thanks again for all the help..this site is very helpful and quite nice to browse on too

Freakzilla6942 · #7 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 05:30 AM

Well got great news..the boa has passed at least one of the rats and looks greatr..and to top that off she ( i believe its female..long thin beautiful tail)
has let me hold her 3 different times today...for like 15 minutes at one stretch..she's still not comfortable being held..spends the whole time trying to get away..but it's alot of progress for such a short period

Freakzilla6942 · #8 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 03:37 PM

here are a couple of pics of the rescued snake we've been talking about

ChrisBallPython · #9 (**permalink**) 07-30-2004, 10:36 PM

hi...i know my question is kind of out of topic, but, i just wanna figure out why is that, how come my BP always lay on the cooler side, i never seen him lay on the barking area??? Thanks for help!!

Freakzilla6942 · #10 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 06:31 AM

You may have it too warm for him that's why he seeks the coolist area...

ChrisBallPython · #11 (**permalink**) 07-31-2004, 09:58 PM

but my warmer side's temperature is 90degrees in day time, sometime 95....at night is 80...is that too hot????

nightcat · #12 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 08:16 AM

That is so sad about your boa. She seems to be looking pretty good now though. What were the circumstances that caused her to be treated so shabbily? I also have a rescued male boa. I was an animal warden and got called to a house where the person had moved out and left in January in 10 degree weather and just left this por boa to die. The cage was filthy, no water, the boa wasstarved and I thought he was dead when I picked him up. No movement, eyes glazed mouth open ect... I told the land lord I would dispose of the snake for her. I had him in the front of the truck with the heater on and when I pulled up to the shelter and picked him up, I felt movement! I took him home and held him under my shirt till he got warm . The vet wasn't even sure he would make it, It was a couple of months before he could even hold his head up and nine before he could eat on his own . My Ruby is doing great for the past five years and is a sweetheart who has a home for the reat of his life. I did track down the scumball who did this to him after about six months. He was charged with animal crueltyand since he was a suspected drug dealer the police who backed me up had a warrent, he was arressted for ameth lab and got sentenced to 20 years in jail. So Ruby and got our revenge!

Freakzilla6942 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-01-2004, 09:13 AM

she belonged to a friend of a friend...him and his girl got it together..he left it with her when they split.....she wasn't very scared of it but didn't know when or how to feed it right so it went 6 month without food from what i'm told...anyways she is fine now...doing well...in fact this has been such a great experiance that i'm thinking about resuing herps more regularly....well you and ruby have my thanks and my admiration..glad to see a happy ending

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