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Boa Constrictor Pet Care
In response to many requests for information concerning the captive care of this popular pet snake RainForest Adventures is providing the following suggested guidelines for the captive care of the pet Boa Constrictor. Long a staple in the pet industry the Boa Constrictor can make an excellent choice as a pet snake. Medium size, even temper, and general ease of care make this snake a logical choice for both beginners and experienced keepers alike. In this article we will address the basic needs and requirements to successfully keep a pet Boa Constrictor. The primary areas that will address here are:
A native of tropical Central and South America, the Boa Constrictor is full grown at approximately six to eight feet in length. Legends and tales of this snake reaching giant proportions are simply not true. Many island or insular species of the Boa reach only three to four feet in length as adults. A ten foot Boa Constrictor is a true rarity. For the sake of this article we will be talking primarily about the Colombian Boa Constrictor. Common names in pet shops and other resellers often confuse potential buyers. The use of the name "Red Tail" is an over used term that winds up being associated with virtually any Boa Constrictor sold, the reality is a true Red-Tail boa is actually a subspecies recognized from Guyana or Surinam and is generally much more expensive than the common Columbian Boa. The Colombian Boa is often credited with having a more even temper and easier to maintain than true Red-Tail Boas. Choosing Your New Boa Constrictor There are essentially two ways to purchase a baby Boa Constrictor, wild caught animals and captive born babies. We will take a look at both options here and provide our opinion on which we feel is best. Boa Constrictors are still imported into the United States from
Central and South American countries in moderate numbers on an annual basis.
The actual country of origin is more often than not an unknown fact since the animals are
routinely brought over the border of various countries for export. The Boa
Constrictor occurs in many sub-species in much of it's large range, when the
animals are transported over the border from one country to the next it is
generally to take advantage of lax export laws in one country compared to
another.
While the newly imported babies are generally available in the late spring of the year in the United States they can often still be found in virtually any month of the year. We strongly suggest you not purchase a wild caught baby for several reasons, the health of the animal and potential parasites are an unknown with virtually any wild caught animal. Captive born and bred babies are by far a better option for several reasons. Generally captive born babies are produced by individual hobbyists, or breeders and then resold to the pet stores or are available for resale by the breeder themselves at pet shows etc. This is by far the best way to support not only your local pet store or reptile show, but also is much more "eco-friendly" Baby Boa Constrictors that are born in captivity are generally much less likely to harbor parasites, illnesses etc. The baby Boas are generally much healthier and adjusted to feeding than a wild caught animal. You may be able to communicate directly with the breeder themselves and gain reasonable insight into the color pattern, temperament and adult size of the parents that produced the animal. Breeders and pet shops in your area are also much more likely to stand behind an animal that is captive born vs. a wild caught specimen. As is the case with purchasing any new pet, common sense should prevail in choosing a baby. Clear, bright eyes, no nasal discharge, no obvious signs of parasites etc. are basic things to look for. Asking the seller about a guarantee is always a good idea, but be reasonable on this subject. Once the baby leaves the care of the seller they have no control over what conditions the animal is kept in. A healthy, established, feeding baby will very rarely have health issues that are not related directly to the environment they are housed in.
It is always a good idea to have the enclosure for your Boa set and ready to go before you bring your new pet home. While this snake species does not require highly specialized environments there are certainly some basic criteria that must be met for the overall health and well being of your new snake. Each of our homes are different, the ambient air temperature, location of
the enclosure and other factors may require a day or two for you to ensure the
temperature and humidity factors are stable before bringing your new Boa home.
Always try to determine the temperature of the enclosure both during the day and
night to ensure the enclosure is not too hot or too cold.
The ideal daytime temperature range for your snake is 82-95 degrees. An enclosure should have a basking spot, or warm end that is a higher temperature than the rest of the enclosure. This will allow your snake to move from a warm area to a cooler one as the snake sees fit. This process is actually called thermoregulation, the snake is quite capable of keeping itself healthy if we provide choices on temperature. Nighttime temperatures should not be allowed to drop below 74 degrees. Humidity is not as large a concern for this species as with others, but you should try to maintain the relative humidity higher than the normal humidity found in most homes. The proper humidity is a larger factor in allowing the animal to shed it's skin properly than it is any other health issue. A large water bowl that the snake can soak in will significantly aid in both maintaining the humidity and providing a bathing spot for the snake. As the Boa increases in size you will need to keep enlarging the soaking container to allow the snake access to a suitable size water container. An appropriately sized habitat for your Boa Constrictor is going to change significantly from the time the baby is brought home until the snake reaches adulthood. Boas grow from approximately 16" inches as newborns to upwards of 8' feet. The species, or subspecies of boa will have a large impact on the adult size of the snake. A suitable starting size for your snake would be a 30-gallon-long or a 55 gallon terrarium. Boa Constrictors can be housed together but are generally solitary creatures except when breeding.
