gypsy mills - 2012-05-07 I bought my husband a seven month old red tailed boa recently. It's the youngest snake we have owned so I'm not sure the proper feeding schedule. Our red tailed boa is approximately 3 feet long but very thin.
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Jeremy Roche - 2012-05-08 Really depends on size of food. Once or twice a week is good for that age.
LaTischa Franzmeier - 2011-07-19 I recently picked up a very young RTB from a local petstore. She was very weak and thin and wouldn't grip my fingers. She did a little bit of climbing around her terrarium, but she seemed to stare off into space a lot, and this morning, I found her dead with her mouth slightly on edge. The space on her cloaca was a light orangey red yesterday and appeared to be swollen, but didn't feel hard. She seemed coordinated enough, but just weak. There are no mites that I can see. Does this sound like IBD? I am freaking out because I am babysitting a friend's python, and I don't want her to catch it.
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Clarice Brough - 2011-08-01 Wow, so sorry about loosing your boa. From what I understand, IBD is very hard to diagnose, and takes a liver biopsy to be sure - is what I've heard. It's also primarily transmited by mites. So as long as your area is clean, and you haven't seen any mites during the time you kept your snake.. I'd guess you're okay taking care of your friend's python
LaTischa Franzmeier - 2012-01-10 No worries. It's been a few months and that definitely wasn't it. Just a bad pet store.
kc - 2012-03-13 I have a red tailed boa and he's gasping for air. I don't know what to do
Jake the Snake - 2012-03-28 Might be a respiratory infection, 2 of my ball pythons have had one, so has my friends red tail. What other symptoms does it have?
Anonymous - 2012-04-26 I had a baby CRT die on me from a internal parasite and he was sold to us like that so the store gave us a 1 1/2 yr old CRT male for free. I would get the ball python away from where the other snake died because it can catch it clean everything up immediately. I'm sorry for your loss I know how it feels my snake died in my arms on the way to the vet also had a huge lump and mouth open but it was because his stomach exploded due to the parasite
Anonymous - 2012-04-26 For the respiratory infection, you can either buy medicine or do what I had to do. Just crank the heat up a little bit than how it usually is and make sure it has extra extra humidity. If it keeps breathing out of its mouth get it to the vet ASAP
Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 I just discovered after buying 100 mini-pinkies for $65,that my 3 foot baby rtb would not eat them. They are to small for him to consider as prey. I ordered them from Big Apple Pet Supply. I did not have $75 to order 25 rat pups from Big Apple Pet Supply. I looked for another supplier and found Layne Laboratories.com. They have more options in order size 10 a time for most of they mice and rats. They also 25,50,100,500,1000 order sizes. I bought 10 rat pups for $49.24,a big price difference. I like the 10 a time option. I can step up the rat size every 2 months,if I need to keep up with his growth. The rat pups are still a tad small for him,but with in minutes of me offering one to him,he ate it. I will order 10 weaned rats from Layne Laboratories.com next time at $47.34. I would hate to waste the 99 mini-pinkies that are left I will sale them for $40 to any one in the west Atlanta area,you can reach me at wolfman2468@live.com
happy - 2008-12-12 My family owns a beautiful RTB, we call him McSnakerson. We love him dearly. He has to be the easiet pet to have. However, when it comes to feeding time he can be very agressive. We feed him in a separate feeding area other than his home. We do this to pevent the possibility of him striking. Funny thing though, one time I moved him into his feeding box and he knew it so I began to get ready to put the rat in. McSnakerson kept striking the cage and as I tried to walk to another side to drop in the rat he had his eye on me and just kept following me. Needless to say I had to get someone else in the room to distract him so I could drop in the rat. McSnakerson is the perfect eater though, always ready and quick to it. He is my first reptile pet and my love for snakes has grown cuz of it. We now own a Ball Python as well. He on the other hand, is another story, but loveable just the same.
