an update!

[Lulu Bennett]

no pics i am afraid but great news! me tetra babies are eating scented pinky pieces :D atlast lol i will take a leaf from james's book and try them on a pinkie half cut lengthways today.
bit unsure on my albino checkered Kia though. she is looking a bit fat :o i dont think she will be pregnant as she is apparently only 9months i am guessing and about 21inches at the moment so i think it time for a diet. oops!
also one of my friends has got a common boa and i am a little conserned. she has asked me to look after it but she said that the electric has been off for about 2 weeks and he has had no food for 2 weeks and i dont know about water. i will hopefully be collecting it on tuesday. i went to the local pet store today and told them about this and they have told me to take it in and he will have a look at it and let me know if it needs vet care but if it does then i cant afford it and its not my snake so its not my responsibility. i have never seen it but i am very disapointed with her at the moment. if it has not had any heat to help it digest and poo its last meal then it is probably dead or well on its way! but if i do get it them any advice in helping this poor bugger get better would be appreaciated.
thanks guys xxx

[Stefan-A]

Well, congratulations to you too. :D

[Lulu Bennett]

lol thanks stefan

[Josh]

congrats on you awsome tetras.

[enigma200316]

well as for food I wouldn't worry,its not uncommon for them to go awhile without food, however the heat and water or lack of is the part to worry about.....hopefully it will be ok and you'll just have tomake sure it has some water and warmth..I wouldn't try to feed it right away I'd give it water and heat for a day or two then try to feed it...a mouse nothing to big off the bat, see how it handles that and then you can go from there......hope this helps and if anyone else can add to it that be great.......good luck:)

[Sid]

Lulu, my first advice as always is quarentine it. Check it closely for visible parasites, etc. The lack of care it's had recently you don't want it to cause problems for your snakes. Give it plenty of heat and clean water, then try mice/rat sized no larger than the diameter of the Boa.

Best of luck,

[Lulu Bennett]

thank you guys for the advise so far. i will post an update on tuesday t weather or not i got the boa. i am really worried for its welfare at the moment. i was supposed to pic it up last thursday but i rung her in the morning and she said she was shopping so will have to get it another day. i love this girl to pieces and she is a really lovely person but things like this really get under my skin.

[drache]

congrats on your tetras
as to the other snake
I hope it'll be okay and won't have to make any difficult decisions

[Elliot]

Good to hear your tetras are doing well, hopefully you can get the boa back in shape too!

[adamanteus]

Hey Lulu, I thought you were short of space, can you accommodate a Boa? Keep in mind what Sid said about quarantine...you don't want to spread any nasties through your collection. How long are you supposed to be keeping this Boa for? Not trying to be funny, Lulu, but if this snake is in need of 'remedial care', do you feel confident that you know enough about Boas?

[Lulu Bennett]

i can keep the boa seperate from my garters. there isn't a chance i would put MY snakes at risk. i will take him to the pet store and let this bloke take a look at it. if there is a chance there is anything wrong then i will let her know that she can either take it back and take it to the vets or i will leave it with the pet store to give it the best possible chance. or i call the rspca or find a animal rescue centre.
if everything is ok then i will only be looking after it for a month or two. it didn't take me long to look up and learn the basics with my garters (i still ask the odd question now and again but i know enough and will pick the rest up) i believe i will manage and my friend is just a phone call away and you guys are just a 'new thread' away. i believe i can do it. i want the best for this snake and i dont believe it is getting the best at the moment. i just want to be able to help it as much as i can.

[CrazyHedgehog]

Can I ask why she wants you to look after it?

[Lulu Bennett]

i know her quite well and we are the only ones that i am aware of that don't freek out when we see snakes lol

[CrazyHedgehog]

I mean, why can't she look after it herself?

[Lulu Bennett]

she has had to move in her mums with her daughter and her mum wont let her take it there.

