Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok. Obviously the b/f and I are doing something wrong with our boas. Hopefully someone can offer some insite. Please bare with me.

Our first boa was app 2yo and 3'. She was the snake that we'd take out to show visitors. She was always squirmy and unsure when you first took her out. Once she calmed down everything was perfect. After about 6 months, she basically went nuts. She started striking when she was handled and tried to knaw off a piece of my arm. She had grown app 2' in that time; though, she was lanky, and I don't believe we were overfeeding her. So, we tried increasing her feeding from a 10day schedule to a 7day schedule hoping that she was just really hungry. She never did stop; so we sold her. I told the people she bit, etc. But I found out she's back to her normal self, and an 8yo is playing with her now.

Now my big guy (app 7' and over 15lbs) has started the same thing. I truely believed he was the calmest snake we had and never thought he'd turn this way. He's been on a 3wk feeding schedule. He's starting to get REALLY food aggressive something he's never been for us. Before, I'd throw an f/t rat over him and he'd eat it. He recently started taking them from my hand. Now he's striking at any movement if he thinks feeding time is near. He actually tagged my b/f last night... B/f apparently didn't believe me when I told him about the previous feeding day. Good thing I told him not to put his face too close.

I'm really clueless as to why they have had a sudden temperment change. I don't want to sell off our boas, but if I can't figure this out we probably will sadly enough. If I can't feed, water, and clean them as needed by myself, I won't keep them.

Help!

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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% Het Albino/100% Het Pied
0.3 100% Het Albino/50% Het Pied
1.1 100% Het Pied
0.2 PH Albino
1.5 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
1.0 Pastel
0.1 Pastel P. Super Hypo Het Anery PH Albino
Corns
1.1 Bloodred Het Hypo 66% Het Anery

Environmental details will provide the most help.

Temps. Humidity. Type and size of cage. Substrate. Secluded area? Etc..
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

"Temps. Humidity. Type and size of cage. Substrate. Secluded area? Etc.."

Female was in the ball room. Cool side 82-83. Hot side 92. Humidity 60. Newspaper. Originally in 55 gallon, moved to 66qt tub after bitting began.

Male is in different room. Moderate traffic. Humidity 50-65. Homemade cage 4X2X2. Newspaper. Now the temps could be the problem but ???. The room he is in doesn't have a/c. I keep a window or two open with a box fan blowing. Todays high is 90. I need to check the actual cages temp, but I would say 88-90 low, high 95. A bit cooler at night. I have another boa in the same room and he's not being aggressive.

Different subject... How common is IBD? I have ball pythons, and I'd really love to move the boas into the same room. I know I'll have to do something before it gets too much warmer. I'm just scared of killing my entire python collection. Someone recommended using a ball as a canary. What's your opinions on this? Seems like ball python keepers are over worried about it(understandable) and boa keepers say its very uncommon and not to worry much about it(just quarantine as usual, 30-90days). Has anyone experienced it with a boa that harbored it for years before it took over? Where there any little signs prior? Maybe I should start another thread on this. ???
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% Het Albino/100% Het Pied
0.3 100% Het Albino/50% Het Pied
1.1 100% Het Pied
0.2 PH Albino
1.5 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
1.0 Pastel
0.1 Pastel P. Super Hypo Het Anery PH Albino
Corns
1.1 Bloodred Het Hypo 66% Het Anery

Boa temps 80F to 88F. Prefer the lower temps most of the time. As in -- continuous 88F is not good. Kept too warm they will regurge.
The second example is typical feeding response. Cool down. Feed larger meals or feed more often. First example probably was feeding response too.

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

Thanks!
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% Het Albino/100% Het Pied
0.3 100% Het Albino/50% Het Pied
1.1 100% Het Pied
0.2 PH Albino
1.5 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
1.0 Pastel
0.1 Pastel P. Super Hypo Het Anery PH Albino
Corns
1.1 Bloodred Het Hypo 66% Het Anery

I can't really offer much help on the temperament change. Maybe had something to do with breeding time?? Maybe you've changed something in a cage/enclosure without realizing it (taken away a hide, different substrate....too many possibilities to diagnose without being there (for me, anyway).

I've got a few that are temperamental sometimes and sweet others, but they just go back and forth and I don't know what I'm getting 'til I reach in a pull them out. And a few others that are just plain mean all the time!

As far as the IBD, I always use a ball as a canary. I've been doing that ever since I heard that a ball would show signs very quickly. I don't want to lose ANY of my snakes, but if IBD does come into my quarantine room, I don't want it to go any farther and I CERTAINLY do NOT want to send it to any of my customer's!! The thought of doing so scares me to death!

Sorry that I cannot be of more help. Good luck with them, but don't give up on them too quickly!

Thanks for the reply Matt.

When you use a ball as a canary, how does that actually work? Is being in the same room enough or do you need to switch the boas water to the ball or something like that where you know they are being exposed?
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Balls
1.3 Pastels
0.2 Cinnamons
1.0 Fire
1.0 Spider
1.0 100% Het Albino/100% Het Pied
0.3 100% Het Albino/50% Het Pied
1.1 100% Het Pied
0.2 PH Albino
1.5 Normals (1.0 unknown)
Boas
1.0 Salmon
1.0 Pastel
0.1 Pastel P. Super Hypo Het Anery PH Albino
Corns
1.1 Bloodred Het Hypo 66% Het Anery