Boa Constrictor Care Sheet

The boa constrictor, which gives its latin name to an entire group of snakes, is commonly kept as a pet and with good reason. It is a beautiful snake, relatively easy to care for, and tolerant of regular handling making it an ideal species for many owners. There are several sub-species but those most commonly available are BCC (boa constrictor constrictor) which is a large snake growing to 8 - 10 feet in length, and BCI (boa constrictor imperator) which is considerably smaller and males may not exceed 6 feet. Coloration ranges between browns to grays with a strikeing saddle pattern on the back and tail turning red towards the tail. Young snakes looks lighter in color when compared to adults.

Common Name: Boa Constrictor

Scientific name: Boa Constrictor

Natural Location: Mexico all the way through South America.

Size: 5 - 10 feet or more depending on subspecies.

Life span: More than 20 years.

Enclosure: Young boa constrictors can be adequately housed in a 2' vivarium, but they will out-grow it quickly. Appropriate sizes vivariums for a single adult would be 6' by 3' by 3'. They should be of a non-porous material which can be easily cleaned, such as melamine, rather than untreated wood. Good ventilation, and slideing glass doors with a secure fit are essential.

Temperature: Day time temperatures should be aroud 80° to 85° F with a basking area of 95° F. Night time temperatures can drop to around 75° to 80° F. Ceramic bulbs are ideal since these boas are nocturnal hunters, but they must be properly guarded with a cage to prevent burns.

Substrate: While many boa owners use natural substrates such as wood shavings, I prefer to keep my snakes on newspaper. It doesn't look as good, but it is free, hygienic and safe. If you decide to use a loose substrate it is essential to either feed out of the enclosure (in a separate plastic tub) or on a sheet of newspaper over the substrate, to prevent ingestion.

Environment: Humidity can be regulated by adjusting the size and position of the water bowl relative to the heat source. Boas like to soak before shedding so a bowl large enough for your snake to submerge itself is essential, as are hides such as hollow bark, or even cardboard boxes. Some boes will climb, especially when young, ro secure branches are also a good addition.

Diet: Rodents of a suitable sized should be fed weekly for young snakes, and only fortnightly for adults. Young boas can be offered fuzzy mice, while very large adults can be fed large rats or even rabbits. These snakes are prone to obesity in captivity so take care not to overfeed.

Maintenance: The enclosure must be spot cleaned for feces every day while changing the water. Fully cleaning the vivarium and disinfecting should be carried out weekly. If you keep more than one snake new additions should be quaranined for 3 months, preferably in a different room. Breeding information is beyond the scope of this article but these boas are relatively easy to breed in captivity and a good book will give details for brumation.

Boa care
Guide to the care and husbandry of boas and pythons