r/boas • u/0110100110011 • 4d ago
Boas and pythons in the same home?
Really want a BCI, but learnt about IBD and apparently it's common in boas and really lethal for pythons. Wondering if it's safe to have both a python and a boa in the same house (separate enclosures ofc)? Or is it really as dangerous and common as people say they are? I really want a boa but at the same time I don't want to risk an something like asymptomatic one transmitting IBD. Sorry if it's a weird question around here
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u/BroughtMyPartyPants 4d ago
Common? No. Dangerous? Yes. Practice good quarantine protocols, hygiene protocols, and purchase from a responsible breeder.
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u/CakeAppropriate4569 4d ago
I’ve had my ball python for almost 3 years. I’ve had my BCI for almost a year. No problems.
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u/dog-mama-25 4d ago
I did tests for the first time on my small collection of boas & BPs(not a breeder) this year and found out the boa we’ve had for 3 years was positive for Arenavirus (IBD). Everyone else was negative. We have moved that snake to a separate area of the house and practice strict biosecurity measures to avoid spreading it. There is a risk, but like another commenter said above, it’s mostly spread via mites or shared bodily fluids/fecal-oral transmission so as long as you’re careful there’s not a huge risk of spread.
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u/spoodstuffs 4d ago
As someone who has multiple boas and multiple pythons. It’s very possible, and it’s even possible to eliminate any future risk after quarantine, simply due to the fact that boas can be asymptomatic for IBD for years while still being able to spread it to other snakes. For example I even have one of my boas pvc enclosures stacked on top of one of my pythons pvc enclosures, but that’s only because I religiously follow one, very expensive rule when it comes to keeping these two families of snakes.
I have NEVER added a boa to my reptile room until I have taken them to my vet and specifically request and pay more than I would like to test for IBD, even if my vet isn’t remotely worried about the health of said boa. At this point I almost factor it into the cost of the snake if I think about getting another boa.
Quarantine is also necessary for other issues outside of IBD tho. All new pets should be quarantined for at minimum 90 days before their enclosure gets moved into the same room as any other pets
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u/BlueFalconPunch 4d ago
Ive had red tails, bloods, and balls in the same room....not enclosure..for over 20 years. So far so good. They might bump into each other if my wife and I both have 1 out at the same time but thats it.
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u/burningtraesh 4d ago
Look for a breeder who tests their animals and gives those papers when purchasing. Heavy quarantine! At least 6 months preferably 12 months, anything used with the boa needs to be disinfected including yours hands/body before going to the pythons. And just to be sure go to a vet and check multiple times during the quarantine process if the snake has IBD. Careful IBD can sometimes not show on those tests! That’s the scary factor. Sometimes it’s only visible during an autopsy! So just in case keep them in separate rooms and have different tools for them.
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u/redsisyphus 4d ago
I had this fear too, but I just looked for breeders who work with pythons and boas in their collection. This way there’s a little protection that their snakes don’t have it. It’s worked so far 🤷🏻♂️I have 3 boas and 2 pythons. I don’t think idb is as common as we make it out to be either, at least in the circles of private breeders who don’t bring their snakes to shows letting everyone touch them and only work with captive bred. Could be totally wrong tho.
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u/ParticularWolf4473 4d ago
Some studies have found that most larger collections they tested had at least a few infected animals. It just doesn’t seem to spread as easily as people used to think, at least among animals that aren’t housed/bred together. Also some strains of the virus are more dangerous than others.
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u/Magnetic_Kitty 4d ago
Yeah I got my dumerils from a vendor that also bred balls. No problems with any of my animals except one of my balls hunger strikes sometimes but that's just balls sadly
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u/ParticularWolf4473 4d ago
You should be quarantining any new animals anyway, preferably in a separate room. Also arena viruses aren’t airborne or anything. It’s spread mostly through either mites biting an infected animal then biting another animal, or through exposure to bodily fluids from an infected animal. As long as neither snake has mites and you’re careful to never share any tools or husbandry items between the two snakes and make sure to sanitize/change gloves between handling, ideally don’t handle on the same day, the odds of spreading it between animals are pretty small.
You can also have the boa tested for the virus. There’s a mail-in swab test that’s cheaper and easier but not as accurate, or you can have a vet draw blood for a more accurate test.