My BCI "burrows"?

Hello! So, I purchased Rojo, my (roughly) 6-month-old BCI a little over 1 month ago. I've got her on Eco-Earth right now, and I rarely see her because she's usually burrowed (I'm not sure if that'd be the word) down in the substrate! She's a healthy little girl and her husbandry is correct. Is this completely normal or should I do something? I'm just worried about her digging down to her UTH. I check her every time I hold her for burns, but she usually does it in her cool hide or on the cool side of her tank. Thank you!


Husbandry
Ambient- 78°F
Cool- 76°F
Warm- 79°F
On UTH- 91°F

- I JUST HAD HER OUT FOR MAYBE 10 MINUTES AND FORGOT TO PUT HER LID BACK ON. SO YES, IT'S COOLER THAN IT SHOULD BE. I GET MORE ACCURATE READINGS IN A BIT. IT'S USUALLY AT 80-89°F!

Humidity- 54% - JUST MISTED!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Hello! So, I purchased Rojo, my (roughly) 6-month-old BCI a little over 1 month ago. I've got her on Eco-Earth right now, and I rarely see her because she's usually burrowed (I'm not sure if that'd be the word) down in the substrate! She's a healthy little girl and her husbandry is correct. Is this completely normal or should I do something? I'm just worried about her digging down to her UTH. I check her every time I hold her for burns, but she usually does it in her cool hide or on the cool side of her tank. Thank you!


Husbandry
Ambient- 78°F
Cool- 76°F
Warm- 79°F
On UTH- 91°F

- I JUST HAD HER OUT FOR MAYBE 10 MINUTES AND FORGOT TO PUT HER LID BACK ON. SO YES, IT'S COOLER THAN IT SHOULD BE. I GET MORE ACCURATE READINGS IN A BIT. IT'S USUALLY AT 80-89°F!

Humidity- 54% - JUST MISTED!

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Mine does the same thing. He's healthy and very active when I take him out to play. Every once in a while, he soaks in his water dish but he spends most of his time buried. It's kinda funny when I show him to people because I have 3 bp's and a corn so they are never suspecting a 6' boa when I dig him out and everyone so far has taken a step back and just said "whoa!"

Phew! Roe will do the same, I will see her out sometimes in or drinking from her water dish. Most people think I've got an empty tank until I dig her out :rofl:Thank you!

My baby boas love to dig around in their aspen. I dont use Eco Earth as I've had issues with it a number of times. Had Gina's mouth literally get packed with it where she couldnt close her mouth. I had to scoop it out with a Q-Tip and then hold her head downward and use a spray bottle to spray the rest out of her mouth. Had to do this twice. Problem was, the sutff is damp. Inside the hide, there is no vents so it got condensation. She would rub up against it and then the stuff would stick to her mouth. It just snowballed from there. Plus Eco Earth never holds humidity for long. The stuff dries out so fast and then gets really dusty. Bottom line is Eco Earth is junk lol.

I hope you are running a t-stat on that heat source. If not, turn it off and go buy a Herpstat NOW!!. There is no excuse for owning a reptile and heater with no t-stat. the t-stat should be purchased before you even buy the reptile.

As for your temps right now, they are fine. I keep all my snakes at 77-79F ambient with 87-88F hot spots with 65-75% humidity. Your humidity is low. You need to get it up to at least mid 60s on the dry end.

Contrary to what a lot of people will tell you, snakes dont need 85+ temps 24/7. They do like it cooler a lot too lol. I very rarely ever catch my snakes on the heat tape. 90% of the time they are on the 77F cool end just relaxing either inside a hide or hanging outside.

LMAO - you brought me back to the day I thought I had my first escape.

I used eco earth and had concerns about misting and dumping water on it to maintain proper humidity levels so I switched to the Reptile Prime coco husk. First morning I come home from work (midnight shift fire dispatcher here) and I can't find my BCI - the panic set in and I started to freak a tiny bit but thought there's no way she got out. Well there she was, totally buried except for her snout LOL

All but my carpet python burrow and I think it's awesome that they can in the coco husk. It's especially rewarding on feeding day when they explode of of the bedding.

The morning I thought she escaped - I had to move the hide to see her head LOL
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/ccburrow.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...9/8/cchide.jpg



Bob also enjoys hiding once in a while
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../bobburrow.jpg

Sonny - ready to feed
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...onnyburrow.jpg

So fret not - your snakes will burrow from time to time....

Ive stripped my tanks so many times with my heart racing thinking they have escaped but luckily I’ve tucked away nicely under the bark, so don’t worry it’s a normal behaviour


Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

Sauzo-
Woah! I switched to Eco like, maybe a week ago and before that she was on aspen. I switched because I thought aspen was the dustier of the two, and I didn't want her to ingest any when she dug. A week ago all my snakes were on aspen (Two bps and her), should I switch them back?