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Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 You should always use tongs to feed your snake. You should never hand feed your snake, your scent will mix with the feeder rat. I wait until he is in cool hide. I have have half top open,so he can see just the rat. I shake the cage a little, to get his attention. Then I slowly lower the rat to about 2 inches above the hide. He usually take it within a couple minutes. You should should also clean your feeding box with a pet safe cleaner like Zoo Med Wipe Out 1 Disinfectant. That will get rid of the rats smell.
Trevor - 2012-02-02 I've had my RTB (Ka'ne) for about a 1/2 year, never had any problems, and she has been the best. But due to financial problems, i haven't been able to feed her , her normal 2 mice a week, and had to wait a week and a half, i went to grab her and she bit me, i know it is my fault for not feeding her on time, but just want to know if once they bite you, and taste your blood, will they continue to bite you for no reason, or will i be able to play with her like normal after feeding?
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mike - 2012-02-21 Trevor, he only bit you because he probably associated the sound of the cage opening with feeding time and when he saw the movement of your hand he thought is was food. Had he had a chance to smell you before you reached in he would have known food was not present, unless you smell like a mouse ;) and maybe would not have stuck at you. They don't bite for no reason, either food or protection, he won't bite you because he like the taste of your blood. Otherwise, that happens, when you play with fire you get burned, or in this case, when you play with snakes you get bit.
Lex Bradley - 2012-02-17 I got my red tail black a while ago when she was a year old and so far she's been fairly good. Growing fast. I was thinking about getting rid of her sometime when she gets really big but then again I might not because I want to work with animals when I get a job and having her would help a lot.
Carrie - 2012-02-06 I just got my first Red Tail Hog Island cross today.She is fat and very alert. We named her Josephine. I have 8 other snakes in the house. But, she is my first large snake. I am very excited to watch her grow. My other half is scared to death of my pets. Any tips of how to get him over it? I wish he shared my love for reptiles.
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Clarice Brough - 2012-02-16 Yeah, I wish he shared your love for reptiles too. Some people just don't... strange huh:)
Nathan - 2011-11-13 I have a RTB and as my second reptile she is amazing! My first rep was an iguana and while he was cool he unfortunately passed away from old age. Although scratch is my first RTB, and RTBS aren't recommended for first timers, I found with plenty of love, patience, and the all knowing interwebs it has been more than manageable. I knew I was on the right track when the second day I had her, I fed her and she ate immediately. That's not to say she didn't give me a kiss to get to know me lol. But one of the best things about snakes is that if they bite you its because you were doing something stupid. She's currently 7 and I can't wait for many more happy years with her.
Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 I just bought a year old from Boas and Balls. I payed $215 for him, I named him Agent Orange. He is active and healthy looking,he eats well. I love his cream/orange body color,orange/brown saddles and red/orange tail. They still some of his brothers and sister for sale at $150-550. He 3 feet long is that small for 1?
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David Brough - 2011-09-24 He will get bigger thats for sure. How big are the brothers and sister?
kb - 2008-06-26 My rtb, Forbes, is the best snake ever. He will be 3 in July and has never even attempted to bite. I have even needed to clean bedding out of his mouth with no problems from him, and he doesn't mind dogs sniffing at him when he crawls on the floor. He will lay on me for as long as I will rub him - but I can definitely see a difference in his interaction with me as opposed to anyone else. My boy is very spoiled and he loves it. I take him out of the cage nearly every single day, and he goes swimming and takes drives with me in the summer. I will be sad when he is just too big for me to handle alone. We are in the process of having a floor to ceiling enclosure built for him. A lot of people ask how big will he get or how long will he live, and when I tell them, the reaction is usually 'what are you going to do with him then?' I'm going to keep him, of course! These reptiles are a true commitment and should not be a short term novelty to 'show-off'. Before purchasing one, be prepared to handle them regulary for many, many years - intentions otherwise are just not fair to them.