Most Boa Constrictors eat rodents such as mice, and rats, although some prefer birds (chicks). The vast majority of snakes will gladly consume pre-killed rodents. All Boa Constrictors are different, we have worked with hundreds of snakes over the years and have found some to be aggressive feeders, others very shy. The Boa Constrictor is less likely to be a seasonal feeder than some of the python species. The most critical component of feeding any pet snake is to ensure the environment is correct and free from excessive stress. While the Boa may be a bit more forgiving of it's environment than other tropical snakes it is still important to attempt to make the animal as comfortable as possible. If your snake refuses to feed review all of the housing and husbandry practices to ensure the snake has adequate temperatures and humidity requirements. Also make every effort not stress the animal prior to feeding by handling etc. It is highly recommended that you kill the rodents prior to
feeding any snake. Rodents posses very strong jaws and sharp teeth.
A misplaced strike by a snake can result in the rodent having it's mouth free to
bite the snake during constriction.
On occasion a snake may need some encouragement to eat a prey item that is not moving about on it's own. We typically trick the snake into eating it's first few meals by simulating movement of the rodent by simply dangling the food item in front of the snakes face. Be careful not to be be too aggressive in dangling the food item as this may intimidate a young Boa Constrictor. One major benefit to purchasing pre-killed mice, or buying live mice and killing them yourself, is the storage of frozen rodents. Rodents can be stored in zip lock bags and maintained for months in the freezer. This convenience allows you to purchase many months of feeder rodents at a time. In many cases your cost of feeding your animal will go down as the quantity of rodents purchased will allow you to take advantage of savings. Boa Constrictors take four or five days to digest a meal and prefer to do this in a dark, warm place, i.e. "hide-box". Water should be provided in a large heavy bowl, so that the Boa has plenty of room to soak. Try to utilize as heavy a container as possible to avoid the possibility the snake may tip the container over. Your pet Boa will defecate approximately 5-7 days after eating a meal. It is equally as important to monitor your snakes defecation as it is to monitor the animals feeding schedule. Boa Constrictors occasionally become constipated and will not pass a bowel movement. This can lead to serious complications, a warm soaking bowl will generally encourage a snake to defecate. If your snake does not defecate within 14 days of a meal do not continue to feed the snake until defecation takes place. The Boa Constrictor has an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years in captivity. This species of snake is capable of living well over 30 years if the conditions are right! Boas are not generally timid snakes and can be handled by children when the child is supervised. Always exercise caution when handling your snake prior to, or just after a feeding. Undue stress can cause an animal to refuse food or to regurgitate a meal.
Most people who acquire a Boa Constrictor wish to handle the snake. Your pet will benefit from regular gentle handling. In fact handling your pet boa will greatly decrease the risk of an accidental bite. Once you begin to know your snake you will start to recognize behavior, a curious snake will stretch out it's neck and hold it's head high, a defensive or aggressive snake will recoil and rarely flick it's tongue out. One problem experienced by some pet owners is an issue known as a "Feeding response". A feeding response generally occurs when your pet is not handled with any regular frequency. Often the only contact with you the animal has is when the food item is introduced to the cage. The animal begins to associate the opening of their door with the introduction of food. While snakes are not regarded as intelligent creatures they can certainly begin to associate an activity with food. A feeding response bite can be even more serious than a defensive strike, a snake who is acting aggressively and wishes to scare away a potential predator will strike and release immediately. A snake who believes it is going to be fed will strike and coil around it's "prey" In the event your hand is bitten the snake has the potential to coil around your arm and continue to apply pressure to the bitten area as the snake feels the movement in your hand and is convinced the mouse will not die! This is often the worst type of bite as the snake simply is following instincts and will continue to try and constrict the prey for upwards of 20 minutes!.
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This
will not only result in open wounds that are subject to infection, but can
result in serious injury to the skeletal structure of the snake. Death is
not an uncommon result of a snake who is bitten in the spine or other critical
area by the rodent.