I believe the "Part Columbian and Rainbow" comment was referring to "part Columbian Rainbow Boa and part Brazilian Rainbow Boa" as these two could be inter-bred.
The baby looks like it could be such a mix...

Whatever it is: IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!

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Andrea

Has it come out of the water yet?

I don't want to add to the confusion by any means, but two things. I have a lot of snakes, and about 90% of the boids (boas and pythons) will spend time in the water dish when you first get them. I think it's more due to the stress of a new home and all the new smells than anything...water is completely encompassing. I have a rock python that spent almost an entire week submerged in a bucket before we coaxed him out, once he was out he shed and is now active and dry. However, it did help to give him extra hides to choose from, more places to retreat safely to encouraged him to come out and explore a bit more.

My rainbow spends about two days out of every month or two in his water dish, he soaks for a good long while before retreating back into his wetbox, the next night he'll come out and shed. My guess is that if you gave your your rainbow a wetbox it would likely move to it over the next night or two. However, it IS a rainbow boa! Don't expect to see it much! I'm not trying to be discouraging, just practical; these are reclusive snakes and while they don't have particularly bad dispositions, they don't spend much time out in the open.

As for a wetbox, the best way to make it is to find a plastic shoebox that looks like it would fit your boa snugly but not tight. Cut a smallish hole in the lid, these are more of a skinny snake and won't get all that thick, but if you cut it too small you can always enlarge it later, for now you could safely go with a whole about as big around as a soup can.

Fill the box with loose peat moss, but pay attention! Buy the peat moss from your pet store, you might think it's cheaper at your local hardware store but the peat you buy from WalMart could have all kinds of things in it you don't like, like mites, parasites, etc. Better safe than sorry, get pet-safe peat moss, and fill your box loosely with it. Wet it down, don't drench it, when you grab it, it should feel about as damp as a rag that has been thoroughly wrung-out. Replace the lid of the box and leave your snake to his business. He'll use the box as his permanent hide. As mentioned before this won't work with all animals, you don't want blister disease so don't keep it too wet and check periodically to make sure it hasn't dried out OR been too wet and moldy. You'll want to change the peat regularly, a practice I've followed that seems to work well is every time the snake voids, it usually defecates outside of the box and passes urates inside, so that's a good time to clean things out.

Here's a pic of my rainbow, looks all comfy cozy in there doesn't he?



Best of luck with your rainbow boa, they're awesome snakes, I hope you have a lot of good years with him ahead of you.

Gorgeous snake, actionplant! I agree with what you said. My old Brazilian Rainbow Boa *loved* his lightly moist moss filled hidebox on the cool side of his cage. Never a soaker, but 9 times out of 10, he was in his moist hide.

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0.1 jungle/coastal carpet python: Sheila
1.0 anerythristic boa constrictor imperator: Severus Snake
1.1 rats: Eowyn, Gandalf
1.0 ferret: Walker Texas Ranger
0.0.1 gold fish: Tiger
3.0 dogs: Strider (Aussie/husky), Zoso (Belgian Malinois), Buck (husky/Rottweiler)

Wow!! Gorgeous rainbow, actionplant!!!

I totally agree! During the day you probably won't see much of your rainbow, but late at night, they usually get VERY active: so make sure your terrarium is safe and LOCKED!!

Great advice with the moss box, actionplant! My Rainbow and BP use theirs during every shed and it always comes off in one piece!

however:
I wish someone had told that to my Talyn! See pic:
[IMG][/IMG]

Actually she's not anywhere near as thick as boa constrictors or other big boa and python species, but she's a lot thicker than any other rainbow I've seen... and I don't think she's overweight for her size -- she is just just a VERY big girl. (210cm and 2.4kg)

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Andrea

You guys are NOT helping in my attempts to resist getting a Rainbow!
Some great looking snakes you all have there!

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

And to think...when I took that pic yesterday morning, he was in shed. It came off (in one piece...ALWAYS in one piece) yesterday evening. I'll try to get more pics soon.

I guess I should have specified on when you'll see him! I used to be a night person but my job won't let me do that anymore. I don't see my rainbow much unless I take him out, I guess I do know that he comes out because I see evidence of it all the time, but since I'm usually in there during the day I just don't see him much. Sorry for the confusion.

And Blackjack, excuse me, but HOLY ****! I've seen a few rainbows, but that thing is absolutely MASSIVE! The larger girth makes sense considering it's a female, but wow. What do you feed it...dachsunds?! That's incredible.

Just so we're clear, I've NEVER seen a rainbow that big before, and if indeed the rainbow in question in this thread is a male, it won't get anywhere near that big. But still...wow. I'm beyond impressed.

Thanks actionplant: she's really a big big girl! And she is an extremely strong constrictor: my hand turns blue when she holds onto my arm... and, well, I try never to let her get around my neck or at least never handle her alone... she's too strong for me.
I hardly ever see her either unless I stay up late or take her out for a climb on the stair railing.
I feed her large rats: between 150-200g every 3 weeks. She'd easily eat that much every week if I let her: this summer she seems to ALWAYS be hungry!! In over a year, she's never refused a meal... (AND IT SHOWS!!!)

Nice to see so many rainbow boa owners popping up here. Bitis Gabonica and I used to be the only ones... she was here first -- but I just post more pics of mine!

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Andrea

Well then I'll have to try to outpost you! My rainbow is very photogenic if he'd just sit still, but then I'm sure you know all about that. He loves dark places to hide though. I call him my "pocket boa" because if I wear pants with deep pockets he'll crawl in and stay there all day long with just his nose poking out. Really cool.

I need to increase to rats, currently mine takes three adult mice and that makes a lump. I feed my snakes until I see a visible lump and then leave them alone, seems to work pretty well. I've been considering moving up to rats over the past couple of months, but considering how often he's still shedding and how nice and firm he is I just haven't been able to justify it yet. This is the one animal that would overeat if I let it, others will refuse food once they're done eating but my rainbow just keeps swallowing like a garbage can.

Still in shed (yesterday morning):

__________________
1.4.0 cornsnakes
2.0.3 firebelly toads
1.2.0 redfoot tortoises
3.2.0 ball pythons
1.2.0 beardies
1.0.0 asian water monitor
1.1.0 burmese pythons
1.1.0 basilisks
0.1.0 black tree monitor
1.0.0 Green Iguana
0.1.0 chinese water dragon
2.2.0 redtail boas
1.0.0 CA rock python
1.0.0 emperor scorpion
1.2.0 leopard geckos

actionplant.com

And post-shed, not a lot of difference, he'd already cleared up when I took that previous pic:

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1.4.0 cornsnakes
2.0.3 firebelly toads
1.2.0 redfoot tortoises
3.2.0 ball pythons
1.2.0 beardies
1.0.0 asian water monitor
1.1.0 burmese pythons
1.1.0 basilisks
0.1.0 black tree monitor
1.0.0 Green Iguana
0.1.0 chinese water dragon
2.2.0 redtail boas
1.0.0 CA rock python
1.0.0 emperor scorpion
1.2.0 leopard geckos

actionplant.com

Wow, both of you (actionplant & BlackJack) those are very beautiful rainbows!

Nice work!

Steven