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| ♣ Boa Constrictors ♣ |
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| FAMILY: Boidae |
| ORIGIN: From Mexico, through Central America and South America into Argentina. |
| record was 40 years, 3 months, & 14 days in record was 40 years, 3 months, & 14 days in captivity.captivity. |
| Species: Boa constrictor imperator/ boa constrictor constrictor |
| HOUSING: All snakes are escape artists. If there's a way to get out, they will find it, so a secure cage system is needed. The minimum vivarium size for a baby boa should be at least 24 inches long and 15 to 24 inches tall. For adult boas, the minimum length should be 4 feet (48 inches) long, 2 feet (24inches) wide, and around 24 inches tall. The recommended size of a boa cage is 5 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet tall. |
HEATING: BOAS are tropical animals and
should be maintained within a tropical
temperature range of 80 - 92F. My
enclosures are maintained at an ambient
temperature of 82 ° F. A basking area with
temps in the low 90's is also always available.
This allows the boa constrictor to
thermoregulate, and control it's own body
temp. It must have a place where it can go to
"warm" up and a place to go where it can
"cool" downLocation
Its best to have all heat sources on one end of
an enclosure. For example, if you use an
HEATMAT and an overhead Ceramic Heat
Emitter (CHE), then they should be on the
same side of the enclosure. This arrangement
should provide not only the correct basking
temperature, but also create the proper
ambient temperature on the other or "cool"
end of the enclosure
boas do not need lights and infact dislike it
although Providing a light for daytime display
purposes is acceptable aslongs you find a
way the snake cannot burn its self on the bulb!
Never ever!! Use hot rocks they are prone to
over heating and being very dangerous to
snakes will not know when to get off and will be
seriously burned.
should be maintained within a tropical
temperature range of 80 - 92F. My
enclosures are maintained at an ambient
temperature of 82 ° F. A basking area with
temps in the low 90's is also always available.
This allows the boa constrictor to
thermoregulate, and control it's own body
temp. It must have a place where it can go to
"warm" up and a place to go where it can
"cool" downLocation
Its best to have all heat sources on one end of
an enclosure. For example, if you use an
HEATMAT and an overhead Ceramic Heat
Emitter (CHE), then they should be on the
same side of the enclosure. This arrangement
should provide not only the correct basking
temperature, but also create the proper
ambient temperature on the other or "cool"
end of the enclosure
boas do not need lights and infact dislike it
although Providing a light for daytime display
purposes is acceptable aslongs you find a
way the snake cannot burn its self on the bulb!
Never ever!! Use hot rocks they are prone to
over heating and being very dangerous to
snakes will not know when to get off and will be
seriously burned.
Inside the vivarium: Substrate should be
checked and spot cleaned every day dirty
substrate is a health problems among many
the best substrate for boas or any snake for
that matter
would be paper towels or newspaper is cheap
and clean and very easy top replaces .. Also
makes feces easier to spot
although its not the greatest to look at wood
shavings is another used allot and looks and
smells better than the above but and feeding
on this is bad for the boa s health it can
swallow shavings and this may lead to
impaction and never use cedar! It is toxic to
snakes most use Cypress Mulch or aspen
Indoor/Outdoor Carpet or carpet liner: You
can cut to fit the exact size of your enclosure.
This provides the availability of a clean spare
when it is time to clean. The down side is
every time you need to clean, you must
replace the entire piece of carpet. Then you
must thoroughly clean and dry the soiled
piece of carpet to be ready for the next
cleaning.
Clean Water you will need a sturdy, heavy
water dish with fresh clean water but not so
heavy it could crush and injure the snake
it will need to be big enough for the entire
snake to be able to soak in and water
replaced daily.
You should provide 2 hide boxes atleast one
in the cool end one in the warm these need to
be dark and secure and have enough room
for the snake to coil its entire body in with
room to move. There is many things around
the house you can use or you can buy ready
made ones on many of the online stores and
pet shops
Another popular form of hide box is a raised
shelf ,A raised shelf provides a great means
of security for boas, and they will often spend
the majority of their time on the shelf.
checked and spot cleaned every day dirty
substrate is a health problems among many
the best substrate for boas or any snake for
that matter
would be paper towels or newspaper is cheap
and clean and very easy top replaces .. Also
makes feces easier to spot
although its not the greatest to look at wood
shavings is another used allot and looks and
smells better than the above but and feeding
on this is bad for the boa s health it can
swallow shavings and this may lead to
impaction and never use cedar! It is toxic to
snakes most use Cypress Mulch or aspen
Indoor/Outdoor Carpet or carpet liner: You
can cut to fit the exact size of your enclosure.
This provides the availability of a clean spare
when it is time to clean. The down side is
every time you need to clean, you must
replace the entire piece of carpet. Then you
must thoroughly clean and dry the soiled
piece of carpet to be ready for the next
cleaning.
