[Behavior] He doesn't like his new Boaphile

[AnthonySzum]

Well my colombian doesnt like his new 422d as much as I do. It just arrived yesterday and I had everything set up and the temps warming up to 88 on the hot side and 76 on the cool side. (it stays a 87 most of the time and has a hard time going to 88 and the cool side wont get warmer that 76.)
I posted a thread a little while back about his sudden change of behavior and his hissing that began out of no where at 5 months old. He still hasn't calmed down and was hoping a new Boaphile would do the trick but I was dead wrong. After putting him in his new cage for the first time yesterday, I seen him out and about and thought he was happy but that was only because he crapped under his hide as soon as I put him in! I cleaned it of course and left him alone till this morning where I checked his temps without opening to door and there he goes hissing still under his rock without even seeing me. Left him alone while I was at work and decided to bring him a meal being I was supposed to feed him on sunday and he started hissing louder than ever and just snapped at his meal. Thats where I gave up and left the rat (dead) in his cage and let him be. He is on newspaper now for the first time and is 8 1/2 months old at about 32in.

Figured i'd share and give an update. I wish I would have known a new cage wouldn't have done the trick cause I would have bought an 8ft Boaphile for me to live in cause they are BEAUTIFUL!

[Ace of Snakes]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

What is yout thermostate set at? Kick up the temps more so the cool side is in the low 80's.

[dangles]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

Lmao @ last sentence!!!

Anytime you change an environment the boa will take time to adjust. Give him a week or two w/o handling and he should settle right in. Also, is the cage in a high-traffic area or do you have other animals that might peer into the cage often? This could cause issues, too.

Cool side is a little too cool. What's your room temp? Try bumping that up a couple degrees. Hot spot is fine at 87. The ideal range for hot spot is somewhere between 86 and 92.

[AnthonySzum]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

Kick up the temps more so the cool side is in the low 80's.

I'm guessing I would have to set the high to about 94 to get the cool side in the low 80's. 95 is too hot isn't it?

[b3napoleon]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

What's the humidity? Is there a hide on both sides? If not, which side is it on? Is the hide too large? Sometimes when a snake moves into a new, larger enclosure it feels more vulnerable. More hides and hides that are snug and cozy will help him adjust to his bigger cage. Also, the humidity should be as close as possible to what it was in your old cage while he is making the transition.

[Ace of Snakes]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

I'm guessing I would have to set the high to about 94 to get the cool side in the low 80's. 95 is too hot isn't it?

The thermostate can be off? DO you have a temp gun? I have my hot side set at 92 and inside the cage on the hot side it is 88. Ofcourse my garage is a little cooler right now so this is the reasoone why I have kicked it up a little.

[AnthonySzum]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

What's the humidity? Is there a hide on both sides? If not, which side is it on? Is the hide too large? Sometimes when a snake moves into a new, larger enclosure it feels more vulnerable. More hides and hides that are snug and cozy will help him adjust to his bigger cage. Also, the humidity should be as close as possible to what it was in your old cage while he is making the transition.

The humidity is at 45 right now and still climbing. He had the same two hides that were in his old tank, one on the hot side and one on the cold side.
I figured as long as he is in a hide, he should be fine and he's not

[dangles]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

I'm guessing I would have to set the high to about 94 to get the cool side in the low 80's. 95 is too hot isn't it?

Yeah, that would be too hot. The best way to warm up the cool side while minimally affecting the hot spot is to bump the room temp

[AnthonySzum]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

The thermostate can be off? DO you have a temp gun? I have my hot side set at 92 and inside the cage on the hot side it is 88. Ofcourse my garage is a little cooler right now so this is the reasoone why I have kicked it up a little.

I have two digital temp/humid guages in there. One on the hot and one on the cool side of the cage. The guage on the hot side is giving me the same temp as the thermo is.
The temp gun is giving me the same readings

[AnthonySzum]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

Lmao @ last sentence!!!

Anytime you change an environment the boa will take time to adjust. Give him a week or two w/o handling and he should settle right in. Also, is the cage in a high-traffic area or do you have other animals that might peer into the cage often? This could cause issues, too.

Cool side is a little too cool. What's your room temp? Try bumping that up a couple degrees. Hot spot is fine at 87. The ideal range for hot spot is somewhere between 86 and 92.

He is in the basement in a VERY low traffic area. The temp down there is 70

[bterrill]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

So you put him in there within 2 days of getting it? That might be the problem. (read more)

I got my 4 x 422ds last Monday (or Tuesday) and I've let them air out for 5 1/2 days and they still smell a bit funny (the site seems to recommend 1 week air out). I keep airing mine out even with the boas in the new cages because it still smells a bit like varnish or sealant or whatever. Maybe thats making him a bit moody.

I don't know if the smell bothers them but I do know the first few days I had the new cages I could barely stand it with the doors open let alone closed.

Other than that, my boas couldn't be happier with the 422ds.

[dangles]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

The temp down there is 70

That's the problem right there (with your temps, anyway)

[jgonzalez305]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

Either you Heat up the room or add an RHP......

About his behavior....Put in a good layer of aspen bedding get his temps and humidity up to par...make sure he's eating and healthy if you cant break him in with proper handling you might just have to deal with an agressive snake...(or a bluffer) has he been striking at you.

it could take a while until he calms down....If ever

the hissing should not be stopping you from handling him....

[dapozer]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

So you put him in there within 2 days of getting it? That might be the problem. (read more)

I got my 4 x 422ds last Monday (or Tuesday) and I've let them air out for 5 1/2 days and they still smell a bit funny (the site seems to recommend 1 week air out). I keep airing mine out even with the boas in the new cages because it still smells a bit like varnish or sealant or whatever. Maybe thats making him a bit moody.

I don't know if the smell bothers them but I do know the first few days I had the new cages I could barely stand it with the doors open let alone closed.

Other than that, my boas couldn't be happier with the 422ds.

When I got mine I set them up, cleaned up with nolvasan, added aspen, talked to Mr Boaphile on the phone about the set up and when to put snakes in and they went in same day. The smell went away real quickly after the clean up with nolvasan and POM and aspen. All snakes went in, liked their new home and ate F/T 2 days later. They love them cages. The cages are in our main bedroom and never really had a smell issue once cleaned and filled with aspen.

[Hunglikeafruitbat]

Re: He doesn't like his new Boaphile

When I read the first post my first thoughts were temps and odor. I don't have any experience with Boaphile Plastics or any of the other ones yet but I do know the better manufacturers recommend airing them out (Dapozer's method seems sound as well). It seems perfectly logical to me that an already stressed snake is not going to take kindly to a new environment that smells bad and is too cold. If you can eliminate these two possibilities and the behavior still persists if could be a health issue or he could just be a jerk.

Mat.