So I got a beautiful boa constrictor around early July, she was only 4 weeks old at that point and the seller listed her as eating some live mice.
Problem is, I haven’t gotten her to eat ANYTHING yet. I have tried mice and rats, live and frozen. All she does is hiss and give defensive bites. Tried leaving stuff overnight, tried during the day, etc etc. even moved her to a tiny shoebox container I used to use for newborn ball pythons!
Temps; 80 Ish ambient, 88-90 hotspot
Humidity; 50-60% unless shedding
Has a hide and water bowl, on paper towel for now. Fake plants too
Had her in a 41 qt loaded with plants/hides, transferred her to this small shoebox in august.
I never take her out, I only do her water weekly
I don’t mind her being defensive, but she’s doing it with her food and that’s the problem- I’m going to try ASF rats soon, but I don’t know what else to do! She’s perfectly healthy, I’ve checked her out and had a breeder friend look her over too
Any advice?? I adore her so much but she’s starting to lose weight obviously and right now is the time she needs to be eating to grow well
85 is the perfect temperature on the warm side so your temps are a bit high.
How often have you been trying to feed her? You may be stressing her out if you are making too many attempts close together. I would offer her food every 7 days.
Also at this point if you have access to live hoppers or even fuzzies I would try that instead of adult mice. Something not as intimidating.
Everywhere I’ve read their hotspots are about the same if not slightly higher than BP temps (86-88) but I’ll definitely lower it a bit. I offer weekly if not every 10 days. I never attempted adult mice, only hoppers and pinky rats! Seems like everything I put in she thinks it’s a huge threat even if it’s not moving
Yeah, they said live mice! I have brought up about the lack of eating and he seems stumped too. He asked about temps and everything and didn’t say to do anything about it, so I assumed that was how he was keeping her or at least similar
Just my opinion, but everything I’ve ever been told and read is a hot spot of 90 with a gradient and cool side in the high 70’s/low 80’s. I keep all of my Boas like this with good results.
For the feeding issue, I would leave it completely alone for at least a solid week….zero handling, don’t even open the cage except to change the water. Then try a small live prey item.
I didn’t want to say anything as I haven’t actually had much experience or dove too deeply into boa care but I have talked to a couple breeders and they along with my online research all said pretty much the same as that, a hot spot of 88-90 with the cool side at 78-82.
I am just going by my boa keeping experience and what Jeff Ronne (high end boa breeder on MM) advised me when I bought my Boaphile enclosures from him. He helped me set up my thermostat……. My boas thrived at that temperature.
That being said @artisticserpents, since your boa is not eating anyway, why don’t you go ahead and give the lower temperature a shot just for kicks and grins. I am not disputing anything you guys have read but what have you got to lose? At least until others here with more boa experience keeping chime in. I just know what worked for me. I even had an accidental litter occur keeping my boas at a balmy 85 degrees!!!
Definitely will try it!! I’m also checking with the breeder about specific bedding. I use paper towels except in my permanent boa cages (coconut bark, so I may try her with that soon!)
I don’t ever handle her yet, and only check water once a week as it is. I may try keeping her higher in the snake rack to see if that helps as well? I know I had a spider BP who refused to eat until he was placed in a top shelf. Maybe there’s too many vibrations on the lower shelves for her? I didn’t think about that until just now
Any recommendations for bedding? I’m thinking of doing coconut husk but don’t currently have any, but don’t want to order more unless I’m sure about it but then again I need some for my big girl
Hopefully the lower temperatures will do the trick. If she’s too warm maybe she’s cranky and just doesn’t feel like eating….You can always turn the heat back up if she still refuses food
@artisticserpents Yup Gabriella the first 2 boa care sheets I googled say 86 to 90 temps so I can understand your frustration. I had CA boas and a BRB so I am not sure what the difference between them and yours would be……
I do keep a higher hotspot. Temp directly over heat tape (in racks) is 89-92f. Cool end is 78-80 in the summer but dips to mid 70s on the winter. That said unless shedding or just ate, I don’t see them on the hot end much, usually mid tub to cool end. RHP enclosures for larger adults are around 89-90 on top of hide. The do seem to chill on the hide which is a few degrees lower.
Paper towel is great for new comers. If your positive she doesn’t have mites at this point then coco bark might help. Enough to burrow wherever she pleases. If her hide is only on the hot side, she may be keeping herself too warm trying to hide constantly. Just a thought looking at that picture. I might ditch the larger water bin, use a bowl so I could place a cool and hot hide in that tub.
*Feeding advice below, potentially graphic?
Personally I would drop down to a hopper at this point. I would buy a live one. Not fun, but I’d take it by the tail and bop it on the edge of the rack (enough to put it out of its misery) Usually makes their nose bleed. Maybe freshly killed, small non intimidating prey size will help her eat. Blood might trigger a response. Constrict and maybe still feel a pulse and go through the motions. If in her hide, I’d place it right at the front/opening of the hide.
Offer once a week. Swap her water more often, multiple times a week. Clean water is important. I know you don’t want to spook her but bump that up a bit.
Sorry you’ve got a stubborn one, you’re obviously trying hard so props to you. Hopefully she snaps out of it soon for ya.
Thanks!! I do have that other makeshift hide in the middle, but honestly she rarely uses any hides. She’s always on top of them or just chilling on the cool side (which is partially why I never bothered to think she may be too warm, since she’s not actively on the heat). It’s kinda disheartening because I stepped away from breeding ball pythons due to the stress they’d cause from not eating like this, and then the first boa I get that’s under a year old is just like them
Have you tried in a dark room so that all the snake notices is the Meal… Or even leaving the mouse in there for the little while with the tub or lid closed
but then again I need some for my big girl
