Acclimating Recent Imports

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Acclimating Recent Imports

• Boidae

By Nathan Curtis
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Arrival

• Fine-Tune Cage Temps/Humidity
• Attend to this beforehand
• Can take a day or 2 before temps/humidity settle
  down
• Treat for External Parasites - Nix Em!
• Even if from a reliable source/friend
• Even if seller assures specimen is mite free
• See Nix Treatment for Snake Mites article for
  more information
• Quarantine
• Ideally in a separate room
• If separate room not available, at the very least
  in a separate cage
• Solitude
• Limit handling to an absolute minimum (only in
  order to clean cage/water)

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Feeding

• Enclosure Set-Up and Location
• Enclosure should not be placed in a high traffic
  area (family room) spare bedrooms are ideal
• Enclosure should be placed in a room with a
  window for natural diurnal cycles, but not direct
  light
• Frequency
• Allow fresh import to settle in to new
  surroundings for at least 1 week prior to 1st
  food offering
• Offer food once every 7-14 days thereafter
• Imports are often nervous frequent food
  offerings can lead to the import associating the
  scent of prey with danger
• Where to Leave Food
• Offer frozen/thawed (f/t) food on tongs at first
• If import only strikes at food, leave several f/t
  prey items scattered around cage
• If import hides under paper, leave some f/t prey
  under paper and some on top
• If import hides in water, balance f/t prey on
  water containers edge and leave some next to
  container
• If import perches, balance f/t prey on perch and
  leave some scattered around cage floor
• If f/t doesnt work, offer live prey but do not
  leave in cage overnight (only for couple hrs)
• Time of Day and Length of Time
• Offer prey at dusk
• f/t prey should be left with import overnight
• live prey should only be left for a couple hours
  never overnight!

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Difficult Feeders

• Force Feeding Pros and Cons
• Pro import gets much-needed nutrition
• Cons imports stress level skyrockets, further
  delaying when it will voluntarily feed can harm
  import
• Force feeding should only be considered after
  import fails to voluntarily feed for several
  months and condition deteriorates
• Force Feeding vs. Tube Feeding
• Force feeding whole prey far more likely to harm
  import, may regurgitate prey immediately, far
  more stressful
• Tube feeding liquid diet much easier on keeper
  and import, liquid is injected directly into
  stomach (very little, if any, regurgitated), far
  less chance of injury to import (no claws, teeth,
  tweezers to damage throat lining)
• Tube Feeding Ingredients
• 50/50 mixture of beef baby food/whipping cream
  mix in blender
• Beef baby food supplies protein, whipping cream
  supplies fat
• Tube Feeding Instruments and How To
• Ball-tipped needle for snakes under 3
• Flexible tube (rectal rinse variety) for snakes
  over 3

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Internal Parasites

• When to Attack
• All imported boas and pythons have deleterious
  internal parasites, which can quickly overrun the
  animal in captive conditions where it is forced
  to come in direct contact with its waste
• Ideally, treat import after several voluntarily
  feedings
• Treat if import refuses to feed within 1-2
  months, or if import arrives in extremely
  emaciated state
• Available Meds and Which to Use
• Metronidazole (aka Flagyl) for treatment of
  flagellates and protozoans available from the
  Bean Farm in capsule form (250mg/capsule)
• Fenbendazole (aka Panacur) for treatment of
  nematodes available from Co-op Feeds in paste
  and liquid forms
• How to Administer
• Ball-tipped needle for snakes under 3
• Flexible tube (rectal rinse variety) for snakes
  over 3
• Dosage/Frequency
• Flagyl 25-50mg per kg of snake administer 3-4
  times, once every 3 days
• Panacur 50-100mg per kg of snake administer
  2-3 times, once every 6 days

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Internal Parasites

• An essential tool for any reptile enthusiast!
• Available at the Bean Farm for 8 (USD)
• www.beanfarm.com

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Acclimating Recent Imports

• Boidae