There are a few different variations on breeding boas, but I like the boaphile way (or what I This boa was in rough shape. He is about 14 months, 2.8ft and 495g, This is my first boa and i just want to make sure I’m not power feeding, Hi Dillion, I recently acquired a 10 year old BCI. When popping a boa constrictor you are trying to evert the hemipenes of the male or the musk glands of a female in order to determine the sex. By the thickness of the snake it should be on one medium rat per feeding. An Albino boa is absent or deficient in melanin (also known as amelanistic). The chart above is a rough outline of how I feed my boas! Note: I always transition from the “summer” to the “winter” feed schedule and visa-versa. Here is the same from above boa 1-year later: Note you can also see a groove running down the middle of the tail indicating lateral muscle development on the tail. Cookies disclaimer. This number will be smaller for younger females. I have no idea where the lady got this information from but she was feeding the boa 4-5 mouse fuzzies (2-3 g each) per week!! There should be no protruding spine and absolutely no rolls or fat rings (wrinkles in the skin are normal). I print these sheets out and put them in a binder (I like writing things by hand), but I also made the PDF fill-able so you can keep a digital copy instead. Snakes , like most reptiles store the majority of their fat intra-abdominally, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgZGtLElMRA, There is no clear-cut, black and white answer to feeding. I will update the chart as move up in prey size. I also closely follow the care protocol Vin Russo, lays out in his book Complete Boa Constrictor. During courting the male boa will be incessant in his actions, he will ‘scratch’ the females body with his spurs and be in constant contact with her. Hi I have a new Boa. Boa Constrictor Feeding Chart: When, what and how often should I be feeding? Once a female is gravid you may also notice a change in her behaviour, she will coil very tightly on the warm side of her enclosure and may in fact not move from this position for a number of days. I can’t stress that enough. The body is rectangular and the back is shaped like a loaf of bread. It can be very easy to forgot when you last feed you animal if you didn’t write it down. I would definitely slow down on her feedings though. Boa constrictor feeding chart included. Content on this site may contain affiliate links. I have a columbian red tall boa, still a baby, is it better to feed in the day or night? She will also look a lot thinner than expected and will pass a very small urate, which is waxier in appearance than usual. A large female can have upwards of 50 babies in a litter, although the average is usually closer to 30. Are the extra-large rats leaving her with a slight lump? This boa should have already been on 10-12 g hoppers at this point. The birthing process usually takes place during the night although but can also happen during the day. Humidity is very important at this early stage. Hope that helps! *This is his current weight at 3 years old. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Before your Boas enter the cooling period it is crucial that they are in robust health and have no lingering health issues that could flare up under cooler temperatures. Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff! The warmer you keep you boas, the faster their metabolism is, the more you’ll have to feed. Males can breed from 18 months to 2 years of age. If not I would try something slightly larger (again you’re only looking for a slight lump after the meal). If you think she is losing weight you might try a larger prey item? Yes, your boa definitely regurgitated due to the stress of changing its environment. OR Click this link: Boa constrictor feeding chart. Quickly calculate genetics of possible offspring when breeding boa constrictors. In other words, they are predisposed to only gain what we call “the dangerous fat” in humans. Shes heavy and fat but no overweight rings. I would think an under-weight boa is more likely to be due to a parasite or illness in most cases. I was told it was being fed 5 mice, once a month. And if he needs to eat something bigger where can I find bigger frozen feed. Unlike Ball Pythons, we don’t work off a schedule for introducing and removing the males. These Boas require a Cooling period in winter during which breeding will take place. Again, I will show you a breakdown chart of the feed schedule I have followed with by boas and what I plan on doing in the future as they mature. About 7 foot. Wizard shows chart and interactive results of morphs, with clutch stats, and links back into inventory. As a general rule, males should be about 4feet long and females 6 feet, and both should also exhibit good muscle tone. You can follow a general guide BUT you must stay in-tune with your animal by: Watching body tone, keeping track of weight. Although unsure on age she appears very healthy is heavy and pretty docile. Try your best to pick a meal size that is slightly smaller or equal to the thickest part of the animal. KEEP track of your feeding! Also I have provided a FREE Boa Constrictor Feeding Chart to help you keep an accurate log. Every animal is different, it is up to you to understand your animal’s behaviors and feed appropriately. If any pressure is felt, stop applying any pushing movement, it could be that you have a female or that it’s a male that has tensed it muscles and stopped the probe from going the full length of the inverted hemipene. During the time I completely changed