Hog Island Boa question.. pls comment

[Jus1More]

I brought home my 4 month old female Hog Island Boa last Sunday. All throughout the week she stayed curled up in the corner on the cool side of her bin. She hardly moved at all during the week and would not use her hide. On Wednesday I showed her the hide and she went inside for 3 mins or so and then came back out and went back to the corner. Is this normal for hogs to do this?
I have heard that hogs like cooler temps but when i touch her she was cold to the touch!

She is currently in a 15qt sterilite tub with aspen substrate. I'm using a small zoo med heat mat that I have hooked up to a ve-200 thermostat and temps read between 87-91 degrees. Her hide is placed over the heat source. Tonight I fed her a fuzzy which she took fine but it took her a while to eat it.

This is my first boa as I am use to ball pythons but boas are nothing like ball pythons... LOL

I know every snake is different in their behavior but is this normal for hog island boas to act this way? Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated.. Thank you

[bcr229]

I can't speak to the hog island boas in particular, but my BI's really only use the heat for a few days after eating. After that they tend to stay on the cooler side of the enclosure.

[AbsoluteApril]

Hogs do like it cooler and IMO 90 is too hot for a hog. Both mine do great with the warm side around 85, I keep my room about 75-78 ambient. Try turning your heat down to 85-87ish and see if she starts using more of the tub? If you can, add a hide on the cool side as well. Good luck with her!

[Sauzo]

My boas very rarely use the warm side of their cage regardless if i set it to 86F or 90F. They all seem to prefer the 78-80F cool side ambient.

I wouldnt worry about the boa not using the hide. Vicky was terrified of her hide when i got her as i believe she was raised in a tub as a baby so she didnt know what hides were lol. She now uses them but its on and off. As long as the boa is eating and seems fine, i would just let it be a boa. They sometimes do stupid things. My BCL loves to wedge himself between the litter dam and sliding door and inch worm his way to the top and then go across the top as far as possible and then sit there looking down on the world haha. Ignore the hides, those were temporary hides until i got his Reptile Basic ones in.