defacation

[drthsideous]

I have only one question, my boa only deffactes about once every month to a month and a half. She is about three feet long and I guess about 9 monthes old. This is the pattern she has deffacted at for as long as I have had her. Is this bad?
thanks jeff

[drthsideous]

oh yeah I had another ques. about my temps, I try to keep the hot spot between 90 and 95, and the I have a steady gradient going down to about 80. And at night my cool end sometimes drops down to about 72 and the warm end down to about 85. I try to keep the cool end at about 78 at night but sometimes I just cant. Is this ok, or what? thanks jeff

[Doug]

Hi,
whats the humidty in the cage, target around 60 % if your snake is really dry they can have problems going.I believe snakes loose most of their body moisture breathing dry air.They are from a fairly humid environment .
  Another  note, if your feeding on the small size they tend to hold on to that food longer.
one of my babies post feeding two just weined rats
http://photo.redtailboa.org/albums/my-pets/SAmuels_Done.thumb.jpg. just an observation, how often do your snakes pass stones??
are you having complete shed or is the skin coming off in pieces..?

dont over feed just be sure you see a slight  bulge post feeding
 do you have  really large water dish on the cool side of the cage snakes hate drinking warm water.
     good luck  doug
psps review the care sheets fo temps humidty
http://www.redtailboas.com/carelinks/carelinks.html

[drthsideous]

My humidity is alway at about 50-60, when you say stones I am assuming you mean urate balls, and she passes them with every deffacation. Every shed has been perfect and I am feeding her a large mice every week, she is almost big enough to take a small rat. Once she is on rats i will only feed her once every 12 days. And my water is right in the middle of the gradient not warm but not completely on the cool side.

[oOSpOOkYOo]

About every 2-3 feedings (I have aboiut a 5 mo old >2ft rtb) I will put him in the tub with room temp. water and let him play around. I swear this little guy was born in water- I have trouble keeping him in my hand while trying to get the temp right and trying to get him out to go back to bed. I swear it's like having a kid sometimes. But anyways. When I put him in he'll swim around a bit and then just STOP- he'll go stiff and let the current take him- then... KABOOM! He drops a massive one every time. I do this regularly to keep him regular. I've noticed he's dumps in the water are smaller in size and seem to come out easier then if he just does it in his cage. -sTEVE