Posted by:
jscrick
at Sat Dec 29 19:03:09 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by jscrick ]
According to Russo, when they lay their head vertically on the cage wall, it's because there is phlegm in their airway obstructing breathing. They sleep that way. Holding the head at a 45 degree elevation would accomplish the same thing, while the animal is awake. This may be a precursor to a Respiratory Infection (RI), but is is not a respiratory infection -- yet. Simply by improving the snake's environment at this stage should be adequate.
The temperature gradient (thermalcline) should be about 82F on the cool side to 90F on the warm side. Possibly as hot as 98F on the warm side if the snake has an RI.
It's been my experience, when I see very very active boas (I mean climbing the walls active), it's for one of two reasons: 1) they are maintained at too hot a temperature, 2) they are trying to escape a serious mite infestation. The two in combination can seriously dehydrate and kill a boa in short order.
Just the stress of being subjected to both those two conditions can easily weaken the immune system and leave the boa vulnerable to a serious respiratory infection.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer
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RE: Stargazing Question - jscrick, Sat Dec 29 19:03:09 2007