Phantom: Super Ghost BCI Progression Thread

My wife snapped this picture a couple minutes before the ‘bites’ started. You can tell a little that he was comfortably wrapped around her hand his with his head resting on his body. He looked really comfortable at the time.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

My wife snapped this picture a couple minutes before the ‘bites’ started. You can tell a little that he was comfortably wrapped around her hand his with his head resting on his body. He looked really comfortable at the time.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...828de9b13b.jpg


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If the handsome devil was that calm a few minutes earlier, it just shows that he's not an aggressive or defensive little guy. It was just too much stimulation for him and he freaked out a little bit.

I think you will see a lot more of the above than biting as you continue to work with him and he puts on size and grows more confident.

Just a couple of handing questions as I continue to work with Phantom....

I usually find him completely hidden in his hide when I’m trying to initiate some handling time. Tonight he had his head peaking out and was aware that I was coming into his space. I removed the hide, stroked his body with both the hook handle and my hand and proceeded to pick him up. He was pretty flighty this time around and wrapped himself up in whatever he could find (ie bottom side of tub lip, herpstat wires). It took some effort trying to untangle him and I immediately had visions of getting struck again. I remained calm and put him back in the tub figuring maybe tonight wasn’t the best night to handle.

So my question is whether I should push through and try and calm him down? Come back later again (same day) and try again or just wait another day? Is it normal for babies to be flighty? For the record, he has shown times where’s been calm..not sure if that’s more to do with catching him while he’s resting.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Just a couple of handing questions as I continue to work with Phantom....

I usually find him completely hidden in his hide when I’m trying to initiate some handling time. Tonight he had his head peaking out and was aware that I was coming into his space. I removed the hide, stroked his body with both the hook handle and my hand and proceeded to pick him up. He was pretty flighty this time around and wrapped himself up in whatever he could find (ie bottom side of tub lip, herpstat wires). It took some effort trying to untangle him and I immediately had visions of getting struck again. I remained calm and put him back in the tub figuring maybe tonight wasn’t the best night to handle.

So my question is whether I should push through and try and calm him down? Come back later again (same day) and try again or just wait another day? Is it normal for babies to be flighty? For the record, he has shown times where’s been calm..not sure if that’s more to do with catching him while he’s resting.

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First, a thought on using the hook. If Behira is in her hide, and I want to take her out, I often show her the hook first at the front of the hide. If she's really deep in the hide, I lift the hide, using the hide as a shield (although normally if hiding is just chilling, it's when she's out and about that the hook really works its magic), and then stroke her a few times with the hook. You can try that as well.

Secondly, sounds like today was a great handling session. Phantom said today wasn't really the day. You stayed calm, and didn't put him back the second he showed he wanted to go back, but soon enough that it didn't over-stress him.

No bites, no one got upset, and he learned that you aren't going to hurt him a little today, and you are learning to listen to him.

"GOOD TALK!"

Keep working with him. He will calm with more handling. He's got to learn to trust you aren't going to hurt him. That will come with handling and him getting bigger and not thinking anything can and will eat him.

I would leave him alone the rest of today.

Try again another day.

Babies can definitely be flighty for the reasons listed above. They can also be moody as they haven't encountered enough of you to stay calm if something seemingly new happens. Any change in routine, even slight, and not purposeful on your part, but noticeable to him, could cause stress right now.

Keep up the good work and be patient. He will get there. He does not sound overly defensive or aggressive at all.

Keep us posted and good luck.

Well Phantom ate for the 4th consecutive week since I’ve had him. It so amazing how different his feeding response is from my BP. I feel like every single environmental element has to be 100% spot on to get the BP to eat while all I have to do is present the mouse to Phantom and he gobbles it down. Such a relief! Here’s a picture of him a day after feeding on an adult mouse. I assume that’s a ‘mouse’ bulge at the top right. Does that seem like a good size to feed weekly given the bulge?

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As long as the bulge is gone within 48 hours, you are good. If it's not, then you need to go smaller.

That doesn't look like a huge bulge, but hard to tell the way he's positioned. Plus, it's 24 hours later.

Yeah, Boa feed response in a little different than a BP, to say the least!

Glad he's pounding food for you!

Handsome Phantom is looking good!!! Gotta love those "love bites"...

