This makes me furious as well, I have been keeping culobrids, pythons, and boas of many different species for 18 years now ad well as being a certified vetrinary technician. My best friend only recently, the last year and a half or so, has started keeping ball pythons and sadly following advice via facebook. I was over at her home last week and after seeing her snakes I had to sit her down and give her the correct information. She had only one healthy female that was still larger then is typical for a healthy snake. The other 3 were incredibly obese. She had several different facebook "advice sites" that she was following. She was essentially power feeding to the extreme, and in turn unknowingly shortening the lives of her snakes. Also, the cages were much to small for the size of her snakes. The oldest is only a year old, but is over 3ft and obese to the point that you can see a fair amount of skin between every scale. It was still in a 10 gallon enclosure because she was told it would feel more secure. Anyway, I was and am pissed, not at her because she was uneducated about proper care, and through trusting facebook "experts" had begun to endanger her still young animals. I got her straight on everything. Her multiple snakes are starting to slim down, are in larger cages, and now spending more time outside their cages which is helping to get some muscle tone back. Facebook nearly caused her beautiful babies to have very shortened, miserable lives, and it makes me mad as hell.
As an avid learner/reasearcher and dedicated pet owner, i look at as many different possible resources available and try and learn as much as possible about each individual species i keep so i am always on top of any research available and as a newly aquired dwarf nicaraguan boa owner (2 years old), ive watched a lot of your videos and find this video really inspiring and completely agree!!! EVERYONE needs to put in your OWN research and also learn all the preferences of your snake! Thank you for the video and please keep up the good work bro!
I have a 9 ft boa who I posted online, and I got dragged through the mud for her being "obese". She wasn't anywhere near obese. She was perfectly evened out. If you don't follow what they say, you're automatically labeled a "bad " owner.
Tell me about it. I got kicked out of a Boa group along with another member for liking a comment that was going against what she said. Not leaving the comment LIKING IT!!! 😂 It’s ridiculous
Love someone is actually speaking out about this. Like you said, the ones that do in some of these groups immediately get ridiculed by admins and even banned in some. Out of control.
Love your channel and love your advice. But what I love the most is your beautiful boas. I can't wait to purchase some of those healthy beautiful snakes. 👍
I dont think it matters as much as people think. Animals don't get food everyother friday in the wild. Feed them as much as the snake needs, no more no less. Every snake is different, enclosure size activity all that stuff goes into it
Dude! Awesome post. I think you had a clear point that you got across. Same thing goes for care sheets. Outdated information being spread and followed blindly without question. A little common sense goes a long way in this hobby.
This is exactly what I've been doing with my boas for the last couple years without really talking about it. It's awesome to see someone like you with so much experience doing the same thing. I definitely consider you the realist in the boa game. Awesome video man
Hello. I have always been fascinated by snakes ever since I was really young and I am finally at a point one where I am in a position to get one. I have been binge watching your videos as one of my many sources for information and I admire your genuine respect of the animals. Some of the breeders that I have seen posting videos it feels like they just don’t show the animals the respect they deserve. It’s like they are treating them like products. Your fair assessments of what other people have said regarding the hobby have not gone unnoticed and I know I have a few friends who are thinking of getting snakes and I’ll definitely push them in your direction. Best of luck with everything and thank you.
I really enjoyed listening to speak real clear today, and you're absolutely right, that's why I'm asking *you* about argentine boas, not all the 'experts' out there but only you speak right away, great job, go on like this 👍🏼
Thanks for this video! It is really important for begginers. It is sad that at times of internet and social media we have too much information... and everybody thinks that know everything and they're experts. It is getting harder to find good verified information!
The length of time I go between feedings honestly depends on the size of the meal. If it was a larger meal than usual I might go up to 14 days before the next feeding, or waiting until i see a poop before the next feeding, but my snakes tend to let me know when they are ready to eat according to their behavior.. I may feed again in the same week if the feeder was smaller than usual. I feel like my guy is a good size for a younger snake, I will send photos on FB and you can let me know if he looks good! I also get advice from the breeder I purchased from, Kevin @ BlumenBoas if I have questions.
I agree there are so many so called experts out there! I breed my 1st kings 20 plus years ago, point being that I am constantly looking for better ways to be a better keeper, breeder. Never stop learning ! To all the know it alls out there, never stop growing as person and keep an open mind! I praise you man, enuff of the know nothings!
I jumped out of those FB groups everything turns into a back and fourth fight of who is right and wrong. I stick to your feeding videos I’ve seen a while back, has my female at a perfect size and will stick to your advice. Glad to see videos are back lol
I do rescues, and a couple days ago I received just the skinniest little female ball python. She is supposedly 5 almost 6 but like a foot too short and her whole body is so angled down from her spine.. 😢 He was feeding her large rats every 6 weeks! Now she's with me in quarantine, receiving medium rats bi weekly to start, with her weight being monitored by scale. I may move her to weekly feedings with intermittent small rat feedings to bulk ger up if she responds well to her current schedule. Hope to see her put on weight soon!
I agree it sucks that there is so much bad information out there, especially if it's causing people to starve their snakes, but too many of the guys that actually do have the experience would rather leave people's questions unanswered and then bitch when somebody who knows less than they do at least tries to help whoever's asking. Not pointing fingers at anyone in specific but all these big guys need to step up and give back to the community rather than just complaining about how poorly it does without their help. I don't even keep boas, but I appreciate you sharing this knowledge.
