Boa constrictor baby
They are large enough at birth to accept small-adult mice. They usually feed readily, especially if given hideboxes in which they can seclude themselves and feel secure. These powerful snakes eat all manner of rodents, marsupials and birds. Be sure that the snakes cannot come in contact with a bare bulb or ceramic heating unit, lest they burn themselves. Temperatures should be between 82 and 88 degrees in the warm end of the tank and between 72 and 75 degrees on the cooler end. You can heat one end of the tank by using a heating pad that sits beneath it or by using a bare light bulb or ceramic heating unit that sits above the snake. The terrarium or cage must also be tightly covered with a top that will lock in place. Be sure no furniture can shift or topple and injure your snake. These are secretive animals so the tank should also be furnished with corkbark or other commercial hides. It is a good idea to clean the entire tank at the same time, washing down with window cleaner. The substrate should be removed and replaced whenever the snake eliminates. The tank should have a substrate of newspaper, packing corrugate, paper towels, dry leaves or dry mulch. For one or a pair of six-footers, a floor space of 6 x 2.5 feet is suggested. As the boa grows, progressively larger cages will be necessary. The minimum floor space for one or two babies should be 12 by 30 inches.
Boa constrictor baby full#
HousingĬolombian boas start out as 15- or 16-inch-long babies, but, if properly cared for, can attain a full 6 feet in length in the first 2 years of their life, and will continue to grow beyond that. If this is large enough for the snake to coil and fully submerge in, it will often do so. Be aware of the distance across which a large specimen can strike, and always approach the snake cautiously.Ī bowl of fresh water should be present at all times. They may enter deserted buildings in search of rodents.Ĭaptives will often make use of elevated perches, will seclude themselves in substrate-level hides (curved corkbark or other commercial hideboxes) or at cagetop on a secured platform. We have found them in villages and along remote rivers. In the wild, Colombian boas are encountered both in arboreal and terrestrial situations, and may be diurnally or nocturnally active. BehaviorĬolombian boas are slow-moving snakes and, for the most part, they are quiet, easily kept and easily handled. The spurs of the males are larger than those of the females. The eyes are quite similar to the body in coloration and have vertically elliptical pupils.īoas have a pair of cloacal spurs – remaining vestiges of bygone days when snakes had legs. Some of the most vividly colored boas (those from heavily forested areas) are dubbed red-tailed boas. Near the tail, the tan of the body usually becomes lighter (whiter) and the dark dorsal blotches become ever redder and are usually outlined in black. There is a dark marking between the eyes and another on each side of the face.
Boa constrictor baby series#
A series of lighter vertically elongated ocelli occur along each side. The anterior body is tan to light brown with dark dorsal crossbands that may or may not have forward and rearward dorsolateral extensions. The usual adult size of this pretty and powerful snake is about 8 feet, but some individuals may attain a length of 10 feet.Ĭolombian boas have myriad small, non-keeled, scales. Some of these snakes are rather dark in color, but many have a good deal of red or maroon on the tail. Feral specimens have also bred in Miami, Florida for several decades.Ĭolombian boas have lived for more than 30 years in captivity. As currently understood, this same subspecies can be found from Mexico to many non-rainforest areas of northern South America. When a boa is referred to as a “Colombian boa,” the designation is more an indication of origin than of subspecies. Many municipalities now prohibit the keeping of snakes of more than 6 feet in length, and Colombian boas often exceed this length. We consider a baby of the Colombian boa, Boa constrictor imperator, an excellent beginner’s snake, but there is always the problem of what to do with the creature when it attains adulthood.Īn adult boa can be a handling and caging problem, as well as a legal problem. The Colombian boa constrictor is a beautiful and easily kept snake – if you can meet its housing and feeding needs.