Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently got a young pair of Panamanian BCI. Both just shed recently and passed their last meals so they're out cruising around today. The male is in a plastic tub with a transparent lid and sides. As I leaned over the top to look down at him through the lid, he thrashed his tail around quickly for about 1 second. Nothing happened while I was motionless, but any time I made a sudden move he would thrash his tail for just a moment.

It was kind of like caudal luring, but faster and more forceful. I got down to look through the side of the enclosure and the same behavior occurred. His entire body was motionless other than the tail the whole time. If I loom over my Nics or do anything that worries them, they just turn to face me and assume a defensive posture. So I've never experienced this before and I've never heard of a boa using its tail to draw attention away from its head when threatened-am I just out of the loop on this?

One of our normals poss het Blood/Albino/Anery was doing that the other day. Don't see it often, but it's pretty funny when they do it...
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Amanda Burke
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I have an adult Peruvian Female that I got as an adult that used to do when I first got her. It was cool/ funny but she was 6 feet so a little intimidating not knowing why she would do it. She was my fourth Peruvian but the first one to do it so I just assumed it was her. She would only do it when I went into her Boaphile....her tail would "wag" back and forth then she'd slam it down in the "floor". Never hissed or struck, just went tail crazy for a bit .She stopped doing it after giving birth this year, haven't seen it again since.

More of a show and tell than a reason, but I hope you at least know you're not alone,lol. Take care

Jamess

Thanks for the feedback both of you. Sounds like it might not be too common after all, unless most folks are staying tight lipped about it.

I've heard of snakes doing this an imitation of a rattlesnake. If there are dead leaves or plant matter where their tail is when they shake it, it can sound similar to a rattlesnake's rattle.