Thank you! Another problem is that the people with the experience don't really go on those groups anymore because they don't want to deal with defending their comment because 20 other people who just got their first snake or telling them it's wrong lol.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles I appreciate the reply! That's gotta get old fast. I get it. One other thing though, I also hear a lot of guys hating on those who "regurgitate" information, and it kinda bugs me. If some actual expert writes a book and says that the solution to problem X is to do thing Y and nobody thinks it's wrong then, then I don't see how it's a bad thing if somebody who's read the book tells somebody who hasn't that they read that the solution to problem X is to do thing Y. As long as nobody's claiming to have been the originator of anything that they weren't, I don't really see how the information is any less valid the second time it's repeated. Just think, if you go to school, none of your teachers probably invented anything that they talk about, they're all just regurgitating something that they heard from someone else who probably heard it from someone else and so on. Sure, there's the chance that what they heard was wrong in the first place ,but if we waited for only those who have personal experience with an issue to answer a question about it then we'd wind up with a whole lot of silence.
It occurs to me that silence is golden, and that might not be so bad, but we'll never get the whole world to agree to keep their mouths shut unless they know for sure what they're talking about... What a world that would be though! Just imagine how different things would be... Every year instead of having political debates the candidates would just agree not to... But I digress.
I love how you cover everything, thankyou for your videos. My common boa is like my daughter lol. I was told to feed her a large meal each week and just keep upping the food size. I didn't listen at all and I am letting her grown a nice healthy rate
I'm a new boa keeper and although I keep royals, I really appreciate your honesty bro. Social media ruins pretty much everything. Common sense and quality info will always prevail.
THANK YOU AND IM GRATEFUL FOR HONESTY. I WANT THE BEST FOR MY 2 BOYS AND THEIR HEALTH MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. NOW I KNOW IM NOT UNDERFEEDIING MY BOYS. I FEED MY BABIES APPROPRIATE SIZE PREY WEEKLY. I COULD NEVER MAKE THEM GO WITHOUT FOOD THAT LONG AND I TOO SEE IT BEING A FAIRLY NEW BOA OWNER.
Well said!, I am a new breeder, and have given advice before and still do, but I research constantly and tell people it is just my opinion based on my research, sometimes I send them to where I got my info. I will definately pay more attention to what I give advice on, and who I give advice to. You are spot on...in my opinion. I like to think the breeders I am learning from know what they are talking about, but honestly I just don't know and make my own kinda common sense conclusions..Thanks for this eye opener.
if your Boa is still roughly squared body you are good,I'm currently feeding mine weekly a bcc and bci thank you for this information it's about time somebody said something!
My friend did the same thing with his ball python... Starving it because he thinks it was obese.... I went over there and was shocked how thin it was.. I showed him the size and shape of healthy ones and what to look for..ever sense the snake is healthy and no longer food aggressive.... I told him not to trust info from petsmart or petco employees...or social media... And to do his own research and pay attention to his animals.
What’s up Jason have a 9 month old male boa (little more then 3 feet) as a pet. What size tank or tub should he be kept in as he gets bigger? I have him in a 20 gal long for now and I think he’ll need a bigger home soon
I usually say 1 sqft of floor space per foot of snake as a minimum. So an 8 fr snake required a minimum of a 4x2. Another more conservative methods is length plus width should be larger than the snake. So a 4x2 wpuld be good for 6fr snake.
Social media is poison I dumped those accounts years ago. The only thing I miss is finding out what and where you got that gorgeous snake from. D: I don't want another ball, thinking red tail boa.
mate, you gotta understand that this new fashion of skinny pythons has a purpose: they are going to be the next Top Models of Tommy Hilfiger 2019 collection!! Now, seriously, you are using common sense and you gave good advice.
Thanks brother, love the videos, very informative! You have answered alot of my questions just by watching your videos and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
So they don't need heat lamps or heating rocks? I've never owned a snake before so I'm trying to learn as much as I can before getting one. It's so difficult when I'm getting so much conflicting information from different sources. I definitely want to keep a healthy boa for long term and don't want to mess it up.
Well said. I can't stand the feeding chart thing, not just for boas, for colubrids too. The further folks get from understanding the natural history of the animal, the more the mis-information gets proliferated.
Great video! I kept snakes back in the 90's and did lots of research and studying and had great success. I then got out of the hobby and have just in the past couple of years got back in. And I started all over assuming I knew nothing and started learning all i could. As the hobby grows tech and methods become out dated and some proven wrong. Some of these people on the reptile facebook pages are mean as hell to newbies asking questions and they let their egos bully people into " my methods are right or your an idiot".
I have a suriname BCC that will be 5 in August. I have her on small plus rats every 14 days. I have noticed that I can see her backbone on her neck, but the rest of her looks like a nice, rectangular shape. I plan on bumping her up to medium rats every 14 days starting in January. Do you think my feeding regiment is proper even though I can see the backbone on her neck?
I'd have to see the snake to tell you. It doesn't sound wrong, but I cant say whether it's good for that specific snake without seeing the whole body condition. Feel free to send me so pictures on Facebook or IG
This is my first ball python and I am in love with him I am already constantly watching your youtube video and you're so educated. I love how your straight forward with your information and let everyone know that these snakes are just as soul as we are why will you not feed them knowing their habitat. You won't starve yourself so don't do them like that. But question Jason where do you get your food from?
