New Boa Questions

[Amanda1226]

Ok guys, here is the deal.
I'm actually blind, I.E cannot see.
So,When the smell of food is in the air, I don't put my hands in the tub at all. lol
That is why I was trying to figure out the best way to feed.
So, it looks like I'll feed the ball on Thursdays, and just won't go in the boa tub that night either. Then When the boa gets fed, the same for the ball.

You say prescenting isn't needed for boa's, but would it help keep them out of the habit of expecting food everytime the lid comes off?
That's why I mainly prescent for the ball.
Again, it's more of a safety thing sense I'm blind and am just sticking my hand in the tub on faith their not hungry. lol
It's not because I just want to hold all the time.

Hope this makes more sense.

Now on the Shed, I guess it won't hurt them to eat if they are in shed?
Is there any other way to know if they are getting ready to shed other than colors?
My ball will act a little different while being held.
She won't really uncurl, and stays a little tense, and gets a little jumpy. Then the big one, she refuses food, which so far she only does during the actual shed.

Any traits like that to help me out?

About how long does a boa's shed process last?

Sorry for the explanations, but it might help you guys see where I'm coming from.

[DooLittle]

I don't know that there is really anything you could go by feel on as far as a boas shed. A good way for you to help your boa distinguish between feeding and handling is hook training. Which may be a good idea if you're blind. Boas have crazy feed responses.

[Marrissa]

My boa was in a tub in my room (where my rats are) for weeks and never showed any feeding response when I went to get her out. I also feed the ball pythons I have in the living room and while she eyes me down, I can reach in and grab her without any issue. Maybe it's just her, but if my hands don't smell like rat I don't think I'm going to have an issue.

[artgecko]

I second the hook training idea. I am getting my first boa in the next couple of weeks and plan on doing this with him as well.

Basically, you use a snake hook to "stroke" or "touch" the boa every time you go in it's cage to handle or clean the cage, etc. This let's the boa know that you're there and they don't see the hook as a threat. The only time you do not use the hook is when you feed, so the snake knows food is coming then. You can also use the hook to gently lift or maneuver the snake to an easier to grab position although people do not recommend using the hook to lift a larger boa due to their weight.

[Amanda1226]

I don't think I completely understand the hook training. If you can't see the snake to start with, and can't feel a little baby snake on the hook, is that really safe? I have never seen a hook, because with my ball I just don't put my hands in her tub with the smell of food in the air. The idea of the hook is a completely new concept to me. It isn't a big deal now since she is very small, but she will grow, and I don't want her biting me when she does get bigger. Up till now, with my ball, I haven't been bitten yet. *knock on wood* lol

[artgecko]

I see your point. The hook is basically used to "condition" the snake to expect handling and not food when it is used. Some people use other methods, like tapping the tank in a certain way, etc. when feeding or when handling. Basically, you are doing something every time you handle the snake that you do not do when you are going to feed.

The hook is a similar shape to a cane, with a rubber handle a long shaft and a hook, but usually shorter, between 18" - 36". The hook part is blunt and some have a rubber coating.

In your case, it might be hard to "find" the snake with the hook since you can't see her.

I'm not sure if this would work, but you could try getting a pair of heavy gloves... like work or lightweight welding gloves. Use these to get the snake out when you are not feeding (that way you could feel her but not get bitten), but remove them once she is out of the tub. When you are feeding, don't use the gloves and use your feeding tongs or whatever you already use for your ball. Many people recommend gloves when you have a "nippy" baby snake until they grow out of it... It gives you more confidence and when you are more confident, the snake will calm down more quickly.

Good luck with her!

[Amanda1226]

If I keep getting nipped when reaching in for her, then I'll try the gloves.
I want to try doing things with her like the ball and prescent the room prior to feeding, this has helped my ball to realize when it is feed time and not. Prescenting the room prior to a feeding should condition the snake to only expect food when they can smell it.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[Evenstar]

Ok guys, here is the deal.
I'm actually blind, I.E cannot see.
So,When the smell of food is in the air, I don't put my hands in the tub at all. lol
That is why I was trying to figure out the best way to feed.
So, it looks like I'll feed the ball on Thursdays, and just won't go in the boa tub that night either. Then When the boa gets fed, the same for the ball.

