Owning BP's and Boas

[Stewart_Reptiles]

So two months is definitely too short, huh?

Boas should be quarantined for a minimum of 6 months.

[starmom]

Hi,

I seem to recall reading a post that claimed some breeders will intentionally expose a male bp to their boa collection to try and detect IBD much like miners used to use canary to detect gas.

It may be nothing more than an inaccurate rumour though.


dr del

At first glance I thought, "Wow, how highly practical!" Then I thought, "Oh my gosh, how could I do this? How could I choose one who might die? Why is it that the males are always so dispensable?!"

It is a valid course of action; albeit wrapped within an ethical dilemma....

[JayBP]

Boas should be quarantined for a minimum of 6 months.

But they can live for years with no signs. So there is a chance even after the 6 months he could still have IDB and if that's the case I don't really see the difference.

[waltah!]

boas won't show the signs of IBD even if they carry it. Your normal QT would remain the same. Pythons tend to not live past 30 days after exposure.

[PigsnPythons]

I'm not saying this is the right thing to do, but if you exposed a python to a boa for say six months and the python did not get sick, could you assume that the boa does not carry IBD?

[starmom]

I'm not saying this is the right thing to do, but if you exposed a python to a boa for say six months and the python did not get sick, could you assume that the boa does not carry IBD?

I have heard from others on this list, and elsewhere, that a ball python will show signs of IBD much sooner than 6 months. That said, I would think it might be reasonable to assume that after six months of exposure with no symptoms showing in the ball python that the boa is IBD free.

Does anyone know how common IBD in captive bred and born boas actually is??

[JayBP]

boas won't show the signs of IBD even if they carry it. Your normal QT would remain the same. Pythons tend to not live past 30 days after exposure.

Well my normal quarantine is only about a month or so, not six months. Lol.

I guess it's my snake doesn't have it because I quarantine in my closet in my room where I keep my ball pythons. None of my BPs are showing signs of IDB.

[Mindibun]

I had wanted a Hog island boa but now I refuse to get one because of the risks. I already have two ball pythons, one of which was purchased long before I looked into the hogs. It's not at all fair to risk my existing snakes just to add to my collection. In my opinion, you should either keep only pythons/ only boas, or you should wait until you can house them properly in separate ends of the house. That, to me, is responsible snake keeping.

[Skiploder]

There's another option:

Pay the $300 to $500 for a liver biopsy on any incoming boas.

The fact is that a 6 month quarantine may not protect you from IBD.

[JayBP]

I had wanted a Hog island boa but now I refuse to get one because of the risks. I already have two ball pythons, one of which was purchased long before I looked into the hogs. It's not at all fair to risk my existing snakes just to add to my collection. In my opinion, you should either keep only pythons/ only boas, or you should wait until you can house them properly in separate ends of the house. That, to me, is responsible snake keeping.

Sounds irrational to me.