Some questions from a first time snake owner :)?

Question

Well after 3 years of wanting one and doing a bit of research I finally decided to purchase a gorgeous Red-Tail Boa. (which I named Fluffy )

I just picked her up today along with a 20 gallon tank, a little snake cave, a water dish, some fake vine things, a heating lamp, pad and thermometer.

But I still have a few questions about them

1. I was told that you only feed babies furry mice one a week, then once they are older larger mice/ rabbits (when they are full size) every ten days. Is this correct?

2. Is there anything else I should buy for it's habitat?

3. Approximately what size will she be when I need to buy a larger tank, and how much larger should this tank be?

4. If you have any advice or websites on how to build your own snake tank i would appreciate it :) (not really a question haha)

5. When should I make her first veterinary appointment?

6. What are signs of a sick snake?

7. When should I start handling her?

Any other tips or precautions would be appreciated :)

Answer 1

1.  yes that is correct

2.  on the habitat be careful with the heat pad and the heat light...make sure it doesnt get too hot for your snake.  they only need heat on one side of the tank the other side should be room temp.

3.  for a RTBits not going to last very long in a 20 gallon tank.  the snake can top out at around 11' long...the usual size is 9' or so.  you will know when it is time for a new tank for her.  if she should be able to stretch out diagonally (from corner to corner) across the tank without bending her body.

4.  http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/visi...

http://www.showcasecages.com/   they aren't pretty but they get the job done for bigger snakes that need humidity.

5.  you can get a vet check if you want too just to make sure of the overall health of you snake...however i have never taken a snake to the vet unless it looks sick.  

6.  of course if it gets a heat burn or gets hurt badly during feeding (minor hurts during feeding can be helped with neosporin (sp)).  if a snake is stargazing (looking straight up for long periods of time...like is looking straight up for two hours) that can be a sign of a deadly disease.  if your snakes breathes with its mouth open a lot that can be a sign of respriatory (sp) infection.  there is a book called "what is wrong with my snake" its a really good book to get to have as a reference on what can go wrong.

7.  let your snake adjust to its new home for at least 7 days. at the end of the 7 days take it out to eat (put it in a feeding tub to eat). about 20 minutes after the snake eats put him back in his tank. if he ate you can start to handle him about 24 hours after he ate. if he did not eat then wait another week and try to feed him again (in the feeding tub). after the snake has had its first meal 24 hours after he eats you can start handling. take him out for about 15 minutes a day. do that until the next time the snake eats. after the second feeding you can handle him about 20 - 30 minutes a day. after the third time he eats you can handle about 45 minutes a day. then after the fourth time he eats the snake is pretty well settled in and you can hold him for an hour or two.

*for a feeding tub take a plastic box, large enough for your snake to move around in a bit. drill several holes along the tops of the sides for airflow. put the snake in the box and then put his food in there. after the snake eats give him about 20 minutes or so to get his food down a bit and then put him in his house.

completely clean the tank, change out the substrate and wash down the walls, every 3 or 4 months.  i use healthy habitat for mine...i get it from www.reptilesupply.

Good luck with your new snake!!

Answer 2

1. baby snakes should eat every 5 to 7 days and only feed a snake a mouse no bigger than the widest part on its body

adult snakes should be fed every 7 to 10 days

2.a humidity gauge because RTB need to have a stable humidity level to shed appropriatly

other than that anything you want to make the enclosure look pretty lol

3.when she gets almost as long as your tank time to upgrade

after your 20 gallon either buy a 55 gal or invest in building one or having one built

4.honestly i build enclosures and sell them around florida but also ship to 48 states so if you want one built or have any questions about building one i can help alot. lol custom is the way to go regardless

5.within the first 6 months

6.hazy eyes, not much moment, not eating or shedding correctly(one piece is correct for shedding)

7.give her around the first week to get used to new enviorment then feed her and wait about 2 days after feeding her then begin handling her

other tips would be kep an eye on the temp and humidity. keep a day/night cycle and dont be scared or nervous when handling her she will take from that and become the same as your feeeling. other than that RTB are an amazing choice i love them to death. did madd research on them for ever then decided to get a nile monitor haha dont ask and yes i kno they're aggresive and yes mine is doing extremely well due to the fact everyone told me i was making a mistake

Answer 3

1. Feed one food item that is about as big around as the thickest part of the snake or slightly larger every 7 days. After they become larger and growth slows down, around three years of age, I feed one food item every 14 days. Males don't get big enough to require rabbits. Jumbo rats are fine. I have 4 adult females, and the thickest one gets 5 pound rabbits. The rest are fine with jumbo rats.

