New boa, have questions, HELLLPPP :(

[k79tarver]

Hello fellow snake lovers I have been keeping ball pythons for a number of years & was selling one of my Spider bps & was offered a 2 year old Redtail & a Cinnamon bp for her so I traded. The boa seems very sweet & tame but when I inspected him very closely, he has these vertical lines running along his sides about 2". The guy that traded him to me only had him for a week (he was a rescue from some idiot using a metal coat hanger to pick him up & hadn't fed him in 2 months!!) and his wife was scared of him so he couldn't keep him. He wasn't sure about the lines, not knowing much about boas either. I'm sorry for so many details but I thought it might be helpful in finding about these strange lines. I'd appreciate any info y'all can give me.

Kimberly

[Aaron_S]

So you took a rescue boa as VALUE in a trade? Crazy.

Take a pic but from what I'm gathering I don't think it's much of an issue. Depends on what it is.

[Jay]

Is it actually a red tail? If its not I'd say bad deal.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Pics of the snake will give you MUCH better help.

~Maggot

[k79tarver]

We got a cinnamon ball & the red tail for the spider (which I actually got at Petco for 1/2 price bc he'd been there for 6 months & bit everyone so nobody wanted him lol). I felt sorry for him bc they was kind of teasing him in front of us, so I assume it was really bad when there was no customers around! I will pull him out of his enclosure & take some pictures of what I'm referring to in a few minutes. I appreciate the responses :)

[k79tarver]

Please forgive my ignorance but how do I post a picture from my laptop to the forum?

[nick654377]

upload to photobucket. take the img code, paste in post, switch IMG to img both front and rear of code and post.

[k79tarver]

Thanks so much Nick. Let me see if I got it lol. You really have to look closely to see the lines but they are down both sides of his body about every 2" or so.

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y397/k79tarver/Ezio.jpg

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y397/k79tarver/IMG_20121118_121042-1.jpg

[Jay]

They look like scars to me. No red tail, it's just a comon boa, boa constrictor imperiator.

[Aaron_S]

Could be scars or dehydration. It shouldn't affect the snake as it looks healthy otherwise from those two shots.

[k79tarver]

What do you think would cause that many scars? And they're so perfectly spaced down his body. Maybe deliberate abuse? I don't mind it being just a common boa, the cinnamon was what I was after & the boa was a throw in lol. As for "value in trade", I think that's a matter of personal opinion as far as what we want/need & what we don't, ya know. The spider wasn't even $100 so not such a big loss lol. This is the first time that I've ever posted on any forum & I appreciate the welcome & the responses :)

[EmbraceCalamity]

What do you think would cause that many scars? And they're so perfectly spaced down his body. Maybe deliberate abuse? I don't mind it being just a common boa, the cinnamon was what I was after & the boa was a throw in lol. As for "value in trade", I think that's a matter of personal opinion as far as what we want/need & what we don't, ya know. The spider wasn't even $100 so not such a big loss lol. This is the first time that I've ever posted on any forum & I appreciate the welcome & the responses :)It could have just been something that was evenly spaced, like a kind of wire or fencing or something. Though it seems strange that they're going horizontally rather than vertically, as you'd expect if he crawled over something sharp. But if they're perfectly spaced, it's unlikely it was deliberate abuse.

~Maggot

[Ridge Runner_20]

Yeah, could be feeding scars from a desperate (ie - live :mad:) prey item, but I doubt it will affect the snake in any way at this point. That's a pretty BCI you have there! I like the bronze coloration, and he/she seems like a sweet animal. Take good care of him/her, and if you have any questions, there are a LOT of knowledgeable folks here to help (present company excluded! :p). Good luck!

RR_20 (Mike)

[k79tarver]

He's really a sweet boy! Long story short, a girl raised him from a hatchling until about 2 1/2 months ago, left her bf & left the snake with him(him being terrified of it, didn't feed it & wouldn't even pick it up by hand), he gave it to the guy I got him from, that guy only had him a week or so, he didn't feed him either. He said he didn't strike but he did open his mouth towards him(maybe he's fricken hungry lol?). I just got him about 3 hours ago & am letting him get used to his surroundings before offering him a rat.

[k79tarver]

Yeah, could be feeding scars from a desperate (ie - live :mad:) prey item, but I doubt it will affect the snake in any way at this point. That's a pretty BCI you have there! I like the bronze coloration, and he/she seems like a sweet animal. Take good care of him/her, and if you have any questions, there are a LOT of knowledgeable folks here to help (present company excluded! :p). Good luck!

RR_20 (Mike)

Thank you :) he's the first boa I've ever owned. I've had balls (hehe)since 2002 & was really kinda spooked by boas (my friend had 2 & they bit him every time he touched them lol) but a few months ago I was around one that was sooo sweet & I totally fell in love with her, so my pining began lol. I know absolutely nothing about them :hmm: lol so I guess it's time to hit google & as many forums as I can lol

[Jack C]

Could it be the kink in the scales when the snakes is coiled up for a long period of time. I noticed them on my boa so got a bigger hide and I don't see too many of them now, can't really see it in the picture

[marvelfreak]

Any idea what kind of cage it was kept in before your friend got it?

[KORBIN5895]

Can someone please point out these horizontal lines to me.....

[Jay]

Can someone please point out these horizontal lines to me.....

They're on the snake.

[KORBIN5895]

They're on the snake.

What snake?

[Jay]

Something distracting you Kevin?

[KORBIN5895]

Something distracting you Kevin?

Huh? Did you say something?

Honestly though, I am not seeing any horizontal lines running down the side of that snake.

[Lankyrob]

Huh? Did you say something?

Honestly though, I am not seeing any horizontal lines running down the side of that snake.

Do you see the vertical ones tho? :p:hmm::p:p

[KORBIN5895]

It could have just been something that was evenly spaced, like a kind of wire or fencing or something. Though it seems strange that they're going horizontally rather than vertically, as you'd expect if he crawled over something sharp. But if they're perfectly spaced, it's unlikely it was deliberate abuse.

~Maggot

Well I am blaming maggot for my confusion.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Well I am blaming maggot for my confusion.How is that confusing?

~Maggot

[lady_bug87]

Whatever it is, it seems really superficial and should not bother the snake. I assume you're quarentining to protect your other animals since if the poor thing wasn't being fed then it probably wasn't being housed properly so it could have all kinds of surprises like mites or an RI

I would personally watch for changes like redness, swelling and tenderness though they look older and well healed

[k79tarver]

Whatever it is, it seems really superficial and should not bother the snake. I assume you're quarentining to protect your other animals since if the poor thing wasn't being fed then it probably wasn't being housed properly so it could have all kinds of surprises like mites or an RI

I would personally watch for changes like redness, swelling and tenderness though they look older and well healed


Yes & thank God he is being quarantined bc I'm fairly certain I heard a slight wheezing/whistling sound earlier & considering "my friend" said he just randomly opened his mouth at him, yet the snake shows no aggressive behavior, I'd say we're going to be taking a trip to our vet in a hurry!! It would have been nice if he'd told me about all this before the trade though lol. Oh heck, I'd have still traded probably! I'm such a compulsive person that I am constantly getting myself into messes lol. That's what happened with the Spider in the first place. Went to PETCO for substrate, FT mice & a new thermometer & I buy the Spider bc it had been sitting there for over 6 months & the clerks were waving a snake hook in front of them to see if they could get them to strike!! Plus the one blood they had for sale had an RI and mites & was at the vet. The clerk (the one teasing the spiders) said "I keep telling them bloods need belly heat & they won't listen, so he's at the vet being treated for mites and an infection!" So what does my dumb a$$ do, "Oh I'll take that one!" This thing was an absolute disaster, striking at any movement at all for 2 solid weeks. I worked with him every day for about a half hour, dodging strikes lol until he was cool, then here I go trading for a disaster of a different sort! Thanks for dealing with my rambling y'all.
Oh & as far as the enclosure he was being kept in...here's the picture that was sent to me :hmm:

http://i1272.photobucket.com/albums/y397/k79tarver/imagejpeg_2_45.jpg

[k79tarver]

Could it be the kink in the scales when the snakes is coiled up for a long period of time. I noticed them on my boa so got a bigger hide and I don't see too many of them now, can't really see it in the picture


Do you think that could be the case for this guy judging by the size of the hide in the last picture I posted? That actually makes complete sense. My husband is going to build him a new enclosure at work this week, so we're gonna try to make him as happy as possible. He's really such a pretty boy & has a wonderful temperament!

[Jack C]

Do you think that could be the case for this guy judging by the size of the hide in the last picture I posted? That actually makes complete sense. My husband is going to build him a new enclosure at work this week, so we're gonna try to make him as happy as possible. He's really such a pretty boy & has a wonderful temperament!

If you look closely at the scle you will be able to see the crease in the scale, my boa only got that coming up to shed as that's when he uses the hide, otherwise he lays out in view, they come and go. If the are in the same place after a few days maybe it's a scratch.

[stevealexo]

http://http://s1283.beta.photobucket.com/user/stevealexo/media/niassapic1.jpg.html


I have a suriname red tail boa. And she has the the vertical lines running along his sides. I've only had her about a month. I got her from a guy on kijiji but he only had her for a few months himself. I posted a pic(I hope it worked this time) But you can't see the lines because I only have a poor cell cam. I'm not sure how she got these lines. They do look like scares. Her scales kinda pop up right on the edge of the lines. I'll try and get a better pic of the lines soon.

[dinosaurdammit]

pic doesnt work for me

[stevealexo]

imghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/90138440@N04/8http://www.flickr.com/photos/90138440@N04/8191568504191568504img

[stevealexo]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/90138440@N04/8191568504

[nick654377]

upload picture to photobucket and use the IMG code. you have to switch IMG in the front and back of code to img.

[stevealexo]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/c0.0.403.403/p403x403/59127_10151173978418191_498731886_n.jpg

[stevealexo]

YAY I finely figured out how to post pics lmao I had to use FB. But ya these are the lines on her side which is the same thing the girl was talking about. I think it is at least.

[stevealexo]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/59127_10151173978418191_498731886_n.jpg

[stevealexo]

Thanks nick I've been trying to figure out how to post pics on here for days. (my first time using a fourm). I make flicker and photobucket accounts non worked though.

[Jay]

You didn't get that suri from Hamilton did you?

[stevealexo]

No I got her from a guy here in London. But he said he only had her for a month or so himself. And I'm not sure where he got her from.

[Jay]

Ok, I work out of Hamilton and I checked one out from kijiji, guy had really bad wobbles.

[KORBIN5895]

That's from the way it curled up.

[icole]

That picture isn't great, but I got an 8.5 foot female BCI from a person who still had her in the 29 gallon glass terrarium they bought at the pet store when she was a baby. She had creases in her scales from being coiled up all the time. She was otherwise healthy, and lived a long full life when I put her in a 3' by 4' by 2' neodesha tank.

[stevealexo]

I have her in a 40 gallon tank and she's only 4.5 feet. But she stays in her hide like all day. Sometimes I see her head pop out but that's it. Is it normal for Red tail boas to stay in their hide that much?

[KORBIN5895]

I wouldn't worry about that. I would look into a bigger enclosure though.

[Terranaut]

Those are not scars but wrinkles from sitting curled up for long periods. You will notice they will come and go. Get a bigger viv.