![]() ![]() ![]() They might bite or scratch the snake, or seriously injure it by chewing on its skin and muscle. Live rodents present many more risks than the frozen variety. Some hobbyists feed their snakes live rodents and some feed thawed, previously frozen rodents. Although those keeping larger constrictors are often required to feed rabbits and pigs, the red-tail boa doesn't reach a size that necessitates this, and rats and mice are usually sufficient. Healthy Food ChoicesĬaptive boa constrictors readily accept rodents. If you have this option in your home, or at least in the boa collection room, use it to increase the overall air humidity. Fans are strategically placed to maximize airflow in every square inch of the facility. It includes an evaporative cooler that draws air into the building, a second evaporative cooler that pushes air from the front room to the main room, and then an industrial exhaust fan that pushes the air out of the building. Our facility is a perfect example of an open-air system. Fresh, humid air is critical to their respiratory system. Thus fresh-filtered drinking water and proper humidity are essential to the survival and health of captive boa constrictors. Keep It Tropicalīoa constrictors come from the rain forests and jungles of Central and South America where water is abundant in liquid form and in the air as humidity. However, our snakes are kept in a rack system, so they aren't as exposed as those in display enclosures. Although many snakekeepers offer their snakes hides, we do not because we feel it makes them more reclusive and shy. Newspaper is another good substrate option. Also there aren't particles, which can get in the way of the snakes' copulation. ![]() Once they are adults ready to breed, we use corrugated cardboard because it is easy to clean. We use aspen bedding for babies and juveniles. These are stacked in custom rack systems that provide excellent air circulation and temperature control. For boas longer than 8 feet, we have a number of rubber containers measuring 6 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2 feet tall. A cage height between 18 and 24 inches is OK. A sufficient-sized cage for adult boas measuring up to 8 feet long is a container with 8 square feet of floor space, such as containers measuring 4 feet by 2 feet. Once your red-tail boa measures 3 or 4 feet in length, it needs adult-sized caging. Flexwatt heat tape is securely fastened along the back of the shelf, which heats just one-fourth of each baby box. Our baby-snake room is constructed with custom pegboard shelves built by Rich. Then they're moved into 28-quart sweaterboxes until they require larger quarters. My company uses 12-quart Rubbermaid storage containers to house baby boas up to 6 months old. A fluorescent lighting fixture is simple to attach, and handles can be added to the top for ease of use.Ī better option for housing a new baby boa is a rubber storage container. This material retains humidity while allowing adequate air circulation. I recommend that aquarium-users make a new top out of pegboard. The only problem with aquariums is their screen lids they don't hold in humidity. A 10-gallon aquarium was – and still is – an ideal size for one baby boa. Years ago, aquariums were the way to keep boas. Someday they will turn rich-pink and red-coral colors. They are simple to organize and keep clean.Ī close look at the scales of this 12-week-old coral sunglow male's sides reveals white and pink scales. Rack systems with stackable plastic cages work great for medium to large boa collections. Many caging and heating options are available. My personal rule of thumb is to provide an enclosure large enough for the boa to coil completely under the basking site and still have enough room for at least three-fourths of the cage floor to be a cooler temperature. Generally speaking, if your boa never leaves the basking spot, then the basking temperature might be too low, or the boa might be suffering from an illness, causing it to seek constant warmth. If your boa spends all of its time on the cool or hot side of its cage, that's a good indication something is wrong. With these temperature ranges, your boa should spend a sufficient amount of time on each side of the enclosure depending on its feeding schedule and humidity regimen. The basking spot should be between 95 to 100 degrees, and the cool side should drop to 83 to 84 degrees. A boa enclosure's ideal ambient air temperature is about 84 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. ![]()
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