Santa Isabel Ground Boa Baby - New Owner, Questions, Discussion, Pictures

[KMG]

males have those little claws by the cloaca. However, is that a misnomer?

They are known as spurs.

[Starscream]

Thank you for this info. Feel free to share any photos if you have any?... Since your's was already 3 months old, did you have any trouble feeding pinkies?

I do have a thread for mine here with pictures: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ite-phase-Inej

The breeder I chose (Stygian Exotics on Morph Market) is very particular about making sure their snakes are well started on frozen/thawed before shipping, as not transitioning them properly and then shipping them does up the failure to thrives chances for this species. She had 10 consecutive frozen/thawed pinkies under her belt before I was able to obtain her, and ate after two weeks in my care. She immediately went into shed the week she arrived and was not at all interested in eating, which the breeder said was typical of the species.

I do have all the records of her feeding attempts with the breeder. She was born 3/31/21 and first ate on 4/22/21, so less than a month between.

I'll be honest, I was a little surprised to hear how young yours is. Had it eaten with the breeder before you obtained it? I know Stygian Exotics starts them on anoles if they won't take mouse pinkies, and then moves to mice and then f/t mice after that.

[vkahri]

They are known as spurs.

Thank you I couldn't think of the name last night.

[vkahri]

Had it eaten with the breeder before you obtained it? I know Stygian Exotics starts them on anoles if they won't take mouse pinkies, and then moves to mice and then f/t mice after that.

By word of mouth only, they said they started on mouse tails. After some of the responses on here, I have a feeling they got a female that was gravid and had a bunch of unwanted babies and were just trying to get rid of them.

[Starscream]

By word of mouth only, they said they started on mouse tails. After some of the responses on here, I have a feeling they got a female that was gravid and had a bunch of unwanted babies and were just trying to get rid of them.

If that's the case, that is incredibly unfortunate. They're amazing little snakes, and I really do love watching mine.

I personally have not had any bad feeders here, so I can't offer any advice about how to get this little guy started. I do know they have a preference for anoles as babies, as their diet in the wild is generally geared towards lizards.

While I did get pretty lucky in this aspect, when I was researching this species I was also looking into potentially raising mourning geckos as a feeder on the chance that I could not acquire a SI ground boa that was on rodents. It may be worth looking into mourning geckos or anoles as a source to hopefully potentially tempt this little guy into eating.

Hopefully someone with more experience on getting stubborn snakes started on food can chime in.

[Malum Argenteum]

Disclaimer: I've not kept this species.

I do breed hognose and mountain kings, both of which can be troublesome starters, though not to the extent of this species from what I've read. I would feed live WC lizards only as the last of last resorts (actually, I personally wouldn't feed WC live at all for fear of transmission of known or unknown pathogens, and even scenting with a CB animal is borderline IMO). For the species I breed, there is a range of tricks, all of which I've tried:

live pinks
washing pinks
boiling pinks
braining pinks
scenting any of the above with canned tuna juice or KFC grease
scenting any of the above with lizard (anole, MG, house gecko, sceloporus), either live, frozen or pureed
feeding live of any of those lizards
force feeding rodent tails
force feeding pinks
tube feeding a mix of egg yolk, chicken baby food and a little reptile supplement

I no longer feed live lizards, nor force feed or tube feed. The former is too risky, and the latter two not productive, so I end up euthanizing a couple hatchlings here and there.

MGs might be a worthy food source, but the upkeep of a colony big enough to feed even one neonate snake would considerable. I've not bred anoles, but it is the same situation (compounded by the fact that anoles are much more equipment intensive and much more expensive to produce than MGs).

Hopefully people who want to keep this species are willing to seek out true CB specimens and pay what they're worth, and hopefully advanced breeders start to step up and get breeding projects going with the species.

[vkahri]

I do breed hognose and mountain kings, ....

I wanted a hognose to begin with but ended up with a bullsnake (who is an incredibly voracious feeder, all the time) and later this baby Isabele Ground Boa (who hasn't eaten for me yet).

(actually, I personally wouldn't feed WC live at all for fear of transmission of known or unknown pathogens, and even scenting with a CB animal is borderline IMO).

