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Nathair2012
Hatchling
United Kingdom
158 Posts |
 Posted - 24/06/2012 : 17:55:33
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Hi guys. I'm new to this so I hope I'm doing it right! We got our beautifu 1year oldl BRB 8 days ok. She's very friendly and placid. We have noticed that she is quite inactive :\ We're aware that there reptiles are nocturnal bit she seems very inactive at night aswell.
We fed her on Wednesday and she fed really well. Her last shed was on the 9th of May so she's not due to shed again for a month or more.
The temp in the viv is at 89 degrees. She stays hidden in her hide full of damp moss and never comes out. Just wondering if anyone had or has this issue with their BRB. Any advice or info would be fantastic.
Thanks in advance :) |
Dee |
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MrBD1980
Snake mite
United Kingdom
45 Posts |
Posted - 24/06/2012 : 19:50:05
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89 is way too high!! Try bringing the hot side down to around 82 and the cool side to 74...anything above 85 can be dangerous!
if you've only had her for 8 days, just be patient....let her settle in an grow in confidence, you've got 20 years left to enjoy her!!
What is the humidity, should be around 75-80+
Bri |
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Nathair2012
Hatchling
United Kingdom
158 Posts |
Posted - 24/06/2012 : 20:02:09
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| Thanks so much for your reply. We were told by the professionals in the shop to set the thermostat to 88 and it should read 92 on the thermometer. It would explain why she's constantly in the moist hide though. I'll turn the temp down a few degrees and see if that makes a difference. Hopefully it will. I think it's all trial and error especially considering she's our first snake. Thanks for the advice x |
Dee |
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MrBD1980
Snake mite
United Kingdom
45 Posts |
Posted - 24/06/2012 : 23:24:22
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No problem, asking is always the right thing to do!
Wish you all the best!
Brian |
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CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2012 : 14:20:15
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| I think you'll find that Rainbow boas are *very* nocturnal snakes - much more so than anything else you might be used to. If you use a red bulb on the enclosure at night when the rest of the room is dark, you'll probably see how active it really is :) |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
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Nathair2012
Hatchling
United Kingdom
158 Posts |
Posted - 25/06/2012 : 18:58:22
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| Thanks for all the advice guys! :) |
Dee |
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2012 : 02:19:19
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| Super kudos to Brian. 88F is WAAAAY too hot for a BRB. These guys like it cooler than a lot of other snakes, so the temps that Brian recommended would be a ton better for your boa. :) As to it not being too active, just a side note, these guys aren't a super active species. They do most of their wandering/exploring at night, though I have noted Marius to become active in the later hours of the evening. Your BRB is in a new situation and is trying to figure out whether or not it is safe, so it will need a couple of weeks to acclimate to its surroundings and to realize that all is well. As mentioned above, the humidity should be kept at about 88-90% for a neonate....75-88+% for an adult.....so if you don't have a hygrometer setup in your enclosure, you should get one. :) Best of luck with your BRB and if you need any other help/suggestions, just give us all a holler! ;) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2012 : 18:08:23
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And even more kudos to Brian. Anything above 85F can be lethal if a Brazilian cannot escape it. I use a gradient of 72F cool end to 82F high end, and have more than two dozen thriving snakes.
The next concern would be humidity. The levels should be a touch higher than the above, say 80%+ for an adult. The moist hide and a large water bowl go a long way towards addressing that requirement. However, much of humidity management is about limiting air exchange with the outside room, so if I might ask, what type of viv and lid are you using for her?
As with Incurable's Marius, my snakes tend to perk up just before sunset and start checking out the room. By an hour past nightfall, most of them are cruising their vivs. They remain active on and off for much of the night. I can often catch one headed for home just before the sun comes up.
Good luck...we expect pictures once she settles in! ;-) |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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MrBD1980
Snake mite
United Kingdom
45 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2012 : 19:37:16
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Cheers for the kudos guys (although to be fair I am simply passing on the knowledge that you guys helped me gain in the first place!!)
To give some perspective on the fallacy that BRB's are hard to keep I have only owned one for 3months and by following the advice from the good people above I have a happy and healthy snake who eats regularly, sheds perfectly and appears happy and confident!
I have also found that although many people talk about inappropriate vivs, I have successfully managed to adapt a glass viv to provide optimal temps and humidity - if you understand the importance of limited air exchange and heat escape then you can really get creative with the environment...
I will also say that patience is super important...Snakie (yes I know it's not a very creative name but as I have a cat called kitty, a rabbit called bunsk and a hamstr called fluffy it kinda fits with the theme) only moved into her larger viv a few weeks ago and is only now seen exploring, it takes time for them to feel secure enough to get out ad about!
I will also recommend the hanging artificial plants as Snakie is frequently found hanging around at the top of one of them peering out watching the world go by. In fact, between her humid hide and the hanging plants I imagine 60% of her time is spent!
My current viv set up is below.
Here is a pic of her in her humid hide
And finally a pic from the other day when she came out and chilled on her branch
Cheers
Brian
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 26/06/2012 : 21:08:09
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| Awww, those pictures are adorable, Brian! :) Your setup is awesome, though I don't know if I envy you the wooden fixtures. How in the world do you keep the mold off them? :D I tried wood branches in the beginning, but after just a few days they started growing mold and I couldn't keep it off there, so I nixed them. The vines look so cool, though and the moist moss hide is great. |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 27/06/2012 : 23:45:40
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| Wood has to be pre-cleaned, watched carefully, and regularly disinfected...but if you're willing to do the work, looks great! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 00:32:05
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| Out of curiosity, what do you disinfect it with? :) I would love to get Marius some climbing branches for his enclosure, but I am a stickler for no mold. :D |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 05:06:39
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| I would bleach it for a day, then let dry in the sun for a day, then bake it in a hot stove for a few hours. I like overkill. |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 28/06/2012 : 05:26:06
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| Overkill is always good. :D So you would do this every few days? Mold grows so fast. :\ That is the only thing I wish was different about Marius....him being in a high humidity environment. But I've learned to adapt and use all plastic and glass in his enclosure, lol. Maybe I could find some plastic branches somewhere. :D |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
Edited by - IncurableFlirt on 28/06/2012 05:26:39 |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 29/06/2012 : 00:50:22
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| I think each treatment will last a while...provided it is thorough. Then again, I don't use wood, so I'm going on theory here. ;-) |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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Inactive 1 year old BRB :\
