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Explain why boas go thru color changes?

tato Jul 14, 2009 12:35 PM

I had a few boas in my collection go thru these changes.
One was a 04 hypo het albino bred by Chris Nicholas, he proved out to sire a few paradoxs in 07 for me. He didn't go through his color change until early 08 after he shed. We'll post a few pics of him later on. Now we have this 03 het albino female thats showing the same changes as the chris nicholas. Shes lacking red pigments now and there all turning white. I have a few more in my collection that going thru the same changes, wanted to know if anyone can give us some info on this?

Replies (12)

Ruben14 Jul 14, 2009 12:46 PM

Bad Rats can cause that. Where do you get your Rats from?

markg Jul 14, 2009 12:54 PM

Lol! I heard a diet of neonatal wallabies can produce that effect too. I haven't seen it in my boa, but I feed wallabies to it so seldomly..
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Mark

markg Jul 15, 2009 02:53 AM

You were serious about "bad rats"?

Perhaps rats that are fed a diet that lacks certain nutrients, like vitamin A, D and minerals.

Sinaloan milks turn even more red when given vitamin A supplements (bird vitamins). You can easily try it and see on a boa.
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Mark

PBM Jul 15, 2009 03:43 AM

Think most of it stems around a line called Zucker rats that are really high in fat. Seems quite a few people have had the color change and even dead boas as a result. Your other post was creative though, lol!

markg Jul 15, 2009 12:28 PM

>>Think most of it stems around a line called Zucker rats that are really high in fat. Seems quite a few people have had the color change and even dead boas as a result. Your other post was creative though, lol!
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Mark

Wirlwindboaz Jul 14, 2009 12:59 PM

A few things can cause this.

It could be the water(both city water and well water can potentially be comtaminated). Exposure to toxins(cleaners you use in your cages). Skin fungus, from dirty cages???? Just kidding, the cages don't have to be dirty for them to get "skin fungus".

There have been rumors about bad rats, but nothing has been "scientifically proven". If rats are the suspected culprits... You would have had regures or really really really "OILY" defications. They would have been grey or brown in color and VERY RUNNY. As I said, there's "NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF", but it has been rumored to have happened.

tato Jul 16, 2009 01:33 PM

the biggest ? is will this effect my female from breeding in any way?
thanx to everybody that answered me!
truly appreciate it.

Wirlwindboaz Jul 16, 2009 08:28 PM

Unless your boas are showing signs if illness... It "shouldn't" affect your female for breeding.

Just give them bottled water, in case it's the water. Use gentle cleaning products, in case that's what caused it. If it's a fungus.... You really need a vet to help with that. Just make sure the humidity is alright. Mist them generously each day, for about 4 days before they shed.

If rats are the suspected culprit...... Just make sure that the rats you feed aren't "a lot fatter" than what they should be. If the rat is "extremely fat" then it's probably got too much fat for your boa's diet.

I've heard that "sometimes" the color will come back a "little". Your boas may never look the same as they did before.

Good Luck with the coming breeding season.

LarM Jul 14, 2009 01:10 PM

Sounds like a feeding issue, something in your
rats is causing trouble quite possibly.

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

treeserpent Jul 14, 2009 01:36 PM

So you guys are saying a nutrient/ mineral defficiency in the prey Items can cause the red pigment to dissappear?

I am also a flaconer. One thing I've noticed with the wild caught birds. When I start feeding the hawk a product called vitahawk which is just a multi vitamin their feet go from a pale yellow with some blue to a nice rich school bus yellow.

LarM Jul 15, 2009 04:06 AM

I'm talking about toxic ingestion. Possibly fat related or some other toxic
exposure which negatively affects digestive nutrient uptake.
Maybe even Leaching the nutrients from the body.
The toxicity Possibly leads to or is caused by a bacterial bloom,
which could also be fatal.
That's what I'm referring to.

. . . Lar M
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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

hognose15 Jul 14, 2009 06:06 PM

n.p.

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