[drache]

it sounds like she's going through a rough time

[enigma200316]

I know how it is..I had a Monitor that I did that with and then ended up giving it to a pet store because at the time I just couldn't take care of it..

[flakgunner]

hey,
Boa's are tuff! quite some time ago,I stopped into a petshop,checking to see what was new in reptiles,the rather new employee,mentioned that in the back,they had a 3 ft. Columbian Redtail Boa,we went back their ,and to my horror,found a small Styrofoam box,laying on the concrete floor,up against a cement block,outer wall .
The Boa was ice cold,they had it for 2 mo.,wouldn't eat,and had turned mean,so it was thrown back their,laying their for a good month,employee gave it to me,and would tell the owner,it had died.
It took me a good 2 mo. to get it to eat regularly,Boa's where never my thing,so as soon as it had put on some decent weight ,it was traded for a pair of breeding Red Rat snakes.It never was a good snake to handle,I knew where it was going,and going to be used for breeding stock.

Joe

[Lulu Bennett]

joe that is horrid! good for you taking it and bringing it back to health though.

i was supposed to be picking it up today but i cant get through to her. i am quite upset with this and i am still very worried for the poor snake.
i was going to get a boa off chloe but decided against it because of the size but when this came to light i wanted that snake because i felt soooo upset for it. i would probably end up giving it aay if i took it off her but to a good home and to someone who could look after it properly.

[Lulu Bennett]

i picked up the Boa tonight. it has a beautiful red colour on its tail. its a lill skinny but the tank is full of poo and broken sheds. it looks quite settled now and will try feeding tomorrow. he is sooo gentile when handling and seems to like to be handled but i am taking it to the pet store tomorrow.

i have also started sissle and kia's treatment for scale rot :( really hope it works out and they get better. they really didnt like it though.

[adamanteus]

Good luck with all that, Lulu!

[enigma200316]

hang in there Lulu it will turn out just fine....:)

[Lulu Bennett]

thanks guys. it is a good job i am paranoide lol or i would have just passed over it lol

[adamanteus]

If you need any help...don't be shy...I'm minutes away from you!

[Lulu Bennett]

i need help in about 3 hours just to be awkward lol your not tired are you lol :D

[adamanteus]

On my way now!

[Lulu Bennett]

lol bless ya james lol

[Lulu Bennett]

i took boo the boa to the pet store yesterday and the bloke there had a look at it. it looks fine just a little skinny. and no mites.
he is a lovely little fellow and i will be very sad to see him go but i have him for 6 weeks so will make the most of him :D
whilst i was at the pet store they fed him a mouse. it only took him about 45 mins after the first strike lol it was sooooo boring lol but they said to try him with another when i got home so last night i gave him a second and he had that in about 10 mins from first strike. he is doing well.

[Elliot]

Good to hear Lulu.:)

[adamanteus]

Glad to hear the Boa's doing okay.

[drache]

it's good to hear he's doing well
they are pretty tough in some ways

[enigma200316]

great news Lulu,glad to hear it........:)

[Lulu Bennett]

now for my update on Sissle and his outbreak of skin rot.

i found the top half of a shed in the tank the other day. it looked quite fat so i thought it might have been Kias lol but sissle had a bit of shed round his waste so i cas a bit unsure. yesterday i found the bottom half of the shed still looking quite fat but woth signs of scale rot.
i kinda worked out that it was sissles at this point because kia has no signs but i have been treating them both. sissles rot has minimumised :D
he only has a bit left so i am realllllyyyyy chuffed lol but he wouldn't eat yesterday but i am putting that down to stress because he seems to be taking the treatment alot harder than kia and shes just a greedy so anyway lol.
i also fed the babies yesterday lol. 1 is in shed so nothing but the other had 1 quarter chopped lengthways of unscented pinkie. they are been kept in a tub about 1 foot by 8inches (ish) and about 8inches high. i have never seen them trying to escape over the top so after feeding i turned round for litterly 2 seconds to move the food plate and 1 was gone. i frantically searched the tub and it was gone. i had my hoover not far away (henry style-small pull along one) and spotted him just behind the wheel lol so i slowly moved the hoover and he just stayed there waiting to be picked up lol
anyway theres my ramble over with lol im happy and now i need to get ready for work. :D

