Thinking about a BRB - Advice?

Hey all, I'm thinking about getting a Brazilian Rainbow Boa at a local expo this weekend. I've had a 70 qt tub set up for a while now to test things out and I just have a few questions to make sure my setup is correct.

First - I've read that there's no such thing as humidity that's too high for these snakes, especially hatchlings. I just want to confirm that's true! I've got the tub set up with cypress mulch substrate, a humid hide, a small water dish on the warm end, and a big water dish on the cool end. I've been able to keep the humidity right around 99% all week, and I've noticed condensation forming on the sides of the tub. I know these guys like it really wet, but I'm kinda worried about scale rot issues. Should I make a few more ventilation holes?

Next, I have a few questions about heating. I've got the tub set up with a heat mat on a thermostat set to 85. I know these snakes can be really sensitive to warm temperatures, but even with the heat mat and pretty thin substrate I'm only reading ambient temps at 75 on the warm end and at room temp on the cool end. I know hatchlings especially will burrow to reach the hot spot if they need to, and I know that overheating can be a big concern with these snakes, so am I good with just the heat mat? If I need to raise the ambient temp, I'm thinking about a low-watt ceramic heat emitter on a lamp stand above the tub. What's the best way to get the tub to the right temperature in your experience? I've heard so many horror stories of new BRB owners overheating their snakes that I'm a little paranoid, haha.

Thank you all for any advice!! These have been my dream snakes for years and I'm just over the moon thinking I might be getting one soon.

I have several BRB's and have bred them. Neonates need 90% or higher humidity so the cypress mulch is a good choice for substrate. If it's deep enough so they can burrow under it and you keep it damp (not sopping wet, damp) then you won't need a separate humid hide.

A heat mat set at 85*F is fine; they will burrow to the heat and they're quite sensible about thermo-regulating. Also it's high ambient temps that cause issues if they can't go somewhere else to cool off. I actually run my adults with a UTH set to 87-88*F, 75*F ambient (room temp), and when they digest they'll put their stomach area on the heat mat, with their head and tail off of it.

Babies tend to be nippy so expect to get tagged a lot for the first few months. Just don't react by putting the baby back into the tub when it bites you and eventually it will learn that biting doesn't make you go away.

Thank you so much for the advice, that helps a lot! I'll deepen the substrate layer a bit and go ahead and remove the humid hide. Glad to hear I'm fine with the heat mat, too!

I've heard they can be pretty nippy when they're little. I'll definitely be mindful of not putting it away after tags. I'm pretty glad I got a hognose first, my little guy is super high-strung and it took him like six months to figure out that bluff-striking at me won't make me put him up.

Thanks again, you've really put my mind at ease! There's a lot of conflicting advice out there about these guys and it's reminding me how grateful I am for this forum. There's nothing better than advice from people like you who really know what they're doing!

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Originally Posted by arpowell

Thank you so much for the advice, that helps a lot! I'll deepen the substrate layer a bit and go ahead and remove the humid hide. Glad to hear I'm fine with the heat mat, too!

I've heard they can be pretty nippy when they're little. I'll definitely be mindful of not putting it away after tags. I'm pretty glad I got a hognose first, my little guy is super high-strung and it took him like six months to figure out that bluff-striking at me won't make me put him up.

Thanks again, you've really put my mind at ease! There's a lot of conflicting advice out there about these guys and it's reminding me how grateful I am for this forum. There's nothing better than advice from people like you who really know what they're doing!

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I would leave the substrate over the UTH thin and place a hide over it. If the substrate is over the UTH and deep it can insulate the heat and get some really unsafe numbers at the bottom will the snake can....and probably will....dig to. The substrate over the UTH should be no more than 1/4 inch.

My BRB was in a nice fully set up cage with real plants but the pita would dig them all up rooting around and digging everywhere he could just destroying things. He is the reason he doesn't have nice things. He lost real plant privileges and lives on newspaper now.

BRBs have been something under my "distant future radar" ever since my experience with my BP when he was in his temporary tub home and I saw how stupidly easy it was to maintain high humidity in it. They seem like a nice "step up" from a BP (slightly bigger give or take, more challenging temperament but still workable, ect.).

