In all cases check the performance of thermostats with an accurate thermometer. Proportional, auto-dimming thermostats will reduce high surface temperatures, prolong heater life and create a more natural environment without temperature cycling and temperature zones. Heaters and spotlights can be housed within mesh cages while heater mats and warming cables can be hidden under a false floor. Illuminating spot-lights can only be used during the day to provide the snake with a basking area.Īll heating devices, especially those with a high surface temperature, must be screened off from the snakes to avoid fatal or disfiguring burns. Ceramic heaters, soil-warming cables and under-floor heater mats can be used to provide day and night heating. Since most originate in rainforests, they have limited ability to regulate their body temperature between extremes. Serious viral diseases can decimate a prized collection. Vivariums should be cleaned daily and the water bowl scrubbed thoroughly at least once a week.įinally, new snakes should be kept in quarantine for at least a month before they’re introduced to other snakes. Also, boas like to loll around in the water, so a container large enough for the snake to completely immerse itself is essential, especially if shedding is to occur normally. Mount a few branches in the enclosure just make sure they’re secure so they don’t come tumbling down on the snake. A 2-inch strip of fine mesh running along the entire back wall of the cage and ventilation panels should provide enough fresh air.īoas like to climb, especially when small. Many succumb to respiratory infections if there isn’t enough airflow. Ventilation is probably the most overlooked facet in keeping boas. The floor should be lined with artificial turf or newspaper. It should be at least 2 feet high so lights and heaters can be mounted on the screen top of the enclosure and out of harm’s way. The vivarium should be made of fiberglass with thick glass panels sealed at the edges so the snake can’t escape. While they will tolerate the presence of other animals in their space, two snakes together is usually one too many, especially at feeding time. As a general guide, a single adult boa should be kept in a vivarium (fancy word for snake house) measuring 6 feet by 2 feet or bigger for exceptionally large specimens.īoas are nocturnal and like to swim and climb.
Boa constrictor pet dangers full#
What a Boa Needsīoas need space – enough room to stretch out to full length and get some exercise. But with their powerful coils, the bigger snakes are capable of crushing a man. Generally they don’t offer much resistance once they’re removed from their hiding places.
They are not known for being aggressive, but some are more temperamental than others.
Even a medium-sized constrictor can squeeze tightly enough to kill a cat, or dog, or a child. Never Trust a Boaīe very, very careful if you are introducing a boa into a home with small children or pets. Small black spots cover the whole body.īaby boas grow fast, reaching 4 to 5 feet within a year and can reach 8 feet in length at maturity. In some animals the tail takes a reddish color. These saddles become darker and closer together toward the tail.
Boa constrictor pet dangers series#
They vary greatly in coloration and patterns, but usually they are gray or a pinkish-brown with a series of dark saddles running down their back. They have a thick body and a fairly narrow neck supporting a triangular head.
What They Are Likeīoas are among the longest living of all species of snakes, with life spans of 20 years and more not uncommon. Some live near bodies of fresh water in semi-desert regions, coastal deserts, grasslands and in woodlands, but most live in rain forests and steaming equatorial jungles. Where They Liveīoas range from Northern Mexico south to Argentina and have also been found in the West Indies. If you are thinking about getting a boa constrictor, here are a few things you need to know about this popular snake. They still retain anatomical features that reflect their lizard descendents. As snakes go, the boa constrictor is considered primitive.
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