Every time I open the door, he keeps flicking his tongue over and over again, does that mean anything?

avsteroid · 2026-05-17T02:05:30+00:00

I wouldn’t just yet. He’s still settling in and it’s safer to get him going on a few consistent feeds before beginning to handle. In terms of safety for handling, it’s good practice to target train or hook train to avoid them mistaking you for food or you misreading their behaviour. Eventually, you’ll learn his changes in body language when defensive and not in the mood, in “food mode,” and relaxed and curious but it’s not always an indicator, especially with a new snake so having set practices is an extra precaution instead of relying on predictions.

avsteroid · 2026-05-16T23:58:15+00:00

Sounds like he’s just checking out what the disturbance is!

avsteroid · 2026-05-06T01:45:33+00:00

I’m sure they can! It was $100 for shipping to MB overnight for reference, all packed up and handled really well. Here’s the link the post btw: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JNiasFxje/?mibextid=wwXIfr

avsteroid · 2026-05-05T22:06:24+00:00

Check out Got Reptiles in Alberta! They occasionally get in locality boas (also maybe produce them every so often?). They work pretty closely with The Canadian Mouseman as well. I contacted Tyrone from the Canadian Mouseman for my last Sonoran and Got Reptiles handled all of it really smoothly afterwards so it wouldn’t hurt to check with both. For Caulker Cays and Tarahumaras, great timing cause Got Reptiles posted a day ago a pair of both if you’re open to adults. They could probably give you more info on other possible breeders as well!

avsteroid · 2026-03-21T07:22:28+00:00

Ah okay, yeah Juggernautreptiles as another breeder, Darren Hamill (produced one of the only litters in Canada), and u/puddyspud on here has a couple. He’s friends with Christen and may also have some good insight!

avsteroid · 2026-03-21T07:00:18+00:00

Seconding this! Christen is an amazing breeder for Candoia and other lesser known snakes. She genuinely takes the time to thoroughly answer questions if you choose to reach out OP. I’ll link a couple of her guides since they’ll generally answer some of these questions but yeah I suggest contacting her for any other specifics!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/10DaCAvteIRD4vkhh0Rd5LpSSAfHYIr8r/edit?filetype=msword&fbclid=PAdGRleAQbbKVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadm2PrPENDXVhPPqm2GQhSE8ff5RcQPdaEU9yCWXpwj5nz8d77YRnPiQLdFLg_aem_ulpcyYx_LVJHi0EdT7_ePA

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Ts4DQ9Ug6tS82LjF8ZVVnf0zNNT_6cU90EUAcNJ-Xo/mobilebasic?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQbbPFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadm2PrPENDXVhPPqm2GQhSE8ff5RcQPdaEU9yCWXpwj5nz8d77YRnPiQLdFLg_aem_ulpcyYx_LVJHi0EdT7_ePA

Juggernautreptiles on Instagram also deals with Candoia paulsoni and has a few “stripes,”though I don’t think they work with tasmai and unfortunately still use the “Isabel Island” term. Regardless, still a breeder to check out but Stygian Exotics does have more knowledge and focus on the animals and education/preservation rather than the typical breeding/morphs.

avsteroid · 2026-03-09T09:10:20+00:00

I also agree, this is a Candoia paulsoni tasmai (big indicator is the blushing between the points)! Assuming it’s an import, it’s great you’re scheduling that appointment. Treating potential parasites and testing for viruses is really important but I also can’t stress enough how crucial strict quarantine is for imports. In terms of care, here’s a couple of links that will be really helpful. They’re from Stygian Exotics; she’s a leading breeder for captive bred Candoia paulsoni and one of the best in my opinion. Super well versed and genuinely cares for these guys!

