sorry yous proply heard this befor.lol

[tylersweeney22]

i picked up my first boa its a hypo.got from a local breeder. my ball pythons i have they all ate with in two days of getting them ( i asked breeder when there feeding day was) but my boa will not eat iv had 7 days he was supposed to eat the day i picked him up but the breeder decited to wait and feed after i picked one out due to a decent travel distance. just wondering if this is normal for boas in new enviroments. He is almost two months old now. oh and this is the only snake i have that will not go in his hides he'll sit on top around tail hanging in but never fully in.

[AkHerps]

What is your set up like, temps, etc..?

[tylersweeney22]

i currently have a 20 long (i know tanks suck) in the process of upgrade.
temps are 90-92 hot side 80-82 cool side humity right around 55. all digital readers. i use che bulbs last time i used under tank heater my dang rheostate broke tank hit 110 messed my BP up pretty bad,he got real bad nervus system proplems.im in the process of makeing a rack system useing flexwatt and a good thermostate.

[jfreels]

If I'm reading correctly, you've had the boa 7 days and it has not eaten, OK.

Did you ask the breeder how he fed the boa? Live, stunned, F/T

The temps seem OK, but I'd still ditch the CHE. I'm not sure how you're keeping even that much humidity in. I don't have experience with CHE, but I'd imagine they would dry up the environment much like a light.

A 20 Gallon Long should be fine for an 8 week boa right now. You said it stays out of the hides a lot, is it moving a lot too? Or just hanging out?

[tylersweeney22]

i moves around a lot ..
he said they will eat both f/t and live when they are being fussy though he feeds live ,iv tried both on rats and mice.
is this common on new boas.
oh on the humidity jungle carpet bedding and twice daily misting with a lightly damp towel

[jfreels]

Looks like you're doing all you can then. Just watch the boas weight and if it starts going down, then see a vet.

[Vypyrz]

Red Tail Boas are not nearly as shy as BP's are. They don't necessarily require snug hides to feel secure. They do like to perch, so they will spend a fair amount of time hanging out on top of the hides and if you add a piece of wood or small branch, they will hang out on those as well, even during the day, they will sleep on them. They will use their hides whenever they want to. One of mine only goes in his hides immediately after eating and when he is getting ready to shed. The rest of the time he is either on top of his hide or on his branch...

As for feeding, make sure you are using tongs to make the f/t wiggle. I can't speak for all RTB's, but mine wont eat if I just lay the prey in the enclosure. They seem more responsive to motion and as soon as I get the prey in the tub and start the zombie dance, they are on it...

[jfreels]

I'll second what Vypyrz said. I use a feeding tub...well for my RTB, it's more like the floor and a tub lid, she perks up as soon as she sees me pull the rat out of the bucket. I don't even think I'd have the chance to put it down anyway. She's always taken from the forceps, very well.

How do you present the meal?

[tylersweeney22]

i use feeding tongs,iv sat there for a very boring 15-20 mins wiggling prey.
iv always used feeding tubs

[Vypyrz]

Try feeding in its enclosure. Moving it may be stressing it out some. Also, if you aren't already doing it, try blasting the prey with a blow dryer for about 30 seconds just before offering it. If that doesn't work, you can also try soaking it directly in hot water and offer it wet. Sometimes that will work...