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I have a 16year old female Columbian BCI that has started a breeding season for the first time. Im a total Newbie to breeding boas , she has been with a single male the past two weeks. I seperated them yesterday to feed and rest. I fed her a large rat that I prekilled fresh. She ate it and today I came home to her with mouth gaping and regurged the rat. Have you seen this behavior in breeders ? She has never done this before ? Thanks Bryan

That does not sound good.
Is it possible she caught something from the male?
Is it possible she may have drank from a fouled water bowl?
Are the temperatures too hot or too cold?
Was the meal extremely excessive, a huge step up from her normal sized meal?
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

This is a weird deal! After I witnessed her regurge she was obviously stressed from it. I left the rat maybe 15 min while I was feeding rats and came back to remove it and she had eaten it. I dont belive theres a temp issue....Room ambient is 75-80 she has a hot spot of 90..........Shes huge pushing 9ft and 26 pounds. She was fed a large rat and takes the biggest jumbos usually. Ive had her over 16years and she has never done this?
I'll keep a good eye on her ...........Thanks for the reply!

yea that might be a good thing or a very bad thing keep a very close eye on her. tissue in the "throat" can get damaged from the stress of a regurge also some stomach fluids can cause thier own problems. at the first sign of any problems take her to the vet immediately.
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My Photobucket

Maybe I'm reading that wrong, but is that what happened? I'd be surprised if she kept it down. Very odd!
I've never experienced that before. Possibly she was stressed by the male being with her or the sudden removal of him and change of circumstances? Why did you remove the male to feed them? Were they courting? I do not feed either male or female while they are breeding. Has anything else changed recently? Did the male keep his rat down?
Hope it works out okay for you.
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

They were together two weeks and courting and copulations. The male kept his down fine. I am new to breeding boas and seperated to feed because I always have done this with my ball pythons. Do you all keep groups together without feed during breeding? I have always fed during breeding and feed smaller meals at the end . She seems to be doing fine today! I just have never had a snake of anyking eat it's regurge? I only left it in temperary to give her time to settle down!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While on the subject how long should I leave trios together after a witnessed copulation. I normally leave balls together until march or april ? After many copulations or until an obvious ovulation. Thanks bryan

> Do you all keep groups together without feed during breeding?

I've only bred boas three times (successfully) and only in pairs. I never feed them while they are breeding. I will feed them after I've witnessed ovulation and the post-ov shed. The male gets taken out and back on his normal feeding schedule, the female gets fed every 2-3 weeks, a meal half the size she would normally take and nothing in the last 45 days before birth.

>While on the subject how long should I leave trios together after a witnessed copulation.

I leave them together until the male shows no interest for at least 2 weeks, or I've witnessed ovulation and the male is no longer showing interest. It can be anywhere from 1-4 months.

I'm glad your girl is doing good, that would have freaked me out! So weird! Good luck and hope it all works out for you!
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

I had a female albino, 2 1/2 yrs old, she took down a med/large fresh-killed, home-grown rat and got it almost completely down to where it normally settles... and moments later she quickly and efficiently spat it up! I was shocked, I had her for a few months with no previous problems... I left it there wondering what was wrong and hoping something just went down wrong and that she'd sort it out. She didn't act like anything was out of the norm, didn't act weird or anything, but when I finished with a few other snakes... she was taking it down a second time. This has only happened once, and only to her, that was months ago and she has been fine since. It seems to be a super rare occurence and if you don't have it happen regularly, I am sure it isn't a huge deal... I gave her time to heal and rest afterwards in case it stressed her in anyway or caused damage internally.
Just thought I'd share my one time experience with the issue... very strange and unsettling, but has not been a reoccurring problem.
Good luck!
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Steph S.
Boas...
1.1 Albino boas (Loki & Hope)
1.4 07 Het. albino boas (Petty & Lady,Sierra,Madeline,Lola)
0.1 Reverse stripe poss. het albino (Cookie)
0.1 Salmon/hypo (Scarlet)
0.1 Anery poss. het snow (Missy)
1.0 Anery (Reno)
0.1 DH Sunglow (Bonnie)
0.0.1 Hypo het anery
1.0.0 Het. Anery (Guy & ?)
0.3 Normals (Ophelia, Sasha, & Lulu)
1.1 Surinames (Solomon & Surreal)
1.2 Hog Isles (Mr.Orange & Peaches, Apricot)
0.0.1 Central American (Sassy)
0.1 Emerald Tree boa (Jade)
1.0 ATB (Satan... seriously!)
Pythons...
2.1 GTPs (B., Monty & Jewel)
0.0.3 BPs (MJ, Precious, Houdini)
1.1 Carpet Pythons (Jackson & Charlotte)
0.1 Blood python (Akaia)
Misc.
1.1 Mandarin Ratsnakes (Jack & Jill)
1.0 Boxer/Pitt Mutt (Tyson)