Picked up an adoption...

[Kris Mclaughlin]

So... I'm fairly new here and have my precious bp named shiva and she's amazing! But... A friend, well more former friend now I think, bought a very pretty red tail from petco maybe 2 months ago now. The snake was about 1ft long and believed to only be a few weeks old. 125 for the thing!!! Hooooly CRAP!!!! Says I... He claims they ordered the snake for him... I call bullcrap...

Anyways... I now have the snake... Remember the tiny toons cartoon with the little girl that smothered and killed everything... Yeah... The snake never got to really see her own tank, was put on everything from a dogs back to multiple hot ass car hoods, hes so rough with the thing man... Like shed be coiled up on my hand and actually calming down and he's like yoink! And just rips her off... Man... This poor thing...

The issue... Poor mocha(yes I named her) is about 2 ft now and has a huuuuge soft lump on the top of her head on the right side... The entire lobe is covered to the corner of her eye... Sometimes it swells sometimes it recedes... It's been there since he got the snake... Eep I know... She gives me no issues eating medium frozen mice(he couldn't get her to eat like at all) and sheds just fine. Touching the lump, she flips out! I will post pictures of the snake and the tank I got her in shortly... Oh, when he brought her to my house yesterday and I saw her spine stick out the length of her body I tweaked and his gf and mine surprisingly made him hand her over... I'm really hoping this isnt a bunk snake. She only calms down when I handle her...

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As you can tell I've taken care of her on and off since he got her

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Got yelled at for swears... My apologies...

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Ok.. Trying to put up pics... Pardon if it takes a few posts... I got a new iPhone and the tapatalk app and I do nooooooot get along





















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The top pic is how her cage is now... It needs a lot of changes and better... Well bigger cool side hides... Idk ppl... Any help for the poor girl is great

[Vypyrz]

Congratulations on giving her a new home. I did not know that Petco dealt in Boas, and that one is a Hypo, which normally go for more than $125, so the price could be due to the lump. As far as the lump goes, without knowing who the original breeder was, the only way to find out whether or not it is a birth defect in the jaw, or some type of abcess or infection is to take her to a vet. If it is a birth defect, but she eats and thrives, then no problems. But, if it is some type of infection, then it will need to be treated...

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Thanks! That's what I figured... I'm in the process of cleaning the tank and giving her a nice camo wraping paper backdrop until I can buy or make better items for her enclosure... She's too big to fit under the cheapie lizard wood hides lol.

The tank comin along...

[Vypyrz]

I prefer the black plastic type hides from Reptile Basics. I stay away from the wooden hides for one reason. Once they get poop or urine on them, they are almost impossible to get clean...

[Kris Mclaughlin]

Well... Today was feeding day and all went well. The little boa always loved me(usually only calm with me for some reason???). The ball just stepped up to small rats yay!!! But he still fed the boa pinkies and I have her nomming down medium frozen mice with no issue. Eeeexcellent... Changed the tank around did a full cleaning top to bottom. I only use aspen so yup... The wood fixtures by the way are going to be vacating the tank ASAP! Mold and feces... No good man... What can I make a hide from? I just kind of threw the shelf together last second out of recycled wood from a old trailer that got torn down and a piece of pool floor lol... Poor man skills what can I say? The balls out as usual hoggin the attention and the poor boa is stilling seclusion most of the time but gets social when she feels like it. He swore she wouldn't eat a frozen but I'm just glad she ate good

[Daybreaker]

Do you practice quarantine? I would put the new boa in a separate room from your other snake(s) until you figure out about the bump and make sure she's in good health since you just got her. There's a sticky on this site that explains proper QT procedures.

[DooLittle]

Hope I did this right...

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?p=867473

Thanks Mike!
Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

[BFE Pets]

Congrats on the rescue. Seriously glad shes in a better home. I rescued a dumerils boa last week and love her. As for hides.... I goto Walmart and get free boxes that cases of food come in. I.e. empty poptart cases work well. make sure they arent chemical boxes. I use these while the animal is in qt. A.) Cheap as in free and B.) Disposable.