Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey all,well i have a young guyana boa about 5 months old.It shed a day ago and it shed in patches cause im really trying to improve the humidity levels but its hard to sustain proper levels all day and night cause i gota keep the heat on most of the day cause i live in Northern IL.I put her in a container filled with water for a little bit then took her out to get the rest of the skin. while i was workin on the tail end of her tail,the very tip seemed to broke off.I was just wondering if there would be any complications from this happing or will it regrow properly?

It will not re-grow back. If it looks serious, get it to a vet. If it looks minor, apply antibiotic ointment neo or poly - sporin to ward off infections.

Sounds like there have been multiple bad sheds / retained bits on the tip of the tail that could have restricted bloodflow to the tip of the tail and it died off.

A huge concern is getting your humidity back up to acceptable levels. Number one reason for lack of humidity in a cage with available sources of water is excessive ventilation. Close off much/most of your vents. Snakes being ectotherms do NOT require lots of fresh air like mammals do.

For an example, look at the cages made by Boaphile.com, notice there are NO vents other than the small gap around the doors.
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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

Ive been haveing problems getting it to shed in one piece since ive gotten her.I have most of the screen covered up and even have a humidifier on in the place.Im just going to soak her everyday in water during her shed cycle.Will she still grow to her true potential size?

cringe, I hate screen tops. Also you may need to wrap three sides in insulation like Reflectix (Looks like eavy duty bubble wrap made from aluminised plastic) Problem being the glass sides "leak" heat out and force you to pump more in to keep it warm, evaporating more water and causing more escape of heat and humidity our the top.

Your real problem is the cage, not the snake. Having not seen it, only going off what you said.....

If you fix the cage problem and the snake is still healthy, should be just fine. They are tough and can go through periods of less than optimal conditions like what it's seeing now. I do recommend Boaphile plastics, a 421D or 422D should do nicely.
-----
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

Like Dave recommended you really should consider getting a professionally made reptile cage. I can tell you from experience with BCC that low humidity will lead to other problems like respiratory and digestion issues.

I think I remember the day you got that animal and you really sounded like you were excited to have it. You will eventually need to get a larger enclosure so I would suggest you start looking and saving now. With the proper set up your animal will be much better off and it will reach it's full size but more importantly it will live a long life.

Good luck
Joel

Ya,im looking at getting a new cage.Just waiting to get my taxes back!!!I remember you gave me some good advice last September when I first got the boa.Its really healthy in all,just been dealing with this humidity problem.Thanks for your input.

"If you fix the cage problem and the snake is still healthy, should be just fine. They are tough and can go through periods of less than optimal conditions like what it's seeing now. I do recommend Boaphile plastics, a 421D or 422D should do nicely"

You know where I can aquire a Boaphile plastics?Im currently looking at getting a new cage now and I will take in your recomendation.Thanks for your help and all.

Try www.boaphileplastics.com
-----
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

Im likeing the 421 D cage but what type of cage options would you go for from these guys?