Unusual Behavior

I posted this at the end of one of my previous posts but didn’t get a response so sorry for creating a new thread.

Phantom is usually clockwork when it comes to his location in his enclosure at different times of the day.

Morning: Half out of his cool side hide with a food response look on his face. Ready to pounce.

Daytime: curled up in his cool side hide

Early evening: starts to retreat out of his hide and onto the large piece of grapevine to bask under the RHP.

Evening (after 8 when the lights go out): Major food response mode.

Within the last week or two, he’s been out of his hide hanging out on the hot side. The side which I’ve never seen him hang out on.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...937e3ade4d.jpg

I’m not sure if I should be worried or is this something normal. I’ve only had a boa for a little over a year.

Could it be the change in seasons?

I checked the temps and they don’t seem to have changed. 88-Hot and 78 cool.

The only things which have been different are that he’s been converted from mice to rats and I’ve started to spray the enclosure with water to up the humidity for an anticipated shed.

Any ideas??




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Snakes aren't robots...they're entitled to change things up without sharing their reasons for doing so ;)...I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
That's why snakes should always have choices in their enclosures...they know better than we do what they need or want.

If he's eating well and otherwise acting normal, I wouldn't sweat it.

I am assuming the hides are the same and still fit him well and are in the same locations. I am also assuming the weather outside hasn't changed dramatically where you are. If it has, they can sense it, even if cage temps are the same and that can alter behavior.

Also, if you fed him a larger meal, he might need more time on the hot side to digest properly.

Whenever I up Behira or prey size, she will spend a longer time on the warm/hot side. As the meals get smaller for her, as she grows, she spends less time on the hot side to digest.

Finally, he may just have decided he likes that spot.

I wouldn't look into it too much unless there are other warning signs such as defensiveness, not eating, lethargy, etc.

Wow, you guys are fast responders. Appreciate the feedback. Totally with you on snakes choosing their own locations and making choices but when you see the same pattern every day for a year, it's quite alarming when you see him laying on the opposite side during the daytime.

Feeding is going well and he's acting normal (meaning docile and tame during handling). Nothing in his cage has structurally changed BUT it will change soon as I'm moving him to his new enclosure.

You might be on to something Daski about the larger prey and spending more time on the hot side. I'll go with that and keep an eye on things.

Just boa being a boa, everything seems fine to me.
I see some of my girls hanging out on the cool side right after eating. Does it make sense? nope. Are they fine? yup. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

...I see some of my girls hanging out on the cool side right after eating. Does it make sense? nope. Are they fine? yup. :)

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That's something that used to concern me...but I've concluded that they deliberately slow down their digestion sometimes, especially after a large meal, and I presume
it's so as not to overwhelm their digestive tract with too much all at once. Also, I'm pretty sure that slower digestion allows better absorption of nutrients.

My boas go through periods where they never leave their hides, and periods where they never go in their hides. Hot vs cold is pretty random as well. They'll do them. haha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Just boa being a boa, everything seems fine to me.
I see some of my girls hanging out on the cool side right after eating. Does it make sense? nope. Are they fine? yup. :)

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LOL!
Yep, over thinking things is common for newer snake owners. I did it, and I'm sure everybody on this board has questioned their tactics.

There are basic needs and requirements for reptiles, but once you have them dialed in, the animal does what it does.

And YES, seasonal changes, no matter what you have set up, seem to play a roll in their behavior. My boa will have his last meal until March or April in a few days.

Don't sweat it!

Sounds pretty normal to me too brother. You've got him set up with everything he needs to thrive. Now he'll enjoy that environment as it pleases him :). I think it's at least partly seasonal though. I love watching the different snake behaviors during the colder months.

When boas are young they need hides. As a boa gets older/larger and if it is being kept in a manner that allows it to become confident (very important -with many factors involved but indirect lighting will usually allow a boa to gain confidence while younger sooner) they will often give up hiding.

Most every boa in my care has had the hide removed by age 2 or 3. I have a male bcc that hung on to his until about age 6 and his 'attitude' has always been a little more timid than most but he is coming around.

Not 'everything' applies to every boa but I have always taken lack of hide usage as a good sign...in fact, I have always given more space (left them alone) to boas that seem to hide more..

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bns

When boas are young they need hides. As a boa gets older/larger and if it is being kept in a manner that allows it to become confident (very important -with many factors involved but indirect lighting will usually allow a boa to gain confidence while younger sooner) they will often give up hiding...

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I partly agree...they do seem to get more confident about their world, but also, their body gets bigger, more cumbersome to try to get in & out of most hides.

For the most part, I've only kept the one large BCI (& for many years), & when she was large I hit on the idea of making her a more suitable hide than I could find to buy.

It was rectangular & flat as many are, but one thing that I did very differently (besides making it relatively longer) was to put TWO doorways side by side at one end: once these boas get "older" they also get more heavy-bodied, & it's just a hassle for them to go all the way into their hides with one doorway. I was delighted to see that my BCI seemed to enjoy her newfound ease of entering & leaving thru her "double-door mansion"...I watched with a smile as she easily cruised her cage, passing herself coming & going thru the doorways. She seemed to be having fun, & she quickly settled into using the hide, both deep inside, and on top for basking.

