Question
Tink Our Snake
Hi, we have what we think is a Columbian boa, female we are told. We have always found her to be docile and pleasant and never had any concerns about her. We moved her to a purpose built enclosure of 7'x4' floor to ceiling which contains an orchid bark substrate, a 4'x2' water tray (which she regularly dips in) it also has lots of logs and large branches going both vertical and horizontal and her favorite hide. The temp is a little on the low side to what she preferred but only by a degree 2 at the most and we are currently looking to change to a better heat source to rectify this. When we first moved her into her new home she was a little quiet and it took her a few days to venture about and enjoy her new space, but during this time she still accepted her food and continued to be as her per usual self. More recently however, her behaviour seems to have changed quite significantly, she is extremely active both through the day and night and is refusing to eat her usual once weekly meal. We haven't noticed her eyes becoming bluish or cloudy and so after 3 weeks of not eating we're starting to think maybe she's not due to shed, and from memory it doesn't seem that long ago that she shed last. She has also become quite unpredictable (this was starting to be noticed before the move) and has struck out a handful of times and on one occasion actually bit and drew blood on a young person. She's approx 5'7"-5'9" i was wondering if there is anything or reason you may know of for the change in her and if maybe there is anything i can do if she's not happy? im very confused and would appreciate any suggestions or knowledge that you may have concerning these details, I've attached a picture of her, although this was taken when she was wandering about the living room while we changed her water, so doesn't give good sight to her enclosure unfortunately, i forgot to mention that the enclosure also contains lighting suitable for a reptile to help her distinguish clearly day and night, thankyou for your time.
AnswerHer behavior suggests that she is unhappy with her environment--her increased activity is her looking for a way out, so she can find a better area. Her higher stress level is the cause of her defensive behavior, because she is nervous, and thus high-strung. She is also rejecting food because she does not feel secure enough to occupy her mouth by eating. (Many constrictors will do this--if they think they might need their mouth to defend themselves, they won't eat).
Perhaps this enclosure is much larger than her previous one, and she no longer feels that her hide is sufficient. Being able to hide and stay out of sight is very important to reptiles, especially those that have minimal defenses against predators, like constrictor snakes.
Try adding additional hides, and a whole lot of fake greenery and cover, and I bet you will see her calm down, stop roving, and start eating again. :) If she doesn't, you may have to move her into her previous enclosure temporarily, and try reducing the space in the new one with some temporary barriers, so you can transition her into it, rather than putting her in such a big space all at once. Boas do generally use a good-sized area, but all reptiles are individuals. While some boas would be fine in your cage the way it is, yours apparently is one who has a greater need to feel that she isn't exposed and visible to predators.
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