wont eat. suggestions?

[Niki_Fang]

will keep that in consideration. I've never tried feeding it their cages because i've been told not to for so long. I try to offer him food twice a week when i feed everyone else

[KMG]

Trying to often to feed can also cause stress. Since it has been refusing for a while now I would leave it be for 5-7 days and then try to feed. When i have a problem feeder I usually only try once a week.

[Gio]

will keep that in consideration. I've never tried feeding it their cages because i've been told not to for so long. I try to offer him food twice a week when i feed everyone else

The whole separate feeding tub is the biggest myth in the hobby. One could easily argue the snake will "think" its going to feed every time you remove it from the enclosure, or every time you open the door to the enclosure to move it. It's simply not true. You can hook train the snake to figure out when it time to eat and when it's time to be handled.

Keepers of the really large snakes don't pull the snake out to feed it. They feed in the enclosure and use some simple methods for alerting the snake that it is time to be handled.

The most important thing is NOT to smell like prey or behave like prey.

As already stated a snake of that size could be stressed by constant movement into another area to feed. Feed it where it is comfortable.

Also, although nobody advises live is better, in your case you may want to try it, but first let the snake settle.

Evenstar will tell you it's almost impossible to underfeed a boa. So don't be overly worried just yet.

The only reason I'd ever feed in a separate tub is to avoid ingestion of substrate and even that is easily solved by putting down some newspaper prior to feeding.

You may have to try a live feeding as it is often the case with very young boas. After a short time they convert to F/T pretty fast.

Good luck!

[Evenstar]

The issue of feeding in a separate tub has already been addressed, so I won't go over it again except to say that I agree with everything that's been said so far.

But I have to say, I am a bit concerned here. Boas are typically garbage disposals and it shouldn't take a lot of effort to get them to feed. Have you tried live?? If not, do. Put a live mouse fuzzy in the snake's enclosure late one evening and LEAVE IT COMPLETELY ALONE for the rest of the night. A fuzzy is too small to harm your snake so there's no danger in leaving it unattended for now. Your snake will know the smell and will eat as soon as he feels secure.

If this doesn't work, I would take him to a qualified herp vet and have him checked out (fecal, blood work, etc). It is not typical of boas to not eat. They are not like ball pythons.

When you say that he's "only eaten once ever" do you mean that he only ate once for the breeder (as in once ever in his whole life)?? Or that he's only eaten once for you after you got him? If he ate for the breeder, how many times? And what was the breeder feeding (live or f/t, mouse or rat)?

As Gio said, while it's true that it's hard to underfeed a boa, that is usually in reference to a boa that is eating well. They can get fat quickly so less is better with them. But when an animal that normally has a strong feeding response won't eat at all, then that becomes worrisome. Hopefully we can tempt him somehow. Keep us posted!

[gator8811]

Only a few of my snakes will eat from a separate cage. My male pastel will not even bother with food if hes not in a tub.

[Ogre]

The issue of feeding in a separate tub has already been addressed, so I won't go over it again except to say that I agree with everything that's been said so far.

But I have to say, I am a bit concerned here. Boas are typically garbage disposals and it shouldn't take a lot of effort to get them to feed. Have you tried live?? If not, do. Put a live mouse fuzzy in the snake's enclosure late one evening and LEAVE IT COMPLETELY ALONE for the rest of the night. A fuzzy is too small to harm your snake so there's no danger in leaving it unattended for now. Your snake will know the smell and will eat as soon as he feels secure.

If this doesn't work, I would take him to a qualified herp vet and have him checked out (fecal, blood work, etc). It is not typical of boas to not eat. They are not like ball pythons.

When you say that he's "only eaten once ever" do you mean that he only ate once for the breeder (as in once ever in his whole life)?? Or that he's only eaten once for you after you got him? If he ate for the breeder, how many times? And what was the breeder feeding (live or f/t, mouse or rat)?

As Gio said, while it's true that it's hard to underfeed a boa, that is usually in reference to a boa that is eating well. They can get fat quickly so less is better with them. But when an animal that normally has a strong feeding response won't eat at all, then that becomes worrisome. Hopefully we can tempt him somehow. Keep us posted!

X2 I have never heard of a boa not being a pig. I could easily feed mine until he regurgitated or died from it, seriously I think the term should be 'eats like a boa' not 'eats like a pig. Not that I ever would, but he'd do it.

[Evenstar]

will keep that in consideration. I've never tried feeding it their cages because i've been told not to for so long. I try to offer him food twice a week when i feed everyone else

I just went back through this thread and saw this. I know you're offering more frequently because he's not eating at the moment, but STOP. Boas should not ever be fed more than once every 7-10 days. Many breeders won't even feed brand new neonates more than every 10 days. You are stressing him out by offering so often. Remember, boas are not ball pythons!

Wait a full 10 days before trying again and leave him alone completely during this time. Let him de-stress and get comfortable in his environment. When you offer after 10 days, try a live mouse fuzzy and leave it in there like I suggested before. UNLESS he has something very wrong with him, he will eat - I guarantee it....

[Gio]

I just went back through this thread and saw this. I know you're offering more frequently because he's not eating at the moment, but STOP. Boas should not ever be fed more than once every 7-10 days. Many breeders won't even feed brand new neonates more than every 10 days. You are stressing him out by offering so often. Remember, boas are not ball pythons!

Wait a full 10 days before trying again and leave him alone completely during this time. Let him de-stress and get comfortable in his environment. When you offer after 10 days, try a live mouse fuzzy and leave it in there like I suggested before. UNLESS he has something very wrong with him, he will eat - I guarantee it....

Think that should about do it!!

Good Luck and keep us posted.