Just started watching your videos, you're absolutely correct!!!!! Research, reseach, research, reseach, reseach then some more reseach, and then some more research and ten more reseach and then some more reseach after that and then ( I personally jumped in with both feet, nothing teaches like hands on experience, and I was fortunate enough to be reading a post that someone put up one day and was truly impressed by his post, so much that I became friends and he is my ball python sensei, actually he's alot like you he knows his shit as I'm learning the same about you, every time I get on utube I seek your videos out. Loved it when you said " you don't know shit". Thanks for the informative videos 👍
Hi i have a parrot n a boa ..i havent been holding my parrot because i dont want the scent on me in fear that the boa will smell it n bite out of feeding response am i right or do i have nothing to worry about
I wouldn't say that you have nothing to worry about, but I also wouldn't stop holding the parrot either. I need a video of a while ago talking about eating inside or outside the enclosure. Your situation is perfect for feeding inside the enclosure. This way you will tap train the snake and it will realize that whenever it's out there is no food coming. I could literally have tub of rats next to me defrosting for food can be holding a snake or cleaning cages with no worry about getting bit because they realize food is not coming once they get that tap and once they come out even if the whole room smells like it
You are dam straight man 🤜🤛 and people should use there common sense and do there own research loving your videos as always man keep up the good work I am from the United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Wait i always thought you where supposed to see a ridge at the side of your snake can someone tell me the truth ? Im confused i have a female boa 1 year and 8 months old pushing 5 feet and i can see a ridge at the side if her im not very experienced when it comes to keeping boas so can somebody pls tell me if im feeding enough??? She is getting a decend size meal every 14 days i cant see a huge lump,but if i look really close i can tell where the rat is
Having owned snakes and a lot being boas for 40 years all I can say brother is Amen!! I have tried to preach exactly what you are saying on different forums and I finally gave up.
couldn't agree more Jason, I have 5 boas and attempting to breed for the first time. Everything I have learned is from your videos thanks so much for all the good info you put out there
Everyone DOES think they are an expert Jason. But it's not just the reptile hobby tbf.. It seems to be a societal thing. I've been a keeper for almost 20 years and still consider myself a beginner! Great video :-)
Places like this are the best to go to for info. Also if need be they care about the animals, and if you ask them a question they will give you the correct, and honest answer for what is the best way for your snake.
Amen I absolutely love you after this video you're so right I have been keeping reptiles for over 35 years and way I kept them 10 years ago is not how I keep them now I am so tired of these people that get on here and say how you should keep things and how you should handle them and they don't know shit it's about time somebody said something about it go go Jason
Man I hope so I’m gonna pick up a pair from u this season I need to add a new future project to my small collection an I want something from a real true breeder such as your self I can’t wait to see what u produce this season I’m only breeding 4 females this season I have 1 gravid female now with 3 still breeding next season will be my biggest season I’ll have 6-7 breedable females 😂 I only hope to 1 day have 30 females with good follicles in 1 season 😆 well take care brother an have a fantastic holiday
I have boa I currently have a 6 week feed because she is obese lol but once she is down to a healthy size she will get a more regular feeding. But first get gotta bring her neck rolls down lol. Great video dude! This is why i stopped turning to groups for how to keep my animals.
Thank you very much! for this video! A vet yelled at me for feeding weekly and said I need to feed once a month.I feed my boa every 2 weeks or when she lets me know she's hungry by following my every move when I come in the room. Your snake will let you know when its hungry...
Yep that's me.. so worried about over feeding or feeding too much, getting the "omg obese" people lol. Thanks for the updates and the info, I'll be tuning into what you say..
I agree completely!! You should be able to look at your snakes and tell if your animals needs food or not... Sometimes people have no COMMON SENSE!!! UGH!
Thanks Jason, you are correct again! I research constantly, listen to all sources then choose what makes the most sense to me. I’ve raised 5 kids, four of them boys, I can handle a few snakes and lizards, lol.
Hey Jason. I am an inexperienced keeper. I freely admit when I have made a mistake. And I have. I have overfed my BCI and now she is overweight. Luckily, I have noticed it and she is now on a diet. And as far as Im aware, because she is only 18 months old so she will bounce back. Any tips for correcting a weight issue and how long to have the diet adjustment go on for? I only have 1 Boa, so have no frame of reference. Thanks man. P.S. at 18 months she is 5ft long and 1.7 kg, which as far as I have been able to find, is too big for her age. She doesnt quite have the square body she should have.
Anyone who says "research!" just stop it. reading online is not research, you're just looking at stuff online, and if you don't know the difference between that and research, best of luck. And awesome video man I can tell you love the snakes as much as you care about keeping them.
When we got into ... reading and following what one reads... Well, in 1862 the first book in a serial of collected myths and fables came out. When the second book came out in 1864, people had changed or thrown out all other versions of those fables as "wrong" or "not true" because they were on part of the first book. So, when did we start believing what we read more than what we hear? Probable since we started writing things down. I don´t keep snakes and am 99% sure I never will. big part of that reason is that it is illegal in my country. Your video´s are great. What about Snake Discovery ? Do their information "hold up" ?
AMEN!!! The moment we think we know everything is when we should step away from the hobby. Just found your channel today...not sure why I never saw your stuff before. I will do my best to catch up on your videos. When you have a chance (maybe you already know this) go look up 'The Dunning-Kruger Effect'. It is an amazing perspective that we need to hold ourselves to for the rest of our lives. Hopefully one of these days I am going to get my wife a Peruvian BCC! I had the privilege of caring for a pair when I was younger. The deal was that I would care for them for a year while this person (family member) got their affairs in order after a breakup. Afterward, I would have first pick on a pair. Gave them back the snake and within a month sold the pair for a stupid amount of money (WAY less than what they were worth). I was crushed. I was 15 at the time. Anyway, I will be keeping an eye on your future litters and maybe I will be able to afford one when the time is right! Take care.
How did i not know about your channel i watch kevin and nerd all the time youtube dropped the ball on this one for suggesting your channel. And not sure why i didnt think to look you up maybe i just assumed you were only on nerds channel. Good stuff so far by the way.
I keep noticing in your videos that these Colombian type boas (sorry for the generalization, but I’m not up on all the specifics) are quite hyper. I have an approximately 9 month old Brazilian Rainbow Boa and he moves like molasses in the winter compared to the snakes in your videos. Oh, and I feed him a size appropriate meal once a week unless he’s in shed. He’s doing fine AFAICT. He’s about 23” now and appears to be fine on weight. Definitely not skinny, but not fat at all.