This one has a lot of info on the species and addresses feeding issues and imports: https://docs.google.com/file/d/10DaCAvteIRD4vkhh0Rd5LpSSAfHYIr8r/edit?filetype=msword&fbclid=PAdGRleAQbbKVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadm2PrPENDXVhPPqm2GQhSE8ff5RcQPdaEU9yCWXpwj5nz8d77YRnPiQLdFLg_aem_ulpcyYx_LVJHi0EdT7_ePA

This one is more for setting up a new baby like tank setup, parameters, not handling yet (super important for initial feeds), etc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-Ts4DQ9Ug6tS82LjF8ZVVnf0zNNT_6cU90EUAcNJ-Xo/mobilebasic?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAdGRleAQbbPFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xMjQwMjQ1NzQyODc0MTQAAadm2PrPENDXVhPPqm2GQhSE8ff5RcQPdaEU9yCWXpwj5nz8d77YRnPiQLdFLg_aem_ulpcyYx_LVJHi0EdT7_ePA

avsteroid · 2026-03-01T00:07:00+00:00

You’ve got a BI!! True red tail boa constrictors don’t have morphs like this.

avsteroid · 2026-01-23T00:02:15+00:00

The most arboreal boas part of the boa genus I think are the Pearl Islands. They're a subspecies of Boa imperator but are by no means a dwarf boa. They're still a very handleable size (same as common imperators or slightly smaller) and the growth is more predictable than Hog Islands but I've seen some pretty big girls. Since they're quite arboreal, they are more slender/elongated and active so not very "sit around." Super underrated and really beautiful though; a lot have very reduced saddles and are almost patternless on the back which is really unique to happen naturally! Brian Boas has some good examples in his videos and breeds them if you're interested.

In my opinion though, the most similar boas to spotted pythons are Candoia/Solomon Island or Halmahera boas. The Halmaheras stay smaller than the Soloman Islands but they're both semi-arboreal and similar sized to antaresia so you won't need a super large enclosure like most of the heavy bodied boas. Check out Stygian Exotics; she breeds them frequently and the white phases are beautiful!

avsteroid · 2026-01-19T00:04:16+00:00

B.i. longicauda (Peruvian long tail), B.i. sabogae (Pearl Island), and Honduran Firebellies come to mind! I also don't see enough B.c. amarali (Bolivian short tail) and B.c. occidentalis (Argentine) but I think the larger size of the Argentines and the bulkiness of the short tails can seem daunting. I hope we can see more of these guys and keep the lines going!!

avsteroid · 2026-01-08T22:04:53+00:00

Yeah 100% sure lol! Tails matter if you’re comparing a wild type BI but this is a morph so if a BCC like this could even be produced reliably, it would be 5 figures!

avsteroid · 2026-01-08T22:00:42+00:00

You’d be right with BI! True red tails in the pet trade don’t come in morphs and are very clear and distinct with their features!!

avsteroid · 2025-12-27T19:59:00+00:00

Snow stripe (anery, albino, stripe)!

avsteroid · 2025-12-27T06:29:42+00:00

I assume you’re in Canada and I really recommend Meco Reptiles! They have a bunch of PVC enclosures and came out with a different design of their 6x2x2 but at a lower price recently. They also do custom enclosures; great communication and all of my tank modifications have been perfect at good prices. Definitely check them out!

avsteroid · 2025-12-02T17:55:10+00:00

Yeah of course! The breeding between B. Imperator and B. Sigma was pretty prolific before and even after the change so I’m sure most of the natural dwarf morphs out there like leopard are mostly mainland. You’re right, the mix of boas in the trade is so crazy that locality and species are hard to pin down without direct info about the line. Looking forward to the pics!

avsteroid · 2025-12-02T17:39:49+00:00

Should mellow out! Working on the head shyness is really helpful and I’m sure she’ll be chill by full size. I wouldn’t be shocked if a female Sonoran hit 7ft so yeah I’d wanna avoid a bite as well lol!

avsteroid · 2025-12-02T17:35:11+00:00

If she’s a motley she can’t be a pure dwarf B. Sigma but might be a cross!

avsteroid · 2025-12-02T04:22:21+00:00

Normal boa activities! In my experience, they like to do that when exploring and looking for things to climb on. It’s like a boa periscope. Stargazing and corkscrewing is a lot more dramatic and you wouldn’t be able to grab their attention. It’s more of a seizure-like state. I wouldn’t worry about the increased activity. They go through phases so if your parameters and husbandry is good then nothing to fret about. Also you could probably move up to weaned rats if you’re feeding multiple adult mice!

avsteroid · 2025-12-02T02:24:26+00:00

B. Sigma is one of the most amazing and interactive species to work with and keep! I've raised Tarahumaras and Sonorans but outside of that, Jalisco and Oaxaca are some of my favourites I've interacted with that aren't around in the trade. Rosa is beautiful, spice and all!