her habitat and about 15-20 minutes after putting her back in habitat, she regurgitated. For more info on CA Boas, I made this video, it might help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgZGtLElMRA. *ONLY seasonally feed your boa if you provide a temperature drop during the winter months*. Especially if you have more than one or two! Once a female has ovulated she enters a shed cycle, this cycle will happen about 15-20 days after ovulation, and this is the best indicator for when to expect your litter of boas. Females are also widely dispersed. I have read tons of material, including anything I can find by Vin Russo, but it is just soo nice to have all of the information laid out here for reference. This chart indicates the days between meals in the two right hand columns. She stayed in it for a couple hours. Boa Constrictor: What Size to feed & how often? So we fell into the habit of 4-6 week feedings. First, I should say: I am not an expert! Once seasonal rains have subsided and give way to the dry season, male boa constrictors embark on the task of seeking out a mate. First, if the body shape is as good as you say then the animal is likely not malnourished or stunted. Or will it continue to grow to normal boa size once I switch to the mediums rats, Hi Johnny, That does seem small for a 10 yr old BCI however, there are a few things to keep in mind! It will also have a reduced muscle tone. It is important to record all significant dates, such as ovulation and her post ovulation shed (POS). There are a few different variations on breeding boas, but I like the boaphile way (or what I The take away is this: The chart above is a general idea of what a feeding schedule should look like, but you need to be in-tune enough with your animals to know how to adjust it for their benefit. I thought she was joking, she wasn’t. To be on the safe side, withdraw the probe, re lubricate and try the other side. If you never see your boa “hunt” (i.e. Because there are no two animals alike and you need to know what is best for your boa. Below I have a chart that indicates the size of prey and the weight of my male boa at the time (He is 50% Colombian/ 50% Sonoran, i.e. Reading body language- remember the act of hunting itself is not a cue to feed, but hunting can indicate if you need to adjust your estimated feed plan. Selective breeding. How big are the rats you are feeding her? Snakes are not adapted to be able to easily store large amounts of fat. Y-Axis: Blue Line= Boa’s weight (g) and Orange Line= Meal Size (g). Next comes the joyous moment - the birth of your baby Boas. Animalsathome.ca is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Excessive wrinkling and “ring” shaped fat deposits are a sure sign of an over-weight boa. As I say in the article it is very easy to make a snake overweight (even if they don’t look overweight they can be). If you want simpler/ safer heat use a radiant heat panel or a heat mat. If they start hunting one day after you feed, you may not being feeding large enough meals. he will be smaller than a normal common boa). The picture above should give you a decent idea of what is meant by the “square” body shape. learn about successful ways to treat solidified yolk syndrome, check out the full care guide, Update – Hypo Snow Leopard Gecko and Poss SHTCT, Jungle Leopard Gecko Babies @ SuperiorMorphs.com, Sunglow Motleybesque Boa Constrictor – Guy Scavone II. Feeding her every 4-6 weeks sounds perfectly okay to me. Again this is a delicate procedure that can harm the snake if done incorrectly. At the most, the meal should produce a slight lump. I tried feeding her smaller rats and more often but no luck. My question, is this snakes growth stunted? Reason being is there are many factors that could alter how often you feed, the most important being temperature. I use coco-husk for my substrate and like it quite a bit, it absorbs waste really well. Boa constrictors are not hard to care for, but it is important that you stick to a proper care plan. It is pretty easy to make an animal fat! At 3 months a hopper mouse every 7-14 days would be more appropriate. Give it 3 weeks to recover and try feeding again. The only way to help you learn your animal’s body language and habits is by keeping a proper log so you have something to refer to. Babies are kept at 90F and always have fresh water and a hide available. Breeding projects are one of the most fascinating and dynamic aspects of Boa Constrictors in captivity today. Breeding . Climbing can be a great way to increase muscle tone. You want the meal-sized to only leave a slight lump in their body. Privacy Policy | Affiliate Disclaimer | Full Disclaimer | Terms of Service | . In other words the animal should be more shaped like a square tube than a round one. Slow Motion! Each baby is removed individually, wiped with paper towel and moved into a sweater box sized tub. This article answers many of the boa constrictor feeding questions many beginners have. Vin is a legend in the Boa world, he has more experience than most people in the industry and in my opinion his recommendations are very valuable. Spoiler Alert: There is no simple, straightforward answer. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). After roughly 3-4 weeks of the cooling regime, we begin to introduce males into the female’s enclosure. Boa bloodlines are very mixed up at this point so there is really no way to know what you have. When I think “small rat” I think something around 50-100 g, maybe you are feeding something smaller than that?
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