So I found this little surprise in Phantom’s tub this afternoon. At 1st glance, I thought it looked like a regurgitation but it didn’t smell like death. I know first hand because my BP regurged on his 1st rat over a year ago. It almost looks like a big moist hair ball. For the record, Phantom ate 4 days ago and had his 1st poop over a week ago. I assume this is just waste from the mouse and normal?

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Just looks like a hair ball

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Just looks like a hair ball

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That’s what I thought and assumed it was normal. Reason I asked is that I’ve never seen this happen with my Ball Python. Appreciate the feedback Richard.

I had one the other week in the water dish with my new little boas I had to dissect to make sure it wasn’t a regurgitation and was just hair. Stunk well bad🤪


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Tapioca has pooped one of those before. From what I've seen and read, perfectly normal and not that uncommon :p first time I saw one of those I thought one of the cats magically coughed a hair ball in the cage haha

I took Phantom out for the 3rd consecutive night for a small holding session (the 1st two were pretty positive). Tonight he was pretty squirmy trying to latch on to anything in site. As I tried to pry him off of the rim of the tub he opened his mouth acting like he was going to strike. It was almost a repeat situation of the 1st time when he struck after I tried to re-correct him when he started to squirm.

I kind of waited him out and let him chill while he was latched to his enclosure and then proceed to put him back. Remembering what was said on here by not letting his 'bad behavior' dictate him being put back in the enclosure, I decided to attempt to get him out again. He was still active and latched himself onto the lid which i just waited him out again while rubbing his body with my hand.

Was this the proper approach to take? I felt like if I really tried to hold hold him then I would of gotten tagged.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

I took Phantom out for the 3rd consecutive night for a small holding session (the 1st two were pretty positive). Tonight he was pretty squirmy trying to latch on to anything in site. As I tried to pry him off of the rim of the tub he opened his mouth acting like he was going to strike. It was almost a repeat situation of the 1st time when he struck after I tried to re-correct him when he started to squirm.

I kind of waited him out and let him chill while he was latched to his enclosure and then proceed to put him back. Remembering what was said on here by not letting his 'bad behavior' dictate him being put back in the enclosure, I decided to attempt to get him out again. He was still active and latched himself onto the lid which i just waited him out again while rubbing his body with my hand.

Was this the proper approach to take? I felt like if I really tried to hold hold him then I would of gotten tagged.

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If he got squirmy and opened his mouth, etc. He was telling you, that's enough. It might too much for him right now, three days in a row.

If he shows signs of being overwhelmed, put him back and leave alone at least the rest of that day, and probably the next as well.

Personally, I think you are moving too fast with him. He's little and very young. He's not used to be handled yet and you want even experience to be a good one. You are pushing your luck taking him out three days in a row, IMO.

For reference, I almost never (there has to a be good reason) take out any of my snakes more than once a day, and usually not every day either. All of mine are calm and docile every time they are handled, and aside from Solana (who we have only had two months - and is incredibly calm and docile already), I've been handling every snake I have for anywhere between a year and 5 years plus, depending on how long I've had them. I make a point of not stressing them out, if I can avoid it, ever.

I respect them and their solitary nature, and, in turn, they tend to respect me too.

You were worried in the past about having bad handling experiences and having that ruin your rapport with Phantom. I think you are getting there. You can't make him calm down, it's going to happen with time and size on him.

Leave him alone tonight and tomorrow and try again the day after (unless it's feeding day). I would handle, at the most, every other day, until he's bigger and isn't squirming so much and is chilling more.

I am not sure how long you have him out either. I would say, at his size and age, 5 minutes tops per handling session. Low traffic areas, with little movement or things that could distract or scare him.

You can not dictate your will on a snake. You win over time with repetition and respect.

I am not trying to be a jerk, and again, go back to your prior question on whether or not you can ruin your rapport you are building with him and if he can revert. I think you can absolutely prolong developing it and/or ruin it by asserting yourself, rather than listening to him.

As you have learned, "getting tagged" by a snake that size is hardly a big deal. I wouldn't worry about that. I would worry about what you are doing to make him feel like he has to. As you have said, he is chill most of the time, that seems to be his M.O. He does not seem aggressive or defensive. Be patient. He should be with you another 20-30 years if you take care of him.

