My new RTB...

[JimiSnakes]

I picked up this Columbian Red Tail at a Herp Society Show in Syracuse on Saturday. I only paid sixty bucks and she is excellent!

[IMG][/IMG]

[Shelby]

Lovely little girl! Congrats, boas are awesome.

[kraniumz]

Nice! Congratulations.

Dont forget to isolate and quarantine the boa. Boas can carry IBD and not be affected by it but may infect other pythons.

[Jeanne]

Beautiful boa! But definately do a strict qaurantine to be safe, IBD is not something you want to spread through your boids.

[JimiSnakes]

I'm not sure what IBD is, but as usual, you all have excellent advise to give. How long should I quarantine her? How will I know when it is safe to introduce her? --not like I probably would, her being so different and everything. Would they get along if I did?

[Shelby]

IBD is very serious.. It is Inclusion Body Disease. Always fatal to pythons, nearly always to boas if they get it from a carrier. I quarantine for at least 3 months.. but even still, a boa can carry IBD without showing signs. There is no reason to introduce your RTB to any of your other snakes (other than another RTB for breeding)

[JimiSnakes]

Always something new to worry about, huh? What are the signs for IBD? I don't have any pythons and I don't really intend on owning any, but I would hate my Boas to get sick. She was captive bread and hatched, does that matter?

[kraniumz]

Yeah IBD is like AIDS to human. Theres no cure for it. You can find out if your snake has it by sending him to the vet for hceck out.

[Shelby]

CBB makes no difference.

IF she shows signs they'd be stargazing, bad sense of balance (flipped on their back, it's hard to right themselves), chronic RI etc. However, they can be carriers and show no signs for years. It's a pain.

Actually, there is no way to diagnose IBD at the vet unless the snake is DEAD. Only way to tell is if the snake show signs, or if the snake passes it along to another snake.

Fortunately, reputable breeders will not breed/keep any snakes that carry IBD. While this does not rule out all possibility of the snake having it, it is somewhat unlikely. Don't worry too much about it.