FA+
Shop
Fundraising for rescued Rosy Boa snake. PLEASE READ.
12 years ago
If you can share/repost this journal, it would be a HUGE help, thank you in advance.
Hello everyone, I'm really needing help right now more than ever.
Yesterday a friend and I went for a walk to our local park, to relax and go over
our housing situation. We had only been there for about five or so minutes before
we heard some strange sounds coming from the BBQ pit area.
We walked over and saw a small boy laughing and smacking at something in a box with a stick.
At first we -almost- turned around and walked off, thinking it was just some kid being, well, a kid.
But my curiosity as to what exactly it was he was hitting, got the best of me.
I walked up behind him to look and see, and inside the box were two snakes, baby rosy boas.
This little boy was beating the shit out of the snakes with a long broken branch from one
of the nearby tree's. To my horror I yelled at him to get away from the box.
His parents were NO where to be seen, and the kid jumped up and ran off towards the pool area.
This boy was probably about 5 or 6.
My friend and I were in shock at what we had just seen, what the hell is wrong with people.
We picked up the small cardboard box and immediately were heartbroken.
One of the babies was already dead, his brother survived but he was coiled up and motionless.
We rushed home and buried the deceased little girl, the boy we have decided to keep.
Luckily for us, me being a packrat comes in handy sometimes.
I still have my tank from my bearded lizard I had as a child.
But this snake is small enough to slip through some of the cracks where the glass slides in,
(I'll try to get pictures of it to show you all what I'm talking about.)
and he's a warm weather snake, and I don't have the proper heating pads or environment for him.
When we first set everything up, he immediately hid beneath some of the sand, and stayed there.
But after a few hours he explored his tank, and actually allowed us to hold and love on him.
He wouldn't let us get near him at first.
He's so curious, and sweet, I just can't believe how sweet he was despite what he had been through, I wasn't expecting such a quick warm up to us so soon.
Long story short, we can barely afford to feed ourselves, and we have fallen in love with this little guy. We want to make sure he has a wonderful life.
We need to buy food, substrate, a proper tank till he grows big enough not to slide through the cracks of the big one, hides, food dishes, etc. ><
(HELP US NAME HIM!!)
Here are pictures of him-
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10543374/
I hate asking for donations, but right now we really need help.
If you'd like to donate, my paypal is lokilovable[at]hotmail.com
Amazon WishList is here-
http://amzn.com/w/3F02LSI9NW5RH
I will be doing special commissions immediately to raise money for him.
I'll have a goal set once I add up everything roughly.
Thank you so much for reading.
(ALSO, if anyone has ANY advice, please feel free to post below, we need all the help we can get.)
`Loki
Fill it with warm water, and wrap it in a towel. Put this in the tank and it can keep him warm for some time till it cools. Keep refilling it with warm water as necessary til you get a better heat source.
Also, do try to feed the animal on pre-killed early on. It's cheaper to buy pre-killed in bulk, and prevents the possibility of expensive vet bills or a dead snake since pre-killed can't bite/harm the animal. If it's all you can do, get a porcelain or ceramic bowl with no sharp edges. Use that to supply water as it's easy to clean if he soils it and doesn't leach things like metal or some plastic containers can.
Thank you SO much for this information, it really helps a lot.
It gives me a much better idea for what I should do now. <3
I really appreciate it.
And the pre killed sounds much better than having to go buy one single live pinky a week, also it'll
help me since I'm squeamish with baby mice. ><
One last thing. Try paying attention to your local used listing ads, and Craiglist if you have a listing for your area. It does depend a lot on area but it's a great place to find used tanks for well less then cost of new. Also they do make tanks made with reptiles in mind. They are not usually water proof, but the fact that they don't have to water proof it helps drive down the cost.
If you know anyone who is handy with things like plexiglass, you may be able to have a larger future home build intelligently with the animal in mind at a fraction of the cost of a store bought one. I wish I could do more than give advice. Good luck on taking care of the darling. I remember wanting a Rosy Boa myself when I was a teenager, but they were then still a pretty penny for a good one from a reputable breeder.
Oh I completely agree, I really can't stand watching something being devoured alive.
It makes me horribly sad, I can't even smash spiders, I always catch them and put them outside. ; ;
Craigslist is a good idea! I've never used it but I'll give it a shot!
And my dad might actually be able to help me later to make a bigger tank now that I think about it.
I really appreciate your taking time to talk and help me, means a lot!
I do have to say that they are very pretty animals, and I am quite happy to have him. <3
I'll definitely be posting updates as time goes on!
Thank you so much dear, everything helps, really. <3
I was so surprised too, I figured anything that had been attacked by a human
would be hand shy for a long while.
He warmed up to us after only a few hours.
It's pretty disgusting that children can be raised to believe it's alright to beat on innocent animals. =/
I hope he learns a lesson down the road.
I live in Southern California, so I know that they are wild here, but he had babies in a box.. so I'm wondering if someone gave them to him...
I really hope not, but if so the irresponsible people that did it need to be smacked. x_x
"In terms of housing, the cage type is less important than the internal environment. Of critical importance is the often-mentioned temperature gradient. Of equal importance is the method of warming. Both of these factors are crucial for digestion, reproduction, and health. A temperature gradient should range from the low to mid-70's to the low to mid-80's on the warm side of the cage and should be provided by undertank heating. Rosy boas need belly heat for their often-temperamental digestive system. Heating by a light source is not necessary, and some people feel this predisposes to more rapid dehydration or burns and does not provide an appropriate environment. An improper gradient or lack of belly warmth can predispose Rosy Boas to health problems, most notably problems with regurgitation. "
Thank you for that. <3
I'm definitely focusing on the climate first.
I need to get him warm, it's currently raining like crazy right now and I KNOW
his cage isn't warm enough. ><
I'm hoping to make enough soon enough to get him warm.
Thank you again for helping me figure out what to do. <3
That is an amazing idea!I would have never of thought of that.
That will also help ease peoples minds about me trying to scam.
I know there will always be speculation.
I'll do that!
I made a list!http://amzn.com/w/3F02LSI9NW5RH
Hopefully I'm not missing anything. Dx
This will definitely help me keep track of what
I need.
Thanks again for the idea!!
<3
I also use exoterra plantation soil I think it's called. It's expanding dirt(I think coconut husks or something?).
Auu thank you SO much!!! You're a huge help. You're the only person who's donated, and I plan on doing something special for you once everything settles down, thank you again! <3I've seen people set up basking rocks with heating lamps either pointed from the side of the tank close to the bottom, or under the tank (need a stand that has an open bottom that supports the tank from the sides). Both of these would allow light/heat from the bulb to transfer into that area providing belly heat. I've been out of the herp loop for a long time so options may have changed and better heating rocks/pads may exist now. I wouldn't know.
Also when people have the issues you brought up, often they do not set up proper heating up and cooling down areas. This often happens if people pay more attention to tallness of tank than length, and width. A longer tank gives you the ability to properly set up your temp gradient. Wider tanks accommodate larger growing snakes and allow them more room to roam/exercise. Another thing that also often happens is that the people do not provide big enough water bowls and or do not change the water frequently.
I remember my king-snake refused to drink out of a bowl that he soiled in. The Boa I used to have was the same.
First off what is wrong with him? Notice any broken ribs or anything? Have you checked for mites?
You'll need a ~20 gallon tank depending on how big he is, glass with a lid he can't get out from. Stick an under tank heat on the bottom of the tank(one big enough to cover just half the tank mind you, so he can cool down). Until you see if he has mites or not I would suggest putting paper towel as a substrate and check for little black dots. You can also get a heat lamp for him, those work just the same but both under tank heating + a heat lamp make for a happy snake.
Give him a dish big enough for him to fit his whole body in. You should also get a spray bottle to keep the humidity up to help with his shedding when he does eventually do so. You'll also want to get him a hide rock so he can hide away when he's stressed.
After that snakes are pretty simple, feed him a F/T(frozen+thawed) rat or mouse every ~two weeks(or more if he's malnourished), rule of thumb for feeding is to only give the snake food that is the same circumference as the largest part of his body, anything bigger and it just causes stress and makes it harder to fit it inside of itself hahah. x3
Change the water pretty much daily because him sitting in all the time makes it get a bit gross. Always check for poop, and clean out EVERYTHING from the tank when he eliminates.
Also would like to add if he does have mites to go pick up some Nix. It's for head lice but works on the mites. Make the snake sit in a tub of warm water with a few drops of the stuff for ~20 minutes, watch the mites fall off. If the mites have gone internal then you have to take him to a vet. Mites are a HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS to get rid of as they can live in your house until you put the snake back and re-infest him. Very unfortunate really..
>I own snakes and other reptiles/arachnids.
Thank you SO much!
I checked for mites because when I was doing research I saw a lot about that,
he doesn't seem to have them, I checked his entire body and I don't see anything.
As for broken ribs, I can't be sure because I'm no expert but he is quite mobile and he loves
to move and climb things. I haven't felt anything wrong or noticed anything that would
leave me to believe that he has anything broken, thank goodness.
I've been pointing a heater at one side of the cage to keep it warm, and he really seems to enjoy
being over there. Until I can get an undertank heater anyway.
When he goes and plays he climbs up stuff and hangs around.
Thanks for the help! <3
I hope you enjoy your new pet and just message me on Skype or note if you have any questions, I've owned 6+ snakes and other animals so I've seen it all. xD;
Thank you sooo much! <3Me too, he's such a sweetheart.
;u;
No idea. =/They are native here, but I never see them anymore. :(
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4617770/
Thank you sooo much!! <3Two things have been bought from the list, a heat pad and a thermometer, I need to update the list.
Your support means so much. ;; I can't thank you enough.
and *how, not now. XD
That would be amazing, thank you SO much!!;u;
Everything helps!
Thank you SO much!! Seriously!!<3333333
Me too! ;u;I plan on giving the best home I can!
Please feed frozen/thawed or pre-killed rodents.
You will need to take this animal to a vet to make sure it does not have any lasting injuries or parasites.
I'm speaking from 8 years of reptile experience. [and owning 6 snakes]
Buying from Pet Mountain, you can probably get a lot of this stuff WAY cheaper than petco, petsmart, and amazon.
You'll want:
10-15 gallon aquarium is sufficient for an adult. You can get a ten gallon at walmart.
BELLY HEAT. Belly heat is very important for snakes. Overhead heating just doesn't really do the trick unless you have one of those expensive heat panels. Belly heat helps them digest a whole lot better. A light overhead can be used to have correct ambient temperature which should not drop below 75F for Rosy Boas.
I'd suggest ULTRATHERM HEAT PADS
They barely go over 95F and can generally be used without a thermostat. I have these for all of my snakes and they work great.
For Rosy Boas, they need a hot spot of 90 degrees F. To keep the pad from getting to warm, you can buy a dimmer switch, plug the heating pad into the dimmer, and set the dimmer to a good spot. You'll need a thermometer with a PROBE and the probe needs to be directly on the pad to get the correct temperature. Adjust the dimmer switch and then tape it in place when you get the correct temperature.
Please provide 2 small hides that the snake can squeeze itself into. Turned empty butter containers with a hole cut in the side can work very well. Snakes like to cram themselves into tiny spaces. One hide should be on the cool side and one by the hot side.
A water dish large enough for the snake to soak in should be available at all times.
Substrate should be at least 1 to 2 inches deep to allow burrowing. Great substrate is: ASPEN bedding, Sifted and washed playground sand [you can get at home depot], or carefresh paper bedding [found in the rodent area of petco/petsmart]
Be sure to stay away from hardwood, pine, and cedar as they are toxic to snakes.
Prey items should not be larger than the largest part of the snake.
Good luck <3
You can buy ultratherm heat pads here right here
Buy stuff from Pet Mountain if you can, it is so much cheaper and they almost always have sales going on.
Wow thank you so much for all the information!!
I really appreciate it, everyone has been so helpful.
I'm doing my best to make things right for him, once I can afford
to get everything I need. I tend to get worried easily so I'm trying to get him things asap.
I'll definitely take him to the vet when I am able to.
Your pets are beautiful btw!!
Thank you SO much!
Oh my goodness, thank you so much!I promise to repay you and everyone that has helped me.
It's nice to meet another snake rescuer!! <33
Snake Rescuer and Owner (: I am terribly in love with snakes, Especially boas. <3 Honestly, If I could, I'd take that baby off your hands! Hes absolutely gorgeous!!
Aww yeee!!!I <3 boas too omg. I'm terribly excited about having this little guy.
One day I want to have a big one.
And thank you again. ;3;
Yeah, My Red Tails gettin there XD Can't wait till he's super big. Aha <3
I would actually be sure to USE a heating pad. As SangheiliSniper said, belly heat is the most important thing for snakes-- it helps them to digest their meals. Heat lamps will also reduce humidity, making it harder for your pet to shed its skin.
:) I'm ALWAYS available for advice if you find yourself needing any. (I, personally, am one of the Education and Event Coordinators of the most active Herpetological Society in the United States-- the Madison Area Herpetological Society).
Omg thank you so much!!Wow I wish I could be more involved with herpetology!
I'll definitely keep you on my list of people to ask advice from!
<3 Thank you so much for sharing, everything helps!~ <3
And I totally have a heating pad now!
If it weren't for my own two boas (Selleck and Eve), I wouldn't be near as active as I am. They're my own little rescues, and I can't help but to share them with EVERYONE. LOL
And it would be a pleasure to help you!! :) Watching you so that if needed, I can share journals from you as well. :) Please, keep us posted!!
That's so wonderful!And thank you so much!
Haha I totally want to post pics of my snake alllll over now hahah! I totally understand!
I promise to keep it updated!
Thank you! So much!Oh okay! I'll definitely do that then.Thank you very much for the tip!