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Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 You should never let an RTB on your floors,unless you have just cleaned the floors with a pet safe cleaner. You should also not ware shoes that have worn outside,while you are in your house. You should never let animals near your RTB. You should take a shower before handling your RTB. Captive bred RTB have a poor immune system. It's very common for a young Boa to die from parasites just because the owner was reckless and careless enough to not take all precautions before feeding or handling there snake.
The Colombian Boa or Common Boa has an exotic appearance, and is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the constrictors.
I bought my husband a seven month old red tailed boa recently. It's the youngest snake we have owned so I'm not sure the proper feeding schedule. Our red tailed boa is approximately 3 feet long but very thin.
Really depends on size of food. Once or twice a week is good for that age.
I recently picked up a very young RTB from a local petstore. She was very weak and thin and wouldn't grip my fingers. She did a little bit of climbing around her terrarium, but she seemed to stare off into space a lot, and this morning, I found her dead with her mouth slightly on edge. The space on her cloaca was a light orangey red yesterday and appeared to be swollen, but didn't feel hard. She seemed coordinated enough, but just weak. There are no mites that I can see. Does this sound like IBD? I am freaking out because I am babysitting a friend's python, and I don't want her to catch it.
Wow, so sorry about loosing your boa. From what I understand, IBD is very hard to diagnose, and takes a liver biopsy to be sure - is what I've heard. It's also primarily transmited by mites. So as long as your area is clean, and you haven't seen any mites during the time you kept your snake.. I'd guess you're okay taking care of your friend's python
No worries. It's been a few months and that definitely wasn't it. Just a bad pet store.
I have a red tailed boa and he's gasping for air. I don't know what to do
Might be a respiratory infection, 2 of my ball pythons have had one, so has my friends red tail. What other symptoms does it have?
I had a baby CRT die on me from a internal parasite and he was sold to us like that so the store gave us a 1 1/2 yr old CRT male for free. I would get the ball python away from where the other snake died because it can catch it clean everything up immediately. I'm sorry for your loss I know how it feels my snake died in my arms on the way to the vet also had a huge lump and mouth open but it was because his stomach exploded due to the parasite
For the respiratory infection, you can either buy medicine or do what I had to do. Just crank the heat up a little bit than how it usually is and make sure it has extra extra humidity. If it keeps breathing out of its mouth get it to the vet ASAP
I just discovered after buying 100 mini-pinkies for $65,that my 3 foot baby rtb would not eat them. They are to small for him to consider as prey. I ordered them from Big Apple Pet Supply. I did not have $75 to order 25 rat pups from Big Apple Pet Supply. I looked for another supplier and found Layne Laboratories.com. They have more options in order size 10 a time for most of they mice and rats. They also 25,50,100,500,1000 order sizes. I bought 10 rat pups for $49.24,a big price difference. I like the 10 a time option. I can step up the rat size every 2 months,if I need to keep up with his growth. The rat pups are still a tad small for him,but with in minutes of me offering one to him,he ate it. I will order 10 weaned rats from Layne Laboratories.com next time at $47.34. I would hate to waste the 99 mini-pinkies that are left I will sale them for $40 to any one in the west Atlanta area,you can reach me at wolfman2468@live.com
My family owns a beautiful RTB, we call him McSnakerson. We love him dearly. He has to be the easiet pet to have. However, when it comes to feeding time he can be very agressive. We feed him in a separate feeding area other than his home. We do this to pevent the possibility of him striking. Funny thing though, one time I moved him into his feeding box and he knew it so I began to get ready to put the rat in. McSnakerson kept striking the cage and as I tried to walk to another side to drop in the rat he had his eye on me and just kept following me. Needless to say I had to get someone else in the room to distract him so I could drop in the rat. McSnakerson is the perfect eater though, always ready and quick to it. He is my first reptile pet and my love for snakes has grown cuz of it. We now own a Ball Python as well. He on the other hand, is another story, but loveable just the same.
