Boa Constrictor

The Boa constrictor is large snake originating from the central and South American rainforests along with parts of the Savanna. The Boa constrictor, constricts its victim by wrapping tightly around the body until the prey is suffocated.

Fast Facts

1. Diet: Birds, rodents and small mammals
2. Lifespan: 35 years or more
3. Weight: 60 pounds
4. Length: Up to 13 feet
5. Excellent swimmers
6. Often killed for their skin

Handling

After bringing your new pet Boa home, give it a couple days to get use to its new surroundings. Handle your Boa gently, not forcing it it stay still. Your new pet may get frighten and hiss or lash its tail, don't let this behavior scare you into putting the snake back in its cage, doing so will only reinforce this behavior and the snake will think it is controlling you. Gentle persist in your handling.

Handling should be done daily and soon your Boa will begin to establish a level of trust. Alway be as gentle as possible, and try to avoid sudden movements or loud noises. If you snake wraps around your neck, unwind it by grasping it by the tail and gently unwrapping it. ¹

Feeding

It is important to give your new snake time to acclimate to its new surroundings before attempting to feed it. Wait at least two weeks, any earlier might cause undo stress on the reptile.

Start by offering your Boa one pre-killed week to ten day old "fuzzy" rat. A smaller sized baby Boa may need a small mouse or "pinky" mouse. while larger Boas can be feed large pre-killed rats. It's a good idea to get your pet snake used to eating pre-killed food, this prevents injury to your snake.

Offer food that is no wider then your snake. Foods larger then the snake will result in regurgitation.

Feeding should be done every four weeks. ²

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