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john81585 · #1 (**permalink**) 05-24-2003, 11:54 PM

Ok here’s the situation I have 2 red-tail boas male and female both a little over 5ft in the same tank. The female stopped eating 2 weeks ago... can boas breed at this size? I didn't think they could. If so is there anyway to tell if she's pregnant? The male is doing fine eating and all that.
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Mocha · #2 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 02:18 AM

Well, give it a few weeks and continue to try feeding her, and also check for weight loss and dehydration daily. Umm i'm not sure if this is for boas, but with my corn snakes when they are pregnant you can feel the eggs as they develope, u could also bring her to a vet and have her checked, don't think i was helpful, but i can hope.
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Vegetatoboaotaku · #3 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 03:52 AM

Boas can breed at that size... but it's not heathy for the female... They really should have been seperated. It is very possible that she is pregnant now.
When was her last shed? Was it a particularly long shed? If it was then it it could have been her POS (post ovulation shed)... from that date you add 105 days and then you have the forecasted drop day for the litter... she could drop before or after but usually if the litter is going to be a good one she'll drop after that date...
As she gets closer to her due date if she is in fact preggy then her front end will begin to get skinny and her back 1/3 will get very swollen... she will exhibit other behaviors too like the heat conversation position which is when she coils herself very tightly in a big mound in an attempt to keep her body temp yup... female also drink frequently when pregnant....

now with all that said... she might just have decided not to feed... boas will sometimes do that... for their own reasons... if she is healthy she shouldn't lose weight for a long while even if she doesn't feed... give her time...
reply with some details on her last shed... and her condition now...
and if at all possible seperate your boas... if she is in fact pregnant her small size will make it potentially dangerous for her and her babies...
best regards!
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JonnyB · #4 (**permalink**) 05-25-2003, 11:06 PM

I don't know athing about pregnant But I would most definitely seperate them
My Girl sometimes refuses to eat you can feed in a seperate tank if you don't already and cover it on all sides leave them with food p/k or f/t do not feed live and let her be for a few hours becareful not to stress her good luck keep us posted [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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john81585 · #5 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 03:59 AM

i tried feeding her again today with no luck... she seems extra active not sure if that means anything.
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Mocha · #6 (**permalink**) 05-26-2003, 11:47 PM

Maybe it's just that time of the month. No, but seriously, what size enclosure do you have her in, My female kingsnake got like that, extremely hyper, and refused to eat, but as soon as i moved her into a large aqaurium with a lot of crawling space and hide boxes she started to eat. Like the other guys said, seperate the male and female if you havnt already, plus, if you keep them seperated, and you want to breed when they are the right size, it will help promote breeding. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
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Ed_r · #7 (**permalink**) 05-27-2003, 04:23 AM

A couple weeks is nothing to worry about. They can breed at that size. Doubtfull the clutch would ammount to anything. Usually at that size you will mostly get slugs. Anything change in your cage?

*Note* this is why it is not good to house to snakes together.
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john81585 · #8 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 09:49 PM

this is week 3 without eating and shes getting fat... can anyone post a link to where i can get info about breeding them, i didn't plan on it happening this soon. thanks in advance
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morti · #9 (**permalink**) 05-30-2003, 10:57 PM

Have you seperated your snakes yet? That seems to be the prevailing theme of the advice given here (and I agree completely).

I always reccomend housing snakes seperately. It just makes good sense. Rather than linking you to breeding info, I would reccomend that you read the boa constrictor care sheet on this site. It can be found by clicking

here.
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john81585 · #10 (**permalink**) 05-31-2003, 03:54 AM

i have no problem keeping them.. i've kept them for over three years.. now it seems i have a pregnant one. they are seperated but its a little to late now.
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Sunn · #11 (**permalink**) 05-31-2003, 04:43 AM

John,

Well if in fact she is pregnant she may not eat for awhile. She will
when and if she wants to and not before. I'd just keep her on her normal
schedule offering her what she is accustomed to. Don't be surprised if she
refuses for awhile.

Now her housing.......what size cage do you have her in and what is the situation
for providing heat? Does she have belly heat? Also pregnant snakes seem to drink
water more than normal. That is what I've found anyway.....be sure she has a good size
container with clean water at all times.

You will need to also make provisions for babies....there are some good plans for
inexpensive rack systems in the Cages section. Simple racks with shoeboxes with or without lids and a flex watt system hooked up to a thermostat or rheostat will take care of their needs. I also like the rack systems that Boaphile.com sells..

I would suggest you immerse yourself in all you can find on what to expect and when to expect it......a good web search on yahoo or google or alltheweb.com can get you more links than you
will be able to visit in a weeks time. Most care sheets don't really get into what to expect other than general time frames and proper ages and sizes for breeding. You will however gain some knowledge by just doing a lot of research. Knowledge is the key of course in all responsible pet ownership. A tip to the local library can't hurt either .... I've found information there that isn't available on the web that I can find anyway.

I myself have questions that pop up that I wish I could say I knew the answers for yet am new
enough in this hobby to have to rely on others for the things that aren't in basic care sheets or breeding information. I am about to get a real taste of this with a couple gravid females that are due soon. I am prepared as I can be and have the mom to be comfy also. She appears to be doing very well....she's a big one at 8 ft and has done this before though so that is good for me. I also have a vet that knows what is up and will be there in a flash if I need him.

Do what you need to do and keep us posted on how she does.....

Good luck and you know how to reach the folks here.....

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