New Rainbow Boa. Help?

[danielise13]

Hello! I just got a new cute little rainbow boa yesterday. I work at a pet store and he came in last week on Tuesday. He's been friendly all week, every time i'm at work i'll take a couple minutes to take him out and hold him and such to get him used to me. I transferred him straight from the tank at work to a much bigger tank that i purchased and set up at work. My coworkers and managers told me he hasn't been fed since he's been there, so I should feed him when i bring him home.
When i got home, I put him in a small box to feed him in. He bit me while I tried feeding him and even though it barely punctured skin it scared me and I waited about 20 more minutes to try to feed him again but it didn't work so I put him back in his tank. I even left the pinkie in the box for a while to see if he would eat it himself but he didn't. He stayed in an 'S' and barely moved. I left him alone all night and I went to get him this morning to try again and he striked before I even reached for him.
Can someone help explain to me why this happens? I know he needs to acclimate but I feel like he's cranky because he hasn't eaten in I don't know how long..
This is my first reptile pet ever! I'd love some tips.

[The Serpent Merchant]

They can go months without eating, so there is nothing to be worried about there.

He needs at least a week before you try to handle him or feed him.

Make sure that his temperatures/humidity are correct.

What heat source are you using? What are you measuring temperatures with?

Read over this caresheet: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ates-cenchria)

This quote from the caresheet might explain you getting bit:

Intermediate. Easy for the keeper who has some boid experience, we would not recommend Brazilian rainbows to the beginning herpetoculturist. Brazilian rainbow boas require very specific temperature & humidity to thrive. Babies are nippy & defensive until tamed. This is a good "next step" for the keeper who has successfully managed other species, i.e. Colombian boa constrictors or ball pythons.

[John1982]

I think you're putting the cart before the horse on this one. Stop handling the snake every day, wait until he's a strong feeder before you start the taming process. Make sure your temps are good and leave a baby rodent in the enclosure over night. You're probably overstimulating the little fella with all the handling and feeding attempts gone wrong. I'd give him several days of peace and quite to settle a bit then drop a baby rodent in there(something that isn't active enough to cause stress but moves just a bit - to draw attention) in the evening. Don't sit there and watch, don't keep coming in to check on him, it's a baby rodent and harmless thus giving you the opportunity of leaving your snake undisturbed for a night with his prey.

[carlisleishere]

I agree with what the others said. Leave him alone for a bit and just focus on getting him to eat. Also, you said you were feeding him pinkies, if those are pinky mice, he should be on hopper mice at least, depending on how old he is. Make sure humidity is correct, and that he's not too hot. I recommend that you get a tub instead of a tank. Way less of a headache when it comes to humidity.

[djansen]

While BRBs are considered an "intermediate" species I see no reason why you could not properly care for one.

First off, like others said humidity is key with rainbows and especially with juvies. I used coconut fiber bedding (comes in a brick) and its excellent at holding humidity and resisting mold. Depending on how big he is you could go get a plastic tub and poke air holes in it, your terrarium might be too large for him for now. Also, try adding some damp terrarium moss to parts of the enclosure. Make sure its enough for him to completely hide in, between the moss and the coconut bedding he should feel nice and secure.
Like others said, let him be for a 5 days to a week and then try to feed him. when I got my first one I fed outside of the tank but after that I fed mine inside the tank. if you have a picky eater you might have more luck feeding inside the tank. And if the temps are out of whack that could be why he is refusing food. Rainbows do not tolerate high heat as well as other snakes so be careful not to let that happen.
and about getting nipped, welcome to owning a baby rainbow boa!
most are nippy as juvies but should calm down.
Good luck!

[danielise13]

Thank you everyone! I should've mentioned this before, he's a columbian rainbow boa, not a brazilian. I have left him alone, I've been in the process of moving and just got in settled in today after keeping him at a friends place the passed couple days. I do use the coconut bedding stuff and I have moss in there along with a fake plant an a decent sized half log. I bought a 40 gallon to use when he gets much bigger, so I assume the size is overwhelming for him. But I have a heat lamp on one side so if it's too hot for him the other side is cooler and I have a big enough water dish in the middle for him to fit in. I also spray the moss everyday and around the plant and stuff just in case, since rainbows get dehydrated easily. Today he's been roaming around more instead of hiding so hopefully he's adjusting well! And also, he's not that big at all, maybe a foot and a half? I'm not sure, my manager said he was really young. Thanks again guys!

[danielise13]

Thank you everyone! I should've mentioned this before, he's a columbian rainbow boa, not a brazilian. I have left him alone, I've been in the process of moving and just got in settled in today after keeping him at a friends place the passed couple days. I do use the coconut bedding stuff and I have moss in there along with a fake plant an a decent sized half log. I bought a 40 gallon to use when he gets much bigger, so I assume the size is overwhelming for him. But I have a heat lamp on one side so if it's too hot for him the other side is cooler and I have a big enough water dish in the middle for him to fit in. I also spray the moss everyday and around the plant and stuff just in case, since rainbows get dehydrated easily. Today he's been roaming around more instead of hiding so hopefully he's adjusting well! And also, he's not that big at all, maybe a foot and a half? I'm not sure, my manager said he was really young. Thanks again guys!

[blushingball419]

First of all, welcome to the site!

Your little guy is cranky because he's scared and baby rainbow boas can be very shy and defensive. He definitely needs something a lot smaller than a 40 gallon right now, and while I would recommend switching to a tub since they hold humidity much better, you can make the tank work. You can get more fake plants and branches (rainbow boas like something to climb on) to clutter it up and help him feel more secure. You also might want to get another, smaller hide, as the half log one might not be enough. And if you decide to keep using the tank, I would switch to an under tank heating pad with a thermostat instead of the light and cover most of the top with aluminum foil to help hold in the humidity.

I would wait a couple more days before trying to feed him, and you should try feeding him in the tank too. That's how I feed all of my snakes (including my rainbow) and I've never had a problem. It's much less stressful for both you and the snake

The care sheet here is very helpful if you have any more questions: http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...es-cenchria%29 Basically, they like lower temperatures and high humidity.