She's got a T-Stat:gj: Set at maybe 93°F? I'll have to check.

Oh wow! I did definitely think her temps would be around that 85°F. Good! I'm not home now so her temp probably went back up, but I'll move her lamp up when I get back. As for humidity, I was going more towards the bps, because that's what I'd read. I'll be sure to get some spag moss and mist more :)

BR8080-
First off, those pictures are amazing :aww::rofl:
The day after I brought her home she dug, and I thought she got out! Even worse, she was in a little nook under her cool hide, it scared me to death lol! Would you reccomend Reptile Prime? I've been meaning to try it out but never got around to it. I could pick some up at the show I'm going to next weekend though. Love the names, and the pics!

richardhind1972-
Good good. She scares me so bad sometimes :rofl:I'm really glad it's normal :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Sauzo-
Woah! I switched to Eco like, maybe a week ago and before that she was on aspen. I switched because I thought aspen was the dustier of the two, and I didn't want her to ingest any when she dug. A week ago all my snakes were on aspen (Two bps and her), should I switch them back?

She's got a T-Stat:gj: Set at maybe 93°F? I'll have to check.

Oh wow! I did definitely think her temps would be around that 85°F. Good! I'm not home now so her temp probably went back up, but I'll move her lamp up when I get back. As for humidity, I was going more towards the bps, because that's what I'd read. I'll be sure to get some spag moss and mist more :)

BR8080-
First off, those pictures are amazing :aww::rofl:
The day after I brought her home she dug, and I thought she got out! Even worse, she was in a little nook under her cool hide, it scared me to death lol! Would you reccomend Reptile Prime? I've been meaning to try it out but never got around to it. I could pick some up at the show I'm going to next weekend though. Love the names, and the pics!

richardhind1972-
Good good. She scares me so bad sometimes :rofl:I'm really glad it's normal :D

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Well if Eco Earth works for you, go for it. The stuff is junk to me as I've had nothing but problems with it. The whole getting in the mouth for the little ones plus the stuff is so fine that is doesnt really hold water well. The top section would dry out quick while the bottom stayed wet and unless i mixed it by hand, i actually had it grow mold on me. So yeah, it sucked for me. If i was to use another cocofiber substrate, i would use something a little bigger in size like ReptiChips but that stuff isnt perfect either. Its size is nice so it holds water well yet is big enough to allow air to circulate in the substrate. Problem is little boas would bury their tails and poop under the substrate lol. Even my big ones did it. So i would have go poop diving every few days and there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd lol.

And good you got a T-stat. I would definitely turn it down. You want it around 86-90F at the cage floor. Use a temp gun to measure it if you are using something like heat tape. I have mine set at 90F but the AP cage floors absorb about 5F so on the cage floor inside, its around 85F or so and my snakes still dont sit on it 90% of the time lol. I catch Dottie over in the warm hide sometimes and sometimes i also catch Rosey sitting over there but thats usually about it.

And yeah, bump the humidity up. You dont want a sloppy wet mess but i would shoot for at minimum mid 60ish and then spike it here and there up to 70-80% and let is drop a little. I actually mist my aspen usually once a week. In the winter i sometimes will mist it twice a week. Then i just let it dry out and rinse and repeat. I do that with pretty much all my snakes, even the dumerils who they say like dry conditions. Luna LOVES when i mist her down with warm water but she is a weirdo and will sometimes sit half in her water bowl too. But anyways. dont worry about a nice misting as long as the substrate gets to dry out and doesnt stay a sloppy mess. And as for aspen molding, i have never seen it mold and i've used it for years. I'm sure it will mold if it soiled with waste and you mist it constantly but thats more bad husbandry than the aspen itself.

But give different substrate a try and see what you like. What works for me might not work for you. And same with the temps, play with them a little and see what your snake likes but dont go above 92F at the hot spot. And the temps should always be taken at the hottest part of the hot spot ie the cage floor under the substrate for belly heat and on top of the substrate for overhead heat.

And yes they love to burrow lol.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ec4b4e12_h.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f1df13ef_h.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Well if Eco Earth works for you, go for it. The stuff is junk to me as I've had nothing but problems with it. The whole getting in the mouth for the little ones plus the stuff is so fine that is doesnt really hold water well. The top section would dry out quick while the bottom stayed wet and unless i mixed it by hand, i actually had it grow mold on me. So yeah, it sucked for me. If i was to use another cocofiber substrate, i would use something a little bigger in size like ReptiChips but that stuff isnt perfect either. Its size is nice so it holds water well yet is big enough to allow air to circulate in the substrate. Problem is little boas would bury their tails and poop under the substrate lol. Even my big ones did it. So i would have go poop diving every few days and there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd lol.

