Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I live in Idaho it's a dessert area, and I just got a Columbian Red Tail Boa (his name is Ziggy) from my uncle.
This may sound slightly confusing but bare with me.
Ervin gave Ziggy to Scott who didn't remember anything Ervin told him about Ziggy. (Such as care instructions, what kind he was, his name, he just thought it was cool) My uncle did not know how to take care of him nor did he try to find out. He just fed him and after he bit him he was not taken out of his 4' by 2' cage again except to clean it. He is about 4 years old ( I don’t know how long he is, but he looks to be not much smaller then the one in the picture with Tom Rech) and Scott fed him 1 rat per week. Scott only had him for less than a year and before that Ervin was feeding him 2 rats at a time once every month. When Ziggy was with Ervin he was not as temperamental. I called the pet shops here and there was only one that handled snakes and he never owned a snake and did not sound like he knew what he was talking about. Is there any way I can make it so I can hold him again? How do I handle him? Can someone send me some information about how to care for him and/or any other information?

Signed,
Stumped in Idaho

P.S. If possible chatting (msn) with someone would be helpful I have a lot of questions and have never owned a snake.

Hey man,
I honestly cant TELL you a way to tame this animal at its size and age already but I can make a couple of suggestions.

1)If it is 6 ft or longer never handle the snake alone, its just stupid. But try to handle it a couple times a week at first and see how it reacts to you. Its probably best if u have someone with u anyways for this.

2)Be nothing but respectful of the snake. If its giving you signs to leave it alone, then leave it alone. Always make sure it has a full water bowl plus the water bowl should be big enuff for the snake to fit its whole body in. Make sure the cage is big enough for the snakes size and make sure it has a hide box. Also have one end aroun 85-90 degrees and a cool side around 75-80 degrees.

3)I would feed it a large rat once a week or every 2 weeks and it should be fine. Post on this forum though if you start having feeding problems but right now it sounds like it hasnt had a problem wanting to eat.

Try this for a little while but if you find yourself getting stressed and fed up with it try putting it up for adoption. Some pet stores like PETCO will take pets and give them a good home. If it doesnt get a better temperment this is probably the best way to go so someone experienced gets a hold of the animal and works with it. But if your still really wanting a pet snake (especially one of that size) I suggest buying it as a baby and keeping it its entire life because you create a better bond with your pet and it will be real docile. I own 3 Ball Pythons (Two 20 inch babys and a 3 1/2 ft adult) and a Baby Red Tail Boa and they are all great snakes and a extremely docile and good eaters. I bought them all as babys and they just tend to make a better pet that way. But Im not saying an older aquired snake wouldnt make a sensational pet as long as its not stressing you out. Message me on here if you have any more questions. I hope some of this was any kind of help. Good luck, Baller420

well i read your forum there, how long have you had the snake?and the main thing is proper housing, heating and hide boxes. ihave never tried this but i have heard it works, try rubbing a t shirt all over your self and then putting it in the cage. the snake will reconize the scent of you i have read several things about people saying it worked and the snake stopped bitting. but also that is a rather large snake to own if you have never had one before, but you can take care of it if you put in the time and effort. i have had snakes for a while now and it was a little though at first trying to figure out the perfect set up. the best thing to do i think is read all the boa forums on this website and ask question like this. if you have any question email me at section8hockey@hotmail.com good luck danny