| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
 Posted - 06/07/2012 : 06:04:54
|
Hi there. I am new at this, but I purchased my baby rainbow boa about a month now. He is not eating and I was told to force feed him but he still will not eat. I was giving him both a thawed out pinky and a live pinky and still nothing. He just had his first shed about 2-3 days ago now. I am getting worried cause he is not eating. Yet he is still active, and he only snipped at me once and never again. The temp for his home is between 40-50% Humidity. If I have the temp wrong please tell me what to do to treat him with care!
So again I ask..should I be worried? And when I handle him, it does not seem that he lost any weight. I have read posts here but I still would like peoples help on this. So please any help and advice is really appreciated!!! |
|
|
smart bunny
Hatchling
174 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2012 : 13:35:13
|
| Hi there, hope you don't mind me replying as I do not even HAVE a boa yet lol, but I have been reading up a lot just recently hoping to get one and what I have been told is temp about 28 on warm side (you don't say what your temps are?), but humidity needs to be a lot higher, 80%, ideally a little higher when a young snake. I do know that for any snake if things aren't right then they won't eat as they won't feel safe to digest. Good luck, and hopefully someone with more experience will be along soon :) |
     |
 |
|
|
rfalla1980
Snake mite
United Kingdom
25 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2012 : 15:56:36
|
Hi Hidenshi,
Okay first of all.....please do not force feed your snake. If you don't know exactly what you're doing you will do way more harm than good. If your BRB isn't eating it's because the conditions are wrong. Snakes can go months without eating if needs be, you'll find as soon as your snake is comfortable he will eat quite happily.
You need a temperature gradient from 27C to 21C in your vivarium. Generally a heatmat can provide the warm end temp with no issues, just make sure it is connected to a thermostat so you don't get it too warm. :-) I have a thermostat on my heat mat and a temperature probe at the cool end to make sure it stays where it should be.
40-50% Humidity will quickly harm your BRB, they are rainforest snakes which means they require lots of humidity. If your snake is a baby you need a bare minimum of 80% humidity, closer to 90% is preferable. A drinking dish placed partially over the heat mat will provide plenty of humidity. You can provide additional safe/humid areas by using a damp hide, essentially a plastic tub filled with sphagnum moss. I personally use a warm humid hide and a cool humid hide so there is a choice no matter what part of the viv the snake decides to go to.
Give your snake the right temps and humidity and hides and he will be just fine.
I hope this helps :-)
Rory |
0.1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa - Lolita
0.1.0 Pastel Royal Python - Miranda
0.0.1 Western Hognose - Squee
|
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 06/07/2012 : 18:04:27
|
I have to agree with Rfalla. Force feeding your snake is going to just do more harm than it will help. As mentioned, if you don't know what you're doing, you could actually hurt your boa. It sounds like what you need is just to get a better grip on your RB's enclosure. Humidity is extremely important to these snakes. Without it, they will have really bad sheds and if not corrected, will result in respiratory infections and other health issues. 88% humidity is really what you should shoot for, though if you have a very young RB, 90% is what it should be at. Temperature-wise, you need to provide the snake with a gradient of warm and cold sides with which it can thermo-regulate. The warm side should be kept at about 82 degrees Farenheit at the MAXIMUM....going above this temperature could stress your boa out and continued high temps could even lead to death. The cool side can just be left room temperature, so long as it is cooler than 82F.
What sort of substrate are you keeping your boa on? How many hides have you provided and do you have a damp moss box that will allow your boa to soak in a moist spot? Don't worry so much about food just yet, as these guys can go for quite a while without eating. Just work on perfecting your snake's environment and I think you'll find that when all is as it should be, your boa will choose to eat quite happily on its own. Best of luck to you, please keep us informed on how everything is going! :) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2012 : 23:09:11
|
| Thank you all for your help!! He has two hides. One under heat lamp on one side and one on the other cool side. How do I gtlet his humidott high? I have a 20 gall viv incase anyone was wondering. How do I his humidity up? What should I get if anything to help with the temp and humidity? And ok I will no longer force feed him. I was just getting worried because he hasn't been eating and from what you guys posted, I have hus temp and humidity wrong. So please how and what should I get to get his humidity right? Again thank you all for your help!!! |
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2012 : 02:50:59
|
First, you said you were using a heat lamp? These are actually not very helpful in an enclosure that requires high humidity. The reason is because a heat lamp dries the air out and keeps it really warm and dry. You would be MUCH better off with getting what is known as an Under Tank Heater or Heat Pad, as this helps the warmth to rise up to the substrate, without drying the air out. Once you get an under tank heater, you can then get a large, flat water dish and put it partially over where the heat would be. You'll find that this alone will help with your humidity, because the water evaporates into the air of the viv.
Second, does your viv have a mesh screen top or is it the enclosed version? If you have a mesh lid, all of your humidity is going to escape from there. It would be best to cover this somehow (with aluminum foil or cling wrap taped down) and leave only a few small holes in it for air exchange. If you don't already have a hygrometer, you should get one, as they are invaluable in a BRB setup (they help you keep track of what your humidity levels are). Also, if you are going to have an under tank heater, you will need a thermostat to keep it from getting too hot.....place the probe for the thermostat right over the area where the under tank heater will be.