Good luck and keep us in the loop.

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Originally Posted by dakski

If he got squirmy and opened his mouth, etc. He was telling you, that's enough. It might too much for him right now, three days in a row.

If he shows signs of being overwhelmed, put him back and leave alone at least the rest of that day, and probably the next as well.

Personally, I think you are moving too fast with him. He's little and very young. He's not used to be handled yet and you want even experience to be a good one. You are pushing your luck taking him out three days in a row, IMO.

For reference, I almost never (there has to a be good reason) take out any of my snakes more than once a day, and usually not every day either. All of mine are calm and docile every time they are handled, and aside from Solana (who we have only had two months - and is incredibly calm and docile already), I've been handling every snake I have for anywhere between a year and 5 years plus, depending on how long I've had them. I make a point of not stressing them out, if I can avoid it, ever.

Leave him alone tonight and tomorrow and try again the day after (unless it's feeding day). I would handle, at the most, every other day, until he's bigger and isn't squirming so much and is chilling more.

I am not sure how long you have him out either. I would say, at his size and age, 5 minutes tops per handling session. Low traffic areas, with little movement or things that could distract or scare him.

You can not dictate your will on a snake. You win over time with repetition and respect.

I am not trying to be a jerk, and again, go back to your prior question on whether or not you can ruin your rapport you are building with him and if he can revert. I think you can absolutely prolong developing it and/or ruin it by asserting yourself, rather than listening to him.

As you have learned, "getting tagged" by a snake that size is hardly a big deal. I wouldn't worry about that. I would worry about what you are doing to make him feel like he has to. As you have said, he is chill most of the time, that seems to be his M.O. He does not seem aggressive or defensive. Be patient. He should be with you another 20-30 years if you take care of him. Always appreciate the advice!

Good luck and keep us in the loop.

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No offense taken whatsoever! This is why I ask what may seem like simple questions because this is my 1st 'rodeo' with BOAs and snakes in general. I was figuring that I only had 4 days a week to hold Phantom (accounting for a non holding feeding day and 48 hours afterwards) but if every other day during the four days is suggested then I'll incorporate that into our schedule. And to be clear, holding time has only been a matter of minutes (< 5) and it's basically tapping him and taking him out near his enclosure. It's a quiet room and I don't take him anywhere (other then when I got bit the 1st time and learned a valuable lesson). I will say that once he finds something he can latch on, it's very difficult trying to pry him loose. I think this is where he gets stressed and starts going into defensive mode. Maybe I should try and do a better job of keeping him away from objects that he can grab onto. Thanks again for the feedback!

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

No offense taken whatsoever! This is why I ask what may seem like simple questions because this is my 1st 'rodeo' with BOAs and snakes in general. I was figuring that I only had 4 days a week to hold Phantom (accounting for a non holding feeding day and 48 hours afterwards) but if every other day during the four days is suggested then I'll incorporate that into our schedule. And to be clear, holding time has only been a matter of minutes (< 5) and it's basically tapping him and taking him out near his enclosure. It's a quiet room and I don't take him anywhere (other then when I got bit the 1st time and learned a valuable lesson). I will say that once he finds something he can latch on, it's very difficult trying to pry him loose. I think this is where he gets stressed and starts going into defensive mode. Maybe I should try and do a better job of keeping him away from objects that he can grab onto. Thanks again for the feedback!

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I am glad, I am only trying to help.

You'll have to experiment with the handling sessions. Try every other day except for digestion days off and feeding day. Then try two days in a row in a month or two. Once he seems calmer consistently, you can try 2 days, day off, 1 day, etc. It's all about reading the animal. He has told you for now, every day is too much, that's all. Doesn't mean forever.

Remember, he's young and tiny! He thinks everything is a threat to his life! As he grows bigger, he won't be as afraid, and as you work with him, he WILL learn to trust you. How long that takes is on his terms though, not yours.

Boas that are very defensive calm often be calmed down quite a bit. He seems like Behira, calm and docile in nature, so he should tame out pretty quick. However, and again, on his time line.

Remember, you have 25 years or so to enjoy Phantom, take your time and let him "come to you," so to speak. It will pay dividends in creating a rapport and will pay off huge when he's 5ft and 6-8 pounds!

