neglected snake!

[Boakepper]

Hi everyone got a call from a lady who wanted to sell a snake so off I went to look any way got there snake was in bad condition so I told the lady! Any way told her I would take it off her hands and get it back to health so she phoned me and told me to come pick it up! He is ten years old and he is just over a meter and skinny! So what do I do next he ate today 2small rats and 1 medium and he is very very aggresive! So please help me get him back on track! So please give me advice and tips! Thanks in advance!

[dasie]

Poor snake, raise his humidity and heat things up a little and give him lots and lots of food.

[Hustler]

Don't just give him lots and lots of food, what are his his cages current temperatures and humidity? Just give him plenty of hiding spots and give him a medium rat or 2 weekly as you would normaly do. Does anyone else think that he might just have parasites? Also check for mites and check to see if he doesn't have a R.I. and just make sure not to expose him to your other snakes, wash your hands when you're finished handling him, in case he is ill. Goodluck

[Bushviper]

If you feed him too much right from the start he will probably regurgitate and that will cause his death so much quicker. Make sure the cage is between 28 and 30 degrees. Keep the humidity very high and make sure you have two water bowls in the cage. Do not stress the snake out either now.

If he is only a metre long and is really 10 years old it is possibly a dark mexican type boa. They are a bit more aggressive but will calm down eventually. At this stage you just want him back to proper weight.

Feed him small rats (2 or 3 at a time) every 5 days for the first 3 feeds, then every 7 days for the next 3 feeds and then skip every third week from then on. At that stage you can look into giving him larger prey items.

Post pics of the snake if you can get these without stressing the snake too much.

[Boakepper]

Well i have checked all the normal places where mites hang out around the nose eyes and mouth and cant spot anything! I mist hes cage twice a day quite alot to be honist! And i dont know if he is just starving or he just doesnt know how to swallow the rat he swollows them from behind from the side so ya! R.I.= Well there is no sighns of a blocked nose no bubbles coming out and so on, does any one know of a vet that is open today that i could take him to for a check out? Since i have been misting him hes skin has got its shine back and is not dull anymore!

[Boakepper]

Bushviper well he is very dark so what you saying could be true! The problem is i am not sure on how to get any cgae up to the right heat! He is in the cage where my red tail was in as i have moved her to the cage i built! The other thing is i have to worry about him not stressing me out as he is an escape artist my big girl didnt escape once out this cage and he did lastnight! So could yous please help me on the right tips to get he's temp up as right now there is just a heating pad in hes cage!

Well i thought he was maybe just underfed and neglected and that why he maybe didnt grow! And i put a shirt in lastnight that i had been wearing for him to start getting usto me!

[Bushviper]

Post photos of him and the cage. How did he escape?

[Boakepper]

I think when i fed him i left a gap big enought for him to get hes nose in and then he pushed the lid aside! But i got back in my flat and he was sitting on the lid! I am work right now but as soon as i get home i will post photos! He is in a 1.2m fish tank!

[Bushviper]

A fish tank is for keeping fish in. You should not use that for snakes. The lid will need to be modified until you can get a better cage. Get a piece of wood which is a few cm bigger than the cage. Fix some strips of wood exactly where the cage would be and form a lip over the sides of the cage. Make sure this is heavy enough that it is not picked up and then pushed aside. You should also close the back and both sides with polystyrene to let the snake feel more secure and keep the temperatures constant.

[Boakepper]

Hi bush viper I got good new took him to the vet dr shemeer said he is fine just a bit skinny but he is not sick and he is safe to put with my female in her big cage. The only thing is he couldn't identify what typ of boa she is! So I will have pics up in the morning for yous too see!