I hope this helps some, let us know if you have any other questions. :) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2012 : 03:31:28
|
| So I should remove my Heat Lamp? And yes the tank has a mesh screen top. So from what I read from your replies, I should put aluminum foil on the screen and make sure it covers the ehole top and make some holes in it for some air? Ok that is what ai can start doing when I get home from work. Also yes I failed to mention that he does have a small heating pad that I placed under the tank and I made sure it was under one of his hiding places for him. As for the water dish, I do have one large one. And from what I read, I should place it directly ontop of just near where the heating pad is? And yes every bit helps alot! Thank you and sorry for me asking many stupid questions. Lol |
|
|
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 08/07/2012 : 22:14:05
|
| Also do I need to an Irredescent Dual Blulb Light Fixture for my 20gl snake tank? |
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2012 : 22:46:47
|
The light bulb is really up to you, but is not necessary, as snakes do not need the light for their health. A lot of people use them to light up the tank, so it really is up to you, just so long as you are allowing your snake the "dark" hours it needs to simulate night time.
If you already have a heat pad on the bottom of the tank, then yes, definitely get rid of the ceramic heat emitter. It is not needed and is just serving to dry your tank out. As for the water dish...only put a small portion of it over the heat pad, but leave enough of the heat pad area open so your snake can thermo-regulate. :) I do believe you will be doing better with your humidity if you can cover the mesh lid. As I mentioned, I would get a piece of aluminum foil (or a couple of pieces if needed for the fit), poke about 10 holes in strategic spots with a pencil (you want them as wide as the pencil, not just the lead part) and then using clear tape to secure it to the mesh lid (but be careful NOT to cover the holes you created). Be sure to keep all of the tape on the OUTSIDE of the enclosure, you don't want it sticking to your snake and causing issues. ;) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
CDN_Blood
Rainbow oddball
Canada
489 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2012 : 22:51:14
|
| I'd advise against the light - these are *very* nocturnal snakes and exposing it to such harsh light can have adverse affects. I'm just sayin' :) |
TODD
25 Years of Commitment and Responsibility in Private Herpetoculture |
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2012 : 22:57:19
|
| Probably the best thing, then, for sure. I'd listen to CDN, Hidenshi. :) Don't want to stress your boa out with too much light. ;) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2012 : 04:19:54
|
| Oh ok. But heres a question, how could I get heat inside the tank? I only have a heat pad for under the small portion of the tank on one side. If I remove the Heat Lamp the tank will be cold. Sorry for asking lame questions..but I have no idea what to do and I love my snake alot. |
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2012 : 05:27:14
|
| If you have a heat pad, then that is where the snake gets the heat from. Heating pads get very hot (you will need a thermostat and thermometer - or a combo of these to keep the temperature correct), and the heat rises and warms the substrate. If you keep the temperature correct for the heat pad (place the probe for the thermometer directly over where the heat pad is), then your snake will have plenty of heat to thermo-regulate. Do keep in mind that these snakes do not like high temperatures, so if you aren't regulating the heat with a thermostat, you could be causing your BRB a lot of stress by it being too hot. 82 degrees F is what you should strive for on the warm side. Do not go higher than that. ;) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2012 : 18:29:08
|
| Wow so no wonderwhy ny snake is stressing out because I am doing this wrong. Ok I shall so what you guys tell me and I shall go from there. I really hope it is not to late to make my snake happy and stress free. As for the substrate, which do you recommend ans how deep do I put it in viv? I already have the whole top covered witg needed sized holes. The humidity still says around 40-50% which I believe is not good. I may jeed to buy a new heating pad just to get the temp up without using a heat lamp. |
|
|
|
IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2012 : 20:35:25
|
| It is not too late to fix things, so long as your RB doesn't have a respiratory infection and seems overall still healthy. Even then, it's never too late to improve their situation. ;) The humidity and the temperature are two very different things. 40-50% humidity is definitely WAY too low. It is imperative that you get the humidity up. You can do this a number of ways, but I would start by misting the entire enclosure with a spray bottle of water until everything is extremely damp. Putting part of your water dish over a portion of the heat mat is going to help tremendously in adding to humidity. Now then, as for temperature...how are you measuring how warm it is above the heat mat? Do you have a thermometer/thermostat set up? The thermometer needs to read about 82 degrees F with the probe directly on top of the substrate right over the heat mat. If you don't have a thermometer, you need to get one asap and use it to determine how warm your "hot" side really is. If you have it over 82F, then it is too hot and definitely need to invest in a thermostat (something you plug the heat mat into and place a probe over heat mat so it turns the heat mat off when it reaches the desired temp). As I mentioned above, these snakes do NOT like high temperatures, so that could be a huge part of why your RB is stressed. |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
|
|
|
Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2012 : 21:01:16
|
| Hidenshi, welcome to the forums, and hope your little one is doing better. Might I ask what temps you are showing now for the hot end, and how you are measuring them? As for humidity, we can fix that too, but for now make sure to put a hide packed with damp moss in the enclosure. Your baby will find it and use it extensively, and it will provide at least a temporary refuge until we fix the overall humidity issue. Good luck! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
Please Help Me..
