If your thinking of getting a pet Boa Constrictor, either for you or your child, you probably have a lot of questions. I'll try to answer the most basic ones in this post.
How big do they get?
This depends on many factors, however you can expect 8 to 9 feet to be the biggest you would ever see. Depending on the sub-species and locality, this size question can vary. Most pet stores are going to have Columbian Boa's (BCI) these are considered 'common Boas' yet the pet stores will call them "red tails". If you have a male, and you feed him normally with a medium rat being his biggest meal ever, every 7 days or so, he shouldn't exceed 6 feet. Females do tend to get a bit bigger, but any common Boa over 7 1/2 feet and 15-25lbs would be considered the minorities.
What do they eat, how often?
This is the part that turns a lot of people off, they have to eat rodents. The good thing is today, rats and mice are available frozen, so you don't have to feed your snake live prey anymore. My poor mother hated snakes, and she hated rodents even more, but frozen feeders weren't around when I was a kid. It's definetily a luxury that should not be taken for granted. Your pet Boa only has to eat once a week or so, and rodents are not expensive.
How's their temperament?
To me, this is the best part about the common Boa. They usually have great temperaments, and I think the combination of their size and activeness make them great pets. For example, Corn Snakes are usually mild tempered as well, but they're very high strung. Ball Pythons also have a nice disposition, but sometimes they roll into a ball and don't move! LOL Boa's are more active, but not to the point of "I cant hold on to this thing, oh man, he's behind the couch".
Of course, there is exceptions to every rule. But for the most part, their the perfect combination of active and calm, in my opinion.
What kind of cage and supplies do I need?
You don't need much, (for a baby) at the pet store they will try to sell you a 10 gallon aquarium, and some astro-turf, maybe a heat rock. All of that stuff is not necessary, and in fact, a heat rock can be dangerous. The last thing a baby Boa wants is a giant cage with HUGE windows on all 4 sides. Snakes like to feel secure, so I always use the sterilite storage tubs. When their babies, you can use the 'boot box' size storage tub, I think they're like 16" by 8", they have good secure lids, you just have to make sure you drill air holes around the container. Newspaper as flooring, a water bowl and hiding spot. I used to make my hiding spots, this is good cause you can throw them away instead of cleaning them. Any small card board box can be used with some miner cutting and a roll of tape. The Boa should fit snug inside his hide. They sell the under tank heat mats, these are fine but you must pay close attention to them until you have them figured out. They can get HOT, yes hot enough to hurt your Boa. It is best to put these heat mats on a thermostat or rheo-stat so it will shut off at a certain temperature. These thermostats are inexpensive, and you can usually get them set to stay at at certain temperature. If your going to use a heat lamp, you should consider a heat mat just for night time, Boas love the night time the last thing they want is a bright light shining 24-7.
Here's A "Simple Set Up" the only thing I'd Add Is A Hiding Spot.
You can almost always buy supplies in one place, all the supplies you'll need. in one place, all the supplies you'll need.
Where should I get my Boa?
This is a good question, thanks to the "wwww" which is the wonderful world wide web, you don't have to get your pet snake in a pet store from a guy that only knows about goldfish.
The other problem with pet store snakes is there's a good chance your going to get a "captive hatched/born" baby as apposed to a captive bred baby. Believe it or not, there is a significant difference. A captive hatched baby is born in captivity, but this means that the eggs (most snakes), or gravid Mom (Boas are born live) was wild caught while pregnant, but was bred in the wild. Wild animals most likely have parasites, or diseases captive bred animals aren't exposed to. A captive bred baby was not only born in captivity, but also bred in captivity. These babies generally do better in captivity. Another advantage of buying your Boa online is, they will be less expensive, and you can request a more mild tempered animal if it's going to be your first pet snake. There is plenty of Boa wesites online, as well as classifieds. Try looking @ Kingsnake.com, the snake will be shipped to you Fed-ex priority overnight, it's perfectly legal and safe, I've acquired ALL of my snakes this way. Be sure to check your states regulations regarding large snakes before you place an order.
What temperature does they're cage have to be?
There is a few right answers to this question, for me, the perfect temperature range for a young boa is 80-84 degrees with a hot spot that's about 90-94 degrees. In a perfect world, you'd figure a way to drop those temps at night when the lights went out.however, this is not necessary unless you eventually plan to breed your Boa(s).
How much maintenance is involved in owning a Boa Constrictor?
Boa's are pretty low maintenance. They only eat once a week so they don't poop much. This is the main reason I suggest newspaper as a substrate (cage flooring) this way when you do your cleaning, you can just throw away the used news paper. When you have that silly (repti-rug) astro-turf, you have to wash it every time you clean the cage. You should try and clean your Boas cage at least once a week. It's an easy job, chuck the newspaper, and run the water bowl and hides under really hot water. Dry em up, and your done. Doing that at least once a week with needed pick ups here and there, and lastly a good monthly cleaning. Bleach and water, 10 parts water 1 part bleach. Make sure everything is dry, and doesn't smell like bleach before you put your Boa back in his home.
Do they make good pets for a child?
I wanna just say yes, but only for children older than a mature 12, older than that better yet. Also it's always best to start out with a younger/smaller Boa, so your child and his new pet can grow together. Another advantage of purchasing your snake online is you can request a mild tempered animal. Bottom line, you know your child better than anyone, will they stay on top of the cleaning and feeding? Or will they be sick of the snake after 2 months? If you have a responsible 12 year old, that seems sincerely interested in snakes, they'll be good keepers, and they'll probably never out grow it, I never did.
Hope This Helps,
VinnyBock
Please Check out my friend Gerry @ http://ssscales.com
Not only does Gerry have a great selection of ball pythons, he's great about answering ANY and all of your questions as well as giving you lifetime e-mail support to guarantee a smooth transition from his place to yours.
No comments:
Post a Comment