Questions about some behavior

[confucius]

I've had my red tail boa for about 2 weeks now, and he acts kinda strange.
He is always hiding except at night he comes out and hides behind the hide on the cold side.

Whenever I try to take him out he goes crazy, and he does the same when I put him back in his cage. While I have him out he thrashes around super fast even though I support him and everything.

Is this stuff normal? Is something wrong?

[Royal Hijinx]

Mine never acted like that. Maybe give him a week without handling or anything to chill out.

[DooLittle]

Mine has never behaved like that either. How are his temps, and set up? Boas usually are very chill.

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[Evenstar]

You've had him for about 2 weeks. Did you allow him to settle in for a few days before attempting to handle him?

Boas do not usually need the same acclimation period we would give our Ball Pythons. Boas are not balls, lol! I have handled all three of mine from day one with no issues whatsoever. However, I will assume that yours is either particularly sensitive, or perhaps he's not been handled much prior to you owning him. But if you've had him for 2 weeks and did give him at least a few days to settle, you can try a few things now.

When you take him out, sit down with him maybe on your bed where there's a bit more space and lay him in your lap. When he's resting on you but not actually in your hands, is he still acting oddly? If he's quiet and not thrashing and acting normally, then the problem is that he's not trusting your grip on him and he thinks he's going to fall. Baby boas are somewhat clumsy - some more than others - and they'll kind of whip around as they try to orient their bodies to get a grip on you.

If this seems to be the case, begin by scooping him up off your lap but keep your hands low. Don't grab from above, scoop up from underneath. Don't lift him up high. Let him glide from your lap over your hands and arms. Let him get used to being in your hands at a level where he feels secure. The more you do this, the more comfortable he'll become. Always pick him up with confidence, but move slowly.

Also, boas NEVER like to go back in their enclosures. They can be a real pain in the butt about that. I've found if I cover my boa's head with my hand as I'm lowering him in, he'll relax more and go in with less struggle. So that part's normal!!

Now, if he's still acting oddly even when laying flat on your bed, there may be something neurologically wrong. I'm certainly not trying to scare you, and based on what you describe, it is my belief that his behavior is simply due to a lack of trust at this point. But if you are continuing to see abnormal behavior when he's allowed to move freely on his own on your bed, then we may need to look at other causes and a vet trip may be in order. So try this and let us know what you observe!!

[Daybreaker]

^ Good info.

Two of my four boas hates being put back into their enclosures/tubs: they'll try to crawl back up onto my hands/arms.

My biggest boy who is ~5 ft (see avatar) will flail/thrash around if he doesn't get his tailed wrapped around something (even if I'm handling him sitting on the floor): he likes the security of having it wrapped around my arm or whatnot when handling.

When you say your guy is thrashing around do you mean he swings his head or tail around trying to get onto something? Maybe a vid would help?

[Crazy4Herps]

It is normal for young boas to be nervous, but it sounds to me like yours is absolutely terrified. My recommendation would be to create an enclosure that makes him feel as safe as possible, and to leave him alone entirely until he feels safe and comfortable in his home (handling and exposure to people is good, but terrorizing a snake that feels unsafe is counterproductive).

I'm not sure what your setup is like, but I'm going to tell you a little bit about how I prefer to house baby boas. I highly recommend providing some sort of climbing structure in the cage (I use driftwood). Boas don't have much traction on their bellies and babies especially tend to slide around (particularly if they're on a loose substrate such as newspaper) as they don't have much weight to keep them grounded. For this reason, baby boas will "freak out" if they don't have something sturdy to hang onto. Not only does a secured hunk of driftwood give them something with which to stabilize themselves, but it allows them to climb, and many boas feel more secure perched high up (the upper corners of a cage are excellent places for boas to feel secure; with two walls on each side, the top, and a climbing object underneath them functions like a hide box and makes them feel very safe). Also, the more foliage / crumpled newspaper in the cage the better. Ideally, he should be able to crawl across the floor of the cage from one side to the other without being seen at all.

To summarize, in terms of the enclosure, I recommend
-solid substrate (aspen, cypress, secured carpet, etc)
-secured climbing object / perch
-foliage / newspaper
And of course you can never have too many hides. Maybe throw in a few that are even smaller than the ones you have provided; it's amazing what tiny spaces boas are capable of squeezing into!

I don't think that you are doing anything wrong, it sounds like he is just afraid for whatever reason. Anyways, I wish you luck with him, and I am sure he will settle in eventually. Boas are lovely pets, even if hatchlings can be spazzy.

[confucius]

Thanks for all the information everyone!
His temps are fine, and he has something to climb and 3 hides and all.
I left him alone for a good 3-4 days but maybe i'll wait a bit longer, and try handling him the way suggested here.
The way he moves when I take him out reminds me of the way sidewinders move.
He'll do that, but very fast.
He will also swing his head too.
Maybe it's the way i'm picking him like, i'll try what was said here.
Anyways, thanks again.

[Evenstar]

"Sidewinding" quickly is not usually a sign of neurological issues, so I think my gut instinct is probably correct that he's just fearful and not trusting his surroundings or you. Start fresh with him, leave him alone all this next week - only touch him if you have to for cleaning his enclosure. As I said before, boas are not balls and don't usually need this, but yours sounds particularly freaked (which can happen - it's not your fault!) and he might just need the time to chill out before you try again.

Next weekend, and at least 2 days after his next meal, begin handling for just a few minutes at a time the way I suggested before. I think you'll be fine. Keep us posted!

[confucius]

He's gotten better with the behavior things, but now every few seconds he is opening his mouth and making an odd noise. I don't know what this is and i'm worried. His temps are fine but he likes to hang out on the cold side. Is it a respiratory problem? He doesn't feel cold when I touch him. ;n;

[confucius]

He's gotten better with the behavior things, but now every few seconds he is opening his mouth and making an odd noise. I don't know what this is and i'm worried. His temps are fine but he likes to hang out on the cold side. Is it a respiratory problem? He doesn't feel cold when I touch him. ;n;

I forgot to add he's also got the milky blue eyes now, does it have something to do with shedding? The noise stopped now though.