Carrie - 2012-02-06 I just got my first Red Tail Hog Island cross today.She is fat and very alert. We named her Josephine. I have 8 other snakes in the house. But, she is my first large snake. I am very excited to watch her grow. My other half is scared to death of my pets. Any tips of how to get him over it? I wish he shared my love for reptiles.
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Clarice Brough - 2012-02-16 Yeah, I wish he shared your love for reptiles too. Some people just don't... strange huh:)
Nathan - 2011-11-13 I have a RTB and as my second reptile she is amazing! My first rep was an iguana and while he was cool he unfortunately passed away from old age. Although scratch is my first RTB, and RTBS aren't recommended for first timers, I found with plenty of love, patience, and the all knowing interwebs it has been more than manageable. I knew I was on the right track when the second day I had her, I fed her and she ate immediately. That's not to say she didn't give me a kiss to get to know me lol. But one of the best things about snakes is that if they bite you its because you were doing something stupid. She's currently 7 and I can't wait for many more happy years with her.
Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 I just bought a year old from Boas and Balls. I payed $215 for him, I named him Agent Orange. He is active and healthy looking,he eats well. I love his cream/orange body color,orange/brown saddles and red/orange tail. They still some of his brothers and sister for sale at $150-550. He 3 feet long is that small for 1?
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David Brough - 2011-09-24 He will get bigger thats for sure. How big are the brothers and sister?
kb - 2008-06-26 My rtb, Forbes, is the best snake ever. He will be 3 in July and has never even attempted to bite. I have even needed to clean bedding out of his mouth with no problems from him, and he doesn't mind dogs sniffing at him when he crawls on the floor. He will lay on me for as long as I will rub him - but I can definitely see a difference in his interaction with me as opposed to anyone else. My boy is very spoiled and he loves it. I take him out of the cage nearly every single day, and he goes swimming and takes drives with me in the summer. I will be sad when he is just too big for me to handle alone. We are in the process of having a floor to ceiling enclosure built for him. A lot of people ask how big will he get or how long will he live, and when I tell them, the reaction is usually 'what are you going to do with him then?' I'm going to keep him, of course! These reptiles are a true commitment and should not be a short term novelty to 'show-off'. Before purchasing one, be prepared to handle them regulary for many, many years - intentions otherwise are just not fair to them.
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Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 You should never let an RTB on your floors,unless you have just cleaned the floors with a pet safe cleaner. You should also not ware shoes that have worn outside,while you are in your house. You should never let animals near your RTB. You should take a shower before handling your RTB. Captive bred RTB have a poor immune system. It's very common for a young Boa to die from parasites just because the owner was reckless and careless enough to not take all precautions before feeding or handling there snake.
Jose Casanova - 2008-08-09 Hey, I have a 6 1/2 ft true red tail boa constrictor. I have it in a 5 by 3 foot aquarium. I wanted a taruntula inside and just walks all inside the aquarium with the snake inside. Should I let the spider roam within the aquarium?
Jose
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Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 RTBs are loners,any other pet in its cage will stress it out. That can make it stop eating. The only time you should have another animal in the cage is to have it mate with another RTB.
erica - 2010-05-21 I have a male redtail and he has the biggest attitude. I handle him every other day in not every 2 days because he is still a baby. I feed him 2 hoppers every week. He is 1 1/2 maybe 2 feet and he still likes to bite and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
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Erik - 2010-05-28 Handle it more every day for a hour or two if you can in relaxed calm setting at first keep it low stress and build from there and make sure he is well fed not too much but well fed.
Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 You should feed once a week not twice. You also should not handle it 2 to 3 days after feeding. You should also switch to rats they are better for fast growth than power feeding with mice.
katie - 2010-06-26 My female rtb likes to constrict around my arm when I have her out of her tank why does she do this and is there any way I could stop her from doing this as I do not want her doing this to my niece when my niece wants to hold her.
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Ernest Williams - 2011-09-23 Your boa will hold on to your arm until you sit down a for couple minutes. A boa sees being pick up as a possible threat at first,then it will hold on to you like a branch in a tree. It is a long fall and it could fall if it does not ripe on you hard.