That and the obvious fact that they're freaking gorgeous. :cool:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

BRBs have been something under my "distant future radar" ever since my experience with my BP when he was in his temporary tub home and I saw how stupidly easy it was to maintain high humidity in it. They seem like a nice "step up" from a BP (slightly bigger give or take, more challenging temperament but still workable, ect.).

That and the obvious fact that they're freaking gorgeous. :cool:

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Couldn't agree more! I've only put off getting one for so long because I thought the high humidity would be a challenge, but then about a week ago I decided to experiment with setting up a tub and it pretty much maintains itself in the high nineties with the right setup. It seems scary to hear that babies need upwards of 90%, definitely intimidated me, but it's not at all the struggle I expected it would be. Aside from them being, as you wonderfully put it, absolutely freaking gorgeous, I'm really looking forward to a more challenging snake and I'm excited for the learning experience before I eventually get some more advanced species years in the future.

Honestly, after my shy bp and my picky hognose, I'm just excited for a snake that'll (hopefully) eat well without me having to bend over backwards!

The expo Saturday really can't come fast enough, tomorrow is probably just going to drag for me. I'll definitely try to remember to post some pictures here if I do wind up getting a BRB at the expo!

My BRB eats like a champ. When I got him the previous owner was feeding live and it took me some time to get him to switch but now he's one of my best feeders. He just ate a rat while in shed that my Ball was going to refuse because she was in shed. I don't usually feed him during shed though. He just got lucky.

Mine is very inquisitive and climbs all over me when I bring him out. His strength will surprise you. He's not my biggest snake but he's one of the strongest.

He's only tagged me once in the stomach and it wasn't bad at all. His teeth are little compared to some of my others.

Overall I love my BRB and he's been a great addition to my collection.

Mine's a bit over 6ft and last time I weighed was a bit over 4.5 pounds.

They do love water and mine soaks the majority of the time.

Only hangup I have is that, with how much humidity they desire and my other thread about humidity in the basement leaching out of enclosure(s), would that make much of a difference compared to a BP where they don't need it practically dripping at all times?

You've gotten good advice so far. My BRB has never tried to tag me, even as a baby (she's a few years old now). Just keep the humidity as high as possible but balance that with making sure she has the option of relatively dry areas of substrate to choose - you want that high humidity but you don't want substrate that is soaking wet or that produces pools of water on the bottom of the enclosure.

I know you know this but I'll emphasize it just because it'll make me feel better, lol - don't ever let temps go above 85. My girl never actually uses her 85F spot - she hangs out in areas of the enclosure ranging from 75-78F.

One note I always add when chatting with people who want a BRB - be sure you are clear about your own expectations. These are shy snakes, and while it's true that they are incredibly beautiful, they are active at dawn/dusk or at night, and they are happiest when totally buried under their substrate. If you want a BRB because they are gorgeous and you think you'll get to see her a lot, that just isn't at all likely. I adore my BRB girl, but I love her as she is and understand that getting to see her is a rare gift.

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

One note I always add when chatting with people who want a BRB - be sure you are clear about your own expectations. These are shy snakes, and while it's true that they are incredibly beautiful, they are active at dawn/dusk or at night, and they are happiest when totally buried under their substrate. If you want a BRB because they are gorgeous and you think you'll get to see her a lot, that just isn't at all likely. I adore my BRB girl, but I love her as she is and understand that getting to see her is a rare gift.

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Mine is not shy at all. He's always coming out to check what I'm doing. He's into everything.

Mine did dig a lot but he never really hid under the substrate, my Cen Am Boa does all the time though, and uses his hide, his pool, or will just lay out in the open. If his pool is in there that's where I'll usually find him.

Maybe he's weird though.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Mine is not shy at all. He's always coming out to check what I'm doing. He's into everything.

Mine did dig a lot but he never really hid under the substrate, my Cen Am Boa does all the time though, and uses his hide, his pool, or will just lay out in the open. If his pool is in there that's where I'll usually find him.