And good you got a T-stat. I would definitely turn it down. You want it around 86-90F at the cage floor. Use a temp gun to measure it if you are using something like heat tape. I have mine set at 90F but the AP cage floors absorb about 5F so on the cage floor inside, its around 85F or so and my snakes still dont sit on it 90% of the time lol. I catch Dottie over in the warm hide sometimes and sometimes i also catch Rosey sitting over there but thats usually about it.

And yeah, bump the humidity up. You dont want a sloppy wet mess but i would shoot for at minimum mid 60ish and then spike it here and there up to 70-80% and let is drop a little. I actually mist my aspen usually once a week. In the winter i sometimes will mist it twice a week. Then i just let it dry out and rinse and repeat. I do that with pretty much all my snakes, even the dumerils who they say like dry conditions. Luna LOVES when i mist her down with warm water but she is a weirdo and will sometimes sit half in her water bowl too. But anyways. dont worry about a nice misting as long as the substrate gets to dry out and doesnt stay a sloppy mess. And as for aspen molding, i have never seen it mold and i've used it for years. I'm sure it will mold if it soiled with waste and you mist it constantly but thats more bad husbandry than the aspen itself.

But give different substrate a try and see what you like. What works for me might not work for you. And same with the temps, play with them a little and see what your snake likes but dont go above 92F at the hot spot. And the temps should always be taken at the hottest part of the hot spot ie the cage floor under the substrate for belly heat and on top of the substrate for overhead heat.

And yes they love to burrow lol.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...ec4b4e12_h.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f1df13ef_h.jpg

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I'll kinda go through everything you said and tell you what I'm doing for it if that's ok?

As far as substrate goes, I've honestly had the opposite experience. When I had the aspen, I took -dug lol- her out one day to handle her, but she had maybe 2-3 aspen chips stuck in her mouth to where she couldn't really close it. IMHO Eco-Earth seems to hold humidity better, but that's just what I've seen in only a little over a year of working with snakes lol. It doesn't seem like It'd mold, huh. "there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd" :puke:! But it is a price I'd pay for having a comfortable boa :D Is that what you're using in the top pic?

Ok, I'll turn the T-stat down. :gj: would like 88° be okay?

I'll bump the humidity up when I get back. I don't overmist, I lightly mist maybe... 4 times a week? I'm not sure, but it works for my bps. I also use sphagnum moss with foil on the top. Which brings me to the fact that her setup is a 10-gallon, with 2 hides and a water dish. Also some leaves. I absolutely know I'll have to upgrade her to at least a 40-gal, I just got this 10 when I was at the dollar a gallon sale, and when I bought it the tank was originally going to be for a hognose.

I'm not home now, but tonight will be dedicated to adjusting the temps and humidity. :)

(Beautiful boas and great pics!)

My BCI never ever burrowed himself in substrate. The only time he did it is when i moved him to his adult enclosure and took his hide away. He kept burrowing until i gave him his hide back. Give him/her a hide and they won,t burrow. This is what i have experienced so far

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutti

My BCI never ever burrowed himself in substrate. The only time he did it is when i moved him to his adult enclosure and took his hide away. He kept burrowing until i gave him his hide back. Give him/her a hide and they won,t burrow. This is what i have experienced so far

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Oh? Roe has two hides in her tank, a big rock corner hide on her cool side and a small log on the warm. I've had these in there ever since I got her, and she's always burrowed :confusd:

I use paper/corrugated substrate for mine with hides but when I did use aspen I saw the behavior from time to time. Burrowing is a very normal behavior for boas.
If a boa doesn't have a hide, it may burrow to feel secure.
If it has a hide and deep enough substrate it may do either or both (use hides, burrow or burrow in the hide).
They also will simply hang out in the open happily enough, especially once larger.
:)

91 is not nearly hot enough to burn the snake, on the UTH.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

I use paper/corrugated substrate for mine with hides but when I did use aspen I saw the behavior from time to time. Burrowing is a very normal behavior for boas.
If a boa doesn't have a hide, it may burrow to feel secure.
If it has a hide and deep enough substrate it may do either or both (use hides, burrow or burrow in the hide).
They also will simply hang out in the open happily enough, especially once larger.
:)

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Thank you! Sorry, do you use like, shredded paper or newspaper bedding or am I just reading it wrong? Also, I don't really understand why she'd do it because she's got two appropriate sized hides... If there is anything I could do to stop her from burrowing please tell me because

1. It seems like it might be more of a... I'm not gonna say stressed but maybe more of a behavior they do when they feel insecure? I want to make her feel safe without her having to dig.

2. I'd like to see her out more often. She's just so pretty!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Thank you! Sorry, do you use like, shredded paper or newspaper bedding or am I just reading it wrong? Also, I don't really understand why she'd do it because she's got two appropriate sized hides... If there is anything I could do to stop her from burrowing please tell me because

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1) burrowing doesn't mean she's stressed or insecure. They simply like to burrow sometimes, it's a natural behavior and nothing to be worried about. I assume she's still young, as she gets older and bigger, she will most likely not do it as often.
As to how to get her to stop, well, you'd simply have to not give her the option to do it.

As for bedding, I use multiple flat sheets of dunnage for the smaller ones (unprinted newspaper) and singleface corrugated for the adults. I use these because of the number of snakes I have, makes cleaning a stack of cages quick and simple and it's quite inexpensive. If I had only a few snakes I'd probably go back to aspen.

Here's an old photo of one of my subadults on the corrugated:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Was4Rgr.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

1) burrowing doesn't mean she's stressed or insecure. They simply like to burrow sometimes, it's a natural behavior and nothing to be worried about. I assume she's still young, as she gets older and bigger, she will most likely not do it as often.
As to how to get her to stop, well, you'd simply have to not give her the option to do it.

As for bedding, I use multiple flat sheets of dunnage for the smaller ones (unprinted newspaper) and singleface corrugated for the adults. I use these because of the number of snakes I have, makes cleaning a stack of cages quick and simple and it's quite inexpensive. If I had only a few snakes I'd probably go back to aspen.

Here's an old photo of one of my subadults on the corrugated:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Was4Rgr.jpg

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Good! I was worried about that! She is young, about 6 months old (a tiny little noodle). I think I'll just stick with a thick substrate so she can dig if she wants. Because of this reason... I tend to think of my snakes like people like they have feelings too. I know they don't! It just makes me feel good if that makes sense (lol) Idk it'd just make me feel guilty for some reason to take that away from her. That's weird I know, but I've always thought about them that way. It's a wonderful idea though! And beautiful snake!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

I'll kinda go through everything you said and tell you what I'm doing for it if that's ok?

As far as substrate goes, I've honestly had the opposite experience. When I had the aspen, I took -dug lol- her out one day to handle her, but she had maybe 2-3 aspen chips stuck in her mouth to where she couldn't really close it. IMHO Eco-Earth seems to hold humidity better, but that's just what I've seen in only a little over a year of working with snakes lol. It doesn't seem like It'd mold, huh. "there is nothing like sinking a finger into a cold turd" :puke:! But it is a price I'd pay for having a comfortable boa :D Is that what you're using in the top pic?

Ok, I'll turn the T-stat down. :gj: would like 88° be okay?

I'll bump the humidity up when I get back. I don't overmist, I lightly mist maybe... 4 times a week? I'm not sure, but it works for my bps. I also use sphagnum moss with foil on the top. Which brings me to the fact that her setup is a 10-gallon, with 2 hides and a water dish. Also some leaves. I absolutely know I'll have to upgrade her to at least a 40-gal, I just got this 10 when I was at the dollar a gallon sale, and when I bought it the tank was originally going to be for a hognose.

I'm not home now, but tonight will be dedicated to adjusting the temps and humidity. :)

(Beautiful boas and great pics!)

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Well if Eco Earth works for you, then stick with it. Everyone will have different preferences for substrate. It's kind of like the argument i see a lot of 'which is better, RHP or heat tape" And the answer to that is neither. Both work well depending on your cage set up, room temps etc.

You can go a little gung ho with the misting. It wont hurt them. Most of my boas seem to like getting misted and will actually come out and spend a good hour or so just wandering around afterwards. Just make sure you use warm water. Remember, when you mist the water will cool down pretty darn fast so you dont want to mist them with cold water. You will know if it's too cold as the snake will probably run away like acid has just been poured on it lol.

As for caging, i personally would ditch the tanks. Just go with a nice PVC cage. And if you want to just get one that will last your boa it's life whether it is a girl or boy, go with a 72x36x18 cage. Boas tend to be more active unless they are overfed which then leads to a lazy fat snake that doesnt move around much. All of my snakes are out and about nightly. Dottie my BP is out all freakin night climbing her shelf and causing trouble. Same with the little GTP who recently has a huge fascination with the deli cup water bowls on the floor haha. And my dumerils is a bulldozer at night. She pushes aspen all over and digs under her water bowl and I'm still not quite sure how she manages to push it.

