Shayna - Our Albino Spider Ball

Think I'd move her now while she's fasting and at least she's then all sett and ready to smashing food again once her fast is over

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

Shayna has been staying put and unless I check on her burrowed under her hide and the paper, I never see her. I've taken her out about 3-4 times since her first refused meal about a month ago.

Tonight, I offered everyone but Behira and figured I'd offer Shayna as well. She had no desire to strike, but I got her to peek her head out from the under her "layer." I left the rat near her and I am pretty sure she took it and ate it.

I'll check tomorrow, and if not, oh well, but I am pretty confident. I'll update only if she didn't eat.

She's done this in the past. Eaten 1-2X during winter and skipped all the rest. Either way, happy if she's eating. Not that I worry when she doesn't at this point, especially in winter, but it's always nice to see her take a meal.

That's just the way it goes...it's winter, like you said. A little off feed is normal. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That's just the way it goes...it's winter, like you said. A little off feed is normal. ;)

---

You got it. I really do not worry about her even if she fasts all winter, which has happened. I set the worry mark at 10% weight loss. She has never lost more than 6-7% over the winter. She's my only BP though, and I am happy to deal with her not eating and only her not eating! It's so much more fun to see happy AND eating snakes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dakski

You got it. I really do not worry about her even if she fasts all winter, which has happened. I set the worry mark at 10% weight loss. She has never lost more than 6-7% over the winter. She's my only BP though, and I am happy to deal with her not eating and only her not eating! It's so much more fun to see happy AND eating snakes.

---

You got that right! ;) I have a TX longnose & a rosy boa that skip most meals for a while in winter, but this is normal for them too...every year, this time. Que sera...

Shayna moved out of her 6X2X1' and into her 4X2X1.5' today. She never used all the space in the 6X2' and spent most of her life in a 4X2'. When I built the original Boaphile Stack for Behira (female BI) and the rest of the original crew, it made sense to do one stack and the biggest tank I needed was a 6X2'. So she had one for a bit. Now that Jeff (male BI) is here and off quarantine, he will use the space.

Of course, Shayna hardly needs the extra height in the 4X2, but it can't hurt either. Ultimately, it's possible I move Feliz (male dwarf BC) in there and move Shayna down to his 4X2X1', but we will see. Shayna isn't a crazy aggressive eater and the top tank is above my eye level and I stand on a stool to access it. I would rather deal with her than Feliz coming at me when he's at size, and I am on a stool, but we will see.

Anyway, long story short, Shayna, I hope you like your new digs.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dakski

... Shayna isn't a crazy aggressive eater and the top tank is above my eye level and I stand on a stool to access it. I would rather deal with her than Feliz coming at me when he's at size, and I am on a stool, but we will see...

---

That could totally get dangerous standing on a stool with an aggressive eater flying out to meet you...we'll need video clips for sure. ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

That could totally get dangerous standing on a stool with an aggressive eater flying out to meet you...we'll need video clips for sure. ;)

---

:sarcasm:????????


I'd rather feed either of my corns from my mouth than have Feliz knock me off, or scare me off (:)) a stool!

Pound for pound, Boas POUND food harder than any snake I've ever kept.

:rolleye2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dakski

:sarcasm:????????


I'd rather feed either of my corns from my mouth than have Feliz knock me off, or scare me off (:)) a stool!

Pound for pound, Boas POUND food harder than any snake I've ever kept.

:rolleye2:

---

Not sarcasm, but just being silly for sure! :rofl: That, & I KNEW you wouldn't do it! :snake2: (remember, I've lived with a 7.5' female BCI...)

But gosh, now that you mention it, I could totally "settle" for you feeding a corn snake from your mouth...:D

Shayna seems settled into her new digs.

I've found her in 2/3 hides so far and both sides of the tank.

Because of the tanks height and her modest heat requirements compared with say, a monitor, I am having a difficult time getting about 1X2FT (1FT wide and 2FT deep) section to desired temps. I have heat tape on the hot and cool side, but near the cool side, away from the RHP, it's about 78F, then cool side is about 80F on the cooler heat tape. The "hot" side has a gradient of about 90 down to 82F middle of the tank and then there's the small drop-off for a few inches and then warmer again.

She seems to prefer the hot and cool side hides and not the middle hide which is between 78-82F. This is all ground temps with an IR gun of course.

Right now her water bowl is on the cool side heat tape. I am thinking of moving it to the middle and taking away or moving that middle hide. Then there will a smaller area that is 78ish.

Am I overthinking this? Frankly, I know quite a bit about BP's, but I am not expert on them either.

I plan to offer food this Sunday, but won't worry either way if she eats as she's in her winter, at least, semi-fast.

In the meantime, day 1 in her new digs she dropped a ton of urine and urate and a little poop. I am waiting for more, but no sausage butt either, so not too worried.

She weighed in at 1,940G! WOW. The small rats have made a big difference. That's her highest weight by 100G even if I discount 40G for more waste to come.

She seems happy and alert, but I don't bother her much in the winter as she's pretty inactive and not eating much.