Boa Constrictor Care Sheet

 This boa constrictor care sheet should be used for guidance only. If you have decided to keep a pet snake please gather as much information as possible from other reliable sources about the species you intend to keep.

Boa Constrictor

 Boa constrictor imperator

DESCRIPTION

The Boa Constrictor is a large attractive South & Central American Snake.

Despite their large size and reputation, these powerful constrictors usually make well-tempered, calm and manageable pets, although as with all large constrictors, adult Boa Constrictors should be considered potentially dangerous and should only be handled if another person is present. Not suitable for children.

The Boa Constrictor grows to an average of 8 feet but is capable of exceeding this length by a few feet on occasion.

These snakes can live 20 to 30 years in captivity with the proper care.

PURCHASING

The best thing to do is buy a captive bred Boa Constrictor from a reputable dealer.

Ask to handle the snake before you buy it so you can check its health. The body should feel firm and strong with no lumps or bumps. The Boas tongue should flick rapidly when first picked up, its eyes should be shiny and clear, the Boas vent should be clean with no red sore marks and its mouth should be tightly closed.

HOUSING

An enclosure with dimensions of 72”x36”x36” is the minimum i'd recommend for housing a single adult Boa Constrictor. Enclosures of this size can be hard to come by and may have to be custom made. Whichever type of enclosure you choose you must ensure it is secure, strong and escape proof. Humidity within your snakes enclosure should be kept at 45 to 65%. Normal household humidity is usually fine.

Wood or bark chips, aspen bedding, astro turf or newspaper all make suitable substrates. I would recommend newspaper as a substrate to keep costs down. It may look unattractive but your pet Boa will be just as happy and it is quick and easy to replace when soiled..

1 or 2 hiding spots can be provided in your Boa Constrictors enclosure but these snakes often rest in full view. Hides can be bought or home-made and should be just large enough for your snake to squeeze in to. Large hollow cork logs make naturally attractive hides for this snake.

A sturdy water bowl should be available in the coolest part of the enclosure, just large enough for your Boa Constrictor to bathe in if it desires. Strong storage boxes can be used as water bowls but care must be taken when moving them due to the weight. Very sturdy climbing branches or shelves should be fitted securely in the vivarium. Boa constrictors are good climbers and will benefit from the exercise.

The vivarium can be decorated with pieces of bark and plastic plants if desired. Attractive scenic backdrops are available in many pet shops, to brighten up your boa constrictors housing.

HEATING, LIGHTING AND TEMPERATURE

Boa Constrictors are best kept at daytime temperatures varying from 30 to 33 degrees centigrade at one end of the enclosure and 24 to 27 degrees centigrade at the other. Temperature can be allowed to drop 3 or 4 degrees at night.

A thermal gradient for this snake can be achieved by heating only half of the enclosure, leaving the other half cool. Ceramic heat emitters are good for heating larger vivariums and are available in a variety of wattages. These heaters are simply screwed in to a light bulb fitting and must be covered with a bulb guard to prevent burns. Always follow the instructions that come with your heating equipment as these can vary between manufacturers. It is also very important to make sure that the light fitting is strong enough to withstand the temperature of the heater used. A thermostat must be used at all times to maintain correct temperatures for your Boa. Use thermometers to monitor temperatures.

Lighting may be provided with a flourescent tube or a low wattage bulb. Bulbs above 25 watts must be covered with a guard to prevent burns to your snake

Any lighting should be turned off at night. An inexpensive timer can be used to do the job for you. These can be purchased from most hardware stores.

FEEDING

Boa Constrictors can be fed on an appropriately sized mouse, rat, chick or rabbit once every 7 to 10 days. The food offered should be roughly the thickness of the snake at the centre of its length or approx 4% of the total weight of your snake. Your Boa Constrictors food can simply be left on the floor of the vivarium near one of the hides, then leave your snake in privacy to eat. Don't handle your Boa for at least 24 hours after feeding to avoid stress and possible regurgitation.

A thin Boa will have a prominent backbone and feeding should be increased.

An overweight Boa may have difficulty curling up and may have vertical creases along its body.

Frozen rodents can be bought in many different sizes from pet stores that sell reptiles and can be thawed out at feeding time.

HANDLING

Juvenile Boa Constrictors can be a bit nervous at first and may bite, but with fairly regular contact with their owner most grow out of it quite quickly. Boa constrictors are mostly calm and pleasant to handle. However, adult Boa Constrictors are very strong constricting snakes and with any Boa longer than 8ft it is highly recommended that another person is present when handling, just to be on the safe side.

GENERAL MAINTENANCE

Your Boa Constrictor enclosure should be spot checked for faeces on a daily basis and cleaned out completely with a reptile-safe disinfectant at least monthly. All cage furniture should also be disinfected and the substrate should be changed.

Your snake should be given fresh water at least twice weekly.

Regular maintenance is essential for keeping pet Boa Constrictors, clean, healthy and free of disease in captivity.

BREEDING

Make sure your Boa Constrictor pair is in excellent healthy condition and at least 3 years of age. Boa Constrictors have been known to breed younger than this but litters are often small and stillborn snakes are more likely. It may also affect the lifespan of the female.

1. The first step is to prepare your Boas for brumation. ( Brumation is a period of cooler temperatures for your Boas resulting in decreased activity, the end of which signals breeding time for the snakes).

   In September and October feed your Boa Constrictors as much as they will eat to build up their reserves.

   In the first week of November, cease feeding your snakes for 2-3 weeks to allow them to empty their guts completely. Food remaining in the gut during brumation can cause serious problems for your Boa Constrictors.

2. Over the next few weeks slowly reduce the daylight hours and lighting down to 8 hours a day. The daytime temperatures can drop slightly to 27 - 30 degrees centigrade in the warmest area of the enclosure and 21 – 24 degrees in the coolest. Daytime temperatures should only last for 8 hours.

   Night time temperatures can be slowly reduced to just 20-22 degrees centigrade throughout the enclosure , lasting 16 hours.

   Your snakes should not be fed during this time.

3. After a couple of weeks at the lower temperatures and reduced lighting you can introduce the female Boa Constrictor to the males enclosure. If the male Boa is interested in breeding he will chase the female excitedly and slide over her back, rubbing his chin over her. He may also tickle the female Boa Constrictor with his spurs .

   If the pair of Boas haven't successfully mated in two or three days it may be a good idea to separate them for a few days before reintroducing your snakes again.

   Some people have success introducing more than one male Boa Constrictor to the breeding situation, but the extra male or males should be removed immediately if they get too aggressive and bite each other. Normally they just wrestle for dominance.

   Occasionally lightly misting the snakes enclosure has also been known to induce mating.

4. At the end of January start slowly bringing lighting and temperature levels back to normal over a period of two weeks. When everythings back to normal you can start feeding your Boa Constrictors again. Start with small sized food items first and work up to what they usually eat.

   If the pair of Boas failed to mate you can try introducing them occasionally for a couple of weeks after brumation.

5. During her pregnancy the gravid (pregnant) female Boa Constrictor will likely spend much of her time basking and may not eat very much. The gestation period will last anything from 14 to 22 weeks.

6. Hopefully within 14 to 24 weeks you will look in your Boa Constrictors vivarium and see a healthy bunch of 20-40 baby snakes, each 1ft to 1.5ft long. The baby Boas should be given their own small enclosures as soon as possible to eliminate the risk of being accidentally crushed by the parent. Newborn Boa Constrictors will usually start feeding after the first shed and should be given appropriately sized food such as fuzzy mice.

This is not a guaranteed method of breeding your snakes (nor is any other) and success has been achieved using a variation of methods but all are basically similar to this.