Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just recently got an adult Brazilian rainbow boa for a guy in the paper. He got it as a baby about 3 ½ years ago and he didn’t know the sex. The set up was horrible he had the 5 ½ foot snake in a 40 gal with a small heat rock. One of its “dinners”, it was fed in its cage due to its aggression, had chewed up the heat rock wire. The snake used to knock over her water dish all the time and get water all over her bedding. The snake smelled like rot or moldy stinky poop. The snakes belly is red and flakey. I put her in a big Rubbermaid on cypress mulch with a under tank heating pad and big hide hoping that it will help. I also do not have a water dish in the cage. I plan to soak the snake until conditions are better. Is there anything else that I can do to help its conditions? Also, I heard that if you see white between the scales that means that the snake is over weight. Ive seen a few snakes on web sites that have a little gap between scales. Are they born to do that or are they over weight? Is it hard to tame an adult? The snake was once tame now it’s a mean little brat! Ha ha ha. Oh yea one more thing is it hard to switch them to frozen because I know it’s hard to switch balls HA cause I’m still trying. Hope to have a quick responce. Thanks!
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YOUR LORD AND MASTER. . . . FOAMY
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You should get rid of the cypress or cedar bedding. It can give off toxic fumes. Pebble bark or crushed walnut shells would be fine. So would plain hay straw from a bale. Pea gravel would be ok. If the substrate you have there is not giving off a strong odor then it's probably ok.

The pet stores sell cypress and cedar because it smells good to the unsuspecting customer, I can't imagine being a store owner and letting people buy it. It's beyond me how avaricious many of those people are.

BTW I hope your new rainbow makes a full recovery.

Roger

I think you have Cypress mulch confused with pine and cedar bedding. Pro exotics sells cypress mulch as well as other big time breeders. Its the one of the best things on the market to buy for reptiles. Expecally for herps that need high humity. I am proud to anounce that she is doing better. All though i just took her off of all bedding and used my 2nd favorite thing PAPER TOWELs!! She shed 2 times in 1 month crazy!!! She has never had this high humity before ever i bet. She is felling better and her tummy is looking super! Thats all my house is rescued reptiles! Its funny i always tell myself if i want a reptile that i really really want then i just tell myself to wait and one day it will come to me. One rescuse or another HA! Thanks again!
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YOUR LORD AND MASTER. . . . FOAMY
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Sounds like the all-too common cases of neglect I see in my reptile rescue work. You're doing the right thing by helping the poor guy out. You should be commended for your efforts.

Some snakes are very hesitant in switching to f/t mice. My best results have come from letting them thaw out for a few hours on top of the cage to get the smell in the air. Then if the snake isn't going for it as soon as you put it in, try moving it around a little (with long tongs in the case of your boa). Many will switch over eventually, but there's never a guarantee.

Find out how you can get involved in reptile rescue . . .

Jesse
Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary