Caresheet Boa constrictor
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Name (Latin):
Name (English):
Size:
Age:
Food:
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Boa constrictor constrictor
Redtail Boa, common boa
1.40 to 3 meters, avarage 2.20 meters
up to 20 years
Depending on the size and girth of the snake you can feed mice, rats, one-day-old
chickens, rabbits and sometimes guinea-pigs. (beware of high fat percentage of the guinea-pig)
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Caging:
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Rule of thumb: The length + the width of the cage, have to be at least the length of the snake. This way, a cage that measures 100 cm by 50 cm, is the minimum size for a 1,5 meter long snake. For an average sized boa people often use cages that measure 120 cm by 60 cm. (about 4ft long and 2 feet wide) But the bigger the better! Not only will your snake appreciate it, but it’ll look way better to have a beautiful snake in a large tank, so it’ll have some room for movement.
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Heat-source:
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Because it’s not warm enough in our country to keep reptiles without heating, we use light bulbs for some extra warmth. Keep the day temperatures between 24 and 30 degrees Celsius. At night you should keep the temperatures a little lower, but above 18 degrees. Otherwise your snake will have problems digesting his food and regurgitate it.
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Water:
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Just like any other animal, snakes need clean water to drink. Make sure you provide a large enough water bowl for your snake, because they also like to bathe in it. You should clean the water bowl preferably daily.
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Feeding:
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A young Boa constrictor needs to feed every 5 to 7 days. The first prey item can be an adult mouse. When your snake grows larger, you can switch from mice to bigger animals like rats, rabbits or guinea pigs. But beware; guinea pigs are like little fat-bombs, if fed on only guinea pigs, your snake has a high risk of dying pre-maturely due to excess of fat.
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Reproduction:
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Instead of laying eggs, female boa’s produce live offspring. Boa constrictors can reproduce within 1,5 years (males) and 2 years (females) but it’s better to wait till the female is about 3 years old so the female can grow a little bigger before she’ll have her first litter. A large adult female can produce up to 60 young in a litter, but the first litters normally range between 10 and 25 young.
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