Getting wild caught Boigas to feed in captivity

[Admin - Angi]

Ive been pretty lucky with mine, they have all taken either defrosted rodents or quail within a reasonable time frame, but i know some people do have difficulties. So I thought we could share our tips and tricks on here.
Two of the things that I feel make a big difference are:-
1 feeding at night with lights dimmed - I have found most of the Boigas that Ive kept are more aggressive at night, maybe because they are in their natural hunting mode.
2 Warming food items, for any Boigas that strike feed, warming seems to make all of the difference.

Other than that, I do leave prey hanging on branches which seems to work too.

Anyone got any other good tips that have worked for them?

[royaljon]

When i had my Blandingi it didn't feed for weeks, Wasn't too worried coz he held his waight. I eventually got a Small Mouse down him by senting it with a chick. Whilst they defrosted i put the mouse under the chick. I had to leave it in with him over night in the dark room. It was gone the next morning it didn't eat again for five weeks then has had another one this week hope this helps anyone who maybe having a few challenges.

Regards

Jon

[Admin - Angi]

Thanks Jon
My nigraceps hatchlings havent eaten yet, but one is showing interest. I mght trying scenting with chicks next.

[thomas]

I am getting two male mangrove snakes on tuesday 20th november. They are both W/C so hope these tips will work.

[Varanaman]

I got a young Boiga dendrophilia to feed by placing 5 live House Geckos in the vivarium with it ( Hemidactylus frenatus ). After tthey were eaten I scented large pinkies with lizard skin and placed it in the mouth of the snake - - - eventually it decided it was food and ate it !

[Varanaman]

We have had a 5 foot male Boiga cyanea for 8 years and although he has survived, he has not thrived. Occasionally will eat 1 or 2 day old chicks and a mouse or juvenile rat every 6 weeks or so. He remained thin(ish) for years.

Last week we were preparing some pheasant breasts in the kitchen [where he also lives] and smelling the gamey meat he went crazy at the vivarium glass. We put 3 thick slices of raw pheasant breast in his cage and he pounced on them and ate them all in 10 minutes.
We put another 4 bigger chunks, twice the thickness of a mouse - by the morning they had all gone and there was a very fat snake in the viv !!!

Now all we need are some road-kill pheasants rather than ones from the store that we have to remove lead-shot from


Richard & Kim

[maurus]

never had any problems feeding WC boiga's...

mostly try feeding at night, and with some defrosted chicks heated in some hot water...
if they dont eat, leave the chicks on some branches and put out the lights... they will be gone in the morning
had a friend who had some difficulties with a boiga d melanota, and i started feeding the snake some chicks, didn't eat... fed it live zebrafinches and it eate once....

after a week i gave it a another and i refused to eat, got the advise to give em an chikenegg... didn't eat it
then i gave it a fish, and he ate ... after a fish or 2 he ate everything you offered

they eat almost everything , just have to get them started
( infortunatly for my mate he also ate his female XD)

[strommy]

Hi All .. im new to this forum but i have joined as i have 2 b.dendrophilia ... bought as 1.1 but probed by the vet and are both males ! these snakes are wild caught imported into the UK by Tom Halvorsen. my reptile shop had them for 2 weeks before i bought them. they told me both had fed on a small mouse .. which i now doubt. on having the snakes a few days i realized something was wrong. took them to the vet who said they had an RI which has been treated with injections which both snakes have responded to well. the antibiotics course finished about a week ago. But im worried about the snakes as they wont feed .. even after trying all the tips on this site.... and they don't show the aggression that is typical with this snake. they have both shed since i have had them and it came off in one piece. could the lack of aggression and appetite be due to parasites ? they are very active at night and i cover the viv with a towel so there is no light getting into the viv. they have had to be disturbed over the last week or 2 due to needing trips to the vet for the injections. if you feel that their problems could be parasites it would mean another trip to the vet as in the UK you cant buy stuff to treat internal parasites off the shelf . any advice you guy have would be much appreciated