boas

Boa Constrictors

I must admit that boa constrictors are a particular favorite snake of mine. Readily available,these (generally) gentle snakes are native to the rain forests of South America and they generally do well in captivity.
They are sometimes known as "Red tailed boas", but a tail as red as the snake below is quite rare.

Choosing your Boa Constrictor:
If possible, captive bred animals should always by selected. They tend to be much healthier and make better pets overall. Always deal with reputable dealers and high quality pet stores. When buying a newborn, always ask to see the parents to get an idea of what you will end up with.

If the snake must be an import, be very careful when it comes to selection - expect parasites.
Check for mucus in mouth (which is a sign of infection) eye shape and colour, and lumps in body or hunger folds (signs of broken ribs or malnutrition) . Also look for mites and ticks (small insects burrowing under scales). Although it is generally not a problem with boas, check to see if the specimen is a problem feeder -ask for feeding records.

Boas are normally strong snakes. Your snake should be able to support a good part of his body weight unaided like this one can.

A tip - when choosing your boa, don't make colour a "must" - you will be disappointed. Lisette's boa is a smashing colour, but boas have the ability to change their colorations considerably. I have seen one boa (my own "Fangface") go from bright silver to dull brown to battleship gray within only a few minutes - it is quite amazing to watch.

As for what boa to get....

I 've had several emails disagreeing my ideas of boa classification over the years, some of them quite heated, and a few just plain nasty.
So let me explain why I probably disagree with what classifications you may be used to. The whole philosophy behind this website is that these are MY experiences of snake-herding, and I'm afraid that in my experience the boa classifications that I've encountered in my neck of the woods are little better that guesswork.

I understand that there is a much better system of classification used in the US. We in the UK definitely need something which is universally used: it really does seem that "any name will do".

To illustrate this point, there are three herp shops within an hours drive of my house that sell "red tail", "Hog's Island" and "imperator" boa constrictors. To my uneducated eye they all look just like this snake

I've heard from so many people who have spent good money on what they think is a valuable "Hog's Island" only to find they have what looks identical to my "standard common or garden" boas. With dogs there is a body, the Kennel Club, who says what breed is what. There's no one body like that like that with snakes - there are several universities and museums who publish taxonomies and they do not seem to be in total agreement.

To further illustrate this point, here's an extract of an email I received in early August 2002

... thanks for the great page on Boas, especially the part about the speciation of them. I was getting confused about all these different 'subspecies' that all tend to look identical, and I just wanted to let you know that we certainly do NOT have a better system for differentiating between them over here in the states....

And here's an extract from a series of rants I got in March 2003

I don't understand how you are classifying all the different locals of the boa, you even have down imperator as a local of boa, this is just a classification given to a hole range of boas, ranging from the Mexican to the central American to the cancoon. I will just add that nearly all the boas in the UK are what is termed as the common boa, a common boa is an intergraded or a cross breed, sometimes imperator-imperator, or even worse constrictor -imperator, to the trained eye an intergraded can easily be spotted, they usually have a larger rounder head. All the different locals in there true form, are infact very different animals, even down to the temperament, the only way you will ever know 100% what your boa is, is if you see both the parents and know where they came from, or buy captive farmed animals from south America, or someone you highly trust,

I mailed back to this chap saying that all I'm putting up is MY experiences, and he emailed back, basically asking how dare I publish anything on the web...... bless him. Nothing like constructive critisism, eh :o)

But then in Jan '04 I got an email from "Axe" which goes a long way to explain the confusion:

..and I thought I might offer a little insight I heard that you may not know about. Many of the regional variances of boas are mislabelled when they are exported. Often because the actual area from which the snake comes is protected. So, they capture them in those areas, then sneak them to another area of the country where it's legal to capture & export. They intentionally rename them, simply to get them out of the country and get paid. So this is where the confusion of Name over Appearance comes up - at least here in the US, it's a big

OK, classifying them. There are twelve sub species of boa constrictor

Boa constrictor constrictor:

"Common boa"

Boa constrictor imperator

These are quite common too !