Tempwise, 88F is fine as long as that is the temp at the hot spot. I'm not sure how 90F became the norm for hot spots but most of the breeders I've talked to about BCC stuff keep their hot spots at 86F. They experience the same thing i do when you turn up the hot spot. The boas never go there and you end up with a 4x2 cage turning into a 3x2 cage and a 6x3 cage turning into a 5x3 cage lol.

In the top pic of Vicky, i was using ReptiChips there. I switched back to aspen for everyone but they still burrow in the aspen like that.

As for molding, i had Eco Earth mold on me because Rosey my big girl would pack down the Eco Earth just from her weight crawling across it. So the stuff would get no oxygen, be wet and warm which is awesome for mold lol. I would have to turn it with my hand to aerate the stuff and would find clumps of mold in it. If you use a thin layer of it, it might work good. I know a lot of people also mix it with something chunkier like ReptiChips so the stuff can kind of drain.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Oh? Roe has two hides in her tank, a big rock corner hide on her cool side and a small log on the warm. I've had these in there ever since I got her, and she's always burrowed :confusd:

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Boas will burrow given hides or not. Heck my babies burrow under their hides and create their own doors to the hides lol. You can see that in the 2nd pic which is my baby suriname in her cool hide.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Good! I was worried about that! She is young, about 6 months old (a tiny little noodle). I think I'll just stick with a thick substrate so she can dig if she wants. Because of this reason... I tend to think of my snakes like people like they have feelings too. I know they don't! It just makes me feel good if that makes sense (lol) Idk it'd just make me feel guilty for some reason to take that away from her. That's weird I know, but I've always thought about them that way. It's a wonderful idea though! And beautiful snake!

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This is probably what April is using. I know a few BCC breeders who use this stuff too.
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail...Flute-24-x-250

And i wouldnt worry, boas will be boas. That first pic is my almost 6 foot sunglow, Vicky who still like to sometimes sit half buried lol. Other times, she sits in the front of the cage hanging out and still other times, she will sit half in a hide. Then Rosey, my big girl only uses hides when she is shedding, otherwise she shoves them aside and sits next to them or sits half on top of them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

1) burrowing doesn't mean she's stressed or insecure. They simply like to burrow sometimes, it's a natural behavior and nothing to be worried about. I assume she's still young, as she gets older and bigger, she will most likely not do it as often.
As to how to get her to stop, well, you'd simply have to not give her the option to do it.

As for bedding, I use multiple flat sheets of dunnage for the smaller ones (unprinted newspaper) and singleface corrugated for the adults. I use these because of the number of snakes I have, makes cleaning a stack of cages quick and simple and it's quite inexpensive. If I had only a few snakes I'd probably go back to aspen.

Here's an old photo of one of my subadults on the corrugated:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/Was4Rgr.jpg

---

Nice looking boa. Looks almost exactly like Rango hypo het snowglow boy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Boas will burrow given hides or not. Heck my babies burrow under their hides and create their own doors to the hides lol. You can see that in the 2nd pic which is my baby suriname in her cool hide.

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Dumerils Boas will burrow given hides or not is true. But Generally to speak about BCI,s like that is not true. As I have mentioned, my BCI never burrowed until i took his hide away and he stopped burrowing as soon as I gave him his hide back.

Dutti, just because something doesn't hold true for your one or two snakes does not mean it is not generally true for the species as a whole. Plenty of examples with photos were shown with boas burrowing even with hides. Please... stop.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Dutti, just because something doesn't hold true for your one or two snakes does not mean it is not generally true for the species as a whole. Plenty of examples with photos were shown with boas burrowing even with hides. Please... stop.

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First i spoke about my experience only with my BCI. Then Sauzo generalized about boas with his statement which is wrong. And now you are defending his wrong statement. If my BCI burrowed only when he had no hide and never burrowed when he had one means there are other BCI,s like him and therefore its wrong to generalize a statement like that about BCI,s. Compare that to Dumeril,s boas, you will never find an owner of a Dumeril,s boa who will tell you that his Dumeril do not burrow whether the snake has hide or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutti

First i spoke about my experience only with my BCI. Then Sauzo generalized about boas with his statement which is wrong. And now you are defending his wrong statement. If my BCI burrowed only when he had no hide and never burrowed when he had one means there are other BCI,s like him and therefore its wrong to generalize a statement like that about BCI,s. Compare that to Dumeril,s boas, you will never find an owner of a Dumeril,s boa who will tell you that his Dumeril do not burrow whether the snake has hide or not.