Wolf Oberts - 2011-02-22 I have a male RTB that is approximately 3 years old, have had him since he was a little under 6 months old. He was eating every Monday but within the first 2 months of my family and I having him he was attacked by at least 2 of our 4 cats (I didn't know he was strong enough already to push out of the reptile tank we had for him and I worked nights at the time). It didn't change his attitude at all, he is still a very sweet and loving snake. What it did change was his feeding habit and over the years I have gotten more and more worried about him. He is very little for a 3 year old snake, his head is about as big as my thumb and he is only about 1.5 feet long. The reptile store owner is an expert on snakes and says there is nothing wrong with him and constantly checks him for me but is it natural for this breed of snake not to eat for almost 8 months? Is he really okay or is there something more I should be doing for him? Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated and do please feel free to e mail me as well: Truecowgirl4life@hotmail.com but please put Carlisle in the subject line so I don't accidentally delete it!
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Samantha - 2011-05-09 Your RTB should be a lot bigger and should be eating like every week to every 2 weeks. What kind of setup are you using? How big is your tank? He should be at least 4.5 to 6 feet long. You need to ask another pet store. Do you have a picture? If so post it you could have a short tail....
big al - 2011-05-29 I also have a RTB and I can tell you that it is quite normal. I have my Bo for 17 years now and I have kept a record of his everything since I bought him when he was just born. I can tell you that mine did not eat for a little over 9 months at one point, needless to say I was bugging out (going crazy). I do suggest setting up some sort of vet habit, once a year, twice a year is good, just to make sure all is going well. Things to look out for that might lengthen his non eating period is, his tank temp., his tank moisture, must have fresh water and lots of it, large bowl preferred, his lighting on timers, must have a hiding place, reduce his stress levels with a quiet home and always make sure his home is always clean of debris, wood mites, and ticks. Give him space to move around reduces tank clutter. AND OF COURSE HANDLE HIM, PLAY WITH HIM AND ALWAYS INSPECT HIS SCALES. GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY HIM !!!! BIG AL
chris - 2011-08-20 You may have the common or columbian boa,they are not the true red tail and they are much smaller than the true red tail boas getting only about 2 to 4 feet long.
Krista - 2011-04-01 Hey I have a 6 ft. RTB named Camo and I just got him a week ago. He seems to be a few years old but im not sure. He doesn't seem aggressive but he makes a wierd hissing heavey breathing noise when we hold him and when he's moving. Is this natural? please help!
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Clarice Brough - 2011-04-01 The hissing while breathing is an indication of respiratory tract infection (RTI), and it may be in an advanced state. Causes of RTI are usually environmental conditions, the snake was allowed to get too cold or got damp/wet for too long.
Immediately increasing the temperature of its cage, both day and night by adding an additional heat source. If you don't notice a change in a day or two, take your snake to the vet right away.
Krista - 2011-04-04 i will do that thanks so much!
Scott - 2011-05-24 Hi Krista. I have a RTB and I notice when he makes that hissing noise. He does not want to be bothered. Mine makes it after I had fed him and I try to give him another rat, he makes that noise. Also, when I go to handle him, he makes that noise, but that's only after he has eaten. You have to give them at least 2 days to digest their food.
Malcolm Clayton - 2011-06-22 Hi I have a 9ft RTB named Fluffy. I have grown up with snakes all my life and have had many kinds. No matter how tame a snake can be they can always get agitated. My snake is very used to being held and still till this day she will hiss when agitated. Also after a good feeding its really best to give them no less than 3 days for digestion. As far as the respitory problem, yes its best to take your pet to the vet, but always remember they get agitated as well. I guess its their way of saying "HEY I'M GETTING TIRED OF BEING HELD SO PUT ME DOWN" LOL
Rico - 2011-07-15 Hello, I have a CRTB and a Ball Python. I noticed that they both do the heavy outward blow of air from time to time. After research I thought it was an infection but I took them both to the vet and they are completely healthy. Apparently snakes just like to sigh from time to time. Check your snakes mouth for bubbles and the coloration of the inner lip and gums. If everything looks normal pink, with no bubbles than you are fine.
Jay - 2011-07-07 I am new to the boa keeping but have been enjoying it . I wanted to ask how often does a boa waste after eating? Mine has eaten for 2 months now once a week 3 or 4 mice each time and I have yet to see any waste in her environment. Also when her eyes are greyish does this only mean she is fixing to shed?
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David - 2011-07-09 First of all Sex of the snake is important and how long is it (age will help). Normally a Columbian Redtail like most constrictors and snakes in general will show their eyes fogging up or turning grey. This is a sign of a shed coming. As for the snake not voiding (having a poop) as the snake is eating well and is nice and warm he/she will be growing at a good rate. This will cause the snake to be using most of its food in growth. Female Columbian Redtails will grow from 6-7Feet in length now as the grow at a fast rate they wont void as often as they will when they hit max lenth and depending on the snake may vary. If you feel uncomfortable with him/her not voiding maybe after another week or so bring it to a Vet that handles snakes and other reptiles.