[Lulu Bennett]

oh and james, Thank You for all the help you have given me! i really do appreaciate it. next time i see you a big hug and a big sloppy kiss (on the cheek) will be waiting :D

[adamanteus]

james, next time i see you a big hug and a big sloppy kiss (on the cheek) will be waiting :D

Today just keeps getting better!:D

[Lulu Bennett]

just to bore you guys a lil bit more.
i fed the tetras the other day and they ate a full pinkes in quarters and no scenting was needed yey soooo relieved. lol also found one tetra shed with one eye section. discovered it was still onnthe snake so tried rubbing gently near but nothing. will have to get some shed ease for them because i have a feeling boo the boa will need it.
i also took kia and sissle to the pet store for some advice and sissles scale rot is alot better but he still isnt eating and he also believes that there is a big chance he will be a daddy :D i really hope so xxx

[adamanteus]

Fingers crossed for you Lulu!:D

[Lulu Bennett]

thank you sweety xxx

[Sid]

Sounds like things are going well now, Lulu. Best of luck.

[Lulu Bennett]

i got sissle a jucy lovely fuzzie fresh from the pet store today and he still isn't eating! i am worried now because he has lost a lot of weight now and kia is soo fat.

also just wondering if the male will still try and mate with the female if she is pregnant because he is sti;ll trying so i am begining to doubt the fact she is pregnant and thinking she is just fat. :(

[adamanteus]

It's possible she is just fat, Lulu. Gravid females give off a different scent to deter the unwanted attentions of randy males! Or rather they cease to give off the attractive pheromone.

[Lulu Bennett]

thats what i was thinking james but i havn't been feeding her that much. 1 fuzzie twice a week. i will cut it down to 1 once a week for a while.

[drache]

two fuzzies a week is a lot
Sammy got her double chins on far less than that
once a week is plenty

[Lulu Bennett]

they were small fuzzies to be fair though (pinkies with fur lol) but i didn't realise so i will defo cut down her food but because sissle doesn't eat his food very often i normally give her his leftovers. its toooo easy but i rectify the problem. thanks rhea i wouldn't have realised lol

[enigma200316]

I'd say two fuzzies every 7-10 days depending on size and age, but thats just me....:)

[Lulu Bennett]

well she is about 9months i am guessing and bout 23inches

[enigma200316]

well she is about 9months i am guessing and bout 23inches


wow she's big and only 9 months........I think she would be fine with that,
you could always add an extra one here and there.........

[Lulu Bennett]

well when i bought he in may i guess she was about 10 inches and on pinkies and the bloke said she was a few months i think it was but i always thought she was a few months older than that though but what do i know

[enigma200316]

well its hard to tell how old they are unless you have them since birth...

[Lulu Bennett]

i realise that but at a young age it is quitehard to get a snake that big in just a month surly?

[enigma200316]

i realise that but at a young age it is quitehard to get a snake that big in just a month surly?


yes I would say so...........I think they only grow like an inch or two every
couple months even in the best condistion, then again it depends a lot on the snake though as well...................