I think you are just really eager to make it happen and you, understandably, want to spend time with your new little guy. It makes sense, but pace yourself too. Realize he's off limits some days and it will take time, but in the long run, it will be a small amount of time in his and your lifetime together.

People often anthropomorphize animals, but it's also important to understand what type of animal and how they think. Snakes are pretty basic creatures; they feel safe, scared/defensive, hungry, and occasionally, randy, but that's about it. Yes, they can learn to recognize a keeper/handler by scent/taste and they learn to be hook trained, and not be defensive and feel safe being handled. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. A lot of good time together and repetition will lead to good results.

Ask Richardhind1972 about his IMG Boa who's pretty calm now. She wasn't so much as a juvenile :).

Again, good luck and keep us in the loop.

Phantom continues to eat without hesitation. I think this makes it 4 or 5 weeks in a row which is such a relief from my BP who is on a current month long food strike. This week I'll be leaving for a 4 day vacation; taking off on the morning of his usual feeding day. Sounds like a silly question but would you feed the night before (6 days from last feeding) or wait until I return (10 days from last feeding). I wouldn't even pose this as a question if it was my BP but since Boas have slower digestive system, I wanted to see if there were any risks.

On a side note, heeding to Daski's advice of over handling, I've been trying to cut back. We had a short handling session last night where I calmly allowed Phantom to call the shots where he wanted to explore and he did a great job.

Glad to hear things are going well with Phantom CK. I'd probably wait until you return from your vacation to feed him. You wouldn't want him to poop, or heaven forbid regurgitate, while you're gone for a few days. I'm sure he'll be fine with 10 days between feedings.

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

Glad to hear things are going well with Phantom CK. I'd probably wait until you return from your vacation to feed him. You wouldn't want him to poop, or heaven forbid regurgitate, while you're gone for a few days. I'm sure he'll be fine with 10 days between feedings.

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Glad to hear he’s continuing to do well as well.

I agree. 10 days is fine.

Have a nice trip.

That size is bigger than what I feed as well, my boas are only on hopper mice every 10-14 days at the size he arrived at. As long as it leaves little to no bump immediately after swallowing, then that's the size I'd aim for. :)


He's a good-looking boy, congrats! I believe I've seen the name Chausmer before.


For feeding, I generally just warm up the prey item enough that it isn't cold. I don't heat it to body temp or anything. Some may like it warmed, and I usually just soak them in hot tap water for a couple minutes to acheive this, since it warms them throughout and not just the surface. Most boas will greet you at the door and take the food as soon as it's in front of them, but if your boa is a little shyer, you'll just have to work out what is best for your individual.


Glad to hear his first feeding went well, I haven't had a new boa constrictor refuse yet, though it does happen. haha


For the bite, yeah, it's possible he just got too much. I don't handle my snakes daily, maybe once or twice a month for 5-15 mins at a time, maybe once or twice a week at most. Some snakes can easily get overwhelmed with daily handling, especially with lots of people around. At least you found out baby snake bites aren't that bad. lol The blood can be surprising, since they bleed more than they should due to the anticoagulants in their saliva. It can also cause a very minor allergic reaction, usually no worse than the bite being slightly red and raised, similar to a mosquito bite but not as bad.


Sometimes boas can panic a bit when getting them out. Generally, so long as you let them anchor themselves to you and keep them feeling as secure as possible, they'll calm right down once they come out. The key is letting them grip themselves to you, and take it at their pace getting them untangled. On the other hand, many babies will be flighty/bitey/hissy while they're small. With a couple years to gain some size, they generally gain confidence and tame out, especially as you become more familiar with how to handle them in a way they like. If you have a strong feeling of "I should wait another day to handle," definitely follow that intuition, though. If you're worried about getting bit, it can make the snake nervous, too.

Sounds like everything is falling into place as you get a feel for him, here's to many more years together!

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

That size is bigger than what I feed as well, my boas are only on hopper mice every 10-14 days at the size he arrived at. As long as it leaves little to no bump immediately after swallowing, then that's the size I'd aim for. :)


He's a good-looking boy, congrats! I believe I've seen the name Chausmer before.


