ok, please give me the full rundown on......

[hotrod128z]

BRB's(brazilian rainbow boas). I am looking into one for my next pet and would love direct info from people in the know on here. Things like feeding(how sensitive are their digestive systems), temps and good overall cage settings(what they like as far as cover, hides, substrate , etc.), temperment of course, etc., etc., etc.


any and all info welcome please



thanks a million


hotrod

[Allysen]

BRBs are great! Hardy as all get-out if you have the right set-up. Babies can get overwhelmed by big spaces, so we keep ours in sweater-tubs and then move them to larger tubs and boaphiles once they're a little bigger and established.

High humidity is VERY important for the first year. You want the humidity levels to be 80-90 percent consistently, and the temperatures need to be lower than most boas. Prolonged exposure to temperatures 85 degrees and higher can be fatal. Ideally you want a nice gradient from the low to mid 70s, to the low 80s. My temps are 83 degrees directly over the flexwatt, and about 74 on the cool end.

They do like to burrow, and I've always used cypress mulch. It holds the high humidity while being resistant to mold. There are other substrates you can use, but I don't have personal experience with them because cypress has always worked so well for my little guys.

BRBs do best eating slightly larger meals than other boas do. They grow fast, and have iron guts for the most part. Even little babies come out ready to eat rat pinks. An ideal meal for them should be about one and a half times their largest, girthiest part. They tend to do better with single larger meals than smaller multiple-prey meals. I have yet to run across one with a less-than-ravenous appetite, too. Really good eaters!

They do pee and poo pretty frequently as babies, so you have to be pretty on top of cage cleaning.

Mine like having a couple of small hides and a few climbing branches. My babies don't use the branches very much, but they should be offered anyway. They're strictly nocturnal, so most handling should be done after dark, ideally. They tend to be snappy little babies, but calm down very fast with gentle, consistent handling. My adults are totally awesome, not snappy, defensive, or aggressive. But they grip VERY hard for their size, and move a lot faster than my other boas, so you really have to watch them pretty carefully while they're out, they'll get away in a heartbeat!

[mpgt]

Here's a pretty good care sheet. Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates Cenchria Cenchria)
I don't see them as particularly hard to care for at all. They're really fun to watch, and mine have never tried to bite anyone, even when small. I think everyone should have at least one. Mine hide a lot during the day, but come out at night in their pajamas. They go about 1/2 white at night. Never had any digestive trouble. They do just fine on rats. I use reptile carpet for substrate. It's great because you can put it in the washing machine to clean and reuse. It doesn't retain a lot of moisture though, so I keep water bowls near the heat source. That maintains humidity and I never have to mist. I also cover most of the tank with glass or plastic.
P.S. Temperament? Mine are angelic

[mpgt]

This thread belongs in the "Other boas" forum. I'll move it again so you get more help.

[hotrod128z]

Originally Posted by mpgt

This thread belongs in the "Other boas" forum. I'll move it again so you get more help.

Thanks a bunch