Boiga Incoming

[toddnbecka]

I'll have a juvenile Boiga nigriceps arriving tomorrow morning. CBB, shouldn't be too difficult to maintain in a large tub. Anyone have personal experience with Boiga's or similar snakes? Is a diet of rodents and birds sufficient to maintain good health?

[ClockwerkBonnet]

I'm not sure what kind of a snake that is, unfortunately, though it wouldn't hurt to give it a varied diet.

[Scubadiver59]

Better you than me...

"Little is known about the black-headed cat snake's venom toxicity on humans, but it is thought to be comparable to the severity of a copperhead. This rear fanged colubrid's bite rarely results in adverse effects due to its poor venom delivery system. Luckily their fangs' positioning doesn't result in any significant envenomation.

Symptoms tend to stay localized to the envenomation site, limiting the victim to minor swelling and pain. However, with any run in with venom the possibility of an allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock is heightened. While there may not be any known to date fatalities from Boiga nigriceps, it does not mean they shouldn't be taken seriously! Like all animals that pose a threat they should be handled with vigilance, care, and caution. Which is exactly why there is so much controversy over keeping reptiles such as these rear fanged colubrids as pets. Proper handling equipment (snake hooks/tongs etc.) is suggested to be used while working with this species at all times."

[craigafrechette]

Originally Posted by ClockwerkBonnet

I'm not sure what kind of a snake that is, unfortunately, though it wouldn't hurt to give it a varied diet.

If you don't know anything about the snake, how could you possibly know anything about its diet?

[toddnbecka]

Originally Posted by Scubadiver59

Better you than me...

"Little is known about the black-headed cat snake's venom toxicity on humans, but it is thought to be comparable to the severity of a copperhead. This rear fanged colubrid's bite rarely results in adverse effects due to its poor venom delivery system. Luckily their fangs' positioning doesn't result in any significant envenomation.

Symptoms tend to stay localized to the envenomation site, limiting the victim to minor swelling and pain. However, with any run in with venom the possibility of an allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock is heightened. While there may not be any known to date fatalities from Boiga nigriceps, it does not mean they shouldn't be taken seriously! Like all animals that pose a threat they should be handled with vigilance, care, and caution. Which is exactly why there is so much controversy over keeping reptiles such as these rear fanged colubrids as pets. Proper handling equipment (snake hooks/tongs etc.) is suggested to be used while working with this species at all times."

I read that already, not much else to be found, though I did see this comment on a photo:
"Although it has one of the most potent venoms of all colubrids, the Black-headed Cat Snake does not have fangs nor is it aggressive."
The same thing can be said about hognose, rhino rat snakes, or even Asian vine snakes.
Very long and slender, I read that they grow to about 5'. They are actually quite docile in general though, and from what I've gathered they don't even strike at food. Makes me wonder how they do it in the wild.

This one was rather cool to the touch after being shipped, then sitting around for several more hours until I got home from work today. At room temp of 74 she was at least 10 degrees lower than their preferred temp, so I let her warm up on my hand for a bit and took a couple cell phone pics before I pulled out a tub and let her make her own way in.
I doubt she'll be anything like my woma python, he handles just fine for about a minute then tries to eat a finger.




Incidentally, the black spots are bits of bedding, not mites.

[phenyx]

Very nice!

[EL Ziggy]

Congrats on the cool critter T!

[ClockwerkBonnet]

Aww, it's so cute!!

[Roman]

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

I read that already, not much else to be found, though I did see this comment on a photo:
"Although it has one of the most potent venoms of all colubrids, the Black-headed Cat Snake does not have fangs nor is it aggressive."
The same thing can be said about hognose, rhino rat snakes, or even Asian vine snakes. [...]

Wherever you found this information, from all I found this is not an accurate information. Boiga nigriceps is an opisthoplyph (rear fanged) snake (like all Boiga species). Have a look here, there is a picture of a Boiga nigriceps skull where you can see the enlarged fangs right below the eye and you can also see the grooves in the teeth. --> https://allyouneedisbiology.wordpres...u-who-you-are/

So this species has a functional delivery system for its venom, even if the fangs will probably not be used in a short, defensive bite.

Weinstein et al describes the symptoms of a bite in his book " 'Venomous' bites from Non-Venomous snakes" as potentially severe, but that available information suggests only mild local effects.

Where does this reference about rhino rat snakes come from? Gonyosoma boulengeri doesn’t have any fangs and I never heard of any symptoms of envenomation from a bite of them, I certainly never had any from bites of my female. Did you mix it up with Barons racer (Philodryas baroni)?

BTW, nice snake!

[toddnbecka]

Mistake on the rhino rat, I meant Baron's racer, vapor lock on the brain there, lol. That
goof occurred to me earlier today.

[Noh]

What a cool snake! I really like boigas too, and they're a far-in-the-future goal of mine, once I have more experience c:

She's really cute and I hope she remains docile for you, although I have heard that once they reach adulthood they become significantly more aggressive. Good luck regardless!