Just something to consider...;) Maybe my boa was aberrant in this, but it makes sense to me. Boas are not so shy (as some other snakes) that a double-opening feels too exposed...at least my big girl sure wasn't. But imagine yourself in their place, a long but hefty body trying to turn around inside a hide that only just fits them, you'd get tangled up inside. I liked the idea that once it was easier for her to move around in her cage, she did exactly that...which I think is healthy for a captive snake- a bit more exercise for good muscle tone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I partly agree...they do seem to get more confident about their world, but also, their body gets bigger, more cumbersome to try to get in & out of most hides.

For the most part, I've only kept the one large BCI (& for many years), & when she was large I hit on the idea of making her a more suitable hide than I could find to buy.

It was rectangular & flat as many are, but one thing that I did very differently (besides making it relatively longer) was to put TWO doorways side by side at one end: once these boas get "older" they also get more heavy-bodied, & it's just a hassle for them to go all the way into their hides with one doorway. I was delighted to see that my BCI seemed to enjoy her newfound ease of entering & leaving thru her "double-door mansion"...I watched with a smile as she easily cruised her cage, passing herself coming & going thru the doorways. She seemed to be having fun, & she quickly settled into using the hide, both deep inside, and on top for basking.

Just something to consider...;) Maybe my boa was aberrant in this, but it makes sense to me. Boas are not so shy (as some other snakes) that a double-opening feels too exposed...at least my big girl sure wasn't. But imagine yourself in their place, a long but hefty body trying to turn around inside a hide that only just fits them, you'd get tangled up inside. I liked the idea that once it was easier for her to move around in her cage, she did exactly that...which I think is healthy for a captive snake- a bit more exercise for good muscle tone.

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What do you disagree with?
I've never seen an boa get tangled up...and I don't understand how a hide made it 'easier' for a boa to move around in her cage. I would suspect another issue.

Boas are simple and boas are complex at the same time. Small things (such as indirect lighting) have an impact on their behavior (choices). The type of heat used to regulate the enclosure has an impact on their choices. How they lay in an enclosure speaks volumes about what is going on with a boa. A secure (mature) boa that is not digesting or developing new skin should be loosely spread out in his or her enclosure.

I'm not saying a secure adult boa will not or should not use a hide but I would be concerned if I walked up to a mature boa in my care that was tightly coiled or trying to hide on a regular basis.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bns

What do you disagree with?
I've never seen an boa get tangled up...and I don't understand how a hide made it 'easier' for a boa to move around in her cage. I would suspect another issue.

Boas are simple and boas are complex at the same time. Small things (such as indirect lighting) have an impact on their behavior (choices). The type of heat used to regulate the enclosure has an impact on their choices. How they lay in an enclosure speaks volumes about what is going on with a boa. A secure (mature) boa that is not digesting or developing new skin should be loosely spread out in his or her enclosure.

I'm not saying a secure adult boa will not or should not use a hide but I would be concerned if I walked up to a mature boa in my care that was tightly coiled or trying to hide on a regular basis.

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I am questioning the reason they seem to stop using their hides. Neither of us can be inside their hides to know for sure, nor can we be inside their cute scaly heads.

I merely explained what worked well for me & my large BCI pet, & that she appeared to use it out of enjoyment, not fear. Having a hide can reduce their stress because
they don't live out in the open in "real life" either. Can they survive without it? Sure. We can all "survive" without half "the stuff" we have, but the idea is to make lives
more comfortable, whether for ourselves or for our pets. I realize those who breed boas find hides are inconvenient, they're just one more thing to supply & then have to
wash, & may get in the way when snakes are trying to mate...I "get" all that. This forum is about sharing techniques that work for us & bring out the best in our pets, &
sometimes it helps to figure out WHY some things work better. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I am questioning the reason they seem to stop using their hides. Neither of us can be inside their hides to know for sure, nor can we be inside their cute scaly heads.

...
sometimes it helps to figure out WHY some things work better. ;)

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The use of hides, the temps they choose, where they choose to be in an enclosure, the affect lighting has and how these choices vary by the time of year with the climate offered, the differences made by age, what do they do when you spot clean the enclosure are some of the things that allow us to be in their heads...the choices they make. Our job is to interpret those choices.

I didn't mean for this to a be a urinating contest...I've been doing this a long time and I'm not a big breeder with a bunch of sweater boxes full of boas (-not that a properly sized opaque home can't be a good home because it can). I tell you this because I have been a student of reptiles by experimentation for most of my life and have yet to meet someone who has spent more time on WHY boas make choices. All adult boas here have 8 foot by 30 inch enclosures with in-floor heating. I've offered hides, lights, various forms of heat with cold sides to 65 and hot to 105, different substrates, climbing apparatus, swimming pools and experimented with the affects light plays in their choices and there is no question in my mind why adult boas will find less use for a hide.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bns

...I've been doing this a long time and I'm not a big breeder with a bunch of sweater boxes full of boas...

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Same here, though mostly not boas. I am very observant & very good at interpreting snake behavior. And this is a forum- there's no law that says we have to have the
same opinion. Cheers...