Ibd

[RichardA]

The only full blown for sure test is done upon death.....however they can do other tests too look for "signs" to give you an idea.....but for anyone with both Boas and Pythons that are in the same room around the same tools etc.... you would more then likely know for sure by now.

[Rapture]

From what I udnerstand, there is some kind of test you can have done while the snake is still alive, and it is costly.

[recycling goddess]

i've had my hog since april and i purchased sabrina my rtb in august.

so what i'm hearing here (and reading in other threads - did a search) is... IBD isn't that common and you don't know they are carriers until the balls are dead?

so why do ball python owners even have boas?

[tigerlily]

Here's another thread that might help.... specifically post number 19.

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=34597

[recycling goddess]

so i guess my question still stands... should i get rid of my boas since i'm getting into ball morphs? (post #13)

[Shelby]

Aleesha.. you do not need to get rid of them. If your boas have already been exposed to your pythons (ie handling one then the other without hand washing, or using the same husbandry tools etc) then you can be pretty sure they do not have IBD.

If you are still worried about it, you can keep your boas on permanant quarantine from your pythons.

[recycling goddess]

I use the same tongs to feed everyone... as I had no idea it was a problem... so... even though I've only had them each for less than a year... I should be okay?

(thanks April)

[Mendel's Balls]

IBD kills pythons very quickly. Colubrids on the other hand are completely unaffected by it.

But can colubrids carry it? In other words, can they act as a host?

[recycling goddess]

from what i've read so far... nothing has been mentioned about colubrids so i would gather from that... the answer is no.

[Mendel's Balls]

from what i've read so far... nothing has been mentioned about colubrids so i would gather from that... the answer is no.

Here's what I found so far....

"It is unknown if other snake groups such as colubrids can act as hosts for the virus and potentially transmit it to other boids"

But this is perhaps a bit more troubling.

Its only one report, but bottom line is....I think we don't enough at this point to say one way or another.....Furthermore, Corn Snakes were probably never exposed to the retrovirus that causes IBD in boids before people starting keeping both coulbrids and boids in their exotic pet collections. Viruses, especially opportunistic retroviruses, can often easily jump from one species to the next.