Clean Water you will need a sturdy, heavy
water dish with fresh clean water but not so
heavy it could crush and injure the snake
it will need to be big enough for the entire
snake to be able to soak in and water
replaced daily.
You should provide 2 hide boxes atleast one
in the cool end one in the warm these need to
be dark and secure and have enough room
for the snake to coil its entire body in with
room to move. There is many things around
the house you can use or you can buy ready
made ones on many of the online stores and
pet shops
Another popular form of hide box is a raised
shelf ,A raised shelf provides a great means
of security for boas, and they will often spend
the majority of their time on the shelf.
FEEDING: Boas should be fed rats. A boa
can survive on rats its entire life even
neonates(baby boas) can be started on rat
pinks from birth many people use mice to feed
boas this really is not needed unless you
have a problem buying baby rats but it will
needed to be upped onto rats later in its life
anyway the best and only way a cb bred boa
should be fed is by frozen defrosted rodents
or in cases frozen is not available to you fresh
killed live rodent feeding is a big no a rat can
attack injure or even kill a snake and should
be avoided at all costs before you buy your
boa make sure its eating asking questions is
a good way to start caring for your boa
Boas are usually private eaters and prefer to
be placed in a dark or opaque container with
the food item and left to get on with it
disturbing a boa while eating or handling
shortly after is a good way to make your
snake regurgitate this is nothing pleasant and
the smell and site is not for the weak hearted
As with all snakes, keep the handling of a Boa
after eating to the absolute minimum for 24
hours, apart from the possibility of
regurgitation, rough handling after a large
meal can damage the snakes digestive tract
and may prove fatal.
can survive on rats its entire life even
neonates(baby boas) can be started on rat
pinks from birth many people use mice to feed
boas this really is not needed unless you
have a problem buying baby rats but it will
needed to be upped onto rats later in its life
anyway the best and only way a cb bred boa
should be fed is by frozen defrosted rodents
or in cases frozen is not available to you fresh
killed live rodent feeding is a big no a rat can
attack injure or even kill a snake and should
be avoided at all costs before you buy your
boa make sure its eating asking questions is
a good way to start caring for your boa
Boas are usually private eaters and prefer to
be placed in a dark or opaque container with
the food item and left to get on with it
disturbing a boa while eating or handling
shortly after is a good way to make your
snake regurgitate this is nothing pleasant and
the smell and site is not for the weak hearted
As with all snakes, keep the handling of a Boa
after eating to the absolute minimum for 24
hours, apart from the possibility of
regurgitation, rough handling after a large
meal can damage the snakes digestive tract
and may prove fatal.
HEALTH: As a snake grows, it sheds its outer
skin. The first sign that this is about to happen
is when it goes into the “blue” stage. This is
when the eyes appear a cloudy blue colour
and the overall appearance of the snake is
dull. It may be that the snake loses its appetite
during this time and spends more time in its
water bowl. This phase will last around 2 to 5
days and then it will clear. A few days later,
the snake will slough. A healthy snake should
slough in one whole piece, and providing a
rough area of bark or something similar will
give it a good place to rub its head to begin
the shed. The shedding will occur in a matter
of minutes. A shed that is in small pieces is
usually a good indicator that there is not
enough humidity. Always check the shed to
ensure that the whole skin has been removed,
paying particular attention to the eyes and tail
tip. It is very common for the tip of the tail to
be left behind and can result in the tip
eventually being lost if this occurs over a
period of time and the dead skin is not
removed. Gently rubbing it with water should
remove this remaining piece of shed. Close
observation of your boa will soon enable you
to spot any possible changes in behaviour or
health. If you do spot something that gives
you concern, it is always recommended that
you consult your veterinarian to seek
professional advice
handling a snake during shed is also not
recommended due to the fact the fresh new
skin under is very delicate and can be
damaged.
skin. The first sign that this is about to happen
is when it goes into the “blue” stage. This is
when the eyes appear a cloudy blue colour
and the overall appearance of the snake is
dull. It may be that the snake loses its appetite
during this time and spends more time in its
water bowl. This phase will last around 2 to 5
days and then it will clear. A few days later,
the snake will slough. A healthy snake should
slough in one whole piece, and providing a
rough area of bark or something similar will
give it a good place to rub its head to begin
the shed. The shedding will occur in a matter
of minutes. A shed that is in small pieces is
usually a good indicator that there is not
enough humidity. Always check the shed to
ensure that the whole skin has been removed,
paying particular attention to the eyes and tail
tip. It is very common for the tip of the tail to
be left behind and can result in the tip
eventually being lost if this occurs over a
period of time and the dead skin is not
removed. Gently rubbing it with water should
remove this remaining piece of shed. Close
observation of your boa will soon enable you
to spot any possible changes in behaviour or
health. If you do spot something that gives
you concern, it is always recommended that
you consult your veterinarian to seek
professional advice
handling a snake during shed is also not
recommended due to the fact the fresh new
skin under is very delicate and can be
damaged.
MAXIMUM SIZE: 5.5 - 11 feet