Not feeding...

[Spike89]

Ok so it has been about 4 weeks since I was able to get my female Redtail to eat. I have tried everything. I even resorted to something she usually loves, and made the rats nose bleed and rub it on the feeding tub. Nothing about her habitat has changed. She has also been soaking for a couple of days. She does eventually get out of the tub and go back to her hide. Just like clockwork though, everyday she leaves her hide at 9 am and goes back into her water. She has always loved water though so not sure if this just her regular routine. Her hot spot is always 86-90 degrees depending on house temps. Ambient room temps are kept at 78 degrees which is what her cage reads as well. One other snake is off feed too. Is it the time of the year? What are your thoughts?

[Spike89]

One last thing, no sign of mites or breathing issues.

[Skittles1101]

That's very odd...boas don't normally go off feed like ball pythons. Mine will eat anything I put in their enclosure. Are there any signs of sickness whatsoever?

[Gio]

That's very odd...boas don't normally go off feed like ball pythons. Mine will eat anything I put in their enclosure. Are there any signs of sickness whatsoever?

I agree, most boas will feed problem free 99% of the time.

Is there more info? Are you 100% certain it's a female?

There is truth to seasonal changes in behavior and appetite.

Extended soaking is never good, but if the behavior is normal and nothing has changed it may not be a factor.

There is nothing wrong with missing a month, two or even three of feeding.

Give it some time and only enter the cage to change water and do simple cleaning.

Boas are designed to go long periods without food so I personally would not worry unless you see other signs that would lead you to believe it's ill.

[bcr229]

I think some boas do go off feed during the winter. My colubrids are the same way - they don't stop eating, but they definitely start skipping meals here and there. Even my garbage gut female MBK refused last week, where normally she's the type to tag fingers unless you use a hook to get her out of her enclosure.

IIRC even if you keep their temps and humidity up, they can still sense other seasonal changes, like barometric pressure, and that causes them to back off of feeding. In the spring my colubrids also get much much "foodier".

[Spike89]

Ok since my last entry Lily finally did eat a medium rat that my large male ball would not. Now to tackle that. I'm not so worried about him though because his last weigh in he was 1270 grams and just under 4'. :p

[Spike89]

I was wondering about seasonal changes though and normal snake behavior.