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I'm going to say one thing Dutti. You and ONE boa with one year experience. Sauzo with 1 BCL, 1 BCC, 3 BCI boas with 15+ years experience. Nuff said. Do yourself a favor and sit back and read and learn so you can get rid of that yellow tag. :D

I'm not gonna say anything, I believe one person is right and the other has the wrong idea but I don't want to throw someone under the bus. I'm not pointing fingers... but someone should try to understand what someone else is saying. We all have different opinions, and some people are more experienced than others. That's all I'm gonna say about that :)

Anyways
I just got home and have some news. Her temps were 73°F on cool, 80°F on warm, and had a 75°F gradient. The UTH was a whopping 95°F, but I turned it down to 86° right away. It surprised me to see she wasn't buried, but she was balled up under her warm hide! I tried to get a picture but I didn't want to scare her lol. I misted her tank and I'm waiting a bit to see what the hygrometer reads. I really didn't want to mention this because I know people are going to get mad, but I'm using a zoo-med hygrometer (cue the boos) I know I know! I already have plans to get one this weekend. I was putting it off a bit and was going to see if they had something at the show next week but I realize I need one ASAP! My mister (https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Spr.../dp/B004CJS7XW) justsits in my room, not cold but not warm... That's really it now. I'll update when I get a good estimate of humidity.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

I'm going to say one thing Dutti. You and ONE boa with one year experience. Sauzo with 1 BCL, 1 BCC, 3 BCI boas with 15+ years experience. Nuff said. Do yourself a favor and sit back and read and learn so you can get rid of that yellow tag. :D

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My BCI is 20 months old. I have him since he was 19 months old. That makes me with 19 months experience. And no experience needed about this matter. Its simple. My BCI never burrowed when he had a hide and burrowed when i took his hide away and stopped burrowing as soon as i gave him his hide back. There must be other BCI,s like him. I,m just saying its wrong to generailze a statement about boas saying they ALL would burrow even if they have hides. Such a statement would be true for Dumerils boas and not boa constrictors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

I'm not gonna say anything, I believe one person is right and the other has the wrong idea but I don't want to throw someone under the bus. I'm not pointing fingers... but someone should try to understand what someone else is saying. We all have different opinions, and some people are more experienced than others. That's all I'm gonna say about that :)

Anyways
I just got home and have some news. Her temps were 73°F on cool, 80°F on warm, and had a 75°F gradient. The UTH was a whopping 95°F, but I turned it down to 86° right away. It surprised me to see she wasn't buried, but she was balled up under her warm hide! I tried to get a picture but I didn't want to scare her lol. I misted her tank and I'm waiting a bit to see what the hygrometer reads. I really didn't want to mention this because I know people are going to get mad, but I'm using a zoo-med hygrometer (cue the boos) I know I know! I already have plans to get one this weekend. I was putting it off a bit and was going to see if they had something at the show next week but I realize I need one ASAP! My mister (https://www.amazon.com/Exo-Terra-Spr.../dp/B004CJS7XW) justsits in my room, not cold but not warm... That's really it now. I'll update when I get a good estimate of humidity.

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I would try and bump that cool side up. I generally dont let the temps get below 75F. If your cool side is that low, you probably can leave the hot side around 88-90F to compensate a little. Thing is you dont want it too cool AND humid. That can trigger an RI. Just like hot AND too dry can trigger an RI too. Maybe put a little 40 watt CHE on the warm side to bump up the ambient if you are using a tank. You can then cover the cage top with tin foil and just leave a little space around the CHE. You dont need a ton of air flow. Thats what i do with my GTP cage.

And as for the Zoo Med hydrometer, nothing wrong there. I use a Zoo Med digital temp/humidity unit for my GTP up top and have an Acurite on the floor. They both read about the same so unless both units are off by the same amount, they seem fairly accurate. Also with humidity, you dont need to be EXACT. Just in the ballpark. Honestly, the best sensor i have found has been my nose. When i open the cage, i just stick my face to the door and you can feel the humidity especially if your house is like mine and sits around 35% humidity lol.

I think if you throw in a little CHE on the warm side to help bump that ambient up and then cover the whole top of the cage except about an inch or so around the CHE dome, you will be fine to just mist with a hand sprayer once or twice a week especially if you are using a coco fiber substrate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutti

My BCI is 20 months old. I have him since he was 19 months old. That makes me with 19 months experience. And no experience needed about this matter. Its simple. My BCI never burrowed when he had a hide and burrowed when i took his hide away and stopped burrowing as soon as i gave him his hide back. There must be other BCI,s like him. I,m just saying its wrong to generailze a statement about boas saying they ALL would burrow even if they have hides. Such a statement would be true for Dumerils boas and not boa constrictors.

