Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First off, I'm new to this forum and I'm glad I found it.

I have 2 rosy boas. One I have had for 5 years (Nutmeg) and never had a problem. We got it from a friend who caught it in the wild. Our other snake (Ginger) was wild caught also. We have housed to two together but feed them separately. The second one is a bit smaller than our first.

Anyhow, our grown son had them for about 4 months while we moved to another state. When he brought them to us, he mentioned that Ginger had regurgitated the last feeding. We figured it was just the excitement. However, 5 1/2 months later, we have only had one successful feeding. We figured Ginger was just bromating (isn't that what that winter rest/hybernation is called?). Then, this last 2 weeks, she's been trying to shed. Not good at all. In the past, Ginger was not a one-piece shedder but this time, it just stayed stuck along the back and parts of the sides stuck out like wings.

After talking to the local reptile guy, I wrapped the snake in warm, moist towels and then gently rubbed and peeled. Ginger seemed to appriciate it.

While handling the snake, it became appearant that Ginger is dehydrated; the skin does not spring back and even has a bit of verticle wrinkling.

After doing some research, it appears that the tank is too humid, if anything. We have a hot rock but it seems not enough hiding spots.

We have one snake that thrives and one that is in poor shape. And to top it all off, we have $0 to spend on a vet.

Any advice would be wonderful.

Take out the hot rock and put an under tank head pad under the tank. Use aspen bedding and only keep a small water bowl on the cool side of the tank for one day a week, then take it out. Humidity can cause regurgitation in rosy boas and it can also cause respitory infections. Keep the tank very dry and warm(90 degrees on the warm side). Good luck!
Ryan

I agree with getting rid of the hot rock, They can over heat and burn the snake it is hard to regulate the temp.
I have also found that if the temp is too hot they will often have a bad shed. I also suggest feeding quite small meals for a while after a regurge. Some of mine are also not all that smart as they will not look or find the water, but if I hold their head just over the water dish they will gladly accept a drink and often a large drink.
does the enclosure have good air circulation? Some animals are more sensitive the environment than others, so it is'nt suprising that one could do better than another.
If the stuck shed was recent, give her some time and she should pull out of it fairly quickly. Hope you find this helpful.

Both messages are very helpful. We will change the heat source for sure. I am thinking we will separate the snakes, just to make sure we don't create conditions that Nutmeg will not like and end up with 2 sick snakes.

At the present, we have ground walnut hulls for the bedding. Should I change that to the shavings? or is it okay? I like the walnut because it is large granuals that are easy to sift to clean.

I've been told by experienced rosy guys that due to the extremely caustic stomach acid (that can digest bones and all without chewing) a regurg can do a lot of damage to a snakes esophogus, and that it's not uncommon for them to never recover. Try to minimize the chances of another regurge by giving the snake small meals, don't handle it within a few days after a meal, keep the warm end of the chage warm, and keep the humidity down. I use "CareFresh" bedding because it is VERY dry and can't contribute to the humidity in the cage. And only offer watter once a week, don't let a water dish stay in the cage.

As for the hiding place, I find that a simple piece of cardboard is sufficient. They seem to prefer narrow spaces (low ceiling) to larger ones, and I suspect that they like to feel things touching them on two sides. I put a 90 degree bend in the cardboard to make an "L", 12" on the long side, 1 1/2" on the short side (ball park) so that the snake can pick their favorite ceiling height, and always have a way to be completely hidden.