Boa Constrictor Amarili:

Bolivian Amarili Boas

Boa Constrictor longicauda

Northwest Peruvian Boas

Boa constrictor ortonii

True Peruvians

Boa Constrictor Melanogaster

Equadoran Boa

Boa Constrictor Mexicana

Mexican Boa

Boa Constrictor nebulosa

Clouded Boa

Boa Constrictor occidentalis

Argentine Boa

Boa Constrictor orophias

St. Lucan Boa

Boa constrictor Sigma

Tres Island Boa

Boa Constrictor sabogae

Saboga Island Boa

Each sub species has many variants, but in my experience it's only the ~ constrictor and ~ imperator that are commonly kept in captivity where I am in the UK.

Mind you there are plenty of variants of these two sub species, so let's have a look at what's commonly available in my corner of the world:
There's a lot of names for fancy breeds of boas being banded about, Honduran, Colombian, Red tailed, Surinam, Patagonian, Hungarian, lesser spotted, etc. Everyone has their own ideas about what looks like what, so here's some pictures of how I've seen certain boas described.

"Common":

"Common" doesn't sound so good does it? I suppose this could be called "light phase". Personally this is the colour morph I prefer.

"Peruvian":

My two "males" of this colour phase have been mating recently. Boas are not easy to sex!

"Colombian"

His name is "Julian"

Red tailed boa:

It actually has got red in it's tail. Sometimes known as "Surinam"

Hog's Island boa:

Beautiful orange-brown colour with red in the tail as well. Mine are good at biting.

Imperator:

Very dark markings. My one often has trouble shedding his skin

Albino:

Somewhat overpriced ?

Argentine Boa:

Very Dark

Personally, apart from the "albino" and the "Argentine", (which aren't commonly available to me anyway) I 'm not sure if I agree with any of these categories. I've seen what I would call "Hog's Island" being sold as "Imperator", and I've seen "red tails" with no reds in their tails.

If you disagree, then that's fine. But don't tell me that I'm wrong. Why not send me YOUR idea of boa classification.

Size
Well - the books say "Neonates range from 12 to 24 inches. Growth in newborns can be rapid, between 3 - 5 feet in one year The second year can yield lengths of 4 to 7 feet. Adults range anywhere from 4 to 10 feet, with an occasional 12 and 15 footer thrown in just to keep us all on our toes."

I would say "If you can't take the size, get a smaller species !" but the adult size does vary considerably - look at Sophie (left), Jessica (top right) and Lisette's Red (bottom right) here. All adults, all rather different sizes.

I have heard of a case of a length of eight feet being reached after one year's growth, but this would seem to be quite unusual. Such growth would indicate either a potential monster snake, or too rapid growth (possibly due to unintentional overfeeding) which may result in skeletal problems in the snake's later life.

Body Language

A docile specimen should move forward and flick its tongue in a regular fashion.

A fast moving short flick is generally associated with curiosity, where a long, slow flick with very little up/down movement is usually a sign of possible defensive feelings. A truly defensive boa will make its intentions very well known. Normal actions are pulling into a strike position and hissing. A feisty specimen will sometimes calm down with interaction, but a calm specimen is a much more enjoyable pet and won't bite you as often!.

HOUSING:
Space: A small tank for starters is OK but this will be outgrown very quickly. A cage amounting to 3/4 square foot per foot of snake is what many consider perfect. Shelves can be used to increase floor space and allow somewhere to go when active, though my boas are rarely on the move. A shelf also allows a warmer basking site, while forming a cooler area underneath. The cage should contain a hiding place, a sturdy water bowl big enough for soaking, (I use a bucket) and something for the snakes to rub on while shedding (Rocks and tree limbs/sticks work well).

Cork bark is readily available from most pet shops. It's dual purpose - it makes a good hide underneath, and a goo basking surface above, but it can harbour ticks and mites.
Thick wooden dowels firmly secured to the viv make good climbing frames, but beware - boas don't hold on tight. Make sure they can't fall too far.

Careful when filling your water container - remember that as more boas climb in so the water level will rise - I've flooded my living room so many times as I forget this vital point.

Substrate. Within reason anything goes, but avoid sand which gets under their scales, or a substrate that can be ingested with their food or drink. Newspaper is the easiest as it is cheaply obtained and easily disposed of when soiled.

