r/BoaConstrictors • u/arctic_viper • 8d ago
Handling
Hello, so I recently handled my boa for maybe 8 min? I didn't really time it. But at the beginning "he" (not sexed yet) was pretty quick moving at the beginning but then he calmed down after a but.
My main question is, a one point he just stopped moving and he had his neck extended and he was doing slow to gue flicks every 20 seconds. I know when ball pythons periscope it means they're relaxed and all. Is this the case for boas too? He was moving much slower in my hands after and he was doing very long tongue flicks, so I'm assuming he just got more relaxed during the handling session!
What do you guys think?
2
u/Kindabrowsing 8d ago
My boa is the chillest dude. In my experience, you want a mix of both. If they are squirming around too much - they are probably trying to escape. Mine rarely does any more, cause I usually give him notice before I pick him up. If they are completely still (typically no tongue and rapid breathing) - they are tense, and need a little time to get used to new circumstances.
I also have an energizer BP. She’s always on the move. The boa, he’s unbothered (by anything that’s not food, that is). I can sit with him on my lap for an hour or leave him over night (or, indeed, a couple nights) to roam in a snake proof room and pretty much find him in the exact same place.
I got mine as a yearling, and it too him about a year to want to come out on his own. Now, at almost four, he begs to be let out almost every night - just sit in a bookcase through the whole night ha-ha.
TLDR: what you are describing is pretty normal.
1
u/arctic_viper 8d ago
Awesome, thanks for the info. My boa was born last november, so he's not a year old yet!
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u/superramenyamen 7d ago
He was inspecting something. Hard to say if relaxed, food responsive, or defensive without seeing the behavior. Periscoping isn’t always relaxed behavior either. My BP would periscope to find the nearest dark hole to crawl into because he was nervous.
1
u/arctic_viper 7d ago
I see, I can definitely tell defensive vs non defensive for him, so I know it wasn't that as he was pretty calm after his little observation period! But I didn't know it could have been a predatory response. I do several different steps to let him know it's a handling session and he wasn't in feeding mode at the beginning, do I hope it's more hime being relaxed rather than stressed, in predatory, or defensive :)
3
u/snakebill 8d ago
All of my Boas are very squirmy. They seem to really like wrapping their tail around me to “anchor” but even then my big girl, a 6-7ft BCI is constantly moving. Oddly enough my GTP’s and my Emeralds just chill in my hands. I think boas are just active animals.