You say prescenting isn't needed for boa's, but would it help keep them out of the habit of expecting food everytime the lid comes off?
That's why I mainly prescent for the ball.
Again, it's more of a safety thing sense I'm blind and am just sticking my hand in the tub on faith their not hungry. lol
It's not because I just want to hold all the time.

Hope this makes more sense.

Now on the Shed, I guess it won't hurt them to eat if they are in shed?
Is there any other way to know if they are getting ready to shed other than colors?
My ball will act a little different while being held.
She won't really uncurl, and stays a little tense, and gets a little jumpy. Then the big one, she refuses food, which so far she only does during the actual shed.

Any traits like that to help me out?

About how long does a boa's shed process last?

Sorry for the explanations, but it might help you guys see where I'm coming from.

Amanda, why didn't you say so right from the beginning?? We are completely non-judgemental here and we might have been able to alter our own conventional thinking right from the get-go in order to help you better. I'm in no way being critical. I am blind in one eye myself and have other issues as well. So I get it. I really do.

Pre scenting the room won't accomplish what you're hoping for with boas. None of mine think FOOD every time the tub is opened. And I feed everyone in their enclosures. Even Bellatrix, who'd really like it better if I were dead, doesn't automatically think FOOD when her tub is opened. Frankly, this is another myth. Pre scenting will actually make it MORE dangerous on the days you're feeding the boa. They will come 2/3 of the way out of their tub/enclosure in a full on strike even withOUT pre scenting!! Believe me, you don't want a freakishly hungry 8 ft boa charging out its tub and coming after you. Whether you can see or not. And boas really DO have that kind of feed-response. They are not like balls.

I like the idea of hook training for you. But my take is a bit different. I would not try to actually pick up a snake with a hook. Because you can't see where the hook is in the tub, you won't know what part of the snake you're actually hooking. What I would do is use the hook to simply make the initial reach and touch/stroke the snake with it momentarily. This will let the snake know you are about to reach in and there's no rat at the moment. Snakes may be pretty primitive, but they do learn this pretty quickly.

Boas seem to take a little longer than balls to go through the shed process. And they seem to be grumpy during this time as well. They hide more, stay somewhat tense, and may have a dry feel to them - almost like the scales are lifting a bit.

I feed my guys whether they are in shed or not. Boas will eat whenever - they don't care. I've never had one have a problem.

I do believe that a 10 day schedule would be the best for your boa. But she COULD eat every 7. I prefer going with smaller prey more often instead of the other way around. Start with a 10 day schedule for 6-8 weeks and if she does well, you could go to every 7 with a slightly smaller prey size for the next 8-10 months. Then she'd be ready to go back to a 10 day schedule for a short time before moving to 2 weeks. Does that make sense??

Do ask if you have any other questions or concerns. We do want to help you! And now we have more information with which to help you better!!


*** One other idea! You could put your ball python on a 10 day schedule as well! My BPs eat much better that way.....

[Amanda1226]

Oh, I didn't think of prescenting working a little to well. lol
Having a snake come out at me might not be fun, at any size. lol

I just liked prescenting with the ball b/c I thought it might minimize the chance of being mistaken for food, and to keep me from having to wave a rat around on stats for 5 minutes until she realizes a rat is in there.

Is your ball full grown?
My ball has no problems eating currently, so I've never had to play around with different things.
Now another snake is in the room, I'm having to think about the way I do things now.

From the sounds from what everyone is saying, and what I've read, boa's don't need the prescenting.
How would it affect it if I still feed my ball every 7 days and prescented?
Obviously I wouldn't want to mess with either snake until the next day, but after that would everything be cool?
You said that a boa can come 2/3 of the way out of the enclosure without prescenting, that kind of frightens me.

[jtipton]

Amanda I have to totally agree with Kali that pre scenting with a boa could be dangerous. The only bad bite I ever had from one of my boas happened on a feeding day when I brought the rats in the room and for some reason set them down and left the room for 15 or so minutes (something that I never did). When I came back all the boas were in a frenzy searching for the food and when I opened my 8 ft. girls cage she made a good 4 ft. lunge and grabbed my hand. First and only time she ever bit me or even tried to. I'm not trying to scare you with that story just offering my experience with what others are saying. I've never owned a boa that didn't have an amazing feeding response. I think that if you are going to feed your BP and boa on separate days pre scenting for the BP will be fine as long as you don't open the boa's cage after doing so.