A couple of things.
Don't try to feed or handle the snake right away. Put it in the enclosure and leave it alone for a week. This will allow it to settle in and de stress from the move.
After a week you can try to feed. And I would recommend that you always use tongs, LONG ones! Feeding by just your hand is asking to get bitten. The smell of rodent and the warmth of your hamd makes for a very inviting combination!
And with a snake the size of an adult boa you do not want to catch a feeding strike!
If the enclosure has a bare floor (covered by a sheet of newspaper), something I reommend for all new aquisitions, you can feed in the tank. The bare floor will allow you to monitor droppings and make it easier to notice external parasites.
Later if you choose to use a wood product for a substrate you will need to remove the snake for feeding. A simple rubbermade tub will do just fine. As soon as the snake swallows you can gently pick it up and return it to the enclosure. Feeding a F/T will make things simpler. You can just put snake and rodent in the tub and close the lid for a bit.
The concern about not handling for 48 hours is so people don't feed the snake and then decide they want to "play" with it. A sure recipe for a regurge.
And trust me, a regurge is NASTY, and not very good on the snake either.
After the 2 days start to gently handle the snake. Approach the snake from the side and toward the back half of the body. Move slowly and methodically and do not approach from in front of the head.
I personally never cared for snakehooks but in some instances they are necessary. If the snake is aggresssive and insists on biting that may be the only way to control it. But boas are pretty calm snakes in general. I have had no problems with either one of mine. Being a hatchling it may be a bit hissy but don't let that put you off. One of mine would make the loudest hiss whenever I opened the enclosure but never offered to strike. Once out in my hands it was fine.

Boas are great snakes and I am sure you will enjoy yours,
It IS going to be a big difference from the cornsnake.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

My boa is going to be a baby, but I want to establish good routines from the start. I've never had a regurge in 2 years with my corn snake, and she's lovely to handle now.

I use a wood substrate for the corn and put paper towel down under the food. I was planning on similar for the boa.

I'm aware that the boa is going to be hugely different from the corn, but I feel I'm ready and able to deal with it. I've managed to deal with badly treated dogs, known to be of aggressive breeds (rottweiler and german shepherd) I'm sure I can cope with a bigger snake than the one I have now.

We always feed in separate tanks from their living quarters. A couple of the ones that were rescues had been fed in their tanks, and would bite if you put your hand in, we quickly switched them to feeding in separate feeding tanks. They all do really well with this arrangement, very few problems ever. Good luck, enjoy your babies

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Kat

If you have loose substrate, you should feed outside the tank in a plastic tub. My ball python drags his food all over the place while swallowing. And if I fed him in the tank he'd swallow lots of substrate and probably get impacted.
It's also just more hygenic to feed outside the tank (sometimes the mouse/rat "leaks" or "bursts" you don't want that growing bacteria in your substrate.)
As for handling, I recommend having a snake hook and learning how to use it. It can be quite useful in keeping the head out of biting range while you pick up the body.
I also recommend using LONG feeding tongs to feed. The further away your hand is from the food item, the safer you'll be.

Oh as for putting the snake back in the terrarium after feeding, I usually wait about 10-15 minutes after he's swallowed, because sometimes he's still in "feeding mode" right after swallowing one rat and strikes as soon as the lid is lifted. Just gently pick him up, support his body and place him in the tank. Snakes will regurge if they are seriously stressed (they have to get the extra weight out so they can get away fast!) As long as you're calm and gentle, it's not a problem.

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Andrea

A little more food for thought. As neonates these boas, at least ours did, tend to hang from branches and hide in the foliage. Until they put on some wieght. I used some grapewood and fake plants. This did not last long but I feel it was beneficial. Frequently she wrapped the rat around a branch.
This is January 07.

Here she is two weeks ago.


For the most part she is quite placid but she has lacerated my right thumb quite badly once. I used to feed her in the cage but I do not anymore. She's now around 4.5-5 ft. Good Luck!

I think the snake hook is a good idea. I use one on our boa. Here are a couple examples.
http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/d...oks1-18-08.jpg
I keep venomous snakes too, so this equipment was an easy adjustment to all my non-venomous. I do all cage extractions with hooks now. Good luck and have fun!

You've been given great advice. I would suggest a feeding tub, the only snakes of mine that get fed in cage are my Carpets (if you've ever tried to get one off a branch you understand). A snake hook is a great tool to have around even if just for the first contact with the snake to judge it's actions. It's better to have the snake suprised by a hook then you hand if it's in a bad mood.

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"Tonights forcast..... Dark." Al Sleet, the hippy dippy weather man, George Carlin. You will be missed.
http://schlange-titus.de
http://dght.de

You defonitioly want to wait a few weeks to let your new one adjust to its surroundings. trying to handle too quickly will realy stress it out. I never used a snake hook with my red tail boa, he did tag me a couple of times, but it was my fault for mishandling. Feeding outside the inclosure is a great method. my Nietzsche was 16 when he came to me, and it took him a few months before he would eat outside his enclosure, but he got used to it and I found it to be a great tool. What I would do is hook the lights up to the feeding tub and leave him in there for 24 hours before attempting to move him. worked realy well. Good luck with your new addition!

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Yes my name is D... Yes as in the letter... No i wont tell you what it stands for!!!

She hit me in the face yesterday while I was extracting her. Went to clean out a duece and I chose not to use my hook and as soon as I had her free from the viv, Wham! right on the left eyebrow. Thats the second hit in about 3-4 months.

Well my boa arrived today, she's in her viv and was fed two days ago by the breeder. I'm going to take the advice I've been given and leave her alone before handling her. She's very calm and seems curious, has done some serious viv exploration and doesn't seemed in the slightest bit stressed.

Somebody on another forum has suggested I feed her before handling her for the first time, but I can't do that if I'm planning to move her into another tank for feeding. Also I'm using aspen substrate, so she'll have to be fed outside the viv. I'm sure it'll be fine, but I just need to make sure I'm not too fast at getting in there. She's 7 months old, around 2.5 feet I reckon, and looks good.