For feeding, I generally just warm up the prey item enough that it isn't cold. I don't heat it to body temp or anything. Some may like it warmed, and I usually just soak them in hot tap water for a couple minutes to acheive this, since it warms them throughout and not just the surface. Most boas will greet you at the door and take the food as soon as it's in front of them, but if your boa is a little shyer, you'll just have to work out what is best for your individual.


Glad to hear his first feeding went well, I haven't had a new boa constrictor refuse yet, though it does happen. haha


For the bite, yeah, it's possible he just got too much. I don't handle my snakes daily, maybe once or twice a month for 5-15 mins at a time, maybe once or twice a week at most. Some snakes can easily get overwhelmed with daily handling, especially with lots of people around. At least you found out baby snake bites aren't that bad. lol The blood can be surprising, since they bleed more than they should due to the anticoagulants in their saliva. It can also cause a very minor allergic reaction, usually no worse than the bite being slightly red and raised, similar to a mosquito bite but not as bad.


Sometimes boas can panic a bit when getting them out. Generally, so long as you let them anchor themselves to you and keep them feeling as secure as possible, they'll calm right down once they come out. The key is letting them grip themselves to you, and take it at their pace getting them untangled. On the other hand, many babies will be flighty/bitey/hissy while they're small. With a couple years to gain some size, they generally gain confidence and tame out, especially as you become more familiar with how to handle them in a way they like. If you have a strong feeling of "I should wait another day to handle," definitely follow that intuition, though. If you're worried about getting bit, it can make the snake nervous, too.

Sounds like everything is falling into place as you get a feel for him, here's to many more years together!

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Appreciate the time you spent to address the needs of caring for my 1st Boa! As for food size, I just went with the size my breeder was feeding and what others on this forum had suggested. I haven't taken a notice of the 'bump' size after he's swallowed because I've always tried to avoid disturbing him; especially since he drags the food into his hide. Maybe that's the cautious BP owner in me. Anyways, I would definitely like to avoid 'power feeding' him with too large of prey because of health concerns and I'm not really looking for a monster size snake either ;)

Good suggestions on handling techniques. My BP is so docile and lethargic which makes him easy to handle but the BOA is very inquisitive and likes to move about so I often find myself trying to determine which end I should be trying to support. Sometimes he gets a really good anchor with his tail and other times I'm worried that he might slip off my arm. I guess this will come w/ experience.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Appreciate the time you spent to address the needs of caring for my 1st Boa! As for food size, I just went with the size my breeder was feeding and what others on this forum had suggested. I haven't taken a notice of the 'bump' size after he's swallowed because I've always tried to avoid disturbing him; especially since he drags the food into his hide. Maybe that's the cautious BP owner in me. Anyways, I would definitely like to avoid 'power feeding' him with too large of prey because of health concerns and I'm not really looking for a monster size snake either ;)

Good suggestions on handling techniques. My BP is so docile and lethargic which makes him easy to handle but the BOA is very inquisitive and likes to move about so I often find myself trying to determine which end I should be trying to support. Sometimes he gets a really good anchor with his tail and other times I'm worried that he might slip off my arm. I guess this will come w/ experience.

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Understandable, it’s best to be low-profile with newcomers. I do generally feed smaller meals, but he’ll probably grow into the mice quick even if they’re a tad large, there isn’t a huge difference between hoppers and small mice.

Unfortunately, boas will get to whatever size they’re meant to. Lol Small snakes will stay small, large ones will get large, though it may take longer if you feed less. Being male, you *most likely* won’t have an overly large snake. :)

They’re definitely much different, usually the tail is a good bet, but they’ll use pretty much any part of their body. Just follow their body movements and trust their intuition. If they actually start to slip, I’d catch them, but most are really good at it so long as their whole body is supported as much as possible.


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So I had an odd feeding experience with Phantom tonight. He’s been an excellent eater, always reacting and striking the mouse seconds after presenting it to him. Tonight was a little bit different. He remained in his hide during the food presentation. I could see the side of his body from the opening of the hide so I assumed his head might be tucked in the back. Probably a no no but I decided to lift up the hide and present the food (something I learned not to do with my BP but those are two different animals with entirely different feeding responses). He never struck at the prey but followed it up and down the walls of his tub. He then proceeded to gently open his mouth and take the prey. When I tried to lay the hide back down, it startled him a little bit and he dropped the prey from his mouth. I then had to go through the same process and he gently grabbed it again. Here’s a picture after the 2nd grab.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c076ffd8ff.jpg

Has anyone witnessed this feeding response before? My 1st thought was maybe he was going into shed since he hasn’t shed since he arrived 6-7 weeks ago but I haven’t noticed any signs.


