RTB is acting Lethargic.

00SVT · #1 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 05:22 PM

This is my first post and i didnt see an intro section so ill start here... My name is Johnathan, im 25 live in Texas and have a 7 year old Peruvian red tail boa. Nice to be here!
My snake Chess, is fixing to shed i believe. Her eyes are bluish grey and hazy. She is acting exceptionally lazy and lethargic though.

All she will do is sit on the cooler side of her tank with the first 6 inches of her head in her water bowl. Im having a hard time keeping the humidity up in this new house and i have no idea why! I mist her daily with warm bottled water. She is due for a feeding in 2 weeks. She looks healthy but im just puzzled. I havent handled her since she started showing signs of a shed. She doesnt stretch out like she used to and just stays coiled up. Im kind of worried and DONT want anything to happen to my snake! Anyone have any input?
Thanks in advance,
J

TammyJamaica · #2 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 05:44 PM

Hi and welcome to this site!

If your boa has all she needs, temps and humidity are fine, etc., and she is not acting strangely or in any abnormal way then just be patient and let her be while she gets ready to shed. My opinion without seeing any pics or being a vet.

00SVT · #3 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 05:47 PM

Ok.... like i said im having a very hard time keeping temps and humidity constant in this new house!!! Ill snap some pics and post the terrarium info when i get home after work.

Thanks for the info. Its just very unlike her! Im just having Chess width draws lol!

Hairless · #4 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 06:19 PM

For sure, a change in behavior (tightly coiled verses stretched out normally) could be a sign something is 'different' or even wrong. How long have you had this snake? If it's been years, that's a lot of history that can be used to gauge 'normal'.

I don't like to see boas tightly coiled up in their enclosure under normal conditions, but many sprawlers will tightly coil when shedding or nearing shed. Nothing wrong with that.

You just moved and you have the answers to your questions at your finger tips...You mentioned you are having problems getting the environmental conditions back they way they were. You must provide the proper conditions. The boa will not act 'normal' in an abnormal environment. What is the light level like in the room the boa is in now compared to where you came from? Different lighting can cause a change in behavior. Temp change will also cause a change in behavior. The move itself could have an affect.

Welcome to the site.

TammyJamaica · #5 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 06:20 PM

By the way, the introduction forum is called :Check in/Check out: in case you want to do another intro on there.

Other folks here will know more to tell you about the correct temps and humidity for your boa.

00SVT · #6 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 06:31 PM

Thanks for the reply Hairless! The lighting is the same. The move i couldnt see effect her too much i took her out like i always do and put her back in. her home was just moved a few streets down. The room she is in has a little more breeze than the old one though. How far off do the temps have to be to get her all worked up? its not a drastic change but the humidity wont come up and stay over 40-50...

Thanks again guys/gals!

J

TammyJamaica · #7 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 06:56 PM

Put a damp towel in her enclosure and keep it damp but watch for mildew. You definitely have to get the humidity higher!

Look forward to more info and pics of the enclosure.

Hairless is way more expert than I!!! I totally respect him.

00SVT · #8 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 08:03 PM

Ok, does it matter how warm or cool the water stays?

B-Spec · #9 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 09:05 PM

only so much you can do to affect water temp... If its too warm, slide it to the middle or closer to the cool side.

I moved my boa's enclosure last week, and decided to just tape off the vents in the room to make sure temps dont fluctuate.

Sakara · #10 (**permalink**) 08-17-2010, 09:28 PM

what kind of enclosure is she in? what are her temps? what kind of heating are you using? how often do you feed her and what size prey?

I'm also in TX btw... What part are you in?

00SVT · #11 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 12:58 AM

ok update... she is now in a big tupper ware container. she has newspaper as bedding and a dr pepper box as something to hide in. I have a heating pad under the left side of the container. Im not sure how humid it is staying in there though. However she is back to staying more stretched out like she used to be. That makes me happy.

Hopefully things will get back to normal for her. Her eyes are going back to normal though. Too much stress to shed? some pics are on their way.

I am in college station btw.

Thanks for the help folks.

00SVT · #12 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:17 AM

here are a few pics i snapped when i had her out a few mins ago. sorry fuzzy. was using cell phone with macro...

Rachel SS · #13 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:21 AM

looks like she hasn't shed yet, I would leave her be till she completely sheds.

Do you have a thermostat under the tupperware? If not, it will melt, you HAVE! to have a thermostat

00SVT · #14 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:27 AM

She hasnt shed yet i know that. I took her out of old setup and moved her to new one. No thermo under the tupperware, it is a normal heating pad like what a person would use. It all sits on a towel then the pad then another towel then the tupperware. I will watch the temp on the floor very close. The heating pad is on medium btw.

Byron · #15 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:30 AM

in order to be sure you have everything correct (temps and humidity), you cant just guess at it. a few thermometers (basking side and cool side) and hygrometer are a must.

00SVT · #16 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:33 AM

i realize this, but i literally JUST moved her over. I have all that stuff in her old cage. However that one just wasnt cutting it in this new house. I still think the new tupperware is to dry inside.

im working on moving all of my guage equipment from old cage to new one.

00SVT · #17 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:35 AM

besides, you didnt state otherwise so you dont even know what your talking about..

Byron · #18 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00SVT

besides, you didnt state otherwise so you dont even know what your talking about..

lol...this is true. I just cleaned out my cages. I didn't adjust the temps, didn't change anything except the aspen substrate. Cages are in the exact location as before the cleaning and my temps changed by 6-8 degrees on the warm side and my humidity changed by 15%.

just saying that even though things are the same visually doesn't mean they are the same otherwise.

Good luck with your lil buddy.

00SVT · #19 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:54 AM

no no no... i was having all kinds of issues getting her glass tankto maintain any kind of temp and humidity in the house i just moved to. so i moved her to a tupperware asap just to get her out of the uneven glass one. Im still working on getting things in order in it i just wanted her out of the glass asap!

i can tell she already likes it more.

Thanks though! ill take all the luck i can get! i <3 her

Rachel SS · #20 (**permalink**) 08-20-2010, 01:56 AM

the heatpad wrapped in a towel sounds like a fire waiting to happen. You should just get one of those zoomed ones and again, you absolutely must, 100% have a thermostat.

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