saved a sick Argentine boa

[bigsnakegirl785]

People seem to think that snakes grow their entire life, but I'm really not convinced on that. There is no scientific proof, as much as personal experience is worth, my ball python hasn't grown even 1/3" in over 5 years. He's almost 9. Boa constrictors reach about full size when they're 5-6 years old.

She's too big to be popping, her muscles will be too strong for you to pop anything out. The only way to tell at her size is probing. Spurs do not tell you the sex of a snake, neither does tail size.

There's also no need to be gaining weight, she looks really good weight wise. Boa constrictors are supposed to be pure muscle, with a box-shaped body, not round.

Once she's up to shape, you should feed her either an appropriately-sized rat or a rabbit every 3-6 weeks. At her size, it's doubtful she's younger than 3 years old, so she should be put on an adult's schedule and fed no more often than every 3 weeks. Even if she's underweight, she'll gain weight even if you fed her every 6 weeks.

[kuester]

Day 5 of baytril injections. Snake seems to be getting more active in cage and more hissy. Has not struck yet.

[kuester]

How old do you think she is? The guy didn't know but he had her for 3 years

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by kuester

How old do you think she is? The guy didn't know but he had her for 3 years

At 6.5' I would guess anywhere from 4-6 years, or even older if she's full size. Mine reached 6' at 3 years old, but he grew super fast, they don't usually reach 6' until they're around 4 years old. How big was she when the previous owner got her?

[kuester]

The previous owner i believed was on drugs and couldnt recall a lot about the snake and was just kind of scary to be honest i had my taser, mace and pocket knife on my waist at his home because 7 big guys lived with him and the house smelled like a combination of drug use and a dumpster.

[Eggplant]

Originally Posted by kuester

The previous owner i believed was on drugs and couldnt recall a lot about the snake and was just kind of scary to be honest i had my taser, mace and pocket knife on my waist at his home because 7 big guys lived with him and the house smelled like a combination of drug use and a dumpster.

You're a snake hero! That sounds so shady. I don't think I would've stepped foot in there. ;(

[kuester]

Yeah i was nervous. They were all chain smoking cigs i couldnt even see where the guy was leading me. Any ideas of how to santize the cage after shes not sick? I was thinking isopropyl alcohol and letting it dry.

[reptiledude987]

Alcohol or bleach will get it clean just rinse it well after.

[kuester]

Well alcohol evaporates with air

[reptiledude987]

you still want to rinse the residue. it does evaporate but you will see a white residue it leaves behind that needs to be washed away.

[Albert Clark]

Well, kudos to you for all you are doing and have done for the argentine boa. Dawn dishwashing liquid is a great sudsy cleaner for your enclosure along with whatever else you decide to go with. Try to buy the hypoallergenic dawn if you can. And just rinse well. No need to feed her while she is on meds she probably has lost her appetite anyway. She will be hissy bc she is starting to feel better and is annoyed at everything that is going on. Make sure she has a lot of fresh water to drink and soak. Baytril is hard on the kidneys and she needs to stay well hydrated. Good job!!!!!!!

[kuester]

Oh I've cleaned cages with it before and put a fan on it and never saw and residue left behind

[bigsnakegirl785]

I've used vinegar before. Highly acidic, so works for disinfecting. The smell was easy to clean from my tubs and tanks, not sure about wood, if you use it.

[kuester]

Do you have to rinse that as well. Id prefer something i can wipe the cage down with and not have to rinse. Hard to do that with a 180g tank...

[Albert Clark]

Then try Chlorhexidine 4% aka Hibiclens and really just requires wiping dry.