Scarlette - 2022 Colombian BCI

[Ailuros]

For a BCI, I'd wait until she's fed twice at least before doing much handling- as long as she took food easily. Eating is more important to her health- handling will keep. For snakes more likely to be difficult feeders (BPs & others) it's best to wait (not handle) until after 3 meals at normal (weekly) intervals- to make sure they don't get too stressed to eat. Nothing worse than a snake that won't eat.

Quarantine is very subjective- & depends on how many other snakes you have, & your intentions (is this a business investment? will you be breeding & selling them? or is it "just a pet"?) Also depends on where/how you acquired the snake. (ie. from an expo or pet store is more risky)

for checking for mites- but keep checking for at least a month, just in case eggs hatch out.

Alright, yeah. She is just a pet and I have absolutely no plan of selling or breeding snakes. I have two other snakes (Ball Python and Plains Hognose) I did acquire her from a reptile expo though.

[dakski]

For the enclosure would you recommend sliding doors or opening out? For what I have planned so far enclosure dimensions are 6'x2.5'x1'5.
Shes taken a smaller mouse for me so far, as her breeder had skipped a week for her due to the expo. She didn't seem confident in eating. Even my hog took with more enthusiasm lol. Should her feeding response grow better the more she settles in?

I like opening out and I like acrylic doors. Sliding doors are often glass (more on that in a second) and I am not a big fan, especially if you use substrate. The substrate can get caught in the tracks, etc. Opening out doors and acrylic doors flex a little. That's good especially if you have an overzealous feeder. Behira bent a tooth once on the acrylic door (from striking at it anticipating food), but it fell out next feeding. I've heard of worse, but especially with glass doors that do not flex.

The opening out doors are also good because in many PVC designs, you can have two, or more doors on a tank the size you are talking about. My 6X2' Boaphiles have two doors each. Again, this helps with feeding.

Hoping this isn't an issue with your girl, but you never know.

I do keep drapes over the Boa tanks so they don't (generally) strike when I walk by, etc. However, that's not fool proof and further, when food is involved, it's sometimes difficult to get the door open fast enough.

Alright, yeah. She is just a pet and I have absolutely no plan of selling or breeding snakes. I have two other snakes (Ball Python and Plains Hognose) I did acquire her from a reptile expo though.

Like Bogertophis said, let her settle in a bit. She should start eating with zest soon. I wouldn't handle for another 1-2 feedings. See how confident she is next feeding. If she seems more interested, hits harder, etc. then get one more meal into her and then you can start gentle handling. Right now, make sure she's happy, has proper temps and humidity, etc.

Regarding quarantine, and having two other snakes, I'd quarantine for 90 days from acquisition, assuming there are no issues. If anything comes up, quarantine starts over.

Also, for your benefit, and anyone else reading who isn't sure about quarantine, quarantine means:

1. Handle, clean, feed, etc. the snake on quarantine last. Do not do anything with Scarlette until you have taken care of the other snakes needs first (in any given day).

2. Do not use the same utensils (hooks, tongs, etc.) with your quarantined snake as you do with your existing snakes.

3. Good practice overall, but unique water bowl, hides, etc. as well.

4. Different room if possible. If you have to keep them in the same room, make sure they are as far away from your other snakes as possible.

Keep us posted!

[Bogertophis]

Enclosure openings are a matter of personal taste & experience for what you're comfortable with. I've used sliding doors & yes, they have their problems, but for an aggressive feeder, you can also open very slightly to offer prey to the snake inside, without being a big target yourself. Honestly I prefer top opening tanks, but that's me, lol. And yes, that was even for the big snakes including the BCI I used to have (she was 7.5- nearly 8').

Quarantine also means being mindful that YOU are also a "vector of disease"- ie. able to transfer pathogens on your unwashed hands & clothing between your snakes. And NEVER re-offer food between snakes when one has made contact but decides not to eat. This comes under the heading of "good overall practices"-

And mites are also a vector of disease- so make SURE there are none while the new snake is quarantined. It takes time for mite eggs to hatch.

And not to be paranoid, but remember that some diseases can "hide" in boas for far longer than pythons- where the boa is an asymptomatic carrier that may never even become ill, or at least not for a much longer time, but which could decimate other more sensitive species (pythons). So the length of your boa quarantine may depend on how you feel about any pythons you already have.

[Ailuros]

I like opening out and I like acrylic doors. Sliding doors are often glass (more on that in a second) and I am not a big fan, especially if you use substrate. The substrate can get caught in the tracks, etc. Opening out doors and acrylic doors flex a little. That's good especially if you have an overzealous feeder. Behira bent a tooth once on the acrylic door (from striking at it anticipating food), but it fell out next feeding. I've heard of worse, but especially with glass doors that do not flex.

The opening out doors are also good because in many PVC designs, you can have two, or more doors on a tank the size you are talking about. My 6X2' Boaphiles have two doors each. Again, this helps with feeding.

Thanks. Opening out doors sounded like a better idea to me. Along with acrylic due to weight purposes (trying my best to keep the build light).

Hoping this isn't an issue with your girl, but you never know.

I do keep drapes over the Boa tanks so they don't (generally) strike when I walk by, etc. However, that's not fool proof and further, when food is involved, it's sometimes difficult to get the door open fast enough.

I saw the posts! I am likely going to follow your idea as she grows.

Like Bogertophis said, let her settle in a bit. She should start eating with zest soon. I wouldn't handle for another 1-2 feedings. See how confident she is next feeding. If she seems more interested, hits harder, etc. then get one more meal into her and then you can start gentle handling. Right now, make sure she's happy, has proper temps and humidity, etc.