Maybe he's weird though.

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Yet another example of 'every snake is different!' My BRB has only recently (after a few years) started emerging a bit and resting with her head on the edge of the open enclosure door. In my other snakes, this is typically the first step of their gradually becoming more outgoing, but we'll see. It's up to her.

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

One note I always add when chatting with people who want a BRB - be sure you are clear about your own expectations. These are shy snakes, and while it's true that they are incredibly beautiful, they are active at dawn/dusk or at night, and they are happiest when totally buried under their substrate. If you want a BRB because they are gorgeous and you think you'll get to see her a lot, that just isn't at all likely. I adore my BRB girl, but I love her as she is and understand that getting to see her is a rare gift.

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Oh, totally! I'm absolutely not expecting a "display animal" at all. I'm prepared to meet the snake where it's at. Aside from being beautiful (which I understand is just a plus), I'm mostly looking forward to a snake that'll hopefully be a good enough eater to help cut down on food waste from my pickier snakes and will be a good introduction to decent-sized boas before I think about larger species in the future. Thanks for all your tips!!

I also almost completely forgot to ask - the BRB will be my first boa, so are there any special precautions I should be taking? I'm planning to quarantine for at least 90 days and test for IBD before I move the snake to my snake room, but is there anything else I should be aware of? I've heard mixed advice on whether to quarantine for 90 days or up to a year, and I'm planning on playing it safe with a year-long quarantine if you all recommend that.

Since you are planning on getting the snake screened for IBD, 90 days should be fine. For me, at least, long quarantine times are because the viral diseases I am most worried about can take time to show themselves (understanding that some snakes can even be asymptomatic carriers). But 90 days + waiting for the screening results should be fine. Aside from mites, which you'd pick up on pretty quickly, there isn't much else that would worry me. If others here disagree, please correct me!

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

One note I always add when chatting with people who want a BRB - be sure you are clear about your own expectations. These are shy snakes, and while it's true that they are incredibly beautiful, they are active at dawn/dusk or at night, and they are happiest when totally buried under their substrate. If you want a BRB because they are gorgeous and you think you'll get to see her a lot, that just isn't at all likely. I adore my BRB girl, but I love her as she is and understand that getting to see her is a rare gift.

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Oh dear. I already have a BP that never sees the light of day, perhaps I should reconsider my options. :rofl:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Oh dear. I already have a BP that never sees the light of day, perhaps I should reconsider my options. :rofl:

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There's no such thing as a perfect snake- just like us, they all have their quirks. The best thing to do though is learn all you can about any species you're considering so you're aware of the main pro's & con's- then don't be surprised if you get an "exception" anyway. :rofl: Snakes never read the manuals we write about them. :rolleyes:

Welp, I walked into the expo this morning prepared to leave with a BRB and no one had any! Piles of Columbians but no Brazilians. I've been going to this expo every few months for years and this is the first time I've been unable to find BRBs, too! There are usually loads of them here; go figure, right?

I decided to hold off getting anything at the expo and I'm planning to just order a BRB online now. I've had my eye on one for a while that was born in late April, so a more well-established little guy. It'll be my first experience buying a snake online - I've bought and sold tons of bearded dragons online but always close enough that I could drive to drop off and pick up, so it'll be a new experience with having a snake shipped to me. Hopefully it'll go well, and it'll arrive in time to be a nice late Hanukkah present to myself.

I'll update you all and maybe post a progress thread once the snake arrives. :)

I've had a few snakes shipped to me with no problems, but honestly, I wouldn't do it at this time of year- what with the known shipping delays even without those usually attributed to the holidays, and also the risks of shipping in very cold weather. Any delays could be risky for your new snake.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I've had a few snakes shipped to me with no problems, but honestly, I wouldn't do it at this time of year- what with the known shipping delays even without those usually attributed to the holidays, and also the risks of shipping in very cold weather. Any delays could be risky for your new snake.

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Ooh, that's a good point. My area has been in the 60s Fahrenheit at the coldest so I didn't even think about the weather being too cold. Might be okay if the weather stays warm, and if I'm able to avoid shipping delays by some miracle, but you're right, I probably won't risk it until the new year.