Facebook Admins are downright cruel. On TH-cam, 20yo suck down TND. I feel like I need to always be learning & always be observant of my BCC. I had an intuition about something because she wasn’t looking me in the eyes (I know it sounds weird) but took her Vet & she had RI!
Thank you for your clear information. I'm just keeping snakes for about two years and only have ball python's .I'm now planning on getting boa in a few months and am trying to get proper information before I really go and get him, but indeed, the information out there is to confusing and contradicting to really know what is good for him. I'm happy I found your chanel and can get some clear information so I can really give him what he needs to be healty and have a good live. Keep on going like this.
I got a female corn from craigslist yesterday. Poor babe was in a 10 gal! Shes TWO. I scooted her to a 20gal I had in my garage this morning. Needless to say she is so chubby. So much so she has cleavage and her tail is destiguishable from the rest of her body. She got a rat baby once every week(not familiar with size terms yet haha). I'm going to still feed her rat once every weekish, however I am going to give her a little less and see if that works. She was never held either so she will be getting a bit more exercise then she has gotten in the past. Shes so sweet. I love her already. I've wanted a snake since I was a child(21 now). Cant wait to gain her trust 😍 your video about handling really helped me understand her body language -- shes very curious about me, not defensive. Shes not grumpy like I was expecting, I think she just doesnt know what it's like to be handled. Still thinking about her name
Thata great to hear shes in a good home! Good luck with here. Sounds like you have a good handle on things. Feel free to reach out any time if you have questions.
i love how the snakes like "shit, dad's agro and he's talkin with his hands again." lol just playin, bro, but you make some damn good points. i've only got two snakes, my ball python and the beautiful boa you sold me, and i got my first three years ago. even with whatever i've gone through in that time, i've learned a lot, but i don't know shit. i know someone with a room full of snakes that he's only had a couple of years and he'll tell you he knows everything. it's all about time with the snakes. the more you have over that time, the more you'll learn, but essentially it's puttin the time in... you know it. time is what presents the different learning experiences. and people need to realize every snake is different, and not everyone they hear knows best. like you say, you have to try what works best and go with that. common sense guidelines are a good start (where does the snake come from, how does it behave there in the wild, etc) but even the most typical snake can throw you a curve. i say if you're in over your head, bug the guy you got the snake from.. he knows better than you do. especially that Jason guy. ;)
Jason can you keep boa's and ball pythons in the same room? Because I love boat's and ball pythons and I'm thinking about getting more than one of each
Hey jason i have a quick question. My boa only eats live and is under a year. I tried frozen and it did not workout So. No big rats yet. I dont mind feeding live either as my female boa kill easy should.i switch (i dont want to switch)?
You don't have to switch, but it will certainly save you some money unless you have a cheap Source of live. There is always the chance that the feeder will injure your snake so that is a good reason to, but I would never push somebody one way or the other. It's really your personal preference. It is only a matter of time before the snake does get injured but if you're willing to deal with that then it's perfectly fine. I will make a video talking about switching from live to Frozen. I get this question a lot and it may help a few people out if they didn't want to switch
This makes me furious as well, I have been keeping culobrids, pythons, and boas of many different species for 18 years now ad well as being a certified vetrinary technician. My best friend only recently, the last year and a half or so, has started keeping ball pythons and sadly following advice via facebook. I was over at her home last week and after seeing her snakes I had to sit her down and give her the correct information. She had only one healthy female that was still larger then is typical for a healthy snake. The other 3 were incredibly obese. She had several different facebook "advice sites" that she was following. She was essentially power feeding to the extreme, and in turn unknowingly shortening the lives of her snakes. Also, the cages were much to small for the size of her snakes. The oldest is only a year old, but is over 3ft and obese to the point that you can see a fair amount of skin between every scale. It was still in a 10 gallon enclosure because she was told it would feel more secure. Anyway, I was and am pissed, not at her because she was uneducated about proper care, and through trusting facebook "experts" had begun to endanger her still young animals. I got her straight on everything. Her multiple snakes are starting to slim down, are in larger cages, and now spending more time outside their cages which is helping to get some muscle tone back. Facebook nearly caused her beautiful babies to have very shortened, miserable lives, and it makes me mad as hell.
Thank God somebody is talking about the bad feeding charts , you are good , keep up the good work 👍🏼👌💯
Haha thank you!
As an avid learner/reasearcher and dedicated pet owner, i look at as many different possible resources available and try and learn as much as possible about each individual species i keep so i am always on top of any research available and as a newly aquired dwarf nicaraguan boa owner (2 years old), ive watched a lot of your videos and find this video really inspiring and completely agree!!! EVERYONE needs to put in your OWN research and also learn all the preferences of your snake! Thank you for the video and please keep up the good work bro!
I have a 9 ft boa who I posted online, and I got dragged through the mud for her being "obese". She wasn't anywhere near obese. She was perfectly evened out. If you don't follow what they say, you're automatically labeled a "bad " owner.
Great video Jason.. Facebook admins like to be kings of their own dumb little castle. Pushing their own agenda.
Haha lmao. Yes.
Tell me about it. I got kicked out of a Boa group along with another member for liking a comment that was going against what she said. Not leaving the comment LIKING IT!!! 😂 It’s ridiculous
100% (That was how it was in the group's I was in years back) 😂
I love the no bs vlogs. Straight to the point and telling it like it is. Good shit man. Much respect
Thank you!
Love someone is actually speaking out about this. Like you said, the ones that do in some of these groups immediately get ridiculed by admins and even banned in some. Out of control.
Love your channel and love your advice. But what I love the most is your beautiful boas. I can't wait to purchase some of those healthy beautiful snakes. 👍
Hi Jason, great video as always. That 1 dislike must be from a FB admin LOL.
