Scarlette - 2022 Colombian BCI

[Ailuros]

Yes, some scale folding is normal. Ever look at the inside of your elbow? See any creases? It's normal & much the same thing where we (or they) bend.

It's normal in winter for humidity in our homes (& theirs) to be lower, largely due to our home heating & also that winter air outdoors is cold, & cold air holds less humidity to start with. You might try to bump up his humidity in winter (especially if you see any shedding issues) but I'm just saying not to get extreme about it. Wild boas are well adapted to some variations- they certainly don't have perfect conditions for much of the time. Some even think that having little or no variation may make snakes less resistant, health-wise- & that having "perfect conditions for 24/7" makes them more prone to RI or other infections. I can see both sides of this. Stress & other variants (genetics etc.) probably also play a part.

When I had a BCI for many years (who, btw, was always healthy, shed & ate well, & never bit me), she seemed to love being out. I say that in part because she was a real "rodeo" to get her back into her home. During that time, sometimes she was just nearby so I could keep an eye on her, but she also liked to snuggle around my waist while I watched movies- or in nice weather, I took walks outside, carrying her. She seemed quite comfortable with all of it.

Much depends on your own empathy & calm, reassuring handling skills- if your boa seems calm & comfortable, is healthy & eats well, I see nothing wrong with having her out (handled or not) for a couple hours. That's what I did too, though not daily. Note- in winter- when my house was on the chilly side (my home t-stat is set to 69-70*)- I provided a heating pad + my own body heat. It's still important that your snake isn't allowed to get too cold when out. When mine snuggled around me, I put a blanket around both of us to keep my heat in. If I thought she needed more, I added a heating pad. She was clearly very comfortable. And it sounds to me like yours 'enjoys' being out & handled too.

One caution: Mine would sit perfectly coiled on my bed while I went back & forth to another room, folding laundry, etc. But one day, after pretending to be a rock for a long time, when I was out of the room for not more than 5 minutes one time, she took off into my open dresser drawer to hide out. Snakes are very good at "hide & seek" (especially if your boa is a lot smaller than mine was). I had no trouble guessing where she went, & she even hissed up a storm at me when I had to take her out- she was so happy with her new "cave" & it was hilarious. So just be ready for that, and better yet- prevent yours from disappearing. Don't trust a snake to stay still, ever. They instinctively wait until they're not being watched- as if we are predators- before they take off.

Alright! When she is out I keep a close eye on her, and if I'm moving around a lot i'll usually just let her sit on my shoulder which she does fine with. I do my best to handle her calmly, often moving slowly and letting her get settled in my hands when I am handling. She is always sure to find a good spot.

About the caution lol, I was doing a cleanout and change of water for my newest girl yesterday. I handled her shortly while getting some new paper towel in there, and then let her back in, directing her to her hide. I went to go grab the pitcher I use for their water bowls, only to find out she had crawled onto a whole different shelf and curled up around a bottle. She seemed content with this, so I cleaned out her water bowl and topped it off, along with misting to keep her humidity up. When I went to add her back, she was much more tense, and clearly reared up in an 's' pose. I guess she must have just gotten a little spooked by watching me work on her enclosure, and she struck at me (missing by a lot). She sure acted like she did NOT want to go back to her tub as I hooked her to move her back lol.