Phantom: Super Ghost BCI Progression Thread

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

That size is bigger than what I feed as well, my boas are only on hopper mice every 10-14 days at the size he arrived at. As long as it leaves little to no bump immediately after swallowing, then that's the size I'd aim for. :)


He's a good-looking boy, congrats! I believe I've seen the name Chausmer before.


For feeding, I generally just warm up the prey item enough that it isn't cold. I don't heat it to body temp or anything. Some may like it warmed, and I usually just soak them in hot tap water for a couple minutes to acheive this, since it warms them throughout and not just the surface. Most boas will greet you at the door and take the food as soon as it's in front of them, but if your boa is a little shyer, you'll just have to work out what is best for your individual.


Glad to hear his first feeding went well, I haven't had a new boa constrictor refuse yet, though it does happen. haha


For the bite, yeah, it's possible he just got too much. I don't handle my snakes daily, maybe once or twice a month for 5-15 mins at a time, maybe once or twice a week at most. Some snakes can easily get overwhelmed with daily handling, especially with lots of people around. At least you found out baby snake bites aren't that bad. lol The blood can be surprising, since they bleed more than they should due to the anticoagulants in their saliva. It can also cause a very minor allergic reaction, usually no worse than the bite being slightly red and raised, similar to a mosquito bite but not as bad.


Sometimes boas can panic a bit when getting them out. Generally, so long as you let them anchor themselves to you and keep them feeling as secure as possible, they'll calm right down once they come out. The key is letting them grip themselves to you, and take it at their pace getting them untangled. On the other hand, many babies will be flighty/bitey/hissy while they're small. With a couple years to gain some size, they generally gain confidence and tame out, especially as you become more familiar with how to handle them in a way they like. If you have a strong feeling of "I should wait another day to handle," definitely follow that intuition, though. If you're worried about getting bit, it can make the snake nervous, too.

Sounds like everything is falling into place as you get a feel for him, here's to many more years together!

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Appreciate the time you spent to address the needs of caring for my 1st Boa! As for food size, I just went with the size my breeder was feeding and what others on this forum had suggested. I haven't taken a notice of the 'bump' size after he's swallowed because I've always tried to avoid disturbing him; especially since he drags the food into his hide. Maybe that's the cautious BP owner in me. Anyways, I would definitely like to avoid 'power feeding' him with too large of prey because of health concerns and I'm not really looking for a monster size snake either ;)

Good suggestions on handling techniques. My BP is so docile and lethargic which makes him easy to handle but the BOA is very inquisitive and likes to move about so I often find myself trying to determine which end I should be trying to support. Sometimes he gets a really good anchor with his tail and other times I'm worried that he might slip off my arm. I guess this will come w/ experience.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Appreciate the time you spent to address the needs of caring for my 1st Boa! As for food size, I just went with the size my breeder was feeding and what others on this forum had suggested. I haven't taken a notice of the 'bump' size after he's swallowed because I've always tried to avoid disturbing him; especially since he drags the food into his hide. Maybe that's the cautious BP owner in me. Anyways, I would definitely like to avoid 'power feeding' him with too large of prey because of health concerns and I'm not really looking for a monster size snake either ;)

Good suggestions on handling techniques. My BP is so docile and lethargic which makes him easy to handle but the BOA is very inquisitive and likes to move about so I often find myself trying to determine which end I should be trying to support. Sometimes he gets a really good anchor with his tail and other times I'm worried that he might slip off my arm. I guess this will come w/ experience.

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Understandable, it’s best to be low-profile with newcomers. I do generally feed smaller meals, but he’ll probably grow into the mice quick even if they’re a tad large, there isn’t a huge difference between hoppers and small mice.

Unfortunately, boas will get to whatever size they’re meant to. Lol Small snakes will stay small, large ones will get large, though it may take longer if you feed less. Being male, you *most likely* won’t have an overly large snake. :)

They’re definitely much different, usually the tail is a good bet, but they’ll use pretty much any part of their body. Just follow their body movements and trust their intuition. If they actually start to slip, I’d catch them, but most are really good at it so long as their whole body is supported as much as possible.