Lmao. I can guarantee it.
I dont think it matters as much as people think. Animals don't get food everyother friday in the wild. Feed them as much as the snake needs, no more no less. Every snake is different, enclosure size activity all that stuff goes into it
Dude! Awesome post. I think you had a clear point that you got across. Same thing goes for care sheets. Outdated information being spread and followed blindly without question. A little common sense goes a long way in this hobby.
This is exactly what I've been doing with my boas for the last couple years without really talking about it. It's awesome to see someone like you with so much experience doing the same thing. I definitely consider you the realist in the boa game. Awesome video man
I am a pretty new subscriber to your channel and just saw this video and I love it. I appreciate the fact that you tell it like it is!
Thank you!
Hello. I have always been fascinated by snakes ever since I was really young and I am finally at a point one where I am in a position to get one. I have been binge watching your videos as one of my many sources for information and I admire your genuine respect of the animals. Some of the breeders that I have seen posting videos it feels like they just don’t show the animals the respect they deserve. It’s like they are treating them like products. Your fair assessments of what other people have said regarding the hobby have not gone unnoticed and I know I have a few friends who are thinking of getting snakes and I’ll definitely push them in your direction. Best of luck with everything and thank you.
Thank you for watching and the support! I really appreciate that.
Great video buddy thanks. There are numerous reptile content creators out there and you are among the best, so, keep up the good work.
Thank you!
Thank you people need to use common sense
Thanks man!
I really enjoyed listening to speak real clear today, and you're absolutely right, that's why I'm asking *you* about argentine boas, not all the 'experts' out there but only you speak right away, great job, go on like this 👍🏼
Thank you!!
Thanks for this video! It is really important for begginers. It is sad that at times of internet and social media we have too much information... and everybody thinks that know everything and they're experts. It is getting harder to find good verified information!
The length of time I go between feedings honestly depends on the size of the meal. If it was a larger meal than usual I might go up to 14 days before the next feeding, or waiting until i see a poop before the next feeding, but my snakes tend to let me know when they are ready to eat according to their behavior.. I may feed again in the same week if the feeder was smaller than usual. I feel like my guy is a good size for a younger snake, I will send photos on FB and you can let me know if he looks good! I also get advice from the breeder I purchased from, Kevin @ BlumenBoas if I have questions.
I agree there are so many so called experts out there! I breed my 1st kings 20 plus years ago, point being that I am constantly looking for better ways to be a better keeper, breeder. Never stop learning ! To all the know it alls out there, never stop growing as person and keep an open mind! I praise you man, enuff of the know nothings!
I jumped out of those FB groups everything turns into a back and fourth fight of who is right and wrong. I stick to your feeding videos I’ve seen a while back, has my female at a perfect size and will stick to your advice. Glad to see videos are back lol
Thanks man! I'm trying to get back into them. And yes, just use your eyes and adapt as needed
I do rescues, and a couple days ago I received just the skinniest little female ball python. She is supposedly 5 almost 6 but like a foot too short and her whole body is so angled down from her spine.. 😢
He was feeding her large rats every 6 weeks!
Now she's with me in quarantine, receiving medium rats bi weekly to start, with her weight being monitored by scale. I may move her to weekly feedings with intermittent small rat feedings to bulk ger up if she responds well to her current schedule. Hope to see her put on weight soon!
I agree it sucks that there is so much bad information out there, especially if it's causing people to starve their snakes, but too many of the guys that actually do have the experience would rather leave people's questions unanswered and then bitch when somebody who knows less than they do at least tries to help whoever's asking. Not pointing fingers at anyone in specific but all these big guys need to step up and give back to the community rather than just complaining about how poorly it does without their help. I don't even keep boas, but I appreciate you sharing this knowledge.
Thank you! Another problem is that the people with the experience don't really go on those groups anymore because they don't want to deal with defending their comment because 20 other people who just got their first snake or telling them it's wrong lol.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles
I appreciate the reply!
That's gotta get old fast. I get it. One other thing though, I also hear a lot of guys hating on those who "regurgitate" information, and it kinda bugs me. If some actual expert writes a book and says that the solution to problem X is to do thing Y and nobody thinks it's wrong then, then I don't see how it's a bad thing if somebody who's read the book tells somebody who hasn't that they read that the solution to problem X is to do thing Y. As long as nobody's claiming to have been the originator of anything that they weren't, I don't really see how the information is any less valid the second time it's repeated. Just think, if you go to school, none of your teachers probably invented anything that they talk about, they're all just regurgitating something that they heard from someone else who probably heard it from someone else and so on. Sure, there's the chance that what they heard was wrong in the first place ,but if we waited for only those who have personal experience with an issue to answer a question about it then we'd wind up with a whole lot of silence.
It occurs to me that silence is golden, and that might not be so bad, but we'll never get the whole world to agree to keep their mouths shut unless they know for sure what they're talking about... What a world that would be though! Just imagine how different things would be... Every year instead of having political debates the candidates would just agree not to... But I digress.
This is the best advice video I’ve watched since I started keeping snakes! Thanks Jason
Thank you! Very happy to hear that you liked it!
Haha love your comment on the heart emojis !! Glad to hear the snakes have follicles, good luck (:
I love how you cover everything, thankyou for your videos. My common boa is like my daughter lol. I was told to feed her a large meal each week and just keep upping the food size. I didn't listen at all and I am letting her grown a nice healthy rate
Thank you!
I'm a new boa keeper and although I keep royals, I really appreciate your honesty bro. Social media ruins pretty much everything. Common sense and quality info will always prevail.
Research! And your climate and home and storms all have a play in it
100% does!
