chevelle, rescued redtail.

[cdubbers]

my redtail, just rescued her, she was abandon by someone at a friends house, super sweet, any tips would be appreciated! she seams very healthy, and quite active sometimes.

[acephantom903]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

Can you get a clearer picture? To me it looks like she has a bad shed stuck to her. If that is the case you should put her in a bucket/tub of water just deep enough so she can soak all the way. I can't remember what water temperature is best but I am pretty sure 90 degree water is a little too warm. Other than that she looks to be in good health.

[Noelle7206]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

She does look as if there's a stuck shed, and/or she is dehydrated. Many snakes resist being forced to soak in water, so you might want to be creative, so as not to stress her over this. If the cage is large enough
for a large stable (flat bottom) container* and she does this herself, that's best. You want the water to be about 80*...or the same as the average temperature in her cage that is neither the warmest nor the coolest.
You can also offer a "humid hide"...a large hide-box with a very moist substrate inside (like saturated moss, orchid bark or even a wet but wrung out towel). *A good "bathtub" for a large boa would be a plastic laundry
tub...they are roughly 14" x 12" x 6" deep. If she was abandoned, it's very likely that her cage was not properly heated & that proper humidity was not maintained for some time.

Since her health is the utmost importance, I personally would not handle her for a couple weeks...just let her rest (new places are stressful to snakes); once her old skin is off, & she has settled in, I'd offer her food.
You mention she is quite active, and I'm willing to bet she is hungry right now...but don't feed a dehydrated snake! She may regurgitate her meal & that would be a set-back that she doesn't need. She is NOT
starving, & even if she were, hydration is the most important thing to take care of FIRST. Just hold off on food for now, and be sure she has hiding places that are both on the cool & warm side of the cage.

That's wonderful that you are able to take her in...with any luck, she'll get beyond this & be a healthy happy pet for you.

[zamora]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

Good for you on the rescue, read the Ultimate Care Guide on here, it will give you tons of information on proper enclosures, temps and humidity. It's difficult to tell much from that photo as far as what her condition is in and what her enclosure is like. More pictures and descriptions will help us. Welcome to RTB!

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

yes she does have a bad shed, she had it when i got her, i have been using warm water spray, keeping humidity up, and was going to try a bath today, that has been helping alot. thanks for getting back to me, i am pretty new to this, but were getting along great! Here is current picture, i am putting more to this profile as i get them.

that spot on her neck is the only part left to shed, i been reading books and forums like crazy so tips are appriciated.

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

i have a large 6`x4x4 i keep the right half of the enclosure warmer than the left, she has a large 2`x2` water tray about 2-3 inches deep that is kept warm , i see her drinking and soaking sometimes in it seems to like it.she also has a seperat smaller "drinking dish" away from the bathing dish. i have been spraying hot in the bottle but warm on my skin water on her several times a day, the shed is starting to come off in larger pieces, she really seems to enjoy these showers. i was lucky in the fact that i had become aquainted with her before the move.

i know she ate a medium rat on friday 14th , and she has not seemed to bee looking for food, the buldge in her belly is getting alot smaller now, tried offering food yesterday, didnt seem interested, so my rat is living in a fishtank for a couple days, thanks for getting back to me, i am going to try some of the things you listed, all very helpful!

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.


i replied to a couple posts, dont know if they went through, but this is updated picture

[Pandorasdad]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

i replied to a couple posts, dont know if they went through, but this is updated picture

It has now. You were still in moderation. But now that your name is red, your posts should appear immediately.

Nice looking boa. Congrats on the rescue!

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

thanks! i am really liking the feedback from people, amazing the things you can learn in a day. shes been great, looking forward to raising her!

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

i posted a clearer picture, i have been spraying and letting her use a warm wet towel to bask on and one to hide in, i did notice she was down drinking water for a long time when i brought her home at first. she has a 2x2 with 3 inches of water for bathing, and a small dish on the cool side of cool drinking water, she at a medium rat on the 14th, a week before i got her, this has been helping the spotty shed. i did try to get her in a bath, she didnt seem to keen on the idea, so didnt force it. thanks for the info, always accepting good advice!

[Noelle7206]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

FYI, some snakes don't do 2 things at the same time very well; when she was last fed, they may not have noticed (or else thought it would not matter) that they fed her when she was in a shed cycle. For some
snakes it won't matter, especially the young & healthy ones, but others will have a miserable time shedding if they eat at this time, because both shedding & their digestion 'pulls' extra moisture from their body...if
their hydration isn't up to the jobs, you end up with a snake trying to shed a zillion little annoying pieces. (note: poor health can also cause bad sheds, but from what you said, hers is most likely due to the bad
timing of her meal, IMO.)

A small penlight flashlight comes in very handy to see if your snake is 'in shed': in a dark room, shine is across the curve of their eye to see if it's milky-grayish looking. Sometimes this is the first indication...and
some snakes (like albinos) can really be hard to tell. Also, look at their belly scales (scutes)...they will look different too, as will the way their skin folds (like on their neck) will look. Practice makes a shed cycle
easier to spot. And of course, some snakes in shed really let you know that they just want to be left alone! Nothing personal, just instincts to lay low when they can't see well.

She looks like a big sweetheart! Welcome to the forum...

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

one more thing, probably a silly question, she does this exhale thing sometimes, when shes just sitting on her perch, i know its not a " hiss" as she takes no defensive posture at all, never been uncomfortable around her, i just wonder if its to be concerned about or if its some kind of yawn or exhale, she cracks her mouth a little bit and makes a soft sigh sound. like i said though, its not all the time, just something i noticed.

[acephantom903]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

Is it when she is putting her weight on a curve? Remember their lungs are through a good portion of their body. Their weight sometimes compresses them making a soft hiss sound. Most people notice it when the boa is wrapped around their shoulders.

[Noelle7206]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

I was thinking about mentioning this, knowing she's a rescue that may have health issues: it's hard for us to be sure what you're hearing. Two possibilities: it may be the normal (and audible) exhale of a large heavy-
bodied boa that you are hearing...this is the most likely. But noisy breathing can also signal a respiratory infection ("R.I.") so you need to pay attention as a R.I. may go away on it's own, especially with the cage temps.
bumped up a few degrees (IF it's not too advanced) OR, you might need treatment from a vet to clear it up. Keep in mind that snakes can choke on heavy secretions because they cannot cough...so a R.I. can be serious
& fatal...but don't, DON'T jump to the conclusion that's what you're hearing. Just keep observing: you should NOT see any bubbling around a snake's mouth, or hear crackling sounds or whistling sounds...those usually
mean an R.I. And when these big snakes hiss, you'll know it, I'm pretty sure, LOL! A snake's lung(s) are long, like a third of their body length...often when we handle them, it folds their body in such a way that you'll
hear this "louder but normal" exhale...and I've had (mostly nervous) people nearby wonder if my snake was 'hissing', lol. Hope that helps? If your snake routinely breathes with her mouth open, that may also signify an
R.I.- or it could also mean that she has some stuck shed skin in her nostrils too. (they shed the outer lining of their nostrils, seriously...and this too can cause a 'whistling' noise when breathing, also mouth-breathing)

Not a silly question at all, btw!

[cdubbers]

Re: chevelle, rescued redtail.

yes i have heard it when shes on my shoulders, and now that you mention it, one time she was climbing on a branch. Makes sense..