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Are temps the same? Humidity dead on?

Could be shed coming.

How often are feeding again?

When was the last time you handled him?

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Originally Posted by dakski

Are temps the same? Humidity dead on?

Could be shed coming.

How often are feeding again?

When was the last time you handled him?

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I don’t foresee the temps being any different because nothing has changed. I haven’t taken any floor temps recently but I will see the temp gauge inside the cage stays fairly consistent. Humidity is reading in the low to mid 70s.

I feed an adult mouse every 7-9 days. He’s had I believe two poops since I got him. I cut back my handling to every other day outside of the feeding window. Held him yesterday and he was very docile.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

I don’t foresee the temps being any different because nothing has changed. I haven’t taken any floor temps recently but I will see the temp gauge inside the cage stays fairly consistent. Humidity is reading in the low to mid 70s.

I feed an adult mouse every 7-9 days. He’s had I believe two poops since I got him. I cut back my handling to every other day outside of the feeding window. Held him yesterday and he was very docile.

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If room temps have changed, tank temps can as well. I've had to adjust my thermostats slightly here in CT the past week as temps dropped from the 90's to the high 60's. House temp dropped a few degrees and fast.

Try to make a habit of checking enclosure floor temps daily or every other day. Very important to check before a meal to ensure they are not too hot or too cool so Phantom can digest properly.

That would be my first guess.

He could also be having an off day.

Also, weather can affect their mood and feed response. Any bad weather coming through?

Just my initial thoughts.

I've left the prey item in there for my BCI, Behira, before and she ate it. Now that she's totally settled, it's hard to get it in the darn tank before she strikes!

As you mentioned, lifting the hide is generally a no-no. Especially for shy snakes like young animals and BP's in general.

My corns could care less, but in general, I try to avoid it with all my snakes.

I took a couple of pictures with my iPhone during a handling session which by the way have been going great. Phantom does this thing (not sure if it’s a Boa thing) where he tries to bump and nudge his head repeatedly into my hand. This time he wrapped himself so tight that I could feel my hand losing circulation. Good thing he’s still small ;)



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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

So I had an odd feeding experience with Phantom tonight. He’s been an excellent eater, always reacting and striking the mouse seconds after presenting it to him. Tonight was a little bit different. He remained in his hide during the food presentation. I could see the side of his body from the opening of the hide so I assumed his head might be tucked in the back. Probably a no no but I decided to lift up the hide and present the food (something I learned not to do with my BP but those are two different animals with entirely different feeding responses). He never struck at the prey but followed it up and down the walls of his tub. He then proceeded to gently open his mouth and take the prey. When I tried to lay the hide back down, it startled him a little bit and he dropped the prey from his mouth. I then had to go through the same process and he gently grabbed it again. Here’s a picture after the 2nd grab.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...c076ffd8ff.jpg

Has anyone witnessed this feeding response before? My 1st thought was maybe he was going into shed since he hasn’t shed since he arrived 6-7 weeks ago but I haven’t noticed any signs.


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My boa and BP’s typically strike and wrap just like the prey is still alive, even though I’ve been feeding f/t for years. However my female corn does exactly what you’ve described. She gently takes the prey and starts eating. One of my other corns will not strike from the hemastats, but will pick the prey up from the floor and starts swallowing. My male corn is 50/50, sometimes he strikes and constricts and sometimes just gently takes it and starts swallowing.

Ckuhn003,

Phantom looks awesome. Glad he is doing well and settling down for you.

I think he's going to be an awesome and docile guy for you. You just needed to give him some time and not overwhelm him.

If he's still chill for another few weeks, you can probably go to holding him 3-4X a week instead of 2-3X. You can also try holding him for up to 15 minutes instead of 10, etc.

I think you know how to read him now and he's demonstrated he appreciates the respect and care. Keep up the good work.

By the way, if you think he's strong now, just wait!