Yup... That 6- 8 week recommendation is something that it seems almost everyone believes and shares as a "fact " on sm
THANK YOU AND IM GRATEFUL FOR HONESTY. I WANT THE BEST FOR MY 2 BOYS AND THEIR HEALTH MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. NOW I KNOW IM NOT UNDERFEEDIING MY BOYS. I FEED MY BABIES APPROPRIATE SIZE PREY WEEKLY. I COULD NEVER MAKE THEM GO WITHOUT FOOD THAT LONG AND I TOO SEE IT BEING A FAIRLY NEW BOA OWNER.
Well said!, I am a new breeder, and have given advice before and still do, but I research constantly and tell people it is just my opinion based on my research, sometimes I send them to where I got my info. I will definately pay more attention to what I give advice on, and who I give advice to. You are spot on...in my opinion. I like to think the breeders I am learning from know what they are talking about, but honestly I just don't know and make my own kinda common sense conclusions..Thanks for this eye opener.
Absolutely. It's all about the continued learning.
if your Boa is still roughly squared body you are good,I'm currently feeding mine weekly a bcc and bci thank you for this information it's about time somebody said something!
Exactly. It's all about adapting and using your eyes to make changes.
My friend did the same thing with his ball python... Starving it because he thinks it was obese.... I went over there and was shocked how thin it was.. I showed him the size and shape of healthy ones and what to look for..ever sense the snake is healthy and no longer food aggressive.... I told him not to trust info from petsmart or petco employees...or social media... And to do his own research and pay attention to his animals.
Love your videos . Brilliant down to earth advice
Great information bro . Well said .. your not biased . Which compels me to your videos
Thank you!
Great video, hopefully people are listening
What’s up Jason have a 9 month old male boa (little more then 3 feet) as a pet. What size tank or tub should he be kept in as he gets bigger? I have him in a 20 gal long for now and I think he’ll need a bigger home soon
I usually say 1 sqft of floor space per foot of snake as a minimum. So an 8 fr snake required a minimum of a 4x2. Another more conservative methods is length plus width should be larger than the snake. So a 4x2 wpuld be good for 6fr snake.
Social media is poison I dumped those accounts years ago. The only thing I miss is finding out what and where you got that gorgeous snake from. D: I don't want another ball, thinking red tail boa.
Totally different snakes. As you probably know I much prefer boas haha
mate, you gotta understand that this new fashion of skinny pythons has a purpose: they are going to be the next Top Models of Tommy Hilfiger 2019 collection!!
Now, seriously, you are using common sense and you gave good advice.
Lmao. Thank you.
I've got a challenge for you: what do you do for Fun with your Balls??
(my answer is on my last video, PG50!! LOL)
Three FB admins disliked that :).
Thank you Jason
I have lost a couple of scorpions, because I listened to people on Facebook.
I just got back into boas. Came across your vids looking for more info. In spite of this video the page being referenced hasn't changed a tune.
Thanks brother, love the videos, very informative! You have answered alot of my questions just by watching your videos and I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for watching!
So they don't need heat lamps or heating rocks? I've never owned a snake before so I'm trying to learn as much as I can before getting one. It's so difficult when I'm getting so much conflicting information from different sources. I definitely want to keep a healthy boa for long term and don't want to mess it up.
Well said. I can't stand the feeding chart thing, not just for boas, for colubrids too. The further folks get from understanding the natural history of the animal, the more the mis-information gets proliferated.
Great video! I kept snakes back in the 90's and did lots of research and studying and had great success. I then got out of the hobby and have just in the past couple of years got back in. And I started all over assuming I knew nothing and started learning all i could. As the hobby grows tech and methods become out dated and some proven wrong. Some of these people on the reptile facebook pages are mean as hell to newbies asking questions and they let their egos bully people into " my methods are right or your an idiot".
Thats how the world is today.
Do you recommend over feeding females a bit before breeding?
I persoanlly do to make sure they have good weight but others will say no.
what do you think about feeding snakes chicken wings and drumsticks?
Haha absolutely not.
I have a suriname BCC that will be 5 in August. I have her on small plus rats every 14 days. I have noticed that I can see her backbone on her neck, but the rest of her looks like a nice, rectangular shape. I plan on bumping her up to medium rats every 14 days starting in January. Do you think my feeding regiment is proper even though I can see the
backbone on her neck?
I'd have to see the snake to tell you. It doesn't sound wrong, but I cant say whether it's good for that specific snake without seeing the whole body condition. Feel free to send me so pictures on Facebook or IG
Good info Jason. How can people doubt a guy who has been doing the job as long as you.
This is my first ball python and I am in love with him I am already constantly watching your youtube video and you're so educated. I love how your straight forward with your information and let everyone know that these snakes are just as soul as we are why will you not feed them knowing their habitat. You won't starve yourself so don't do them like that. But question Jason where do you get your food from?
I get mine from a local Breeder but I used to get it from most online sources. I never had a dedicated online source they are all pretty good
Just started watching your videos, you're absolutely correct!!!!! Research, reseach, research, reseach, reseach then some more reseach, and then some more research and ten more reseach and then some more reseach after that and then ( I personally jumped in with both feet, nothing teaches like hands on experience, and I was fortunate enough to be reading a post that someone put up one day and was truly impressed by his post, so much that I became friends and he is my ball python sensei, actually he's alot like you he knows his shit as I'm learning the same about you, every time I get on utube I seek your videos out. Loved it when you said " you don't know shit". Thanks for the informative videos 👍
Hi i have a parrot n a boa ..i havent been holding my parrot because i dont want the scent on me in fear that the boa will smell it n bite out of feeding response am i right or do i have nothing to worry about
I wouldn't say that you have nothing to worry about, but I also wouldn't stop holding the parrot either. I need a video of a while ago talking about eating inside or outside the enclosure. Your situation is perfect for feeding inside the enclosure. This way you will tap train the snake and it will realize that whenever it's out there is no food coming. I could literally have tub of rats next to me defrosting for food can be holding a snake or cleaning cages with no worry about getting bit because they realize food is not coming once they get that tap and once they come out even if the whole room smells like it
@@JasonsExoticReptiles ok ty for replying
You are dam straight man 🤜🤛 and people should use there common sense and do there own research loving your videos as always man keep up the good work I am from the United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Thank you!