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I have him since he was a month old. Just correcting myself

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dutti

My BCI is 20 months old. I have him since he was 19 months old. That makes me with 19 months experience. And no experience needed about this matter. Its simple. My BCI never burrowed when he had a hide and burrowed when i took his hide away and stopped burrowing as soon as i gave him his hide back. There must be other BCI,s like him. I,m just saying its wrong to generailze a statement about boas saying they ALL would burrow even if they have hides. Such a statement would be true for Dumerils boas and not boa constrictors.

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No, that would mean you have a month of experience lol, you need to step back and read some more.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MD_Pythons

No, that would mean you have a month of experience lol, you need to step back and read some more.

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Just corrected myself, it was a typing mistake. I have him since he was a month old. You are waiting for any mistake, even a typing one

Ok. So I’ve done stuff lol. The temps are a bit weird, 74 on cool and 80 on warm. UTH is now at 90. Humidity is reading 68 ish. I made a larger foil piece for the top, with a hole for the lamp. Here’s a pic
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c5c73c0c05.jpg
I need a bit higher wattage bulb I guess. I’m using a 50watt now I think. Maybe around a 65? Here’s my setup just cuz https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2a6504974b.jpg

Little side note- I took her out to make the top, and when ever I put her back in she always goes to the top of her rock [emoji23] It’s the cutest thing! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0c44f007bf.jpg


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Also, that first time she burrowed I thought she escaped so when I realized she hadn't, I wanted to make sure she couldn't. I have a heavy mirror over the top of the tank right now sitting on the lid to weigh it down... do I really need that? I don't think she's strong enough yet to push that up lol

Another cute picture
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7fcee1bae3.jpg

Looks good. I would cover the sides to make him feel more secure. Also i would leave the mirror on top. You would be surprised how strong a snake can push lol. Caesar pushed the corner up on a locking lid tub and got out as a 3 foot baby. Luckily i found him about 5 feet away curled up sleeping under a swivel chair.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

I use paper/corrugated substrate for mine with hides but when I did use aspen I saw the behavior from time to time. Burrowing is a very normal behavior for boas.
If a boa doesn't have a hide, it may burrow to feel secure.
If it has a hide and deep enough substrate it may do either or both (use hides, burrow or burrow in the hide).
They also will simply hang out in the open happily enough, especially once larger.
:)

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I keep the bedding about 2-3" deep and, as you see, provide hides - both seem to work well for them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Sauzo-

BR8080-
First off, those pictures are amazing :aww::rofl:
The day after I brought her home she dug, and I thought she got out! Even worse, she was in a little nook under her cool hide, it scared me to death lol! Would you reccomend Reptile Prime? I've been meaning to try it out but never got around to it. I could pick some up at the show I'm going to next weekend though. Love the names, and the pics!

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Thank you - just my cell phone but it works for me. the names - I'm not very creative with them but they have meaning to me LOL

LMAO - I know what you mean about getting REALLY nervous quickly when you can't see your snake LOL

I like the Reptile Prime - it hold humidity well, is SUPER absorbent without being saturated, easy to spot clean, and like we're talking about - the snakes can burrow. You'll have to try it and see for yourself I guess, grab a bag at the show and try it - just because it works for me doesn't mean you'll like using it.

Have fun at the show!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Looks good. I would cover the sides to make him feel more secure. Also i would leave the mirror on top. You would be surprised how strong a snake can push lol. Caesar pushed the corner up on a locking lid tub and got out as a 3 foot baby. Luckily i found him about 5 feet away curled up sleeping under a swivel chair.

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Thank you! I'll stop by Hobby Lobby and get some black cardstock to cover the sides with. And woah! A locking lid! I'll leave the mirror on;) I'm glad you found him!

Another choice for covering sides/back are aquarium backgrounds - if you look you can find some that don’t look obviously aquatic. More expensive than plain paper, but I like the look. :)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by BR8080

I keep the bedding about 2-3" deep and, as you see, provide hides - both seem to work well for them.



Thank you - just my cell phone but it works for me. the names - I'm not very creative with them but they have meaning to me LOL

LMAO - I know what you mean about getting REALLY nervous quickly when you can't see your snake LOL

I like the Reptile Prime - it hold humidity well, is SUPER absorbent without being saturated, easy to spot clean, and like we're talking about - the snakes can burrow. You'll have to try it and see for yourself I guess, grab a bag at the show and try it - just because it works for me doesn't mean you'll like using it.

Have fun at the show!!!!

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Love it!
I pretty much died :rofl: I told everyone I got a boa, I thought I'd have to update them and tell them she escaped within an hour lol.
Cool! I'll pick some up, see what works for me :)
Thank you, I definitely will!

aww what a little cutie boa!

