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Posted by dfr on January 16, 2003 at 13:03:21:
In Reply to: Odd New Boa Behavior posted by djairam on January 14, 2003 at 10:23:58:
Snakes have all sorts of behavior, sometimes the same display for quite different reasons. I think you're right to give the snake time to adjust and recover from all the stress and trauma its been through, and somethimes this takes months. Watch its breathing. About 1/3 of the way along the body ( from the head ) is the large lung ( in Boids ). When the snake is stressed, it will hyperventilate. When at peace, the breathing should be quite slow. If you stay still and observe, you will fade into the background of the snake's consciousness, then it's breathing should slow. You'll be able to gauge how well the snake is accepting you, and it's new surrouondings, by its breathing. Also, watch the eyes. When the snake's head turns from the horizontal, it's eyes should change plain too, trying to hold the horizontal. This can be hard to see, but it is a direct clue to the animal's neurological health. A sick snake, nearly or completely beyond help will often not try to keep its vision horizontal. If it wants to hide, give it a small place to hide, where it can feel the walls against its body, feeling confined ( by their own choice! )helps them to feel secure. The amount of attention a human can give can be way too much for a snake. I have several sibling Water Boas, some of them "stargaze", some don't. They've done this for 5 years. The " worst " stargazer of them is now very, very pregnant, or gravid if you're a nitpicker.
There are lots of folks on these types of forums who regularly get slapped down in their personal and professional lives, so they get on a forum and feel safe in beating their chests. If you meet them in person, they're usually gutless wonders, or squirrels with big balls, for a squirrel. Male Boa constrictor constrictors often do not exceed 4 feet. Sure, bigger than a Corn Snake, but no Anaconda.