I have perfected the temperature, and humidity in my room makes it easier to achieve the 50-75% humidity I'm aiming for. I plan to feed again on this upcoming Tuesday or Wednesday.

Regarding quarantine, and having two other snakes, I'd quarantine for 90 days from acquisition, assuming there are no issues. If anything comes up, quarantine starts over.

Everything is going fine so far! No signs of mites, RI's, or anything else of concern.

Also, for your benefit, and anyone else reading who isn't sure about quarantine, quarantine means:

1. Handle, clean, feed, etc. the snake on quarantine last. Do not do anything with Scarlette until you have taken care of the other snakes needs first (in any given day).

2. Do not use the same utensils (hooks, tongs, etc.) with your quarantined snake as you do with your existing snakes.

3. Good practice overall, but unique water bowl, hides, etc. as well.

4. Different room if possible. If you have to keep them in the same room, make sure they are as far away from your other snakes as possible.

Keep us posted!

[Ailuros]

Enclosure openings are a matter of personal taste & experience for what you're comfortable with. I've used sliding doors & yes, they have their problems, but for an aggressive feeder, you can also open very slightly to offer prey to the snake inside, without being a big target yourself. Honestly I prefer top opening tanks, but that's me, lol. And yes, that was even for the big snakes including the BCI I used to have (she was 7.5- nearly 8').

Not so sure about top opening tanks, as I'm not too sure on how it'd work with my build. Planning on more of a large rack system.

Quarantine also means being mindful that YOU are also a "vector of disease"- ie. able to transfer pathogens on your unwashed hands & clothing between your snakes. And NEVER re-offer food between snakes when one has made contact but decides not to eat. This comes under the heading of "good overall practices"-

And mites are also a vector of disease- so make SURE there are none while the new snake is quarantined. It takes time for mite eggs to hatch.

Yes! I'm staying mindful of when I've come in close contact with her or her tub, and I will not re-offer food to my other after shes even seen it. Saving a buck or two is not worth the well-being of my other snakes, lol.

And not to be paranoid, but remember that some diseases can "hide" in boas for far longer than pythons- where the boa is an asymptomatic carrier that may never even become ill, or at least not for a much longer time, but which could decimate other more sensitive species (pythons). So the length of your boa quarantine may depend on how you feel about any pythons you already have.

I have one Royal Python (my other snake is a plains hognose). The Royal is thriving, but even when Scarlette is moved into her official enclosure they will still be decently far away, despite being in the same room. If this is an issue in the longer run, anything I should watch for? Would 90 days quarantine be enough if I don't notice anything?

[Ailuros]

I fed her last night! She struck once, hesitant. I had just woken her up. After about 45 seconds she struck again and coiled. She seems to be doing well. She is fairly active and I often find her perching. I've seen no signs of mites or other illnesses. Looking forward to being able to handle her more after she digests this.

[Bogertophis]

Sounds like she's settling in pretty well.

[Ailuros]

Had her out today! She handles really well, much more calm and slow moving than my BP. Really glad I decided to get a BI haha. One question though, I let her sit on my chest, and she seemed to get comfortable. She wasn't really coiled up but she went unmoving for a good 10-15 minutes without any tongue flicks. Could she have been asleep? Is she that comfortable with me already? What else could it have been? She still seemed really calm when I moved her back.

Also, she hasn't dropped anything for me yet. Shes had two smaller meals since I got her. Anything I should be concerned about? Is her metabolism just THAT slow? I have her heat at 87 F, and she can thermoregulate.

[Bogertophis]

Had her out today! She handles really well, much more calm and slow moving than my BP. Really glad I decided to get a BI haha. One question though, I let her sit on my chest, and she seemed to get comfortable. She wasn't really coiled up but she went unmoving for a good 10-15 minutes without any tongue flicks. Could she have been asleep? Is she that comfortable with me already? What else could it have been? She still seemed really calm when I moved her back.

Also, she hasn't dropped anything for me yet. Shes had two smaller meals since I got her. Anything I should be concerned about? Is her metabolism just THAT slow? I have her heat at 87 F, and she can thermoregulate.

Sounds like she might have fallen asleep- it's hard to tell for sure with most snakes* & I agree it's unusual for a new snake to be so relaxed, but maybe you have a good snake vibe- plus just the right warmth for a still-digesting boa. (*Snakes with round pupils- you can tell they're asleep if their pupils sink to the 6 o'clock position. Vertical pupils, you're outa luck.) I like it when my snakes really relax with me like that. Just be careful when some of them wake up though, lol. Predators being startled awake can react defensively- especially if it's never happened to them before.

Snakes are rarely constipated- they only go when they've saved up enough waste to bother- remember their bodies need to conserve water, & defecation uses (wastes) some moisture. Also, young snakes that are eating young prey are digesting MOST of what they've eaten- only when they're eating more mature prey is there more waste, so very often young snakes go less frequently- this gets asked a lot. Snakes seldom "go" after every meal.

[Ailuros]

She pooped the other day, weighing in at a solid 134 grams empty. Been handling her more, no hisses/strikes when getting her out. Hook training is going well, while she normally isn't in 'food-mode' when I go to get her out, she is typically taken out of it after a stroke or two of the hook. Planning on feeding her tomorrow.
One question though, I feel her quarantine tub is far too small for her. Would it be alright for now, until I get her adult enclosure built, to move her into a 10 gallon? She would fit in it much nicer. Her setup would be practically identical, just in a larger space.
After feeding and after giving her a few days to digest would it be safe to move her?