Awww, nice little boa you got there. I swear some of you guys make me think about getting one lol

Bob just chillin tonight before I went to work

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...bobburrow2.jpg

My little harley chilling yesterday morning https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a567278d49.jpg


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Adorible [emoji173][emoji173][emoji173][emoji173] Unfortuanatly, Roe didn't eat yesterday. Ill try again in three days.(?) Cute pics! [emoji7]

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Adorible [emoji173][emoji173][emoji173][emoji173] Unfortuanatly, Roe didn't eat yesterday. Ill try again in three days.(?) Cute pics! [emoji7]

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I am late to the game here.

Roe is under 100G, correct? And temps and humidity are good? What are you feeding and how are you feeding? How are you defrosting if F/T?

Are you leaving Roe alone until she eats more, or handling?

If any of these have been addressed, please feel free to just answer what seems relevant.

If she got a meal in her a week ago, I would probably wait another week. But would need to know more before saying that for sure.

3 days is probably too soon if she refused last night.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

I am late to the game here.

Roe is under 100G, correct? And temps and humidity are good? What are you feeding and how are you feeding? How are you defrosting if F/T?

Are you leaving Roe alone until she eats more, or handling?

If any of these have been addressed, please feel free to just answer what seems relevant.

If she got a meal in her a week ago, I would probably wait another week. But would need to know more before saying that for sure.

3 days is probably too soon if she refused last night.

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Yes, she was 71g last time I checked. (Last week I think) Yep! Checking every day. I'm feeding a f/t mouse fuzzy, and thawing it in warm water. I am leaving her alone, though I held her 3 days ago. Thank you :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GpBp

Yes, she was 71g last time I checked. (Last week I think) Yep! Checking every day. I'm feeding a f/t mouse fuzzy, and thawing it in warm water. I am leaving her alone, though I held her 3 days ago. Thank you :)

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WOW! She's a tiny thing.

okay, have your tried:

A really small rat (not sure what the comparable rat size is or if there is one?

When you warm up the rodent, do you do it in room temp to lukewarm water for a couple of hours, make sure it's thawed, and then quickly drop in hot water (like 120 tap water hot, not boiling!) to warm up, dry off, and offer?

My snakes love to see the warmth and do not like cooked rodent. Not sure if you are new to this, and ignore if you are, but you want raw rodent warmed up. Not cooked rodent warmed up. If that makes sense.

Also, have you left the rat (again only F/T) in the tank with her for a few hours and walked away. She might be a little shy as well.

And I would wait at least 5 days before offering again.

Just some initial thoughts.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

WOW! She's a tiny thing.

okay, have your tried:

A really small rat (not sure what the comparable rat size is or if there is one?

When you warm up the rodent, do you do it in room temp to lukewarm water for a couple of hours, make sure it's thawed, and then quickly drop in hot water (like 120 tap water hot, not boiling!) to warm up, dry off, and offer?

My snakes love to see the warmth and do not like cooked rodent. Not sure if you are new to this, and ignore if you are, but you want raw rodent warmed up. Not cooked rodent warmed up. If that makes sense.

Also, have you left the rat (again only F/T) in the tank with her for a few hours and walked away. She might be a little shy as well.

And I would wait at least 5 days before offering again.


Just some initial thoughts.

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She is very very tiny :rofl:I don't know if there is a rat that small, as I tried getting a tiny one for my bp a while back. There may be, but all of my local pet stores start at smalls. Here's how I thaw:

1. I grab a fuzzy from the freezer
2. I put it in a small baggy
3. I put it in an empty (washed out) pill bottle
4. Fill with warm/hot (hot to the touch, but not burning) water and put the lid back on
5. Then I get some warm water over the stove (on the lowest setting) and put the pill bottle in the pan. (Does that make sense?)
6. After 10ish minutes or when It's thawed completely, I take it out, dry with a paper towel, and offer.

I put the bottle over the warm pan to make sure it keeps thawing. My house is sort-of cold, and I have mice I come to check on after 10 minutes in ice-cold water and solid as a rock. This just works for me :)
Last night, she showed some interest but then slithered and hit behind her hide. I left it in overnight but still nothing.

I came today home and found my BCI burrowing in his substrate although he has a hide. Its the first time he did it. So i,m taking back what i have said before in this thread that boas won,t burrow if they have hides. Again, its the first time ever he did it

I like also to apologize to sauzo because i argued with him about thim matter in this thread and he was right

A little update-
Roe didn't eat last Thursday, but I know why! I found her shed in 1 full piece this morning! She looks gorgeous! I'll try again this Thursday. I'd also like to report that she hasn't lost any weight! She is 75g now. Should I feed a mouse fuzzy like normal, or a small mouse (because she hasn't eaten)? Thank you!

regular normal size meal is fine :gj: