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Obese adult boa constrictor9/24/2023 ![]() ![]() What is ReptiFiles®? is a compilation of factual, science-based research from the best reptile care resources in the world, packaged in one neat website. I find reptiles so wonderfully captivating, challenging, and diverse that I have dedicated my career to understanding them better. I am also currently working on my master’s degree in natural history-based exotic animal husbandry from West Liberty University! I have kept a variety of exotic pets for the majority of my life, but I have worked with reptiles specifically for over 10 years. My name is Mariah Healey, professional reptile husbandry researcher and consultant. If the snake hasn’t started to lose weight after a few months, consult your veterinarian. Chart the numbers in a spreadsheet or in a notebook. Give it the biggest enclosure you can possibly build for it - provided that you have the right temperature gradient, humidity, UVB, and enrichment, this is the best thing you can do for your boa’s health.Īs you correct your boa’s diet and encourage him/her to exercise, use a digital kitchen or bathroom scale to weigh them weekly. Your pet boa will spend most of its life inside its enclosure, so give it room to stretch out, climb, and “hunt” when the mood strikes. You should also reevaluate the size of the boa’s enclosure. Encourage climbing up/down stairs with supervision (I kid you not).Create “obstacle courses” for the snake to explore outside of the enclosure.Handle more often, encouraging movement (although not so much as to cause stress).Add additional enrichment items to the enclosure.If that’s not the case, then the snake is probably not getting enough exercise: Could you be feeding it too often for its age? Are you offering prey items that are too large? If you have a fat boa, the first step to take is to evaluate what you’re feeding it. Thickest part of the body is 2x wider than the head. ![]() Feels squishy during handling, not firm.A chunky appearance is sometimes praised by those who think that it makes the snake look “cuter.” Obesity in snakes - or any animal, for that matter - is not cute it is a form of cruel neglect that robs the animal of health, mobility, and shortens its lifespan. As with most pets, this happens unintentionally, often being mistaken for healthy growth and/or weight gain. Obesity is an alarmingly common problem among pet snakes, and the reptile community is just barely becoming aware of it. ![]()
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