Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, Iv'e been keeping many snakes for many many years, but am only recently getting into breeding. Many years ago, I had a more or less accidental breeding of a pair of boas, and I've had snakes give birth in my care before, but this time I would like some professional advice.

I recently traded for a four year old gravid argentine boa, and she is absolutely gorgious! I think she could give birth within the next month or so. What can I do for her to help make everything o.k. for her, you know,... how can I make it as easy on her and the babies as possible? I'd like to ensure that as many as possible survive, and thrive. Also, any tips you guys can spare on starting the newbies, and careing for them?

Her cage is 5'x2.5'x2'. It has two hot spots 86, 94 cool end about 80, and a plastic litter box with damp sphagnum moss under neath the cage which she can access through a hole in the bottom of the cage, this part is around 75 depending on temp. in the room, wich is fairly warm this time of year. She has a shelf directly under a dessert rays heat pannel, which is where she has been spending a lot of time. She seems to like the heat. The second heat pannel is on the wall under the shelf creating a slightly cooler hotspot. They are controled by a digital proportional thermostat with night drop. No night drop now Right? A ventilation fan which circulates for an hour every afternoon, when the room is it's warmest. Another plastic litter box with damp sphagnum, a generous water dish, and a tree limb to get up and down from her pirch. What else can I do? I am realy exited about this one! Thanks,
Tony.

Wow, makes me jealous of her cage! lol..
seems like you got it all down...
one thing I would change is the 94 degree hot spot.. as much as she likes it, this is too hot and can cook the babies..
another thing is that nice cool moist retreat is too cold.

I would try to aim that '94 degree hot-spot-making-panel' towards the undercage moist litter box and try to get that at about 80. Everything else seems fine. Fresh water is important for proper embryo development.

take care, Joe
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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Thanks Joe, I'm on it right now, I'll probably just cut back on the thermostat a bit, and add heat tape on reostat below until after birthing.

Then what? Help me out with the younguns, please? And is there anything I can do to help speed her recovery? Thanks,
Tony.

with the youngins, I suggest you leave them where they are born until they leave that spot and their yolk sack themselves.
Some are born out, some in - and if in, they are connected by a thick blood vessel, highly visible.. if you tear that, the animal can easily die.
Keep them moist by misting them with warm/hot water in a spray bottle (when the water comes out in a fine mist and hits the air it cools down drastically) as often as possible, again just to keep them moist, not to drown them.. lol

I would remove Mom as soon as possible after you are sure she is completely done giving birth, as this time is her weakest/calmest.. if you wait too long you will see the evil side of her!
Put her in a warm, clean cage with fresh water and feed her - she will recover just fine.

I, myself, have kept them all together in one blanket box in my Boaphile Blanket Box Racks, moist, until their first shed. During this time(5-10 days) I keep misting them, and each day I would remove one layer of newspaper from under them, taking with me more goo and old dried sacks, helping to clean them as the days pass.
They usually just pile up in one corner - all of them - on top of each other. They love that.
I have left small spread out branches in there with them and they seem to like it. They cruise around the branches and when they are shedding I would find about 5 a day stuck to the branches (this was a small tree-like thing probably used for aquariums).

After this, they get their own drawers in Boaphile Shoe/Sweater box racks with newspaper (no bedding[possible ingestion]), fresh water (for soaking too if possible) a small hide spot and a rock or branch to grab on when eating or for shedding aid.
The best hides i've found (cheap/easy/available) are empty toilet paper rolls or empty mini cereal boxes. I'll pinch one side of the roll closed to make them feel a bit more safe.

They all are fed after shed. Sometimes, before shed, if I see skinny ones (yolk sack fully absorbed) I may try to feed them.

I've found the best way for stubborn feeders are to give live rat pinks in individual, small deli cups in a dark room.
They feel safest, have no distraction, are almost in contact with the prey and have always fed this way.

www.Boaphile.com for info, cages, and more...
look at Boaphile Plastics... the baby racks save you a GREAT DEAL of time, hassle and frustration...
check out the 'ThinkTank'

Take care, Joe
-----
Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Thanks so much for the info. I will heed your advice. This is a realy beautiful mamma, she looks chocolate, or coco. I think I'll name her Coco. Can't wait to see those babies! Maybe I'll post some pics. Any hoo, thanks very much,
Tony.

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