Hi there, I'm a first time parent to my new Colombian Red Tail Boa seeking general advice in almost every category (I apologize in advance!)

Overview

  • Purchased Friday March 13th, 2015
  • Colombian Red Tail Boa (The store owner told me he is a Red Tail Python, this being my first snake I didn't know until i posted in ball python forum and they redirected me to Boa Forum which unfortunately means all my research starts over)
  • Named RUE (Former name was Shiloh, which wasn't fitting in my opinion)
  • He is currently 4 1/2 years old (no documentation or records to prove it, store owner was in possession of him since July of 2014)


  • He is approximately 4 1/2 feet long.


  • His skin is shiny, silky, very soft.


  • He appears healthy, no RI or other illness symptoms.


  • Rue is also very alert to things around his tank, He sees my pit bull walking around the room and recognizes when I return home from work.


Feeding


  • Rue eats LIVE rats; The store owner educated me on the benefits from feeding live rats.



I have a concern when it comes to feeding live rats. During the second feed, while Rue was uncoiling I noticed the rat had BIT him underneath his jaw. Though I didn't see any wounds and he wasn't bleeding from the bite, I'm worried about the possibilities and complications that come with feeding live rats. As soon as I saw him uncoil I called the reptile store owner and she reassured me that sometimes they do get bit, she walked me thru looking at the wound as well as having me explain the situation. She does sell frozen/thawed rats if i so choose to change from live rats. I want Rue to be able to have the nutritional value from live as well as keeping his hunting skills strong. I'm just worried he will get wounded from a bad bite. Any advice on what to do if he does get bite very badly? Or even a small bite that makes him bleed?



  • I always sanitize when it comes to handling Rue, but when it comes to feeding I sanitize 3x more without even thinking about it (my poor hands....they get so dry)
  • Rue has a very healthy appetite; everything related with feeding goes very smoothly. Rue is quick to recognize there is prey and coils very fast. He has never hissed, or struck at me before/after feeding.
  • I was advised that rue is conditioned to eating in his enclosure. After all the research though I wasn't comfortable with the idea, I decided to purchase a LARGE (2ft x 3ft) see-thru plastic container from Walmart for feeding. Its a typical container with latching sides but when I feed Rue I usually only put the lid on 2/3rd's of the way with a towel so he feels secure with enough privacy. Honestly, I'm not comfortable with putting the lid on all the way or even latching with fear he won't have enough air.
  • I leave Rue in his container for about 20-30min AFTER he has FULLY swallowed his meal, after the 20-30min I place him on the warm side of his tank where he lays under his lamp, on top of his heating pad for HOURS (4+) after his long nap he usually slithers to his hide until the next day.
  • I clean Rue's container with water/bleach solution before/after all feedings.




  1. The day I took rue home (Friday, March 13th) I was provided with a small rat (about 3 1/2 inches) with instructions to feed him stating it had been 7 days since he last ate. About 4 days later, i found fecal matter in his hide which was surprising because most forums say its common for them to soil in water. Equally surprising, his fecal matter was almost equal size to my adult Pit-bulls fecal matter. Also, up to this time frame no urine as of yet.
  2. March 19th 2015, Rue's appetite was in full swing he was very adventurous in his attempt to search the whole room for food. The owner of the reptile store supplied me with a larger rat this time (4 1/2 - 5 inches)




  • Last night March 23rd, 2015 I found Urine (which almost is surprisingly weird looking, Egg like) I cleaned it up after checking his whole tank for any other surprises. Around 4 hours after finding the first urine deposit, i found another. Is this normal? This is the first urine since i purchased him.



Enclosure
When I purchased Rue, He had a lot of things included (mostly everything I need for him) with the very expensive bundle. I have purchased a few things myself from different locations.

  • New 55 gallon Tank w/ lid. Don't worry, I scrubbed it before putting my precious Rue in it. Water/bleach solution. His tank lives on my desk which fits it like a glove, it slide right in, so there is wood above it as well. I also keep a black towel over his tank that meets next to the lamp.


  • Fluker Night lamp w/ bulb, on the right side of tank.
  • Fluker Large heating pad, i have it taped up underneath his tank directly under the lamp.
  • Cocoa dirt. I was amazed when it expanded! Also, one of his favorites!
  • Aspen substrate (he's not a huge fan, i don't think ill use it again)
  • Moss (He loves it!)
  • Water dish (stone) The water dish is currently to small for his to soak his WHOLE body in, I plan to get him a ZOO MED XTRA LARGE within his week. I change his water daily.
  • 2 Thermostates (cool;warm) Warm side: stays 89f - 92f Cool side: 82f - 86f
  • Hide - Half log. I baked it in the oven before putting it in his tank (also, I think its a tad to small, when he lays under it the log becomes uneven it goes up into the air I'm guessing its a large, I do plan to buy an EXTRA LARGE half log within the next week as well.
  • Water bottle (Misting) I fill it with hot water everyday. I mist Rue, his substrate, and empty the remainder into his water dish after emptying out the old water.
  • ROCK - My boyfriend brought home a huge rock from the beach (bowling ball size) I baked in the oven for about 45min and let cool over night before putting in the enclosure. It sits under the lamp, above the heating pad. He loves climbing on it!
  • Humidity - It stays around 50-70 % with the misting everyday. Im curious about buying an automatic mister because he loves being misted. I just haven't researched it enough yet.



Shedding

  • On Sunday, March 22nd 2015 I noticed my little Rue has a pink belly! When i purchased him, the store owner advised me that he should be shedding soon. His scales are only a little bit dull and his eyes aren't blue yet. I've read very mixed opinions on BATHING. I would love to give my Rue a warm bath in the tub for about 10-15min to help with his shed. I do not want to bath him if its going to do more harm than good i.e. stress, anxiety, etc.
  • He is due for another yummy rat on this coming Friday March 27, 2015. He hasn't produced any fecal matter from the second feeding yet. I've read that most snakes don't have much of an appetite while in shed, Thoughts? Should I hold off getting a meal until after his shed? Should I try to feed him the rat? How long can I keep the rat before it is no longer good?



Temperament

  • He is docile, gentle, and loving. He loves to explore, being held, and even taking a nap in my hair from time to time. He has been very patient with me, as I am still learning. He has never hissed, struck, or even been aggressive with me. The only time his brat side comes out is when it comes time to go back into his tank, he tries hold onto everything just to send more time with me and outside the tank. I hold him before work for 10-30min and after work 1-2 hours every day.
  • Is burrowing normal? One day I returned home from work thinking he had escaped form his tank. He was burrowed underneath his substrate 100% I called the reptile store (that poor lady, I call her a lot though she said she doesn't mind) and she said he is probably just getting comfortable with his new enclosure. He was burrowed on the warm of his tank, it was only a couple of days after I brought him home. He has only burrowed that one time, hasn't since. His hide was in his tank at the time.



Thank you so much for taking the time to read my novel! I'm glad I joined the BP forums as they directed me to the right forum (boa) Interesting to learn I actually do not have a python, Im housing a Boa. But I love him so now its just a matter of taking care of his health, safety, and quality of life needs. Hopefully I can seek the advice I need here instead of calling the poor lady that I bought him from all the time. Though, I do buy my rats there so I will still be able to give her updates which she said she would enjoy when i bought him!