Columbian Red Tail not eating question

[Grayham]

Hello

I have two snakes, a female common Boa and a male Columbian Red Tail
Boa. They both share the same viv. The male has been loosing weight and
not eating properly (2 rats every 2 months or there abouts) for a long
time and he is starting to look unwell and weak.

I have taken him to the vet and had blood tests etc. but there is nothing
obviously wrong with him. The gentleman at the local pet stores says its
because he is housed with a female and the pheromones will be effecting
him but my vet did not see this as a problem when I mentioned it to him.
The snakes have been together for about 9 years.

Does anyone have an opinion or experience with this. I am going to buy a
new viv and put the male in another room but also wonder if I should
pursue another course as well.

The male is about 20 years old and the female is 10. The female is
thriving in the environment and the temperature sits between 82 and 84
but I drop it 7 degrees at night. There is also a 90 degree basking spot
but the male makes no effort at all to go there.


Any help would be appreciated

Grayham

[N Jill Marsh]

Post by Grayham
I have two snakes, a female common Boa and a male Columbian Red Tail
Boa. They both share the same viv. The male has been loosing weight and
not eating properly (2 rats every 2 months or there abouts) for a long
time and he is starting to look unwell and weak.
I have taken him to the vet and had blood tests etc. but there is nothing
obviously wrong with him. The gentleman at the local pet stores says its
because he is housed with a female and the pheromones will be effecting
him but my vet did not see this as a problem when I mentioned it to him.
The snakes have been together for about 9 years.

I think the guy at the pet store is spewing nonspecific silliness
without taking into account the situation of your snakes.

Post by Grayham
Does anyone have an opinion or experience with this. I am going to buy a
new viv and put the male in another room but also wonder if I should
pursue another course as well.
The male is about 20 years old and the female is 10. The female is
thriving in the environment and the temperature sits between 82 and 84
but I drop it 7 degrees at night. There is also a 90 degree basking spot
but the male makes no effort at all to go there.

I'm sorry I can't give you much more than support, but the one piece
of information that struck me was the age of your male - he's
definitely a geriatric at that age, isn't he, for a red-tail? I
wonder if he does need a different environment now - either a
different temperature range, smaller prey animals, something like
that. If you've been to a herp vet I think what you're doing is
pretty sensible.

nj"good luck"m