Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had this boa for a little over a year. She use to eat frozen from the tongs no problem. Then one day it stopped, Then I got her to eat a live rat and then went to pre killed and then back to frozen. So things went good, then she stopped off of that. She then went to just eating them off the floor. Then stopped. Now she will not eat a live rat, that is not a pup. And she will not eat frozen off the floor anymore. I give her a live rat pup and then take a f/t one and lay it on top of her and she eats that one to. Any suggestions how to get her back. I read that boas are private eaters and if I put her in a box with the f/t and check it in 30 min she should eat it. Any other ideas, or should I just keep going, cause when she gets to be bigger I dont think the rat pup will work, she already is 4ft and just bites it and barly can coil it.

Thank you for your help
Jeff

Hmmm...

How is her muscle tone? To me this sounds like it warrants a trip to the vet for a checkup. Maybe something is not up to par. Generally boas are pretty aggressive feeders and enjoy good-sized prey items. And she had been eating well prior to this situation.

My first reaction was to say that hunger is a great motivator, and to hold off feeding her for an additional week or two more than usual. But after re-reading your post a few times something doesn't sound right.

If it were my boa I'd get her checked out.

Bill

Before you started having this problem what and how often were you feeding her? Is it posiable that she has been overfed?

Im going to have to agree that something sounds fishy... At first i was going to say that some of my boas who have been on f/t for a while have taken to eating it if i just leave it there in front of there hide hole. As soon as they smell that rat though its gone back into the hole. So i dont know whats going on with your little guy but it sounds like a good reptile vet could help you out... I hope he gets all better.. Good Luck

Sincerely,
Rose Hipskind
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www.srsnakes.com

When she was a baby I fed her every 5 days, she got up to 4ft pretty fast. She will eat, dont get my wrong. It just needs to be a rat pup, and then she waits forever to eat it, then when she wraps it, I throw a frozen one on top of her and she eats that one to. I just find it odd that she lets rats run all over her, of course I have to sit back and watch cause I dont want the rat biting her. And frozen ones are no good from the tongs. Then I went to every 7 days, then she chose to eat every 14 days,I am trying to get her back to her girth, so I am trying every 5 - 7 days. I was just wondering if any one had any other tips, or if the box with the frozen rat will work or any other suggestions? Is it possible she got big to fast and now will not eat?

Thank you
Jeff

That is a pretty agressive feeding schedule. I would wait 3 weeks and then try a f/k large rat. I would think that once she goes a while without food she will get that agressiveness back in her feeding. Keep us posted.