Is Somthing Wrong???? Please Help!!

My rtb is not active at all during day or night. He dosent even thurmolegulate(sp) the only times he changes hides is when i take him out of a hide (hot side) to handle him (wich he is avtive) and when i put him back he goes to the cool side hide. When he was in his old cage he would move hot side to cool side. So i really dont know whats going on.The reson i thought he wasent active was becouse he only has the hides, water bowl, and a small rock in his cage so maybe he thinks his cage is boring. So i cleaned his cage and put a paper towl tube and a bow with holes cut out in it, and crumpeld newspaper. I just put him back in his cage and he went right back to his hide!!!!!!!!!!!


The
scond thing is he used to poo on his own (once a month) but the last time he pood was 5/21/07 and i had to put him in a bath tub. At first i thought it was normal becouse he was eating 2 adult mice a week for 3 weaks before 5/21/07 (and some people say the fur couses the snake to be constipated(sp)). But he has been on small rats since 5/31/07 and its know 6/18/07 and he still hasent pood. I have had him for 5 months and with know problems tell know. And all his poos have bean dark.

SO IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY RTB?????????? PLEASE HELP

Haha, you'd be surprised how much we get to talk about poo here!

At this stage in the game there is probably little to worry about, he may just be building up for a monster poo after his next shed. I think constipation is not too far behind the skipped meal ordeal when it comes to problems snake keepers over worry about. Now if he doesnt poo for say, another few weeks then I would definitely head to a vets office, but right now.... I think your fine.

Does he eat? How often does he eat? And are his stools runny?

Maybe you should just take him to the vet to make sure he's ok. Even if there's nothing wrong, just take him for a checkup.

What about the inactive part????

a happy ball python is a ball python you never see. most of the time mine will only sit on the cool side and will only hit up the warm side after a meal to aid in digestion. What are your temps looking like? How are you controlling them?

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

a happy ball python is a ball python you never see. most of the time mine will only sit on the cool side and will only hit up the warm side after a meal to aid in digestion. What are your temps looking like? How are you controlling them?

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Yeah but it's a boa ;)

well, to go back to the poo part real quick- from what i understand, rats are more nutritious than mice. so he probably doesn't need to poo as much because he's getting more from substance from the rats. i hope that makes sense.

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Originally Posted by bpkid

Yeah but it's a boa ;)

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oops... slipped out. i know i know... *needs smiley were i hit myself*

however my RTB doesnt use hides, yet he acts the same. Just chills on the cool side until he eats. Other than that he'll only go to the warm side if my ambients drop a few from the a/c. however it's nothing more than 3-4 degrees total. And belly temps stay constant.

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Originally Posted by Christina

well, to go back to the poo part real quick- rats are more nutritious than mice. so he probably doesn't need to poo as much because he's getting more from substance from the rats. i hope that makes sense.

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by the numbers a rat is more nutritious, however equivalent sized meals should take roughly the same time to digest. Even so, I dont believe there to be any real difference in snakey bahavior due to the mice/rat argument.

the first thing to do is take a deep breath. it's good to worry because it shows you care, but you seemed totally worked into a tizzy. if you have things set up correctly, the snake will know what temps it wants to be at. mine never move... ever... well the male does, but the only time i see the female is when i feed her.
poo is poo, sometimes it's regular sometimes it's not. a snake can digest and excrete in as little as a week, or as long as they want which in the case of blood pythons is long, but a boa not going for a month is no reason to worry too much unless something else seems off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

by the numbers a rat is more nutritious, however equivalent sized meals should take roughly the same time to digest. Even so, I dont believe there to be any real difference in snakey bahavior due to the mice/rat argument.

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rats also have more roughage depending on size, so by all means it should be quicker and more. but really it won't make a difference. and there should be no difference in excrement due to more nutritional value.

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

oops... slipped out. i know i know... *needs smiley were i hit myself*.

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Right here buddy, :stupidme: ! Haha.

Good luck to the OP.

Make sure that all of your temps are correct..
that usually helps with the passing part.

Other than that,
sometimes RTB's just "dont feel like it" when it comes to being active.
I know my girls go through those spurts

thanks guys for all the replys. the temps are good so i can stop worring.

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Originally Posted by qiksilver

rats also have more roughage depending on size, so by all means it should be quicker and more. but really it won't make a difference. and there should be no difference in excrement due to more nutritional value.

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If you really want to get into the nitty gritty... the thicker skin and the longer hair causes it to take longer for digestive fluids to get to where they do their business, however the difference when it comes to the poo would be at max a day extra. I don't think a day is anything to worry about at all when it comes to constipation for a snake.

thnx Shaun, I figured we may have had one in our labyrinth of smilies. lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

If you really want to get into the nitty gritty... the thicker skin and the longer hair causes it to take longer for digestive fluids to get to where they do their business, however the difference when it comes to the poo would be at max a day extra. I don't think a day is anything to worry about at all when it comes to constipation for a snake.

thnx Shaun, I figured we may have had one in our labyrinth of smilies. lol

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i was referring to what you had quoted in that, sorry it was confusing, saying that more nutritious in no way means less excrement.

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Originally Posted by qiksilver

i was referring to what you had quoted in that, sorry it was confusing, saying that more nutritious in no way means less excrement.

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AHHH I see... confusion makes things interesting. lol. Just no shouting, I have a hungry snake I'll sic on you!

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Originally Posted by Gooseman

AHHH I see... confusion makes things interesting. lol. Just no shouting, I have a hungry snake I'll sic on you!

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EEK!

(my first shout of the night, does it count if it was more scared/surprised?)

Your gonna have to ask absinthe... all I know is that sound kicks in his hunting instincts...

he'll have to get past my guard rainbow boa first! thing will bite anything haha

just checking if my temos are good.

Hot side air-85
hotside ground-88
coolside air-79
coolside ground-77

NIGHT

hot side air-80-82
hotside ground-83-86
cool side air and ground-76-77

http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_011.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_007.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_006.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_004.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_003.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_002.jpg
http://redtailboa.net/pp/data/500/medium/monty_001.jpg

How are you taking these temperatures? what thermometer do you use?

2 acurite thermometers(sp). 1 on each end of the cage. whay is somthing wrong???

that is good. I was just making sure you are using hte right kind of thermometer.