The Colombian Boa or Common Boa has an exotic appearance, and is considered by many to be the most beautiful of the constrictors.
I just got my first Red Tail Hog Island cross today.She is fat and very alert. We named her Josephine. I have 8 other snakes in the house. But, she is my first large snake. I am very excited to watch her grow. My other half is scared to death of my pets. Any tips of how to get him over it? I wish he shared my love for reptiles.
Yeah, I wish he shared your love for reptiles too. Some people just don't... strange huh:)
I have a RTB and as my second reptile she is amazing! My first rep was an iguana and while he was cool he unfortunately passed away from old age. Although scratch is my first RTB, and RTBS aren't recommended for first timers, I found with plenty of love, patience, and the all knowing interwebs it has been more than manageable. I knew I was on the right track when the second day I had her, I fed her and she ate immediately. That's not to say she didn't give me a kiss to get to know me lol. But one of the best things about snakes is that if they bite you its because you were doing something stupid. She's currently 7 and I can't wait for many more happy years with her.
I just bought a year old from Boas and Balls. I payed $215 for him, I named him Agent Orange. He is active and healthy looking,he eats well. I love his cream/orange body color,orange/brown saddles and red/orange tail. They still some of his brothers and sister for sale at $150-550. He 3 feet long is that small for 1?
He will get bigger thats for sure. How big are the brothers and sister?
My rtb, Forbes, is the best snake ever. He will be 3 in July and has never even attempted to bite. I have even needed to clean bedding out of his mouth with no problems from him, and he doesn't mind dogs sniffing at him when he crawls on the floor. He will lay on me for as long as I will rub him - but I can definitely see a difference in his interaction with me as opposed to anyone else.
My boy is very spoiled and he loves it. I take him out of the cage nearly every single day, and he goes swimming and takes drives with me in the summer. I will be sad when he is just too big for me to handle alone. We are in the process of having a floor to ceiling enclosure built for him.
A lot of people ask how big will he get or how long will he live, and when I tell them, the reaction is usually 'what are you going to do with him then?' I'm going to keep him, of course! These reptiles are a true commitment and should not be a short term novelty to 'show-off'. Before purchasing one, be prepared to handle them regulary for many, many years - intentions otherwise are just not fair to them.
You should never let an RTB on your floors,unless you have just cleaned the floors with a pet safe cleaner. You should also not ware shoes that have worn outside,while you are in your house. You should never let animals near your RTB. You should take a shower before handling your RTB. Captive bred RTB have a poor immune system. It's very common for a young Boa to die from parasites just because the owner was reckless and careless enough to not take all precautions before feeding or handling there snake.
Hey, I have a 6 1/2 ft true red tail boa constrictor. I have it in a 5 by 3 foot aquarium. I wanted a taruntula inside and just walks all inside the aquarium with the snake inside. Should I let the spider roam within the aquarium?
Jose
RTBs are loners,any other pet in its cage will stress it out. That can make it stop eating. The only time you should have another animal in the cage is to have it mate with another RTB.
I have a male redtail and he has the biggest attitude. I handle him every other day in not every 2 days because he is still a baby. I feed him 2 hoppers every week. He is 1 1/2 maybe 2 feet and he still likes to bite and I don't know what I'm doing wrong.
Handle it more every day for a hour or two if you can in relaxed calm setting at first keep it low stress and build from there and make sure he is well fed not too much but well fed.
You should feed once a week not twice. You also should not handle it 2 to 3 days after feeding. You should also switch to rats they are better for fast growth than power feeding with mice.
My female rtb likes to constrict around my arm when I have her out of her tank why does she do this and is there any way I could stop her from doing this as I do not want her doing this to my niece when my niece wants to hold her.
Your boa will hold on to your arm until you sit down a for couple minutes. A boa sees being pick up as a possible threat at first,then it will hold on to you like a branch in a tree. It is a long fall and it could fall if it does not ripe on you hard.
