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Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
 Posted - 11/07/2012 : 09:53:49
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Thank you all for your help!!! I am so happy to have asked cause now the humidity is about 80% and the temp is about 80° F!! I may jeed to adjust the foil over the mesh top of my babies viv but it is now soo much better! I have even changed its flooring to the Terrarium Moss and damped it. I also bought a better hesting pad for under the tank and places a bit of it over the heat pad area just as you advised. My baby has a hide for cold and hot area. I know the temp and humidity is not exactly where it is susposed to be but I am just soo glad to see it close to what it needs to be and to see the big difference!!! But I am still up for anything else you guys can tell me to make my baby more happier and healthier!!!
Actually, I do have a question. How many times a day do I make the moss damp and when do I change the moss so it does not collect bacteria?
Again thank you all for your help!! You have no idea how happy I am to finally make my BRB (Niiji) happy and healthy!!! |
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Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2012 : 09:56:33
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| Sorry for my mis spelled words. I was typing on my phone and I am just really happy and excited to post an update about my snake!! |
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Nathair2012
Hatchling
United Kingdom
158 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2012 : 13:54:08
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Hi Hidenshi. I had similar problems very recently with my BRB. The advice you'll receive on this forum is invaluable. I had similar issues regarding humidity and temps. Once I sorted these problems out my BRB was fine! Mines didn't feed for a couple of weeks but I put that down to the fact that she was in shed. If you follow the advice you are given here your little one should be ok! Best of luck and I hope everything goes ok. Keep us updated.
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 11/07/2012 : 17:25:06
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| That is excellent to hear! :) Sounds like you definitely have a better hold on your BRBs enclosure. As to your question, I would say to just keep the moss damp. It should stay damp for quite a while with your humidity up, so I would say just check it every day and make sure it's moist. If you are using Sphagnum Moss, it is a little more resistant to mold than the other mosses out there, so again...just check it a couple times a week to make sure it isn't growing mold (spot clean any poopies as soon as you find them). I always do what I like to call a "deep clean" of Marius' tank once a month. I take everything out of his enclosure and wash it. I thoroughly clean the inside of his enclosure and then put fresh substrate down and return his hides, water dish and plants (I use plastic vine plants for decor). I do this every month to prevent bacteria/mold build up. Some might find this a little more extreme than what they do, but I have a mild phobia of mold and prefer not to let it get a foot in the door. ;) |
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 - 11/07/2012 : 20:51:55
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| Incurable is right. If you spot-clean daily and deep clean periodically (I do it less often, but then I also use bleach when I do), you will be fine. Keep this up, and before long you'll have a hungry little rainbow! :D |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2012 : 05:54:44
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| Oh ok so I shall be checking it at least a couple times a day. My snakes humidity and temp is not at the exact number but it is really close to it but I do make sure it doesn't go higher. Also when do I change the moss? Or I mean is how can I spot mold in tank because the moss has a similar color as mold from what I can remember. Sorry for asking so many questions. I just want to make sure I am doing this right. |
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Snakesitter
Rainbow Master
USA
2718 Posts |
Posted - 12/07/2012 : 06:44:22
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| Usually, mold will have a distinctly different look than the moss it grows on. On the few occasions I see it, it is usually white cottony stuff. However, I see it more often on newspaper than on moss. Moss should be checked for "freshness" every month, and entirely changed out at least every quarter -- more often if needed. |
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 - 12/07/2012 : 16:44:27
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| ^ What he said. I change Marius' moss hide every month when I do his monthly cleaning. ;) |
Jenn.
11.8 Ball pythons
1.0 BCI boa
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow boa |
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Hidenshi
Snake mite
USA
34 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 07:58:41
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| Ah ok then. I was actually going to change his moss once a month. Preferbly begining of month so that I can keep a better track of it alot more efficiently. Also, does baby rainbow boa shed alot? And when do I know he is hungry? Oh and a more urgent question! I notice that when Niiji sheds, she has some on her head and over her eyes. How do I remove that shed without harming her? Also thank you all for your help!!! |
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jeff7377
New Member
USA
76 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 10:45:45
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shedding will be determined primarily by growth rate. Sometimes I think that if a snake is trying to fix something such as a retained shed or other skin issue it may shed more often. This is just an opinion, I could be wrong but snakes are a wonder of mother nature. If there habitat is maintained correctly they take care of themselves.
This is just my thought though and I am new to being a BRB parent. As far as signs of being hungry, I think that keeping a journal on your reptiles is the best thing you can do. Record everything such as daily behavior, feeding schedules, when she feeds or refuses food, when color changes and dates of when she sheds. Keeping track of weight is a good thing to do also.