Several boas can be kept together - here's three of mine coiled together with a yellow anaconda.

Temperature.
Temperature for a boa should be kept around 85 daytime and 80 at night. A basking site in the range of 90 to 95 is also needed. If temperatures are allowed to stay too cool, refusal of food, regurgitation of prey, and respiratory infections follow. It must also be remembered that in a tall tank the temp at the bottom can be 10 to 15 degrees lower than that at the top.

FEEDING:
Newborns should be fed every 5 days. Start on pinkies, and work up from there. As the snake increases in size, feeding can be cut back to every 10 days, and then to every 2 weeks. I offer my boas food each week, but they only feed on average about once every three weeks. Remember that a snake will eat if it is hungry, but they are capable of prolonged periods of fasting, and will go off eating when they want to mate.

Prey items should be approximately the same diameter as the snake (both at the widest part of the body). ALL prey should be killed prior to feeding. Some boas prefer the food item to be waved at them with a pair of forceps, others like the food item to be left for them. Frozen prey is attractive (when thoroughly thawed) due to the fact that it is on hand when needed and is already dead. If you keep several snakes together always separate them for feeding - it can get quite awkward trying to untangle several metres of knotted boas trying to swallow each other. Something I've noticed - boas often treat their dinner as "Teddy Bears" and will cuddle the rat for over an hour before eating it. This boa below had been cuddling her dinner for nearly fifty minutes before deciding to eat. You can prompt them to feed by grabbing the rat's tail with forceps and gently tugging. Beware - they are very protective over what is in their coils, and may try to bite you.

Avoid feeding live prey. Aside from ethical arguments about the feeding of live animals to snakes, live prey has a tendency to attack and injure, if not kill your snake.

Certainly for me and other snake-herds in the UK the feeding of live prey items to our snakes is illegal. Also avoid making feeding time into a show for your friends - boas can easily be put off feeding by too much commotion around them.
Also make sure the have drinking water available at all times.

SHEDDING:
A well fed boa will shed about once every 1 to 3 months. The most obvious sign that shedding is imminent is a general darkening and the clouding over of the eyes. and an unexpected refusal to feed.

The general darkening of the skin which is evident in pythons is not so noticeable in boas as their colourations are so variable.

At this point, all contact with the snake is best postponed till after shed is complete. The eyes will clear, and a few days later the skin will be removed. The shed is accomplished by the snake rubbing on something until the skin on the nose comes loose. The skin is then pulled off like a sock. Your boa will normally now be quite hungry. Handling should be kept at a minimum during the shed period, as the new skin can be sensitive (or even damaged).
Check the "head" of the skin to make sure both eye caps came off. The tail is another area that sometimes will not remove completely. If the skin comes off in lots of small pieces, the humidity is too low. Unshed skin can be removed by soaking the snake in water and then gently pulling it off. Some snakes seem to enjoy this, others put up a struggle.

Breeding
Surprisingly for snakes which adapt so well to captivity, boa constrictors do not breed as well in captivity as many other snakes. There are many reasons why this should be, certainly I have been lucky (?) in achieving breeding success. Other keepers with far more experience than me have met with failure year after year.

So what is my secret ? I don't honestly know, but I think there's three points to check.

1 Make sure your snakes are healthy

2 Make sure your snakes are well fed

3 Keep male and female apart before attempting a mating (bit like me !!)

Boas mating -An X - rated picture ?

It has been my experience that if you're deliberately seperating the sexes to induce mating then mating takes place instantly on introducing males and females, and then lasts for some days. If you're not seperating them but keeping them together they seem to start mating about Xmas time.
Subsequent matings then take place for three to four months, so it is difficult to judge when conception occurs. Twenty to thirty live young are born some four to five months after the last mating..........providing of course that the mating was successful. Many are not. Why - there's lots of reasons for that.

How can you tell if your snake is pregnant ?
Here's some signs.

They get aggressive for no apparent reason

They stop feeding

They swell up towards the tail..

