is it safe to handle boa in cool room and for how long? 65 degrees...

[walt]

like it states i am wondering about the safety of taking my boa from her enclosure of 80 plus to a cool room for handling in our house in winter as its a bit cool. thoughts? how long? thanks. Walt

[Bogertophis]

Personally, I'd avoid doing that unless you make some modifications. I had a large BCI for many years, & my house is set to 70* in winter. She enjoyed wrapping around me while I watched a movie, & while she got some warmth from me, I also used a heating pad under her & also a blanket over her to hold in my heat & that of the heating pad. She obviously enjoyed that (so did I) & my biggest challenge was getting her back into her enclosure. My BCI remained healthy, so I'd say that worked fine for me- the longest she was out like that was about 3.5 hours- and I'm sure boas experience similar conditions in the wild too, so as long as yours is healthy to start with, maybe this would work for you too. Just keep in mind that 65* is cooler still- maybe a portable heat lamp nearby would work for you? Or a small space heater?

[bcr229]

That's exactly what I do if I have mine out and it happens to be cool - put the snake over a shoulder or behind my neck, then put on a lightweight fleece open-front shirt/jacket over top. After a minute or so most of them figure out it's a pretty comfortable place to perch and they're happy to stay put.

[Bogertophis]

My BCI enjoyed shoulders too, but for a longer time, it worked much better to let her encircle my waist like a massive belt. In the summer, I would sometimes take a stroll outside with her around my waist also, with minimal support from my hands, so she was already quite familiar with using me as "furniture", lol.

[EL-Ziggy]

65 is a bit cool for boas. I wouldn’t have them out for longer than 15-20 minutes at that temperature.

[dakski]

Walt,

My basement/living space/reptile area is usually about 68F during the winter +/-. I will take my boas out for short periods - 10 to 15 minutes - to handle and/or put in a storage container to clean their tank etc. I try not to make it longer than that.

I will say a few things.

1. 65F is cold. Even a few degrees would make a big difference. 68-72F would me make say 20-30 minutes (or more) is okay a few times a week as long as they are close to your warmth. 10-15 minutes for a holding period while you clean, etc.

2. Boas (particularly BI's - do you know what kind of Boa you have?) are pretty tough. I would be more inclined to keep an older boa (not a young one - more vulnerable) out for a few extra minutes in those conditions than some other snakes. Namely, my carpet python and probably my ball python too. My corn snakes are the exception where they could be out for a bit in 68F. This is based on experience as well as from taking to people who breed boas and pythons. Boas are tough....assuming their conditions are ideal the rest of the time and they are in good health to start.

3. See the last sentence in #2. "Boas are tough....assuming their conditions are ideal the rest of the time and they are in good health to start."

4. I would be worried about humidity as well. Cold and dry are not ideal for long periods for higher temp and higher humidity snakes. Again, the time frames we are discussing above, no issues. If you spend a few times a week with your boa hanging on you in 65F weather and keep them warm under clothing, etc., I'd still be worried if it's really dry in the room. Again, boas are tough and humidity can drop in the winter for them in general (my boas are are around 50-60% in the winter and 60-70% in the summer because of the heat I use in my house, outside temps and humidity here in the NE USA, etc). I would not keep them below 50% and when it gets that "dry," I mist and raise humidity when in shed.

I applaud you for asking the question and wanting what's best for your snake. Better to ask than make assumptions.

Good luck and keep us posted.

David