2. The only things you NEED are a water dish and a heat source. Hides are great, and young boas will climb. Any other decorations are for your enjoyment, to make the cage look nicer. The snake doesn't care.

3. Personally, I move them up when they're curled up and they come close to touching both the front and back of the enclosure. Something like a 55 gallon aquarium will work until they're around 5 to 6 feet long. A cage with a floor space of 4 feet by 2 feet is good for males and smaller females. 6 x 2 is good for bigger females. They do not need to be able to stretch out diagonally.

4.  I tried google.com and entered "snake cage building" and many websites showed up showing how to build snake cages. Building your own is alot cheaper than buying one.

5. Well, you can get an annual checkup, but I personally don't bother. I have close to 200 snakes and know more than most vets around here anyway. Plus I have a friend who is a herp vet. I got to watch him deworm a western cottonmouth today. That was pretty interesting. But, like I said, a yearly exam to check overall health and for parasites is not a bad idea.

6. Sneezing or a whistling sound while breathing and excessive mucus are signs of a respiratory infection. Watch for any tiny bugs on your snake, which would indicate mites. Regurgitation, loss of appetite, and inability to right itself when flipped over are other signs of various illnesses.

7. Most people say to wait a week to allow a snake to allow the snake to get used to its new environment. I personally don't have a real strong opinion on this matter.

And for cleaning, spot clean when you see any waste, and a complete monthly cleaning is good. There are different kinds of cage cleaners available at the pet store. Alot of people use a bleach/water solution. Just rinse thoroughly.

Answer 4

The best thing that I could tell you is to go to a pet store or books-a-million and get the book Red-Tailed Boas and Relatives.or some other boa manual. I have 3 different ones that I bought even before I got my snakes.

Answer 5

1. You can start handling her right away if you'd like.

I would wait a weak before offering her a mouse. Most reptiles take a few days to get used to their new suroundings before they're comfortable enough to eat. Feed rodents no bigger around than the girth of your snake at it's mid-section.

Feed frozen/thawed if possible to reduce risk of injury to your snake. You have the proper feeding schedule.

2. You'll need a screen lid if you haven't already bought one. Some under-tank heaters tend to get too hot so you may need a thermostat of some sort.

3. You didn't say whether you bought a 20 gal or a 20 gal long.

You'll probably need a bigger enclosure when she starts exceeding 3 ft long (assuming you have a 20 gal long). A 55 gal would be suitable after she out-grows the 20 gal long. Idealy a 70 gal or 120 gal would be better.

4. Can't help you here.

5. I've never seen the need unless there was a problem. A fecal exam to check for parasites would be a good idea. Not until after she's eaten a few times and you have a fecal sample to take in with you.

6. The most common things to watch for are shed problems which are visually obvious, Retained eye caps, mites, and respiratory infection. The symtoms of respiratory infection is wheezy breathing, breathing through the mouth, mucus, and sometimes bubbles from the nose or mouth.

7. you can start handling her right away, just limit the handling time for the first week to allow adjusting to the new suroundings.

Spot clean the tank as needed. Fully clean the tank every couple of months. Stay away from house-hold cleaning products. Soap and water is fine. Use vinegar to remove glass stains but allow the tank to air out before returning the snake.

Answer 6

Number one is correct.  But you can feed more than one fuzzy a week.  Maybe try 2-3, but no more than that.  Then you will go to mice, rats, then rabbits.  Number two:  Just make sure her water dish is big enough for her to soak in. LoL i like the name Fluffy!  You need to have the red bulb for night time also.  And I would buy a spray bottle to spray her tank a couple times a week to help keep humidity up so she can shed easier.  Number three:  I would buy a larger tank when she can stretch across the one you have now and touch from end to end.  A 50 gal. tank would not be a bad choice, def. no smaller.  Number four:  I have no idea about building your own tank.  I think it would be a heck of a lot cheaper to just buy one! lol  Number five:  ASAP- the top things you want to look out for is mites, upper resp. infection (she will wheeze and possibly blow excretions out her nose) and retained eye caps.  Number six:  See above for upper resp. infection, retained eye caps, their eyes will remain blue/discolored, dehydration will make them look real wrinkly (if that is a word) and they wont' shed in once piece, if they are not eating well it could be due to mouth rot.  That's bout the main things I'd worry about.  Number Seven:  I would let her get use to her surroundings, maybe 2 days or so and if she has not ate in the past few hours, get her out.  She will probably be head shy.  I dont think she will strike.  They are real protective of their heads.  I wish you luck!!!!!!  Email me if you have ANY questions at [e-mail].