Well I did it now...

Went out and got myself a baby female BCI, not my first snake but my first boa! She's nothing fancy, I'll post pictures later because I'm letting her settle down a bit before handling her again. I will say this though she is pretty aggressive, very hissy, and I've been tagged twice already. I chalk it up to her being a baby and hopefully with frequent handling she will calm down. I guess time will tell but I'm pretty excited none the less. :)

Congratulations on your Boa! :)

You are in for a different kind of enjoyment. Besides having a garbage disposal for your BP(s). :D

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...522af357ee.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...112d0a7e0d.jpg

He looks pissed lol

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Did you just get her??? If so let her be for a few days so she can chill out. If she's stressed she gunna keep acting like that. She will cal 'll down in time

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How old is he? He looks pretty solid and thick! Yeah, feed him and just don't handle him until you have gotten 3 or 4 meals into him.:gj: Just spot clean and change the water.

Those pictures aren't of mine. Mine is young, only about a foot and a half long. I haven't weighed her yet. She hisses but don't look as defensive as the one pictured.

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Originally Posted by Kelso

He looks pissed lol

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Not at all. :)

The first pic is the last bite. The second pic is the periscope neck stretch to finish swallowing.

Well I couldn't wait, decided to
take her out today and see how she did. No hissing, not snappy, and seemed pretty relaxed as I held her, very curious. So I hope we're on an upward trend and the anger/defensive issues was just from the stress of bringing her home.

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That's great news. Off to a good start! :)

Sounds like all is well. Babies can be hissy, snappy, all of the above. Most will calm down nicely.

Gotten her out everyday with no problems!http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps4pojfine.jpg

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Originally Posted by Kelso

Those pictures aren't of mine. Mine is young, only about a foot and a half long. I haven't weighed her yet. She hisses but don't look as defensive as the one pictured.

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Oh, ok. Got it . My mistake. Thanks. Glad your girl is calming down. Probably had something to do with being in a display container all day too. Haha. :D

She took a rat pup today no problems, I've read that babies should be fed every 5 days or so? Any validity to that?

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Boas are great but slightly different. Just make sure you feed and handle her regularly. If you don't handle them regularly they can get a bit feisty. I've taken a few in to foster because people didn't have the time and they got aggressive. With regular handling they are like puppies. Congrats

You can do every five days, but that's verging on overfeeding. I have always fed everyone weekly regardless of age. Appropriate sized meals are key. With adults I will sometimes feed a larger prey item and let them skip a week. Carrying food intake and interval can be beneficial once in a while. I sometimes notice major growth of they are on an off feed week. Just make sure that you stick to a slow grow plan for the longevity of their life. Much healthier and realistic.

Also, with regards to handling and temperament, definitely make sure to handle frequently. However don't be frightened that if you have a busy week and can't handle the snake a bunch, that he will immediately become nasty. A lot of the aggressive rescue snakes were handled little to none, or might have been aggressive from the get go, which is why they became rescue animals.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

You can do every five days, but that's verging on overfeeding. I have always fed everyone weekly regardless of age. Appropriate sized meals are key. With adults I will sometimes feed a larger prey item and let them skip a week. Carrying food intake and interval can be beneficial once in a while. I sometimes notice major growth of they are on an off feed week. Just make sure that you stick to a slow grow plan for the longevity of their life. Much healthier and realistic.

Also, with regards to handling and temperament, definitely make sure to handle frequently. However don't be frightened that if you have a busy week and can't handle the snake a bunch, that he will immediately become nasty. A lot of the aggressive rescue snakes were handled little to none, or might have been aggressive from the get go, which is why they became rescue animals.

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Nice post Josh.

Also to the O/P,

I know how hard it is to wait to handle a new BC. I had my guy in hand shortly after I got him.

I put him in his cage, said I'd wait 2 weeks for him to settle and went upstairs.

I was back an hour later taking him out LOL!

You'll be fine, just watch for obvious signs of stress and if you see them back off a bit.

Josh has good advice above!

So I fed her and waited a day yo handle got her out today and she didn't seem as calm as usual. Coiled back a bit and watched my fingers the whole time. Never struck or hissed but she just seemed off.

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Originally Posted by Kelso

So I fed her and waited a day yo handle got her out today and she didn't seem as calm as usual. Coiled back a bit and watched my fingers the whole time. Never struck or hissed but she just seemed off.

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Full 24 Hrs? You can try two days.

Yeah, it was a full 24 hours. my other snakes I wait 48 usually but with her being so small and not being handled much at all by the breeder I'm trying to get her used to being held.

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From what I've read, it's easier to trigger a regurge in a Boa than a BP. They are just more sensitive.
You might want to give a minimum of 2 days next time before handling after feeding.

Maybe Gio and Josh can correct me if I have been misinformed.

I usually give about a day. Never had a regurg luckily.