Boa in a temporary tank?

[duckschainsaw]

I was called to an apartment in my complex today for a snake, and I saw a distinct Boa tail disappearing into a hole under one of the cabinets. I'm going to do my best to catch it and find the owners. Until then though, what kind of set up should I have for it? I've got a couple of tanks in Boa friendly sizes. They all have screen tops though. Any set up suggestions to make one of the tanks into a suitable temporary home?

[Tash]

I take it someone moved and left their snake behind? Or is it an escapee that made its way into someone else's home?

With a screen top make sure you have some very good locks. Even if the top has those small built in one's, which I think most do, buy some better ones to clip on. It WILL get out otherwise.

Humidity is a pain in tanks so I never used them for my boas but covering the top with a towel will help keep it in. If the humidity is way too low cover more up and squirt the underside of the towel to wet it. Too high pull the towel back or dry out the air with a heat lamp. People sometimes use tinfoil to cover the top mesh as well to keep humidity in. Hope you find the owner.

[duckschainsaw]

We're thinking it's left behind. Quite a few people have moved out of that building.

The tanks I have are the ones with the lids that slide into place from the front. They don't push up with flimsy clamps. They're pretty darn secure. Would covering part of the top with press n seal work too? My cat has a thing about dragging towels off of things, so it would be difficult to keep there.

[Tash]

Oh cats. Such jerks but we love them.

And hopefully not because that would be super lame on the owners part, but unfortunately believable. Hopefully you'll find the owner. Otherwise you may have gotten yourself a new boa.

And I'm not actually sure about the press and seal. I guess it's worth either looking up or experimentation. Not sure if you have a big enough hide since I have no idea how big the snake is at the moment, but since it's temporary and I'm sure you don't want to spend a bunch of money on a snake you may only have for a week cutting up a cardboard box will work as a makeshift hide. I'm sure it won't complain too much as long as it has something to take shelter in.

[M.P.C]

You can use press and seal or platic wrap as long as your not using an overhead heat light

[Tash]

Also I'm sure you don't need reminding and I'm not sure if you keep boas or not but make sure to keep this one away from the other snakes in case of mites or IBD, etc. Especially since there isn't much known about its background other then it belonged to someone in the apartments.

Have you actually caught it yet?

[M.P.C]

Oh yes please make certain you do a proper and very thuroh quarantine period... ibd is very deadly to ball pythons

[duckschainsaw]

I'll keep it in the same room I keep my BP's in when they go into quarantine. I've already got the tank set up with a box and some fake plants just so I can get the temps and humidity dialed in for when (if) I catch it. And I haven't gotten it yet. The lady in the apartment has been keeping an eye on the area it went into. We found another small hole that it can't fit through, and we can barely see something snake-ish in there. So at least it's not all inside the walls and is staying put for now. I'm going to see if I can't poke in there a bit with something that won't hurt it and try and nudge it toward the hole it crawled into.

Edit - There are currently no BP's in the quarantine room.

[Tash]

Boas a ready eaters unlike ball pythons. Any way to try and lure it out with food? I wonder how long it's been free range and how hungry it might be. The smell of food might make it more persuasive.

[duckschainsaw]

I'm actually waiting on a feeder shipment that's supposed to be here Monday. The only thing I have that might work is some old rat bedding in a little live feeder transport box. I could try that but it's been in there a while. Right now we have a box with a hole in it pushed up against the hole in the cabinet hoping he will crawl in there. I'll stick the bedding in there and see if it works. Worth a shot.