Jason per always you killed this one!
Wait i always thought you where supposed to see a ridge at the side of your snake can someone tell me the truth ? Im confused i have a female boa 1 year and 8 months old pushing 5 feet and i can see a ridge at the side if her im not very experienced when it comes to keeping boas so can somebody pls tell me if im feeding enough??? She is getting a decend size meal every 14 days i cant see a huge lump,but if i look really close i can tell where the rat is
That sounds about right but not sure what you mean by a ridge. Boas should be a loaf of bread shape
Jason's Exotic Reptiles ok ill see she is getting a size up in food anyways i think she is a little on the thin side thanks for the reply
Having owned snakes and a lot being boas for 40 years all I can say brother is Amen!! I have tried to preach exactly what you are saying on different forums and I finally gave up.
Wait till after the snake defecates ,wait one week then feed it.that's all.
AGREED! 100% Good job Jason.
Hahaha "and nobody knows what the fuck they're talkin about" love it
couldn't agree more Jason, I have 5 boas and attempting to breed for the first time. Everything I have learned is from your videos thanks so much for all the good info you put out there
Awesome man! Best of luck this year. Hit me up with questions any time!
what's the best way to contact you @@JasonsExoticReptiles
Glad i found this channel. Subbed! Hope to see more content soon!! More retic and burm information vids!
Thanks for watching and subscribing!!
Well said. Keep up the good work.
I love your passion
Thank you!
I know ur first love are Boas ....well mine are ball python's lol think we can meet half way 😉🙈
Everyone DOES think they are an expert Jason. But it's not just the reptile hobby tbf.. It seems to be a societal thing. I've been a keeper for almost 20 years and still consider myself a beginner! Great video :-)
Do you think snakes really live in a plastic tub in the wild ?
Places like this are the best to go to for info. Also if need be they care about the animals, and if you ask them a question they will give you the correct, and honest answer for what is the best way for your snake.
Amen I absolutely love you after this video you're so right I have been keeping reptiles for over 35 years and way I kept them 10 years ago is not how I keep them now I am so tired of these people that get on here and say how you should keep things and how you should handle them and they don't know shit it's about time somebody said something about it go go Jason
Haha thanks man
What’s better for feeding frozen or live prey??!!
Wow 30 females with good follicles now that’s gonna be a fantastic season
Hopefully!
Man I hope so I’m gonna pick up a pair from u this season I need to add a new future project to my small collection an I want something from a real true breeder such as your self I can’t wait to see what u produce this season I’m only breeding 4 females this season I have 1 gravid female now with 3 still breeding next season will be my biggest season I’ll have 6-7 breedable females 😂 I only hope to 1 day have 30 females with good follicles in 1 season 😆 well take care brother an have a fantastic holiday
I have boa I currently have a 6 week feed because she is obese lol but once she is down to a healthy size she will get a more regular feeding. But first get gotta bring her neck rolls down lol. Great video dude! This is why i stopped turning to groups for how to keep my animals.
Thanks man! And that's exactly it. Watching the snake and making changes as you go to maintain where you want the weight.
Thank you very much! for this video! A vet yelled at me for feeding weekly and said I need to feed once a month.I feed my boa every 2 weeks or when she lets me know she's hungry by following my every move when I come in the room. Your snake will let you know when its hungry...
Hey, beautiful boa, is it a Bi? and what type of genetics. Ive been trying to find one like this. Great video!
Refreshing to hear much needed common sense applied to this hobby. Keep it up Jason (y)
Yep that's me.. so worried about over feeding or feeding too much, getting the "omg obese" people lol. Thanks for the updates and the info, I'll be tuning into what you say..
Thanks for watching! Don't over think it. Keep things simple and use your eyes. You will be all set.
Preach brother 👍🏼
I've had snakes 20+ years now and I'm still learning I just got a anaconda and it took time to figure her out and how to feed her
I agree completely!! You should be able to look at your snakes and tell if your animals needs food or not... Sometimes people have no COMMON SENSE!!! UGH!
Thanks Jason, you are correct again! I research constantly, listen to all sources then choose what makes the most sense to me. I’ve raised 5 kids, four of them boys, I can handle a few snakes and lizards, lol.
Hey Jason. I am an inexperienced keeper. I freely admit when I have made a mistake. And I have. I have overfed my BCI and now she is overweight. Luckily, I have noticed it and she is now on a diet. And as far as Im aware, because she is only 18 months old so she will bounce back. Any tips for correcting a weight issue and how long to have the diet adjustment go on for? I only have 1 Boa, so have no frame of reference. Thanks man.
P.S. at 18 months she is 5ft long and 1.7 kg, which as far as I have been able to find, is too big for her age. She doesnt quite have the square body she should have.
subscribed, best wishes from the UK, great vids, the boa stuff has been very useful to me, appreciate it
Thanks Man!
Preach!!!!
Anyone who says "research!" just stop it. reading online is not research, you're just looking at stuff online, and if you don't know the difference between that and research, best of luck. And awesome video man I can tell you love the snakes as much as you care about keeping them.
Some of the best research I've ever done is simply keeping the snakes tbh with you.
There's so much bad advice around it's scary.
@ 3:00 a female that ATE a male???
can someone explain this part plz?
