Next steps of owning my boa (update)
You can look on my profile and previous post for context
Hey, over the past month I’ve been consistently improving my enclosure based on your advice. First of all, I replaced the substrate as soon as possible and partially covered the ventilation.
Humidity now stays around 60% during the day and rises to about 70% at night. I regularly mist the enclosure and mix the substrate to maintain it. During shedding I even increased humidity up to 80%. I plan to replace the substrate every 2 months for cleanliness and my own peace of mind.
I removed the analog thermometer that everyone warned me about and added more digital thermometers with probes.
Then I added more artificial plants to improve the look of the enclosure and to give her more shade and hiding spots.
I also added a hanging coconut hide closer to the heat source and a hammock in the cool zone so she has more access to elevated areas. I included a moss-covered branch for climbing and exercise so she has more opportunities to move around vertically.
I’m attaching photos of both the old setup and the current one for comparison. Temperatures seem appropriate to me: in the center under the DHP it’s about 33°C on top of the warm hide, inside the hanging coconut it’s around 30°C, and in the cool zone it’s about 26°C during the day and drops to 24°C at night.
She had a perfect shed (came off in one piece), and all feedings have gone without any issues. She currently weighs 168g and is eating 10–15g rats (I bought a batch of 10 to start with, but I’ll run out soon, and the next batch I have is 20–30g, so I’m wondering if it’s safe to move up to that size).
Now for my concerns. Ever since I gave her access to elevated areas, she uses them constantly. She spends about 90% of her time either in the warm hanging coconut or on the cool hammock. Since adding these decorations, I haven’t seen her on the ground even once. I assume she drinks from the water bowl when I’m asleep, but I’ve never actually seen it, which worries me a bit.
After feeding, she usually moves to the warm area, but after digestion she sits on the hammock with her head pointed straight down (like in the photo). This is the position I see her in most often. Sometimes she looks like she is smelling the top of hide but backs slowly onto the hammock never gets fully down. Sometimes she stays like that for an entire day without visible movement. What’s interesting is that there’s an LED light above the hammock that runs 12h on / 12h off, and because she spends so much time there, I get to observe her more often. Still, I’m wondering if this behavior is normal or if something might be wrong.
She has never hissed at me or struck. When I take her out, she may pull back slightly at first, but once she’s in my hands she calmly explores and doesn’t seem overly stressed. I don’t notice any other concerning symptoms, but I’m including photos so you can judge her overall condition and whether I’m providing proper care.
My main concerns are that I never see her on the ground, as mentioned, and that head-down position (which seems to be her favorite).
Thanks in advance for any responses. I’m really looking for as much information as possible and will definitely try to apply your advice. I want the best for her. In the future I’d also like to get a Brazilian boa, but for now I want to focus on her and make sure I’m doing everything right.