I know I was talking to someone on here that loved snakes. I came in possession of a rosy boa with cedar shavings, a permanent water dish (they are a desert species), no hiding spot, and no heat. They said she loved to be handled and will only eat pinky mice with about 1 every 10 days. They couldn't get her to eat better (see heat comment). I cautiously put her on my shoulder, emptied her cage, removed the water dish, and went looking for an incandescent bulb. All was well until she started to get active enough she slid off. I caught her open handed without gripping but she bit me and bit me and bit me and bit me and just when I thought she had calmed down again she bit me. By that point I had a dry cage with paper laid down and carefully transferred her to it. I continued the search of an incandescent bulb but there are no working ones left in the house and the husky ate the cords to the electric blanket. I heated up 2 bottles of water, tied them off in old socks, and wedged rocks against them so they wouldn't roll. She promptly wrapped around one making it difficult to wedge the rocks since I don't want bit again. :lol: Then I finished it off giving her a plain paper bowl upside down with a section ripped out and covering most of the tank in a piece of fleece. My husband was convinced to heat up her bottles tomorrow despite his dislike of snakes and we'll get carefresh or something after work and at least a heat bulb if not heat pad. Considering cedar shavings and constant water how do you tell if a snake has a respiratory infection? I read that rosy boas kept with water all the time in a humid environment, like the whole of Iowa in summer, often die of respiratory infection. Then the cedar :x I wonder if the lack of heat is why she won't eat. I have gerbils but no new litters so I will have to get some frozen pinkies until then. They come in like packs of a dozen at the pet stores but I was told they would go all the way up to eating a full grown mouse every 10-14days with other sites saying food every 4-5days when using hoppers or pinky rats. I'm not sure how grown she is. 3' was given by one site as the average. I didn't get an age but I did get that she ate a pinky yesterday. Advice? Specialty forums to join?