Post by Greg on Aug 6, 2004 21:25:17 GMT -5
Red Tail Boa Care sheet
So, you want to get a red tail? Have you really thought it through? The housing requirements? The size of the snake? In 3 years from now, are you going to be wanting a 8 foot snake? You cant just dump it at a shelter, the shelters don’t want any more big snakes, they have thousands. Its feeding requirements? You have to feed it other animals! Who new? Do you want a snake that will live 25 years? A lot can happen in 25 years. Im not trying to discourage you from getting one, I love mine to death. But all im saying is think about it.
Housing
1. Housing a juvenile boa will be happy with a 10 to 20 gallon tank, with screen lid. But as they get bigger, so does there space needs. Some people say for every 1 foot of snake, have 1 square foot of floor space. I would say to house a full grown BCI a 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot enclosure is big enough, but no smaller. For a Bcc, no less than 6 foot by 3 foot by 2 foot. You should furnish the enclosures with a hide box, large water bowl, and substrate of some kind. I prefer indoor/ outdoor carpeting, because its easy to clean, looks nice, and prevents some of the mite problems that come with wood chips. You will also need a heat lamp, with a 100W bulb. And a heat source for night time such as a heat pad.
Temps
your boas temps should be between 80-85 degrees on the basking side during the day and 75- 79 on the cool side. Night time temps should be about 75 on the basking side, and room temp on the cool.
Humidity
your boa humidity should be kept between 50/ 60%. It is nice to have a humidity gage for this. Mine happens to be built into my thermometer. I keep them on the basking side, and another thermometer on the cool side
Feeding
a small boa will eat a fuzzy rat every week. A juvenile will eat a small/ medium rat every week. A sub adult boa will eat a Large/ jumbo rat every 7/10 days. And a adult will eat a jumbo rat/ small rabbit every 7/14 days. You should always feed pre killed or frozen thawed rodents/ rabbits. Not doing so could harm your snake, because the rats fight back.
Handling
when you first get your snake, don’t handle it for about a week or two. Give it time to settle in before you start picking him up. As tough as that is. Wait, you will like the outcome a lot better than if you don’t. For the first month, only you hold him. Let him get used to you. Boas are very smart, and can actually tell people apart. So let him get time to settle in with you, before you let others hold him, if you do. You will truly have a friend for life.
This is just a basic care sheet, I highly recommend that you do more research before getting a boa.
Thanks,
Greg
So, you want to get a red tail? Have you really thought it through? The housing requirements? The size of the snake? In 3 years from now, are you going to be wanting a 8 foot snake? You cant just dump it at a shelter, the shelters don’t want any more big snakes, they have thousands. Its feeding requirements? You have to feed it other animals! Who new? Do you want a snake that will live 25 years? A lot can happen in 25 years. Im not trying to discourage you from getting one, I love mine to death. But all im saying is think about it.
Housing
1. Housing a juvenile boa will be happy with a 10 to 20 gallon tank, with screen lid. But as they get bigger, so does there space needs. Some people say for every 1 foot of snake, have 1 square foot of floor space. I would say to house a full grown BCI a 4 foot by 2 foot by 2 foot enclosure is big enough, but no smaller. For a Bcc, no less than 6 foot by 3 foot by 2 foot. You should furnish the enclosures with a hide box, large water bowl, and substrate of some kind. I prefer indoor/ outdoor carpeting, because its easy to clean, looks nice, and prevents some of the mite problems that come with wood chips. You will also need a heat lamp, with a 100W bulb. And a heat source for night time such as a heat pad.
Temps
your boas temps should be between 80-85 degrees on the basking side during the day and 75- 79 on the cool side. Night time temps should be about 75 on the basking side, and room temp on the cool.
Humidity
your boa humidity should be kept between 50/ 60%. It is nice to have a humidity gage for this. Mine happens to be built into my thermometer. I keep them on the basking side, and another thermometer on the cool side
Feeding
a small boa will eat a fuzzy rat every week. A juvenile will eat a small/ medium rat every week. A sub adult boa will eat a Large/ jumbo rat every 7/10 days. And a adult will eat a jumbo rat/ small rabbit every 7/14 days. You should always feed pre killed or frozen thawed rodents/ rabbits. Not doing so could harm your snake, because the rats fight back.
Handling
when you first get your snake, don’t handle it for about a week or two. Give it time to settle in before you start picking him up. As tough as that is. Wait, you will like the outcome a lot better than if you don’t. For the first month, only you hold him. Let him get used to you. Boas are very smart, and can actually tell people apart. So let him get time to settle in with you, before you let others hold him, if you do. You will truly have a friend for life.
This is just a basic care sheet, I highly recommend that you do more research before getting a boa.
Thanks,
Greg