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Originally Posted by arpowell

Ooh, that's a good point. My area has been in the 60s Fahrenheit at the coldest so I didn't even think about the weather being too cold. Might be okay if the weather stays warm, and if I'm able to avoid shipping delays by some miracle, but you're right, I probably won't risk it until the new year.

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Yeah, it really depends on the temps where both you & the sender are- and some breeders/sellers won't ship in the winter (when it's really cold)- just safer for the snake to avoid it.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Yeah, it really depends on the temps where both you & the sender are- and some breeders/sellers won't ship in the winter (when it's really cold)- just safer for the snake to avoid it.

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Absolutely reasonable. If the weather's still warm here and in the seller's area after the holiday shipping rush dies down (which I doubt), I might go for it, but honestly since we have an expo in my city every other month I'll probably just wait for February's expo. Frustrating not to come home with a snake today, sure, but it's worth it for a healthy snake!

Unexpected but exciting news...a vendor I'd been talking to at the expo a few weeks back heard I was looking for a BRB and put me in touch with a local breeder in a city that's only about an hour and a half's drive away. I'll be going to pick up a baby tomorrow!

Here's the baby I'll be getting. He's about four months old so he's pretty well-established, and he's apparently the biggest out of his litter. I'm beyond excited! :D

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/uB42qyg.jpg

Wow, he looks alert & eager to meet life head-on. Such pretty serpents....:D

He’s GORGEOUS! I’m glad it worked out well for you! Congratulations!!

Hey everyone, I wanted to give you all a very sad update. I picked up the snake almost two weeks ago, and everything seemed to be going great, but when I checked on him this morning I found he'd passed during the night. I suppose I just wanted to share with people who will understand what I'm feeling right now and see if you all could give me any insight into what might have happened.

All the parameters were the same as when I posted looking for advice here, and I had the tub set up for over a month before I got him so everything was steady. 85 degree hotspot with heat mat, ambient around 75, constant humidity in the high 90s.

Everything seemed to be going very well. He was in blue when I picked him up, and after about a week he gave me a perfect shed. It was textbook perfect, all in one piece, eye caps and tail tip and everything. I was obviously really encouraged by this and took it as a sign everything was going well. I tried to feed him a few days later, and he wasn't interested - but the seller had told me he'd been a bit reluctant to switch to f/t and had eaten earlier in the week before I got him, so I wasn't overly concerned and I just assumed he needed more time to settle in. I knew BRBs often like to stay hidden, and that was the case with him - I never noticed him acting agitated or roaming around his enclosure during the day, or doing any behaviors that would have raised red flags with me.

I'm honestly trying to look for anything that seemed off with him, but genuinely nothing ever did. Yesterday he seemed absolutely fine; this morning he was gone. I'm at a total loss for what I did wrong - aside from him not showing an interest in food (and, since I didn't even have him for two weeks, I'd only ever offered once), everything seemed perfect. My only guess is that he had some sickness or weakness that only showed up once his little system was compromised with the stress of moving to a new home. The suddenness with which he crashed makes me think it wasn't anything I did, but it's hard not to blame yourself when these things happen.

There most likely wasn't anything you could have done. Sometimes, especially when they are young, they could have health problems that are incompatible with life and not your fault. My daughter had a corn snake that passed suddenly when it was just couple of months old. I'm sorry it had to happen to you but it WASN'T YOUR FAULT, I'm sure.
*hugs*

I agree with Spicey's post- I'm so sorry you lost this little guy- but I doubt it was yours or anyone's fault- sometimes the young snakes just "fail to thrive" for various internal, unseen issues.

So sorry for your loss. :( It seems very unfair that this happened to someone with snake experience & who seemed well-prepared to give this one all the right care. I would let the source know what happened.

Thank you both, I really needed to hear that!