Looking really good ckuhn003
The power even in a small boa is really noticeable. Now you know why there food doesn't get away very easy

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Looking really good ckuhn003
The power even in a small boa is really noticeable. Now you know why there food doesn't get away very easy

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Originally Posted by dakski

Ckuhn003,

Phantom looks awesome. Glad he is doing well and settling down for you.

I think he's going to be an awesome and docile guy for you. You just needed to give him some time and not overwhelm him.

If he's still chill for another few weeks, you can probably go to holding him 3-4X a week instead of 2-3X. You can also try holding him for up to 15 minutes instead of 10, etc.

I think you know how to read him now and he's demonstrated he appreciates the respect and care. Keep up the good work.

By the way, if you think he's strong now, just wait!

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Thanks fellas for the kind comments! It'll be interesting to see if he reverts back to his normal aggressive feeding response instead of the passive approach he took last week.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Thanks fellas for the kind comments! It'll be interesting to see if he reverts back to his normal aggressive feeding response instead of the passive approach he took last week.

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Feeding response can change depending on a variety of factors. I wouldn't sweat it. A few times when younger, Behira had me put the rat down and then ate it anyway.

These days, I can't have it in there for more than 5 seconds without it getting nailed.

However, I am now feeding every three weeks, not every 1 and then 2 weeks.

Keep up the good work. Love his look; so clean!

Phantom looks awesome CK. I can't wait for my boas to start getting some size on them.

To my surprise, I lifted Phantom’s hide and found his first shed for me; all wadded up in a small ball. It’s been over two months since he arrived and I was wondering when it was going to come. I didn’t notice any physical signs that it was coming like I’m able o with my BP. With my BP, his eyes become cloudy. I’m wondering if this explains the lackadaisical feeding a week ago when he gently took his prey. Regardless, I’ve been holding him during this phase and he never showed any aggression which I guess is a good sign. He continues to press hard into my arms and hands which causes his mouth to open a little ;)

Here’s some pictures of the new paint job. I think he looks so fresh and so clean!

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He looks super clean.

Sounds like your humidity is dead on.

Way to go!

He is one smooth operator! Lookin good in the new suit!

Gosh what a looker! Thanks for sharing!

Looking great,really love his greys and whites on his tail


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It’s fairly common for a shedding snake to refuse food, and you can see the blue eyes in the photo. :) If they do take, their striking behavior is much reduced.

I’ve noticed most boas’ eyes don’t go completely blue like other snakes. I have some photos on my laptop of my boas in deep blue, and their eye coloring is still very apparent even at the height of milkines.

The nose bumping is pretty normal behavior for most snakes. If you’re talking about them almost dragging their head across, bumping their nose up along the way? It’s way for them to feel for a place to grip, and when they do they will squeeeeze, or flop around if they still feel they are falling. I generally just guide my hand to their head and roll it into their coils as they come to wrap around. If they’re especially nervous, they’ll bite as soon as they feel you touch them, but usually this calms them right down.

He’s looking good as ever!


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Things are still going well with Phantom. We had one of the best handling sessions where he was super chill and spent several minutes motionless wrapped around my hand. I still have yet to place him down on a surface and let him roam free.

As you can see from one of the pictures below, he has a good anchor going with the tip of his tail.

Also, the end of quarantine is fast approaching. I think it’s around two more weeks until the 90 day quarantine ends which is a good thing since it’s getting chilly here. I’ll be moving him to a heated basement where my BP is. I’m still not sure when I’ll move him from his quarantine tub to his forever home which is an AP10 heated with an RHP. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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Looking really great, nice when they hold on to make sure your still there, always got a good grip,well most do.

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Originally Posted by richardhind1972

Looking really great, nice when they hold on to make sure your still there, always got a good grip,well most do.

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Thanks Richard. I do get a little worried when he unravels and starts climbing on top of my arm because it feels like he's not gripping and could fall easily.

Looking good Ckuhn003! Phantom looks great!

He just needed to learn to trust you, and vice versa. He also needed to grow up a little and get out of baby defensive, "everything can eat me," mode!

He will probably keep chilling out as he grows and you continue to have positive handling sessions with him.

I got Behira at 430G or so, as a yearling, and was calm as can be. However, she definitely became more comfortable with handling after a month or two of gentle handling sessions. By 700-800G (about 4-6 months after I got her), she was falling asleep half the time she was out, on my chest while I was watching TV or chilling in the reptile area chair.