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So I had an odd feeding experience with Phantom tonight. He’s been an excellent eater, always reacting and striking the mouse seconds after presenting it to him. Tonight was a little bit different. He remained in his hide during the food presentation. I could see the side of his body from the opening of the hide so I assumed his head might be tucked in the back. Probably a no no but I decided to lift up the hide and present the food (something I learned not to do with my BP but those are two different animals with entirely different feeding responses). He never struck at the prey but followed it up and down the walls of his tub. He then proceeded to gently open his mouth and take the prey. When I tried to lay the hide back down, it startled him a little bit and he dropped the prey from his mouth. I then had to go through the same process and he gently grabbed it again. Here’s a picture after the 2nd grab.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c076ffd8ff.jpg

Has anyone witnessed this feeding response before? My 1st thought was maybe he was going into shed since he hasn’t shed since he arrived 6-7 weeks ago but I haven’t noticed any signs.


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Are temps the same? Humidity dead on?

Could be shed coming.

How often are feeding again?

When was the last time you handled him?

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Originally Posted by dakski

Are temps the same? Humidity dead on?

Could be shed coming.

How often are feeding again?

When was the last time you handled him?

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I don’t foresee the temps being any different because nothing has changed. I haven’t taken any floor temps recently but I will see the temp gauge inside the cage stays fairly consistent. Humidity is reading in the low to mid 70s.

I feed an adult mouse every 7-9 days. He’s had I believe two poops since I got him. I cut back my handling to every other day outside of the feeding window. Held him yesterday and he was very docile.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

I don’t foresee the temps being any different because nothing has changed. I haven’t taken any floor temps recently but I will see the temp gauge inside the cage stays fairly consistent. Humidity is reading in the low to mid 70s.

I feed an adult mouse every 7-9 days. He’s had I believe two poops since I got him. I cut back my handling to every other day outside of the feeding window. Held him yesterday and he was very docile.

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If room temps have changed, tank temps can as well. I've had to adjust my thermostats slightly here in CT the past week as temps dropped from the 90's to the high 60's. House temp dropped a few degrees and fast.

Try to make a habit of checking enclosure floor temps daily or every other day. Very important to check before a meal to ensure they are not too hot or too cool so Phantom can digest properly.

That would be my first guess.

He could also be having an off day.

Also, weather can affect their mood and feed response. Any bad weather coming through?

Just my initial thoughts.

I've left the prey item in there for my BCI, Behira, before and she ate it. Now that she's totally settled, it's hard to get it in the darn tank before she strikes!

As you mentioned, lifting the hide is generally a no-no. Especially for shy snakes like young animals and BP's in general.

My corns could care less, but in general, I try to avoid it with all my snakes.

I took a couple of pictures with my iPhone during a handling session which by the way have been going great. Phantom does this thing (not sure if it’s a Boa thing) where he tries to bump and nudge his head repeatedly into my hand. This time he wrapped himself so tight that I could feel my hand losing circulation. Good thing he’s still small ;)



https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b14faf0026.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...57aae917bb.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...90a005a19b.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...5425db1948.jpg

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dd86d78c38.jpg


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

So I had an odd feeding experience with Phantom tonight. He’s been an excellent eater, always reacting and striking the mouse seconds after presenting it to him. Tonight was a little bit different. He remained in his hide during the food presentation. I could see the side of his body from the opening of the hide so I assumed his head might be tucked in the back. Probably a no no but I decided to lift up the hide and present the food (something I learned not to do with my BP but those are two different animals with entirely different feeding responses). He never struck at the prey but followed it up and down the walls of his tub. He then proceeded to gently open his mouth and take the prey. When I tried to lay the hide back down, it startled him a little bit and he dropped the prey from his mouth. I then had to go through the same process and he gently grabbed it again. Here’s a picture after the 2nd grab.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...c076ffd8ff.jpg

Has anyone witnessed this feeding response before? My 1st thought was maybe he was going into shed since he hasn’t shed since he arrived 6-7 weeks ago but I haven’t noticed any signs.


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My boa and BP’s typically strike and wrap just like the prey is still alive, even though I’ve been feeding f/t for years. However my female corn does exactly what you’ve described. She gently takes the prey and starts eating. One of my other corns will not strike from the hemastats, but will pick the prey up from the floor and starts swallowing. My male corn is 50/50, sometimes he strikes and constricts and sometimes just gently takes it and starts swallowing.

Ckuhn003,

Phantom looks awesome. Glad he is doing well and settling down for you.

I think he's going to be an awesome and docile guy for you. You just needed to give him some time and not overwhelm him.

If he's still chill for another few weeks, you can probably go to holding him 3-4X a week instead of 2-3X. You can also try holding him for up to 15 minutes instead of 10, etc.

I think you know how to read him now and he's demonstrated he appreciates the respect and care. Keep up the good work.

By the way, if you think he's strong now, just wait!

Looking really good ckuhn003
The power even in a small boa is really noticeable. Now you know why there food doesn't get away very easy

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