boa fecses

Question
hi i brought a common boa a little under 3 weeks ago, he is nearly 2ft and he has fed once and shreded during my time with him but has not yet produced any fecses. And he apears to have no intrest in his food any sugestions? thanx.

Answer
The faeces is probably there, just hard to see, have a good look and if not he may be constipated.

If you cant find any faeces pick up your snake and look at its cloaca (rectal area ;))if there is a noticeable bulge there he may need squeezing to remove the faeces. you can do this yourself if you feel confident and don't mind getting messy.

To squeeze him you literally place your thumb or finger above the bulge and gently yet forcefully push the bulge down towards his cloaca until it is forced out.

As for the lack of interest in food, it may be because of constipation. If he isn't constipated it may be the fact that he has just been moved into a new enclosure. If you're handling him frequently reduce or stop handling him for a while until he starts feeding.

Check the temperatures of your tank. That is quite often the reason a snake stops feeding. the temperature should be around 82-84F

If you don't already use tongs and wiggle the mouse infront of your snake you could try that. this usually gets the snake's attention and they will be more keen to eat it.

You could also try warming the mouse before attempting to feed your snake. to do this the best way is to get a small plastic tub and fill it about 2/3 full of boiling water. place the mouse on the top of the tub until it gets warm then try and tong feed your snake.
DON'T use a microwave, it will make the mouse explode and will cause a stinking mess =)

Mites can also put a snake off feeding. check for small peppery flecks in the snakes water bowl or on his skin. you can get a wet tissue and rub it down the snake's body to be sure. If it is mites they need to be treated by placing the snake on newspaper instead of whatever substrate they are currently on, cleaning the tank VERY thoroughly and treating the snake with an anti-mite spray.

You can also try an alternative food, this could be rat pups or rat fuzzies or something similar so long as your snake is big enough to take it.

Some snakes are really temperamental feeders and will randomly stop eating for a while. I wouldn't get overly concerned about your snake unless it goes without food for over 8 weeks.

I hope this answers your question,

Andy