[Lulu Bennett]

i dunno lol i give up but anyway its nearly 4am so i am going to go to bed lol night xxx

[enigma200316]

nite Lulu.....:D

[Lulu Bennett]

just thought i would post a few pics but just a warning they are off my phone so not the best quality, sorry.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//564/medium/ABCD0005.JPG
this is kia getting up close and personal lol

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//564/medium/ABCD0011.JPG
this is a pic of sissles scale rot that really worried but yesterday i found his shed then checked his body and it has cleared up alot now :D

[Lulu Bennett]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//569/medium/ABCD0007.JPG
this is the most recent pics of bonnie and clyde

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//569/medium/ABCD0006.JPG
i dont know who is who just yet but they dont stay still long enough for a clear pic lol

[Lulu Bennett]

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//560/medium/ABCD0009.JPG
this is a pic of Boo. please excuse the hairy legs lol knew i had forgot something lol. he is about 2 foot long and real sweet

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//560/medium/ABCD0004.JPG
and this is the Brazilian Rainbow Boa. should be picking him up tomorrow :D

i hope you like the pics xxx

[enigma200316]

They both look like Red-tail Boa's to me, I have kepted many of them at diff. times in my life and my cousin even had one that was 8 ft long and atleast 1 ft round it use to sleep with me when I was at his house.......:eek:

I have to admit it was very scary the first time I woke up to it laying next to me...........lol, but seriously they do look like red-tails........:)

ps. no s**t that is really true..............

[enigma200316]

this is a Columbia rainbow boa.............

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Epicrates.cenchria.cenchria.JPG

and this is a Brazilian rainbow boa.......

http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/facilities/herp/snakes/brazrain.JPG

Sorry Lulu......didn't mean to rain on your parade........

[Lulu Bennett]

dude are you sure it asn't just sizing you up for his next meal.

ok the pics now they are next to each other do hve the same markings but it was sold to my friend as a BRB from the store i go to. it does look diff. in life and when i looked it had the oily look to it too which boo doesn't have. i will defo post more pics when i get it though to be sure. awww i am gutted now as 2 ppl have offered me £100 for a brb :mad:

[enigma200316]

I'm pretty sure there red-tails,but I'm absolutly sure there not rainbow boa's..........:(but then again I've been wrong before......my first snakes I ever got into though were Pythons and Boa's.......

yeah like I said I was pretty scared the first time or two waking with it right there,but I got use to it and it was a lovely gental snake........:)

[Lulu Bennett]

i heard a story about a woman that had a boa. it was alot bigger than her and it escaped. she found it lying in her bed in the morning parrallel to her, stiff as anything. she took it to the vets and discovered that it was sizing her up and sorting out ready to have her for lunch?!

dont have a clue where i heard that but it sure is scary.

[enigma200316]

i heard a story about a woman that had a boa. it was alot bigger than her and it escaped. she found it lying in her bed in the morning parrallel to her, stiff as anything. she took it to the vets and discovered that it was sizing her up and sorting out ready to have her for lunch?!

dont have a clue where i heard that but it sure is scary.


well if thats what it was doing, than I guess I was lucky.........:eek:

[Stefan-A]

i heard a story about a woman that had a boa. it was alot bigger than her and it escaped. she found it lying in her bed in the morning parrallel to her, stiff as anything. she took it to the vets and discovered that it was sizing her up and sorting out ready to have her for lunch?!

dont have a clue where i heard that but it sure is scary.
Smells like an urban legend to me. :D

[Lori P]

I'm definitely one of those people who would have every critter here sleeping in the bed at night if I could get away with it, LOL!! Poor abused Jamie (hubby) draws the line for some reason... most of the dogs get to pile in the bed, a few brave kitties, but he had issues with the baby goat we had to raise in the house last winter and he certainly seems the type to have problems with snakes in the bed.

Silly, silly man. But what can ya do... (well, you can sneak the goat into bed when he falls asleep on the sofa) LOL

:-)

[adamanteus]

They're both Common Boas, Lulu.

[Lulu Bennett]

They're both Common Boas, Lulu.

i know i am gutted :o( i believe it was sold as a brb to the lad i am getting it off and i have not a clue about boas sub-species lol :confused:
if it is female then i might keep it and burmate both and hope they mate. that is unless Becki (boos mum) wants him back lol.
try my hand in some snakes other than garters but a garter i would never be able to give away lol