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  1. #1
    Registered User ctenosaura's Avatar
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    Skinny Tarahumara

    I picked up this unpapered Tarahumara female about a month ago which I am keeping as my garage pet. Super sweet outgoing disposition but seems kinda skinny. It’s had 3 meals since I had it and previous owner said he fed it every three weeks.

    Questions:
    Does it take time to put on weight?
    Does she (red arrow) look to be correct weight compared to male (blue arrow)

    Thanks


  2. #2
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    Images: 11
    How old?
    How often are you feeding?

    More photos from an angle would have been helpful but she does looks skinny from this angle...not desperate though.

    You may get suggestions on check for parasites, take it to the vet, etc. I wouldn't do any of that...If the boa is underfed and eating the best thing you can do is move feedings to 10 days. Don't rush it. Give that boa a proper temp gradient and leave it alone other than feeding, water and enclosure cleanings for a few months on that schedule. Then re-evaluate.

    Yes it will take some time to get some weight on.
    Last edited by bns; 10-11-2020 at 10:29 AM.

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  4. #3
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    Quote Originally Posted by ctenosaura View Post
    ... which I am keeping as my garage pet....



    As already noted by bns, snakes gain weight slowly over time, with better quality food fed at closer intervals, assuming she doesn't have any health issues causing her to be underweight. That she was fed every 3 weeks may be the only issue...I hope so.
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 10-11-2020 at 11:35 AM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

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  6. #4
    Registered User ctenosaura's Avatar
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    Bns, Bogertophis, Thanks, sounds like good advice. I was considering taking a fecal sample to the vet since I don't think a vet could assess anything more than I could but looking at her, but I'll wait and feed every 7 to 10 days. All my other boas are fed every two weeks. I assumed the snake was 1 year old, but if fed every three weeks, it actually could be 2 years old. Its head is a lot bigger than my male which is about a year old now.

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    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    Quote Originally Posted by ctenosaura View Post
    Bns, Bogertophis, Thanks, sounds like good advice. I was considering taking a fecal sample to the vet since I don't think a vet could assess anything more than I could but looking at her, but I'll wait and feed every 7 to 10 days. All my other boas are fed every two weeks. I assumed the snake was 1 year old, but if fed every three weeks, it actually could be 2 years old. Its head is a lot bigger than my male which is about a year old now.
    The larger head suggests to me that she is much older than your male, & has been chronically under-fed for some time. It would be "interesting" to see what age they claimed her to be.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  8. #6
    bcr229's Avatar
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    She looks a bit on the light side to me also, but then again most people overfeed their boas so what we think is "normal" body shape is often overweight.

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  10. #7
    BPnet Lifer Lady mkrj58's Avatar
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    Congrats on the new snake,the Boa looks to skinny to me as I compare this to watching my own Baby Boss that I have raised for a few years, they came to me as little worms lol they were and still are my beautiful Babies. Quincy and Raspberry..

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    Lady Mkrj58

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    BPnet Lifer Lady mkrj58's Avatar
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    I was told to not over feed your Boa they are now eating 1 large rat very week and they would eat 2 maybe we better go back to 2 rats a week for a couple of months and see were we are.Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it.

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  13. #9
    bcr229's Avatar
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady mkrj58 View Post
    I was told to not over feed your Boa they are now eating 1 large rat very week and they would eat 2 maybe we better go back to 2 rats a week for a couple of months and see were we are.Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it.
    No boa should be getting one large rat weekly. Monthly is fine. Adults only need to maintain their weight, not grow.

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  15. #10
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    Re: Skinny Tarahumara

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady mkrj58 View Post
    I was told to not over feed your Boa they are now eating 1 large rat very week and they would eat 2 maybe we better go back to 2 rats a week for a couple of months and see were we are.Thanks for your advice I really appreciate it.

    Sent from my SM-T878U using Tapatalk
    I'm unsure how you came to your conclusion from this thread...All the advice given on this thread about feeding has zero pertinence on a boa capable of eating large rats (or two large rats for that matter).

    If you are currently feeding one rat a week year round, you are overfeeding and what you suggest doing (going back to 2 rats a week) is even worse if long term health is the goal.

    I suggest you start a thread and talk about feeding. Give your boa's age, current size, sex, living conditions (including temps) and any seasonal variation provided.

    If your goal is to grow a young boa to an adult size in a hurry, longevity be damned, skip the new thread to avoid the lecture on pet ethics...just know the results of your actions will create an obese, short lived boa.

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