Hungry?

[BRBrant]

I've heard some people say that they feed their snake when it looks hungry.
What are some signs of a hungry snake?

I was planning on feeding my BRB tomorrow because thats when the breeder told me to. I'm going to feed it a live pinky rat... also because thats what the breeder told me to do. I am planning on eventually weening it off of live and going to strictly P/K food.
Any suggestions to do something else?
-Brant

[tigerretic76]

most of it is, if the snake is cruising around the cage more than usual and its been a fairly good amount of time since the last feeding. there are also some more subtle signs to look for, at least i do, that are a little bit harder to explain via typing rather than visually

[TMoore]

Its better to feed your snake on a set schedule instead of when it "looks hungry"

I'm not sure about BRB's but I offer food to my BP's every 7 days.

[BRBrant]

Yeah, the breeder said the schedule was every wednesday. I'm definitely sticking to it for awhile... I know that they eat less once they get bigger. I was really asking for future reference.

[BRBrant]

I fed it a small mouse. I couldnt find any pinky rats. Looked everywhere. It struck right away and had no trouble eating it.

Another question though... it seems to be burying itself it the substrate alot (like all day) is this a sign of anything or is it just in the personality?
-Brant

[littleindiangirl]

Considering it's only been two days since you asked this question in a fairly slow part of this forum, I don't really think you should have created a new thread with no hint at what sort of snake you were keeping.

I just happened to be curious enough to search your posts...

Please give a detailed explanation of your BRB set up. Temps, hides, humidity, substrate, size of enclosure, how you measure temps, lighting if any.... a picture would help a lot too.

[DutchHerp]

My Balls give the "I'm hungry" feeling when they have their head out of their hides and when they get more alert when I open the cage.

My carpet gives me the "I'm hungry" feeling when he starts cruising around his cage and when he comes out of his cage when I open it.

Or when he strikes at my hand when the door is open!

[BRBrant]

sorry i didnt even think about this, ill get some pictures up as soon as i can...
-Brazilian Rainbow Boa (~24")
-20 gallon long aquarium (covered back)
-I have 2 hides
-the temp is around 80-85... im not sure of my hot/cold zones because i only have one therm. at the moment
-humidity is at 70%
-cypress substrate
-one 50watt daylight bulb on one end (~12 hours) and one 25 watt (taking it back for a 50 watt) blue night bulb on the other (~12 hours)

ill repost this on the other thread too to avoid confusion.

[m00kfu]

wrong name...

[littleindiangirl]

sorry i didnt even think about this, ill get some pictures up as soon as i can...
-Brazilian Rainbow Boa (~24")
-20 gallon long aquarium (covered back)
-I have 2 hides
-the temp is around 80-85... im not sure of my hot/cold zones because i only have one therm. at the moment
-humidity is at 70%
-cypress substrate
-one 50watt daylight bulb on one end (~12 hours) and one 25 watt (taking it back for a 50 watt) blue night bulb on the other (~12 hours)

ill repost this on the other thread too to avoid confusion.

Lets keep this here for now.


How snug and tight fitting are your hides? If the animal doesnt feel safe, with the hide touching him on all sides, he will seek out other means to feel secure (i.e. burying) You can fill up the tank with silk plants or other decorations to make it not feel so open to him. That will help as well.

You did not answer how you are measuring heat and humidity or exactly how you provide it, so I assume you must have something.

If you go to walmart and buy an accurite thermometer/hygrometer for $12. It will show you all three readings in one unit. The probe goes to the hot spot, the unit itself goes to the cool end, where it reads both the ambient cool air and humidity.

You really must know what temps you're working with. What if it's too dry in the enclosure and the animal is seeking humidity by burying? What if it's too hot, and he is seeking to get away from it by burying himself?

I'm not asking these questions to waste time, but it's instrumental to know in case there are any glaring problems.

If you are providing heat with a light bulb, I ask you to reconsider and think about an under tank heater and thermostat.

The light can be intense, and they are notorious for sucking out all of the humidity, which BRB's really need. BRB's are a little bit more work because they need cooler temps with higher humidity.

I would keep the cypress mulch, as long as it is not soaking wet. It should be slightly damp if you mist. Keeping it wet will allow for growth of bacteria and fungus, which would lead to skin problems for the boa. We want to make the enclosure suitable to keep humidity in, not putting a band aid over the problem by soaking the substrate. (Not saying you do, just sayin)

I would ditch the lights if possible except for viewing purposes, which a coil fluorescent would do without adding extra heat and sucking humidity.

I would also cover the three sides with something, cork board, paper, anything. Cork board can help insulate the glass from heat loss.

Next, think about your cover. You are using lights, so I am just assuming the screen top is not covered. A simple solution is to tape several layers of foil over the screen (shiny side down) except to leave an inch or half an inch gap on either side to promote air flow for ventilation. This will bump your humidity by keeping it in the tank, and also retain heat better.

If you decide to continue to use a lamp, I would suggest a ceramic heat emitter. This way you wont have so much light going into the tank itself, and it can be used in conjunction with a thermostat. You would just need to cut an area around the foil for the dome to sit on. (If it isn't a huge dome).

I hope you find this helpful, tanks can be worked, but take more time and care to get them dialed in just right.