Kenyan Sand Boa Not Feeding

mmonica · 10-01-09, 09:17 PM

Hi I just recently adopted a male kenyan sand boa that 2 yrs old. I have been learning about how to take care of them but im still really new to this whole thing. I usually feed my snake thawed pinkies every Sunday but he has not been eating for over 2 weeks now. I am really worried as to why he won't eat. Also he has been turning lighter which i assumed has to do with shedding since his eyes are cloudy. Could the shedding be the reason why he is not eating? should I try changing it to live mice? and is there anything i can do to help his shedding process? I appreciate any input ... THANKS!!!!

Monica and Erik the boa

sassamagoo · 10-02-09, 01:18 AM

First off, how long have you had him? If its only been a short time, such as just a few weeks, you shouldn't worry. Sometimes it takes awhile for a snake to settle in and be comfortable enough to eat.

Second, if he is getting lighter and his eyes look cloudy, he is definitely getting ready to shed and once again, most snakes won't eat while preparing to shed, but will be very hungry after. Most snakes need a higher humidity level when they are getting ready to shed although I'm not sure what it is for a Sand Boa.

You should also find out what he was eating before you adopted him, frozen/thawed or live. Frozen/thawed (f/t) is generally considered to be safest for your snake, but if he is used to eating live he may not take to it right away. Also, make sure you are warming the f/t mouse enough.

Temps in his cage can also affect his appetite. Make sure he has a hot side and a cold side and probably at least one hide (I'm not sure on the hide situation as sand boa's normally burrow to hide).

So I guess my biggest piece of advice is: do all the research you can on Kenyan Sand Boa's to find out the correct temps and humidity needed for your new baby and what the ideal enclosure set up is for him. Even on this site I have seen threads on Sand Boa's that could probably help you out a lot. Search it right on here.

I'm sorry, I don't have a Sand Boa so I can't be more specific for you, but these are general rules for any snake. Hopefully someone with more experience will pop on here and give you more detailed info.

Good luck and don't worry too much as the shedding and being new to your home are probably both affecting his appetite.

Sass

P.S.
You might want to also reconsider the size of prey you are feeding. Did you really mean a pinkie MOUSE for a 2 year old sand Boa? Because thats probably WAY too small for him. I know Sand boas are smaller than red tail boas like mine, but not that much, and my 6 month old Boa is eating full adult mice. A good rule of thumb is to feed your snake a prey item that is as big around as your snake is at its thickest part of his body.

sassamagoo · 10-02-09, 01:27 AM

nvm on the prey size thing, i read the wiki size descrip wrong. thought it said 60 inches, but it said 60 cm..... whoops! i'm sure your prey size is probably fine then.

so just wait for the shed and double check your temp and humidity needs for him.

sorry for any confusion!
Sass