Haha ate a meal
@@JasonsExoticReptiles ahhhh ok I mis-heard I thought your snakes were eating each other lol 😂
Thanks for taking the time to reply I appreciate it!
I see this in every animal species
When we got into ... reading and following what one reads... Well, in 1862 the first book in a serial of collected myths and fables came out. When the second book came out in 1864, people had changed or thrown out all other versions of those fables as "wrong" or "not true" because they were on part of the first book. So, when did we start believing what we read more than what we hear? Probable since we started writing things down.
I don´t keep snakes and am 99% sure I never will. big part of that reason is that it is illegal in my country. Your video´s are great. What about Snake Discovery ? Do their information "hold up" ?
That snake got a workout during that video.
AMEN!!! The moment we think we know everything is when we should step away from the hobby. Just found your channel today...not sure why I never saw your stuff before. I will do my best to catch up on your videos. When you have a chance (maybe you already know this) go look up 'The Dunning-Kruger Effect'. It is an amazing perspective that we need to hold ourselves to for the rest of our lives. Hopefully one of these days I am going to get my wife a Peruvian BCC! I had the privilege of caring for a pair when I was younger. The deal was that I would care for them for a year while this person (family member) got their affairs in order after a breakup. Afterward, I would have first pick on a pair. Gave them back the snake and within a month sold the pair for a stupid amount of money (WAY less than what they were worth). I was crushed. I was 15 at the time. Anyway, I will be keeping an eye on your future litters and maybe I will be able to afford one when the time is right! Take care.
Damn good info i seen those feeding charts all over boa forums. Its real bad shit. Great video.
How did i not know about your channel i watch kevin and nerd all the time youtube dropped the ball on this one for suggesting your channel. And not sure why i didnt think to look you up maybe i just assumed you were only on nerds channel. Good stuff so far by the way.
Thanks man! Tring to keep the content running.
I couldnt of said it any better my self Jason u the man
Thanks man!
What kind of boa are you holding?
Hypo
I keep noticing in your videos that these Colombian type boas (sorry for the generalization, but I’m not up on all the specifics) are quite hyper. I have an approximately 9 month old Brazilian Rainbow Boa and he moves like molasses in the winter compared to the snakes in your videos. Oh, and I feed him a size appropriate meal once a week unless he’s in shed. He’s doing fine AFAICT. He’s about 23” now and appears to be fine on weight. Definitely not skinny, but not fat at all.
Every snake is different, brbs are great. Bred them for a while and may get back into them
Facebook Admins are downright cruel. On TH-cam, 20yo suck down TND.
I feel like I need to always be learning & always be observant of my BCC.
I had an intuition about something because she wasn’t looking me in the eyes (I know it sounds weird) but took her Vet & she had RI!
Exactly. Too many people trying to point our the wrongs rather than educating in a positive way.
Thank you for your clear information. I'm just keeping snakes for about two years and only have ball python's .I'm now planning on getting boa in a few months and am trying to get proper information before I really go and get him, but indeed, the information out there is to confusing and contradicting to really know what is good for him. I'm happy I found your chanel and can get some clear information so I can really give him what he needs to be healty and have a good live. Keep on going like this.
Unprofessional presentation and bad language used for emphasis I guess.
I got a female corn from craigslist yesterday. Poor babe was in a 10 gal! Shes TWO. I scooted her to a 20gal I had in my garage this morning. Needless to say she is so chubby. So much so she has cleavage and her tail is destiguishable from the rest of her body. She got a rat baby once every week(not familiar with size terms yet haha). I'm going to still feed her rat once every weekish, however I am going to give her a little less and see if that works. She was never held either so she will be getting a bit more exercise then she has gotten in the past. Shes so sweet. I love her already. I've wanted a snake since I was a child(21 now). Cant wait to gain her trust 😍 your video about handling really helped me understand her body language -- shes very curious about me, not defensive. Shes not grumpy like I was expecting, I think she just doesnt know what it's like to be handled. Still thinking about her name
Thata great to hear shes in a good home! Good luck with here. Sounds like you have a good handle on things. Feel free to reach out any time if you have questions.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles She ate her first frozen meal! Im so proud of her! Zero hesitation.
i love how the snakes like "shit, dad's agro and he's talkin with his hands again." lol just playin, bro, but you make some damn good points. i've only got two snakes, my ball python and the beautiful boa you sold me, and i got my first three years ago. even with whatever i've gone through in that time, i've learned a lot, but i don't know shit. i know someone with a room full of snakes that he's only had a couple of years and he'll tell you he knows everything. it's all about time with the snakes. the more you have over that time, the more you'll learn, but essentially it's puttin the time in... you know it. time is what presents the different learning experiences. and people need to realize every snake is different, and not everyone they hear knows best. like you say, you have to try what works best and go with that. common sense guidelines are a good start (where does the snake come from, how does it behave there in the wild, etc) but even the most typical snake can throw you a curve. i say if you're in over your head, bug the guy you got the snake from.. he knows better than you do. especially that Jason guy. ;)
Jason can you keep boa's and ball pythons in the same room? Because I love boat's and ball pythons and I'm thinking about getting more than one of each
Hey jason i have a quick question. My boa only eats live and is under a year. I tried frozen and it did not workout So. No big rats yet. I dont mind feeding live either as my female boa kill easy should.i switch (i dont want to switch)?
You don't have to switch, but it will certainly save you some money unless you have a cheap Source of live. There is always the chance that the feeder will injure your snake so that is a good reason to, but I would never push somebody one way or the other. It's really your personal preference. It is only a matter of time before the snake does get injured but if you're willing to deal with that then it's perfectly fine. I will make a video talking about switching from live to Frozen. I get this question a lot and it may help a few people out if they didn't want to switch
@@JasonsExoticReptiles thanks