Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello to everyone!

This is my first post on this forum. I've just brought home my first red tail boa, and I'd like to learn more about how to keep her healthy and happy.

I bought her from a guy who just didn't have the time for her anymore, and so she wasn't getting handled much. She's 15 months old, about 5 ft long, and appears to be healthy and sound.

What's the best way to get her used to me? Used to being handled and held? I don't want to keep her locked up in a cage all the time - instead I want to be able to interact with her.
Right now she's not real stressed about being held, but she's head shy and doesn't seem relaxed.

I hope you'll pardon the amateurish nature of my questions, and if you have patience to help a boa newbie be a good Mom to her new girl I'd appreciate any constructive suggestions.

Yvette
schhbabe@yahoo.com

www.riobravoreptiles.com

That should be all the help you need.

Congrats on the snake though, now post some pics!
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Cycling: Trio Black Rat Snakes

Together: Poss Het Axanthic male Ball x Normal-no mating witnessed yet.

Chris LaViola
CMLReptiles
Website under construction
CMLReptiles@aol.com

my male boa i bought last month didn't eat or settle down at at all untill a few days ago when i built him a 4'Tx5'Lx3'W cage. he since then has eaten for the first time, and is very relaxed and doesn't struggle like he used too. so if your boa is at all like mine, i'd take it out twice a day or so for like half an hour, and try to not let it wrap around furniture because you'll end up stressing it out trying to get it off. i usualy put mine on my neck, then he holds one arm with his tail and hangs off the other, making it easy to read posts and check everyone elses snakes out . i'm sure your snake will relax over a months time. and don't force it to eat if for some reason you might think of doing that (the guy who sold me my snake said he forced him to eat before, but i learned he's sometimes just not hungry).

Thanks for the post! I'm taking "Evangeline" out regularly for handling and I think she'll be just fine. I do need to modify her cage for easier access. It was a custom built cage and the door is a real pain to take off.

I took some pictures with my boa but they are too large to post on this site. I'm going to find some photo editing software to shrink the mega pixels so that the pics are a small enough size to share.

Yvette