Friday, September 28, 2012

Colombian Boa - Boa constrictor @$138.50

The common boa constrictors are one of the most popular snakes in the hobby and are today being bred in a variety of color phases. They are very undemanding captives and easy to care for. The ease of care and calm dispositions make them a suitable species for a novice, but I wouldn't recommend one as a first snake just due to the potential adult size.

Common boas normally average 8 or 9 feet with the females being the larger of the sexes. Some males won't grow much past 7 feet. These snakes can reach or even break 10 feet but it is more common for the true redtails (Boa c. constrictor) to attain these sizes.

Common boas are found from Mexico through Central America and into South America. The northern populations normally posses a darker coloration than their southern counterparts. They are still imported with some frequency but they are so commonly bred there is no reason to consider buying anything but a captive bred specimen to keep as a pet.

Boas require a suitably large enclosure as adults. I keep my adults in 4'x 2' cages. Temperatures are maintained much as with other tropical boid species, ambient temps are kept in the low 80s with the warmest part of the cage reaching 90-92F. The temperature is allowed to drop 5-10 degrees at night.

They have no special humidity requirements, but as with all my snakes I normally mist them lightly once per day through the shed cycles. They have no problems shedding, but a little extra humidity during this time is always helpful, particularly during the winter.
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