It feels doubly unfair because both of my current snakes are rescues I got through a local reptile rescue I volunteer with, and I knew when I took them in there was a very good chance they wouldn't make it, so it's ironic that this happened to the one snake I actually bought for myself with the assumption he'd be healthy. It sucks to lose a dream snake so suddenly and miss out on what should have been many happy years with him, but I know I still have two awesome, thriving snakes and there will be another BRB for me sometime in the future.

I've already texted the seller to let him know what happened. I don't blame him at all, and totally agree this most likely wasn't anyone's fault, but I'd want to know if I was him, and I know he has a huge collection so I definitely don't want any of his other snakes getting sick if it was a case of something contagious. I'll also be trashing all of the boa's stuff and plan on totally disinfecting the room he was in just to be safe - he obviously never graduated from quarantine so there weren't any common supplies or anything between him and my other snakes, but I really don't want to risk anything getting passed on to them.

Good call.

FWIW, a BRB is next on my "gotta have it list", so if you find another one you can bet I'll be following the adventures of your danger noodle closely!

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Originally Posted by arpowell

Thank you both, I really needed to hear that!

It feels doubly unfair because both of my current snakes are rescues I got through a local reptile rescue I volunteer with, and I knew when I took them in there was a very good chance they wouldn't make it, so it's ironic that this happened to the one snake I actually bought for myself with the assumption he'd be healthy. It sucks to lose a dream snake so suddenly and miss out on what should have been many happy years with him, but I know I still have two awesome, thriving snakes and there will be another BRB for me sometime in the future.

I've already texted the seller to let him know what happened. I don't blame him at all, and totally agree this most likely wasn't anyone's fault, but I'd want to know if I was him, and I know he has a huge collection so I definitely don't want any of his other snakes getting sick if it was a case of something contagious. I'll also be trashing all of the boa's stuff and plan on totally disinfecting the room he was in just to be safe - he obviously never graduated from quarantine so there weren't any common supplies or anything between him and my other snakes, but I really don't want to risk anything getting passed on to them.

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When I re-read your early post about finding this snake- that he was actually about 4 mos. old- that's even more surprising that he died so suddenly, & I'm really sad for you- what an awful shock.

It shouldn't have happened, & it makes me think that he may have been exposed to something so I'm glad you're taking precautions. I'm trying to remember what issues have shown up with some BRB's, but alas, my memory isn't cooperating on this one. Plus, from what you said, nothing seemed wrong at all. I'm glad you let the seller know- it might be that some of his animals were exposed to something at an expo- it can happen. Anyway, I hope your new year holds much better luck- you (not to mention this little BRB) deserved better.

Yeah, that's the most frustrating thing about this whole situation - it really was a case of me feeling great about him one day (and why wouldn't I? Perfect shed, no abnormal behavior, everything in the enclosure seemed locked in, and I figured he'd eat for me with time) and then finding him gone the next. I've tried researching to see if I can find any information about what might have happened, but it's difficult because, aside from him not eating, I didn't notice a single thing wrong. He didn't overheat, he definitely wasn't dehydrated, I checked him over for any obvious injuries...I'm at a loss.

I'm still waiting to hear from the seller, but I'm hoping he might have some clue as to what went wrong. I obviously don't have experience with BRBs, so maybe there was some sign of him becoming sick that I overlooked. Or he might have noticed something in his collection; I know he goes to expos and has a job working with reptiles, so that's definitely a possibility.

When I do try again with a BRB in the future, I think I'm going to seek out a yearling, just to ease my mind a bit. I'm looking forward to the day I'm able to post a success story here. And I can't say how much I appreciate you all - lots of people in my life don't understand getting upset over the loss of a snake.

Oh hey, these are such beautiful creatures, & it hurts to lose one! Especially "out of the blue" like this was- I'd have been shocked also. Snakes are very stoic about symptoms, & nothing you mentioned was a red flag- not even the lack of appetite from such a new snake. I know all too well how little sympathy most people have about things like this. (I have no experience with BRBs either, btw.)

I had my first BRB clutch this year, and all 17 little ones are eating like it is going out of style -- all on FT, and many started on FT. Not sure what's normal with these guys, but my adults have always been strong reliable feeders too.