Nicaraguan Boa

[TheWinWizard]

I bought one at a reptile expo last week and it seemed fine. Friday night I gave it a small f/t rat and it killed it and let it go and moved away from it. So i picked it up and tried again, it killed it and did the same thing. It then proceeded to get all pissy and was striking at anything that moved including me. I left the rat in and it disappeared overnight. The boa was fine the next day and had dropped some urates, so I removed it to clean. No problem. I found some more urates this morning and the boa wants to strike anything that moves. It has a warm side hide and a cold side. Warm side is 90 degrees, cold side is 80, humidity between 50 to 60 %. Any clues? Are they just naturally nippy one day and fine the next?

[Alexandra V]

Congrats! Nicaraguans are my favorite because of how spunky they can be.

Your husbandry sounds perfect. Your snake is just being a Nicaraguan boa they can be a little high strung and a little nippy and a little bipolar, but they will usually grow out of the nippiness with regular handling.

My nic was like that when I brought her home; for the first few feedings I literally had to turn off all the lights in the room except for one and freeze when she took the rat because otherwise she would see me and leave to rat to start freaking out on me. Now she's getting better with it, it just takes a little patience. She also used to just sit there in an s coil and watch me when I walked by, and I actually used a hook on her to get her out of the enclosure for the first couple months, but now I don't use it unless she looks pissy (because they're all a little schizo sometimes - all chill one minute, then freaked out the next )

Once your boa gets settled in it should calm down a fair bit. Just remember: regular handling is important to keep them hand tame.

[TheWinWizard]

Thanks for the reply. I figured it was just being a killer when it felt it needed to. is the bite nasty? it's about 2 and a half foot long, eating small rats.

[Alexandra V]

Thanks for the reply. I figured it was just being a killer when it felt it needed to. is the bite nasty? it's about 2 and a half foot long, eating small rats.

My girl is about the same size, but the worst I've gotten from her was a "slash" because she was panicking and kind of got me sideways with her tooth, and it didn't even bleed. The only actual bite I've gotten from a nic was when I was holding a juvenile (about 3 foot long) at the reptile store and I sneezed, so I moved my arm up to cover my face and he got my arm. It felt like getting a splinter where the fangs were, and it bled for about ten seconds. It isn't bad at all.

[TheWinWizard]

So, handle daily, except after feeding would be the best bet then? Thank you again for your input Alexandra.

[Alexandra V]

So, handle daily, except after feeding would be the best bet then? Thank you again for your input Alexandra.

Yup, you got it Anytime.

[TheWinWizard]

Okay, time to get bit. LOL

[mommanessy247]

Okay, time to get bit.

really?

i'm kinda hoping regular handling would tame a nic down some cuz i want one in the future.

[Skittles1101]

Mines a colombian, but he was the same way when I first got him. They are very bitey and pissy when they are that young (usually). I just left mine completely alone for a week except to check temps and change water and I kept his tub covered with a towel. It took daily handling (and quite a few bites later) for weeks before mine finally realized he doesn't scare me lol. Good luck! Their bark is way worse then their bite

[Alexandra V]

really?

i'm kinda hoping regular handling would tame a nic down some cuz i want one in the future.

Okay, time to get bit. LOL

Handling should tame them down nicely. They are all known to be fast and a little nippy as youngsters, but some are more so than others. My nic's favorite position is an s coil it seems, and yet for all those times when I thought she was for sure going to bite me, she never actually full out bit me.

With a nic you have to understand that you could definitely be bitten, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you will for sure. There are different individuals with different temperament too (some are bluffers like mine and some mean business like the one that bit me) so of you're considering getting one, make sure you handle it before you buy to get an idea of what that particular snake is like.