One thing I've learned over the years is that I publish all this on the Internet, but never seem to listen to what I'm saying myself.....
Here's a picture of Fangface's tummy. Named Fangface as "he" started getting quite snappy a few months ago. But looking at the swelling today, and bearing in mind he's not eaten for two months, it's rather apparent I got the probing wrong again.

At this stage start worrying about what to do with the babies.

When born, babies are independent of their mother, and for convenience babies are best moved to a separate vivarium. After five to six days, they shed their skins and then will begin to feed.

See also the pages specifically about breeding

I must admit that boa constrictors are a particular favorite snake of mine. Readily available,these (generally) gentle snakes are native to the rain forests of South America and they generally do well in captivity. They are sometimes known as "Red tailed boas", but a tail as red as the snake below is quite rare.

Body Language
A docile specimen should move forward and flick its tongue in a regular fashion.
A fast moving short flick is generally associated with curiosity, where a long, slow flick with very little up/down movement is usually a sign of possible defensive feelings. A truly defensive boa will make its intentions very well known. Normal actions are pulling into a strike position and hissing. A feisty specimen will sometimes calm down with interaction, but a calm specimen is a much more enjoyable pet and won't bite you as often!.

HOUSING: Space: A small tank for starters is OK but this will be outgrown very quickly. A cage amounting to 3/4 square foot per foot of snake is what many consider perfect. Shelves can be used to increase floor space and allow somewhere to go when active, though my boas are rarely on the move. A shelf also allows a warmer basking site, while forming a cooler area underneath. The cage should contain a hiding place, a sturdy water bowl big enough for soaking, (I use a bucket) and something for the snakes to rub on while shedding (Rocks and tree limbs/sticks work well).
Cork bark is readily available from most pet shops. It's dual purpose - it makes a good hide underneath, and a goo basking surface above, but it can harbour ticks and mites. Thick wooden dowels firmly secured to the viv make good climbing frames, but beware - boas don't hold on tight. Make sure they can't fall too far.

	Careful when filling your water container - remember that as more boas climb in so the water level will rise - I've flooded my living room so many times as I forget this vital point.
Substrate. Within reason anything goes, but avoid sand which gets under their scales, or a substrate that can be ingested with their food or drink. Newspaper is the easiest as it is cheaply obtained and easily disposed of when soiled.
Several boas can be kept together - here's three of mine coiled together with a yellow anaconda.
Temperature. Temperature for a boa should be kept around 85 daytime and 80 at night. A basking site in the range of 90 to 95 is also needed. If temperatures are allowed to stay too cool, refusal of food, regurgitation of prey, and respiratory infections follow. It must also be remembered that in a tall tank the temp at the bottom can be 10 to 15 degrees lower than that at the top.

FEEDING: Newborns should be fed every 5 days. Start on pinkies, and work up from there. As the snake increases in size, feeding can be cut back to every 10 days, and then to every 2 weeks. I offer my boas food each week, but they only feed on average about once every three weeks. Remember that a snake will eat if it is hungry, but they are capable of prolonged periods of fasting, and will go off eating when they want to mate.
Prey items should be approximately the same diameter as the snake (both at the widest part of the body). ALL prey should be killed prior to feeding. Some boas prefer the food item to be waved at them with a pair of forceps, others like the food item to be left for them. Frozen prey is attractive (when thoroughly thawed) due to the fact that it is on hand when needed and is already dead. If you keep several snakes together always separate them for feeding - it can get quite awkward trying to untangle several metres of knotted boas trying to swallow each other. Something I've noticed - boas often treat their dinner as "Teddy Bears" and will cuddle the rat for over an hour before eating it. This boa below had been cuddling her dinner for nearly fifty minutes before deciding to eat. You can prompt them to feed by grabbing the rat's tail with forceps and gently tugging. Beware - they are very protective over what is in their coils, and may try to bite you.
	Avoid feeding live prey. Aside from ethical arguments about the feeding of live animals to snakes, live prey has a tendency to attack and injure, if not kill your snake.
Certainly for me and other snake-herds in the UK the feeding of live prey items to our snakes is illegal. Also avoid making feeding time into a show for your friends - boas can easily be put off feeding by too much commotion around them. Also make sure the have drinking water available at all times.