Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My girlfriend just bought an adult male about a month ago. He is currently 6-7 ft and tame as can be. We keep him in a 55 gal tank at 70% humidity. His basking site is between 91-95 or so and his cool side is between 75-80. He is currently on newspaper. When we first got him he must've had an RI. He was wheezing in his cage for about 7 days and stopped. However when we handle him he seems to wheeze just a little. I didn't think anything of it as I know some species do this. Any ideas? Also, He ate a large ft rat about 10 days after we got him, and regurged about 3 days later. I thought it may have been too hot so I adjusted his temps. He was running 102 basking and 80-85 cool end. Since his regurge he refuses to eat. I've teased him and he shows no interest. He is currently "cuddling" with the rat I just gave him. I'm going to leave it overnight in hopes of a feeding. Any ideas on this? Finally, he has a few spots on his belly that appear to look like blood. It has no texture and the scales are still good. I didn't notice these when I inspected him before purchase. He does not have mites. He has been treated with nix as a precaution. Any input is greatly appreciated. Sorry for a long post.
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0.1 Olive Python
1.1 BCI
0.1 BP
0.1 Dumeril's Boa
1.0 Woma
1.0 BRB

Your humidity is decent, but your temperature range is way too hot. This is a cool temperature species compared to the common species of boas and pythons. Shoot for a hot spot around 83 on the warm end and let the cool end be what it'll be. He probably regurged because of the excessive heat. He may be dehydrated at this point so give him a big container to soak in and dont try to feed him for 21 days.

You want to take that rat away from him and discard it. A feeding too soon after a regurge can be really rough on his system. He needs to regroup after the husbandry hiccups he's experienced. A big snake like that can easily go 3 weeks without food, I'd probably wait a full 30 days and then start with something small and naked like a few pinky rats. The only good news about your high heat is that it probably knocked out the RI, but watch for symptoms to return since he's stressed from the regurge and take a swab in for a C&S study so you can get him on the correct antibiotic treatment.

The scale stuff may be scale rot or burn. Keep an eye on it, keep his enclosure clean and see what it looks like after his next shed. It'll probably resolve itself. If it gets worse, take some pix and post 'em here for advice.

Welcome to the world of BRBs!
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

Clearly too hot - Duh, lower the temps

Clearly dehydrated - Yup, soak him and make sure he has a large enough water dish for him to climb into

Clearly need to WAIT to feed again - yeah a month and YEAH, an adult like that could easily go 6 months to a year without food in the wild if there were no food to be found. (assuming it has decent body mass)

Only disagreement is on prey size, yours being an adult might not even eat a pinky rat. But still, go with something VERY small as first fod after the regurge and wait wait wait is the process......

Wait a month, then small meal 1/3 normal size MAX

Wait another month then another small meal 1/3 normal size

Wait another month then a little bit larger meal 1/2 normal size

and keep on working him back to a normal size meal. If not breeding, monthly or every three week feedings will be fine.

If at any time he regurges again, it's BACK to square one.
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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

In this case, because of the likely dehydration plus regurge, I'd start on something without much hair and see what happens. If he doesnt take a few pinkys, I'd push him up to something else juvie without much hair like rat fuzzies. Renal values can take a long time to recover. Another regurge may really be bad news for this guy so I'd take the extra cautious approach and offer something absurdly easy to digest. Without the heat/dehydration component, I'd start with nothing larger than an XL mouse or rat weanling and then give it 10-14 days before I fed again.
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Julie
www.[url ban]/gfx

He does have a large water pan. He did soak for about 4 days after we got him. I figured he was dehydrated. We have since removed his rat and lowered temps even more. I'll try to snap some pics of his belly later tonight. Thanks
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0.1 Olive Python
1.1 BCI
0.1 BP
0.1 Dumeril's Boa
1.0 Woma
1.0 BRB

Discoloration to some (a few) belly scale tips is normal prior to a shed. Without pics though just speculating. After he sheds, that's the key time to check his belly, should be pristine white right after a shed.
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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

That sets my mind at ease. I will post pics sometime tomorrow night. I did lower his temps down to 80-83 hot side all day today. Thanks to all who have helped me so far.
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0.1 Olive Python
1.1 BCI
0.1 BP
0.1 Dumeril's Boa
1.0 Woma
1.0 BRB

yeah both Dave and Julie among a couple other are the gurus of this forum they know what they are talking about and always give good advice...

and after that im am going to point something out that i think they missed. i admit that i only read through quickly but i didnt see any responce to the fact that you mentiond you where keeping you BRB in a 55 gallon tank....

Is this a glass tank with a screen top?
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-Stephen-

0.1 soon to be wifey (Babe)
1.0 rotwiler/chow (Boomer)
1.0 norm corn (Jake)
1.0 col redtail boa (Switch, formally known as Dixie)
0.1 ball python (Bella)
1.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Torpaz & Saphira)

I was thinking the same thing. This thread started oput like so many of them here on this forum. The poster has experience with several other boids and decides to get a BRB. They set it up in a tank with lots of heat just like what works great for their other boids and it is too hot and all the humidity gets pushed out through the screen top.