You should always use tongs to feed your snake. You should never hand feed your snake, your scent will mix with the feeder rat. I wait until he is in cool hide. I have have half top open,so he can see just the rat. I shake the cage a little, to get his attention. Then I slowly lower the rat to about 2 inches above the hide. He usually take it within a couple minutes. You should should also clean your feeding box with a pet safe cleaner like Zoo Med Wipe Out 1 Disinfectant. That will get rid of the rats smell.
I've had my RTB (Ka'ne) for about a 1/2 year, never had any problems, and she has been the best. But due to financial problems, i haven't been able to feed her , her normal 2 mice a week, and had to wait a week and a half, i went to grab her and she bit me, i know it is my fault for not feeding her on time, but just want to know if once they bite you, and taste your blood, will they continue to bite you for no reason, or will i be able to play with her like normal after feeding?
Trevor, he only bit you because he probably associated the sound of the cage opening with feeding time and when he saw the movement of your hand he thought is was food. Had he had a chance to smell you before you reached in he would have known food was not present, unless you smell like a mouse ;) and maybe would not have stuck at you. They don't bite for no reason, either food or protection, he won't bite you because he like the taste of your blood. Otherwise, that happens, when you play with fire you get burned, or in this case, when you play with snakes you get bit.
I got my red tail black a while ago when she was a year old and so far she's been fairly good. Growing fast. I was thinking about getting rid of her sometime when she gets really big but then again I might not because I want to work with animals when I get a job and having her would help a lot.
I just got my first Red Tail Hog Island cross today.She is fat and very alert. We named her Josephine. I have 8 other snakes in the house. But, she is my first large snake. I am very excited to watch her grow. My other half is scared to death of my pets. Any tips of how to get him over it? I wish he shared my love for reptiles.
Yeah, I wish he shared your love for reptiles too. Some people just don't... strange huh:)
I have a RTB and as my second reptile she is amazing! My first rep was an iguana and while he was cool he unfortunately passed away from old age. Although scratch is my first RTB, and RTBS aren't recommended for first timers, I found with plenty of love, patience, and the all knowing interwebs it has been more than manageable. I knew I was on the right track when the second day I had her, I fed her and she ate immediately. That's not to say she didn't give me a kiss to get to know me lol. But one of the best things about snakes is that if they bite you its because you were doing something stupid. She's currently 7 and I can't wait for many more happy years with her.
I just bought a year old from Boas and Balls. I payed $215 for him, I named him Agent Orange. He is active and healthy looking,he eats well. I love his cream/orange body color,orange/brown saddles and red/orange tail. They still some of his brothers and sister for sale at $150-550. He 3 feet long is that small for 1?
He will get bigger thats for sure. How big are the brothers and sister?
My rtb, Forbes, is the best snake ever. He will be 3 in July and has never even attempted to bite. I have even needed to clean bedding out of his mouth with no problems from him, and he doesn't mind dogs sniffing at him when he crawls on the floor. He will lay on me for as long as I will rub him - but I can definitely see a difference in his interaction with me as opposed to anyone else.
My boy is very spoiled and he loves it. I take him out of the cage nearly every single day, and he goes swimming and takes drives with me in the summer. I will be sad when he is just too big for me to handle alone. We are in the process of having a floor to ceiling enclosure built for him.
A lot of people ask how big will he get or how long will he live, and when I tell them, the reaction is usually 'what are you going to do with him then?' I'm going to keep him, of course! These reptiles are a true commitment and should not be a short term novelty to 'show-off'. Before purchasing one, be prepared to handle them regulary for many, many years - intentions otherwise are just not fair to them.
You should never let an RTB on your floors,unless you have just cleaned the floors with a pet safe cleaner. You should also not ware shoes that have worn outside,while you are in your house. You should never let animals near your RTB. You should take a shower before handling your RTB. Captive bred RTB have a poor immune system. It's very common for a young Boa to die from parasites just because the owner was reckless and careless enough to not take all precautions before feeding or handling there snake.