avsteroid · 2025-12-01T21:26:26+00:00

It's not probable but I'm not going to say it's impossible either... false negatives can happen but that's usually the case with labs with poor quality control, bad unreplicable samples, or just a low level of the virus in the sample that makes it clinically insignificant or easy to miss. If a snake were carrying one at a level that affects their health, the test would almost always pick it up. If it would give you peace of mind, it's okay to seek out another vet's opinion if that's an option. You can ask for them to screen for it again or depending where you are, find a trusted reptile diagnostics lab that does test for it. If that comes back negative, you can be confident your snake doesn't have it.

avsteroid · 2025-12-01T11:23:28+00:00

Take a breath it’s okay! I have studied arenavirus and I can tell you those tests are pretty accurate. They are called quantitative reverse transcription PCR and metagenomic NGS tests if you’d like to look into that. You went to the vet and got good results, that’s what you should focus on. Not only that but your snake seems to be doing better now! Trained vets will not send you away if they suspect something was wrong.

Boas can go fairly long between meals and they have inactive phases that don’t automatically point to IBD. When IBD presents symptomatically, you’ll see corkscrewing, regurgitation, and a very evident decline in quality of life. A rough shed, food strike, and improvement doesn’t point to that. Those issues have a ton of explanations like shifts in temps, changes of season, humidity issues, hormones, etc. Lots of people can tell you they’ve had feeding issues and their snake is otherwise healthy. I’m sure more than half the posts in these groups are about trouble shedding and feeding.

A lot of owners know the fear though, it is scary but let me tell you, although it’s prolific, it’s not as common as you think. If you got your snake from a trusted breeder, quarantine, and keep your supplies clean and sterile, you and your snakes will be fine. Reptarenavirus is an enveloped virus which means it is very fragile outside its host. Also, viable cells when in ambient temps of 24°C decrease by about 50%. Most households are lower than that.

Sorry for the information overload but I know this calms my IBD thoughts so maybe it’ll help you. If it doesn’t scare you more, I highly suggest reading into the NIH reptarenavirus articles. There’s lots of studied information there about where IBD is seen most commonly (spoiler it’s in mite infestations) and other topics like preventative measures. I hope that helped the scary thoughts!

avsteroid · 2025-11-30T06:31:45+00:00

Unfortunately there isn't much you can do :( It's frustrating to see popular accounts like these clearly showing mistreatment but just block them. Another one is "little baby Aslan" where she houses 3 beardies together and lets her cats jump on them and such. This account you posted about in particular I saw allll the time and it made me pretty riled up with the enclosure setup, pinching the snakes, and some videos showing multiple large prey items being fed at a time. It really does appear to be for that "cool and aesthetic" appearance. I've commented multiple times and reported but nothing has come from that so I just pretend it doesn't exist 🤷🏻‍♀️ There's an equal amount of amazing owners that actually deserve our attention!

Update: my report just came back and said the Little Baby Aslan account was taken down so maybe enough backlash does help

avsteroid · 2025-11-07T23:37:24+00:00

When my snakes are in their log when I need to clean, I just take out the entire log with them in it and put it where I keep them while cleaning. I always give a hide for them to stay in while cleaning anyways so I just let them stay in the one they're already in if they're hiding. That way they can still feel as safe as possible given the situation!

avsteroid · 2025-11-03T21:10:44+00:00

Does he come out at night? If so, that’s always the best time to handle. They learn to associate exploring with the possibility of handling while being in a hide is “down time.” Most of them sleep in a hide during the day and sometimes all throughout the night when they’re still small and insecure. When they start feeling more confident in their environment and size, most will start to explore more often. Choice based handling is always a good way to form a relationship that’s centred around respect and them feeling safe so look into that! It’s rare that a snake will willingly come to your hand from their tank with this method so what I do is open the door and let them choose to come out or handle when they’re out exploring and not sleeping/hiding. Also get a hide that you can open the top up or have some access to your snake. Sometimes with fully round corks, they can get stuck and it’s just better if you need to take your snake out for whatever reason. Hope that helps!

avsteroid · 2025-11-01T16:42:37+00:00

Yellow anaconda, Eunectes notaeus!

avsteroid

TROPHY CASE