Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI

Look what Katie got me for Christmas!

Two signs for the reptile area!

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Now that's a gift!

Awesome! You musta been "good" this year...:D

Those are awesome!

Behira is doing great. I haven't talked about her too much of late, which is unusual.

I took some pictures of her the other day and I'll post them below.

Additionally, I had the opportunity today to hold a 10 year old female Kahl Albino BCI. She was a total puppy dog, like Behira, and I got to spend quite some time with her. When I had held the female sunglow at the reptile show a while back, it was for all of 30 seconds. This girl I got to spend a meaningful amount of time with and really get a feel for what a full grown Behira will be like. This girl seemed well cared for and not too big. She had been used by a friend of my friend, Adam (who is a breeder and owns a local reptile shop), as a snake/reptile ambassador. He recently gave her to Adam to breed as he has a male het Kahl and moonglow and she is Kahl and beleived het moonglow.

I've seen giant female BCI's and I am not a fan. I plan to slow grow Behira and I've talked at length with people like Jeff Ronne who preach keeping them lean and healthy over feeding huge meals and shortening their life. Believe me, a healthy female BCI is an impressive animal, I don't need to make Behira an extra foot and an extra 10+ pounds just so I can tell people how big my Boa is!

I plan to feed Behira large rats as an adult, and if that means she needs to eat every 2-3 weeks instead of a small rabbit or an XL, or bigger, rat ever 4-6, fine. XL rats or bigger are too fatty and boas do not do well with fat. Rabbits are fine nutritionally, but will cause her to grow more than she needs.

Female BCI's can easily be 5.5 - 6FT or so and 12-15 pounds and healthy and happy. I've been told they breed longer and produce healthier litters at those sizes as well than bigger (7FT 20+ pound) females. They also, as stated above, live longer.

I am not trying to preach and I am only saying what I've been told and what I plan to do. If you feel differently or want to do something different with your Boa, be my guest. That's your prerogative. Not my place to tell other people how to live their life or how to feed their snake.

In any event, spending time with her today gave me continued confidence, and excitement, about Behira growing up. I have no doubt that I can handle her at that size and that the work I am putting in now, and have put in, plus her general demeanor to begin with, will equate to a big puppy dog as well. I am really excited to see her at that size, but have no intention of rushing either. I'll have to wait another 3-5 years, but that's okay. I'll have a long time to enjoy her!

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​"Pardon me. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Medusa?"

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​"Dad? Are those big mites?!? Why would you keep those in the house!??"

"No, Behira. Those are Dubai Roaches. They are food for your sisters, the Leopard Geckos. They love them and are good for them."

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And.....Asleep in my lap again!

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This is the Kahl Albino Girl. She has a growth on her neck, but it's been checked out and isn't growing or harmful. It also doesn't bother her at all and she sheds normally, etc.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

This is the Kahl Albino Girl. She has a growth on her neck, but it's been checked out and isn't growing or harmful. It also doesn't bother her at all and she sheds normally, etc.

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Interesting you mentioned the growth. Eli (my adult normal bp) has two flat disc shaped growths, one on the side of his head and one further down his side. They were checked out visually and it was decided that as long as they did not appear to cause pain or prevent normal activities, we’d leave them be. They don’t prevent him constricting and eating prey, he does not react when they are inspected or pressed, and they haven’t grown and larger or changed shape in the 15+ years they’ve been there. His sheds are perfect.

I’d already been down the road with a snake that had an abscess that had to be opened and cleaned out, then left open to heal from the inside out with daily cleanings and injections on top of it, only to lose him in the end. I cannot imagine he did not feel pain during that time. If Eli suffers no ill effects from his ‘warts’, I saw no reason to subject him to surgery. If there was any inkling he was suffering, that would be a different story.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianne

Interesting you mentioned the growth. Eli (my adult normal bp) has two flat disc shaped growths, one on the side of his head and one further down his side. They were checked out visually and it was decided that as long as they did not appear to cause pain or prevent normal activities, we’d leave them be. They don’t prevent him constricting and eating prey, he does not react when they are inspected or pressed, and they haven’t grown and larger or changed shape in the 15+ years they’ve been there. His sheds are perfect.

I’d already been down the road with a snake that had an abscess that had to be opened and cleaned out, then left open to heal from the inside out with daily cleanings and injections on top of it, only to lose him in the end. I cannot imagine he did not feel pain during that time. If Eli suffers no ill effects from his ‘warts’, I saw no reason to subject him to surgery. If there was any inkling he was suffering, that would be a different story.

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I am glad Eli is okay, but very sorry you lost your other snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

I am glad Eli is okay, but very sorry you lost your other snake.

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Thanks, Dave. The one I lost was Storm, a grey rat snake. He had what appeared to be a small scratch on his neck when I purchased him, which turned out to be infected and abscessed. It was no fun for any of us...as you know I’m quite partial to my scaly babies.

As for Eli, I’m glad the growths never changed or grew and don’t give him any problems. Considering he’s had them for more than half the time I’ve owned him, I’d say we made the right call to leave them be.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dianne

Thanks, Dave. The one I lost was Storm, a grey rat snake. He had what appeared to be a small scratch on his neck when I purchased him, which turned out to be infected and abscessed. It was no fun for any of us...as you know I’m quite partial to my scaly babies.

As for Eli, I’m glad the growths never changed or grew and don’t give him any problems. Considering he’s had them for more than half the time I’ve owned him, I’d say we made the right call to leave them be.

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Yeah, I love the scaly babies too! Can't say I don't love my furry babies too though! My dogs are precious are well.

However, having gone through what we went through, and are hopefully over, with Yafe, I can only imagine how heartbreaking it would be to have done that all for naught.

So sorry again Dianne.

David

She's looking good! That reduced patterning is awesome...