I have a male RTB that is approximately 3 years old, have had him since he was a little under 6 months old. He was eating every Monday but within the first 2 months of my family and I having him he was attacked by at least 2 of our 4 cats (I didn't know he was strong enough already to push out of the reptile tank we had for him and I worked nights at the time). It didn't change his attitude at all, he is still a very sweet and loving snake. What it did change was his feeding habit and over the years I have gotten more and more worried about him. He is very little for a 3 year old snake, his head is about as big as my thumb and he is only about 1.5 feet long. The reptile store owner is an expert on snakes and says there is nothing wrong with him and constantly checks him for me but is it natural for this breed of snake not to eat for almost 8 months? Is he really okay or is there something more I should be doing for him? Any comments or advice would be greatly appreciated and do please feel free to e mail me as well: Truecowgirl4life@hotmail.com but please put Carlisle in the subject line so I don't accidentally delete it!
Your RTB should be a lot bigger and should be eating like every week to every 2 weeks. What kind of setup are you using? How big is your tank? He should be at least 4.5 to 6 feet long. You need to ask another pet store. Do you have a picture? If so post it you could have a short tail....
I also have a RTB and I can tell you that it is quite normal. I have my Bo for 17 years now and I have kept a record of his everything since I bought him when he was just born. I can tell you that mine did not eat for a little over 9 months at one point, needless to say I was bugging out (going crazy). I do suggest setting up some sort of vet habit, once a year, twice a year is good, just to make sure all is going well. Things to look out for that might lengthen his non eating period is, his tank temp., his tank moisture, must have fresh water and lots of it, large bowl preferred, his lighting on timers, must have a hiding place, reduce his stress levels with a quiet home and always make sure his home is always clean of debris, wood mites, and ticks. Give him space to move around reduces tank clutter. AND OF COURSE HANDLE HIM, PLAY WITH HIM AND ALWAYS INSPECT HIS SCALES.
GOOD LUCK AND ENJOY HIM !!!! BIG AL
You may have the common or columbian boa,they are not the true red tail and they are much smaller than the true red tail boas getting only about 2 to 4 feet long.
Hey I have a 6 ft. RTB named Camo and I just got him a week ago. He seems to be a few years old but im not sure. He doesn't seem aggressive but he makes a wierd hissing heavey breathing noise when we hold him and when he's moving. Is this natural? please help!
The hissing while breathing is an indication of respiratory tract infection (RTI), and it may be in an advanced state. Causes of RTI are usually environmental conditions, the snake was allowed to get too cold or got damp/wet for too long.
Immediately increasing the temperature of its cage, both day and night by adding an additional heat source. If you don't notice a change in a day or two, take your snake to the vet right away.
i will do that thanks so much!
Hi Krista. I have a RTB and I notice when he makes that hissing noise. He does not want to be bothered. Mine makes it after I had fed him and I try to give him another rat, he makes that noise. Also, when I go to handle him, he makes that noise, but that's only after he has eaten. You have to give them at least 2 days to digest their food.
Hi I have a 9ft RTB named Fluffy. I have grown up with snakes all my life and have had many kinds. No matter how tame a snake can be they can always get agitated. My snake is very used to being held and still till this day she will hiss when agitated. Also after a good feeding its really best to give them no less than 3 days for digestion. As far as the respitory problem, yes its best to take your pet to the vet, but always remember they get agitated as well. I guess its their way of saying "HEY I'M GETTING TIRED OF BEING HELD SO PUT ME DOWN" LOL
Hello, I have a CRTB and a Ball Python. I noticed that they both do the heavy outward blow of air from time to time. After research I thought it was an infection but I took them both to the vet and they are completely healthy. Apparently snakes just like to sigh from time to time. Check your snakes mouth for bubbles and the coloration of the inner lip and gums. If everything looks normal pink, with no bubbles than you are fine.
I am new to the boa keeping but have been enjoying it . I wanted to ask how often does a boa waste after eating? Mine has eaten for 2 months now once a week 3 or 4 mice each time and I have yet to see any waste in her environment. Also when her eyes are greyish does this only mean she is fixing to shed?
First of all Sex of the snake is important and how long is it (age will help). Normally a Columbian Redtail like most constrictors and snakes in general will show their eyes fogging up or turning grey. This is a sign of a shed coming. As for the snake not voiding (having a poop) as the snake is eating well and is nice and warm he/she will be growing at a good rate. This will cause the snake to be using most of its food in growth. Female Columbian Redtails will grow from 6-7Feet in length now as the grow at a fast rate they wont void as often as they will when they hit max lenth and depending on the snake may vary. If you feel uncomfortable with him/her not voiding maybe after another week or so bring it to a Vet that handles snakes and other reptiles.