Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just picked up my first rainbow boa on Saturday and I have not been able to get it to feed. I've tried using tongs and i've left it in over night. She stiffs it for long periods of time but never actually eats it. Anything I can try? The first few days she didnt seem to mind being handled and not she tries to hide as soon as i open the cage and curls up like shes going to bite. Right now shes in a small tank with a plexi top that has a few holes in it. Today I think i'm going to pick up a plastic bin that might hold moisture better? She has water, a hid spot, and i try to keep it as damp as possible. Any ideas?

Sorry for the long post. Oh, and when she doesnt eat can the mouse be re-frozen or just throw it away?

First things first......

She won't starve in a few days, or a few weeks, and likely not even in a few months!! So relax, plenty of time to work through this "problem"

How did you get her, pick up at a store from the "Saturday" date I'm thinking. Either way, shipped or picked up, she should have some alone time to settle into her new surroundings. Your post sounds like she might be getting stressed out from all the additional attention.

Temps should be high 70's - 80 degrees

You know the humidity needs to be high

Is her cage out in the open? Glass or see through plastic? They do like their privacy. Even a towel covering her cage would help

What was she eating before - maybe live? Live mouse hoppers are the food of choice for lil BRB's

And YES, throw away the uneaten food!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Ok just making sure about throwing it away... but anyway it is a glass tank so I'll be sure to go and get a plastic non-see-through one today as well as coconut fiber since I couldn't find the left over brick I had (right now is on damp paper towels). I purchased her from the hamburg herp show from a reputable vendor.. I even had it inspected by a friend that has been breeding snakes for years.
How often should I offer her food?

Paper towels are fine, ALL mine are on them!!

I only offer food weekly, I'm short on mouse hoppers so I start with rat pinks, those that do not eat the rat pink, get a second chance at a mouse hopper. Almost always the mouse hopper will get eaten. For example, only one this week killed a mouse hopper and did not eat it but it was a first attempted feeding at 6 days old. Several other littermates did not eat, about half of the litter. All my older litters ate just fine.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Bluetail,
...Little Rainbow Boas are eating machines. Provide them the right habitat and the food they want and they ALWAYS eat. When they do not eat it is because of something WE are doing wrong. By not eating your snake is telling you that you are doing something wrong. There is either something wrong in it's habitat or it would rather have something else to eat. The right habitat is a cage with temperature in the 70s to very low 80s and humidity above 75%. If you limit the escape of humidity you will not need to work at keeping the humidity up high. A water bowl large enough for the snake to submerge and the snake's respirations will provide plenty of humidity in a small cage. In a larger cage you might need a larger waterbowl or to dampen the substrate. You have mentioned the high humidity but you have made two posts on this thread and still have not mentioned your cage temperature. Get the cage temperature right and offer a live hopper mouse at night and the snake should eat. After it eats a few meals for you you can start killing the mouse for the snake and it should take it that way and then a few meals later you can try a very warm thawed mouse. Keep us updated and welcome to the forum.
Jeff

>>I just picked up my first rainbow boa on Saturday and I have not been able to get it to feed. I've tried using tongs and i've left it in over night. She stiffs it for long periods of time but never actually eats it. Anything I can try? The first few days she didnt seem to mind being handled and not she tries to hide as soon as i open the cage and curls up like shes going to bite. Right now shes in a small tank with a plexi top that has a few holes in it. Today I think i'm going to pick up a plastic bin that might hold moisture better? She has water, a hid spot, and i try to keep it as damp as possible. Any ideas?
>>
>>Sorry for the long post. Oh, and when she doesnt eat can the mouse be re-frozen or just throw it away?

Temps are in the low 70s because that is what my apt is and I think a heat light would dry it up way too much and the heat pad i have gets too warm. I might try and find a one i can regulate tonight

Low 70's...wtf?
That little badboy is wanting to hibernate. (just kidding, sorta, but heat that sucker up some, it is a reptile for Pete's sake).
How do you know that the heat-tape was too warm?
Do you have a cage thermometer?
On humidity, do you have a hygrometer?
Seriously, with the right substrate, there shouldn't be a problem with humidity using a light for heat.

...and under the worst of circumstances, dangling a hopper by the tail a few inches in front of its face should initiate the old bite and squeeze.

Little BRBs do great and eat well if kept in the low 70s. I have even cooled them onto the 60s with my adults one winter and they kept eating and digesting and growing right on schedule. They will start going off feed as temperatures go very much above 80. If you have a hot area in the cage above 85 you will probably soon notice that a BRB stays in the cooler end of the cage most of the time.

>>Low 70's...wtf?
>>That little badboy is wanting to hibernate. (just kidding, sorta, but heat that sucker up some, it is a reptile for Pete's sake).
>>How do you know that the heat-tape was too warm?
>>Do you have a cage thermometer?
>>On humidity, do you have a hygrometer?
>>Seriously, with the right substrate, there shouldn't be a problem with humidity using a light for heat.
>>
>>...and under the worst of circumstances, dangling a hopper by the tail a few inches in front of its face should initiate the old bite and squeeze.