I concur, I have no intention of trying to feed anything wild caught. Besides, its winter here, there are green anoles in my area but they are not going to be around till warm weather returns.

For the species I breed, there is a range of tricks, all of which I've tried:

live pinks
washing pinks
boiling pinks
braining pinks
scenting any of the above with canned tuna juice or KFC grease
scenting any of the above with lizard (anole, MG, house gecko, sceloporus), either live, frozen or pureed
feeding live of any of those lizards
....

Was wanting to try a live pink next but again, hard to acquire.
Washing pinks? Washing in what?
KFC grease??? Like from your bucket of chicken????
Scented with ...pureed lizard? ...lol I don't have a blender but... I imagine you put them into a blender?

I no longer feed live lizards, nor force feed or tube feed. The former is too risky, and the latter two not productive...

yeah, a live lizard, especially if not very small, I could see that being dangerous for my boa as tiny as he is. Which is why I've procrastinated trying to get one, how could I find one small enough?...
I really don't want to do any kind of force feeding if I can avoid it. I would go to the vet first and if they wanted to administer something I'd let them do it.

MGs might be a worthy food source, but the upkeep of a colony big enough to feed even one neonate snake would considerable. I've not bred anoles, but it is the same situation (compounded by the fact that anoles are much more equipment intensive and much more expensive to produce than MGs).

I do know they have a preference for anoles as babies, as their diet in the wild is generally geared towards lizards.
....
It may be worth looking into mourning geckos or anoles as a source to hopefully potentially tempt this little guy into eating.

I'm thinking of trying to acquire a small enough anole, or tree frog if I can't get a pinky to work, or some sort of small fish. A single MG usually runs around $30. No idea what an anole or tree frog would cost. If I can get him to eat a flavored pinky or small fish first, I'd like to try those before making a riskier purchase. I actually have 3 MG's as pets so it's hard to imagine buying one as a feeder, but I would if I had to. My three haven't really begun to lay eggs though they are mature. The largest has laid 3 but they all failed, one because it got knocked and messed up the position of the air sack inside, the other two got eaten before I could remove them.

I would really like to try a small type of feeding fish but I am leary of accidentally getting something that could be harmful, if eaten. Does anyone have any info or advice? Here is a quote from this site that I've been referencing:
"Earthworms, minnows, feeder guppies and tiny goldfish were all accepted as first meals by neonate Candoia." (from: http://www.kingsnake.com/candoia/book.html)
...Actually I'd love to try an earthworm too! No problem if that's not eaten. I just find it hard to believe my boa would go for that. And I'd have to get it from a bait shop, which is doable. But again, me with all the questions.... Do farm raised earthworms get fed anything that could be toxic to my boa? I mean do they put any supplements in the soil to make them grow bigger or have a certain appeal to fish, that is not natural?

I've never purchased fish to use as feeders. Has anyone experience with this? I can search online and see these examples being used for garter snakes: salmon, tilapia, trout, guppies.....If you feed salmon or tilapia, how do you do that? specifically, in what form of fish meat do you use? uncooked? canned? I mean you can not be specific enough for me here. Leave no room for doubt. Or if I get guppies or goldfish... Like a plain feeder goldfish or guppy you might offer to a Red Ear Slider (turtle)???

[vkahri]

Small update (if the link works)... I got some breeder info from Starscream which I'll be reaching out to later. But tonight I gave in and attempted force feeding a f/t fuzzy mouse tail. It took some patience but I did it, wasn't fun, worried about hurting him. Video clip is post feeding. I know a mouse tail isn't exactly nutritious but I feel better knowing there's something in his belly tonight.

https://youtu.be/0nPDnU8Qo0c

[Starscream]

I agree with your assessment in the video that he is looking scarily skinny. I really, really hope you can get something more substantial in him soon, even if force feeding is necessary. My heart goes out to both of you! Really hoping Inej's breeder has some advice that will help get him going.

[vkahri]

Thank you. And while force feeding is far from preferable, if I have to I think I'll try these. I'm looking forward to asking your breeder their thoughts on it.
https://reptilinks.com/collections/m...and-mini-links