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 16/07/2012 : 18:08:17
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A baby RB will shed a lot more often than a juvenile or even an adult. When Marius was little, it seemed like he was shedding every couple of months at the latest. As he grew bigger, it began to space itself out more. As Jeff said, snakes do also shed in an effort to fix any problems they are having with their skin health. You could possibly try to soak your RB for about 10 minutes (I'd use a small plastic tub with a lid so that your boa couldn't get out, but watch it very closely for safety!) and then when you take her out, let her glide through a moistened, soft wash cloth to try and rub the shed off. If this doesn't work, then I'd suggest leaving it alone and waiting for her next shed cycle, as she will more than likely shed it off with her newer shed, providing that her humidity and setup are like they should be. :) I wouldn't ever advise trying to remove the shed yourself, as you could potentially damage your snake. This should only ever be done by a reptile trained vet (which is where you should take her if she doesn't get rid of the stuck shed with her next shed cycle).
Now then, as to feeding, young boas should be fed an appropriately sized meal once every week. You can't ever gauge when your boa is hungry, because it is geared to be a food machine in the wild. It eats as often as it can find food, stopping only to digest and rest during the daylight hours. This is fine for a boa in the wild because they are getting tons of exercise while hunting. In captivity, it is extremely easy to overfeed your boa, causing them to become overweight and unhealthy. If you are feeding your boa pinkies/fuzzies/fluffs/hoppers, then I would say definitely feed them once a week. When you reach the hopper stage, you can maybe start spacing your feedings out to every 8 or 9 days, maybe even 10. Most people end up trying to switch their boas over to rat pinks by the hopper stage. I've kept Marius on adult mice for the calcium, but will probably regret it later when he gets too big for them, lol.
Anyway, I hope that some of this info has helped. I am sure that some of the more knowledgeable keepers will be putting their input in as well, it just takes longer on this forum. We're a slow bunch. :D I also wanted to say that Jeff is definitely right about keeping track of everything. It really does help you to keep a sort of journal on how things are going with your RB. There are online sites (such as iHerp) that will help you keep track, but I have found that it is easier to keep a written journal and just put stuff in there as you go along. btw....love the name you chose for your RB. Niiji is a great name! |
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 - 16/07/2012 : 23:20:31
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Changing the moss once at month at the start of the month sounds like a great approach.
quote:
Originally posted by jeff7377
shedding will be determined primarily by growth rate. Sometimes I think that if a snake is trying to fix something such as a retained shed or other skin issue it may shed more often.
You are absolutely correct, Jeff! To answer the original question, babies typically shed every four to five weeks, increasing to eight to nine by the time they are adults -- but food intake and skin damage can vastly effect this schedule.
If your snake is retaining shed on her head, that means that the humidity is too low, or she does not have something to rub up against, or she suffered scale damage in that area that is causing it to stick. Whichever cause, keep the humidity high and follow Incurable's advice.
quote:
Originally posted by jeff7377
I think that keeping a journal on your reptiles is the best thing you can do.
Again, great advice. Records are a funny thing: they can be seen as a complete waste of time if nothing ever goes wrong, but are invaluable if something ever does. I hedge my bets, and keep highly detailed records for every snake.
As for feeding...I offer my baby Brazilians a meal once a week, and occasionally skip a feeding. When they grow to juvenile size, I cut that in half (once every two weeks). When they hit adult size, I cut it back even more (once every three weeks). Regardless, each prey item should be no larger than the snake at its widest part. I typically do not reoffer if they refuse...they get to wait until the next regular feeding day. I feed rats almost exclusively (with ocasional treats of mice or chicks), as these animals get large enough to require rats in the end.
Good luck! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
Edited by - Snakesitter on 16/07/2012 23:21:57 |
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BC420
Snake mite
21 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 16:47:10
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| Good for you for getting on the forums, but why didn't you do your research BEFORE getting your snake? By the sounds of it, you just jumped into a BRB with little experience with any other snakes...Just saying |
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IncurableFlirt
Yearling
USA
516 Posts |
Posted - 17/07/2012 : 16:58:22
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| BC...as sad as it is to say, most people do this. They think: Oh what a beautiful snake, I'm going to take it home right now! They go off of what the pet stores tell them to do (which is 99.99% WRONG) and then when their snake isn't doing so well, they become one of two different types of people: Those who don't care and allow the animal to go on suffering until it either dies or they get rid of it.....or those who care enough to find a good, reputable place to find out the information they need to better take care of their pet. While it would have been optimal for Hidenshi to do the research...he has proven himself a wonderful keeper, just by coming here and asking all the necessary questions to help take care of his wonderful little lady. :) |
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 - 18/07/2012 : 20:51:35
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| Well said, Incurable! |
Cliff Earle
Living Gems Reptiles
Premium Brazilian Rainbow Boas from a disease-tested facility
Website, Facebook |
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Please Help Me..