She still likes to explore and is curious, but half the time, or after exploring, she just curls up on me and falls asleep!

Phantom will get there. Keep up the good work!

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Originally Posted by dakski

However, she definitely became more comfortable with handling after a month or two of gentle handling sessions. By 700-800G (about 4-6 months after I got her), she was falling asleep half the time she was out, on my chest while I was watching TV or chilling in the reptile area chair.

She still likes to explore and is curious, but half the time, or after exploring, she just curls up on me and falls asleep!

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Thanks Dave! I'm looking forward to those moments of just comfortably chilling. Sorry I haven't been able to leave any comments on Behira's or Yafe's thread lately but just know that I've been following a long closely. They both are looking great! I actually thought Yafe was a GTP after seeing those coiled shots today! Haha.... Absolutely stunning...both of them.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Thanks Dave! I'm looking forward to those moments of just comfortably chilling. Sorry I haven't been able to leave any comments on Behira's or Yafe's thread lately but just know that I've been following a long closely. They both are looking great! I actually thought Yafe was a GTP after seeing those coiled shots today! Haha.... Absolutely stunning...both of them.

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No worries. If he's chilling out as much and as fast as you say, he will get there! From what I have heard, Ghost's are not one of the more aggressive morphs either, so high probability of a chill animal, he appears chill and improving, and you are working with him. It will be awesome! He'll be a big boy and calm as can be.

Thank you for following along with Yafe and Behira! Behira's doing great. She struck so hard and so fast at her 125G medium rat yesterday, I didn't even know what was happening until it was over! Boa food drive and strikes are colubrid style with a lot more force behind them! She's only 1,140G now! Going to be thrilling at 7,000G! You'll enjoy that too as Phantom grows.

Yafe is improving dramatically every day. I expect a full recovery. Thank you for all the kind thoughts, for following along, and for mentioning it here in Phantom's thread. I'll stop now as I do not want to hijack the thread, but feel free to post on either of their threads anytime, or PM me.

He's looking so handsome and gosh I still love that tail! And already growing wow! I bet you're excited to break qauranteine so soon! Really does feel like eternity doesn't it?

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Originally Posted by MissterDog

He's looking so handsome and gosh I still love that tail! And already growing wow! I bet you're excited to break qauranteine so soon! Really does feel like eternity doesn't it?

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Well thank you MissterDog! He's probably growing at a faster rate then my BP (Fred) since he hasn't refused any meals yet! Quarantine hasn't been too bad since it was more about trying to come up w/ a new enclosure which was pretty easy. I'm sure your quarantine days are coming to an end soon w/ your Russian Rat.

Just wanted to provide an update on Phantom. He’s out of quarantine and three days ago he was transferred from his small tub to a huge AP T10 heated with an RHP. It’s amazing how small he looks in this new enclosure but I’ve tried to clutter it with multiple hides, water bowls, etc….Wanted to give Daski a lot of credit for helping me dial in the temps since this is my 1st time using a RHP. Still have some minor adjustments to make but I think it’s getting close to where it needs to be.

I’ve noticed Phantom spends ½ of his time in his cool side hide but what excites me the most is that I’ve found him hanging out in the branches of my driftwood basking under the RHP. I had a huge scare tonight when I went to check on him. Figuring he was in his cool side hide, I lifted up all four hides and couldn’t find him. I immediately panicked! What I didn’t realize he that he was 2 inches from my hand hanging out in the driftwood. His colors blend so well into the limbs.

I’m attaching some pictures of Phantom hanging out as well as my setup.

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Beautiful!

Thanks for the kind words brother. Happy to help any time.

I’ve had scares like that and they are not fun. Heart skipped a beat, right?

The day after 25g Solana went into her life home, a 3x2’ Boaphile, with 6 hides, I couldn’t find her. Lifted all 6 hides and started freaking out. Little turkey was under the paper wedged in the corner behind her water bowl.

I’ve learned my lesson, she’s growing like a weed, and I am positive she cannot get out of there.

However, for a minute there, I was about to cry.

Phantom looks awesome and he’s going to love his new digs once he settles in. Looks really nice.