Boa Constrictor
About Boa Constrictors
Area of origin: Central and South America
Adult size: 5-9ft on average, however some do exceed this
Captive lifespan: 25-30 years
To see how I’ve set up Zeke, my own Boa Constrictor’s habitat, check out this video!
Housing, heating & lighting
Enclosure
Something I consider to be a non-debatable fact, is that Boa Constrictors need large enclosures. They’re large snakes with heavy bodies that need room to stretch to their full length. My big boy, Zeke, is a almost 8ft long currently and in a 8x2x2ft enclosure. He’ll need more space soon. One deciding factor as to whether I’ll ever have another Boa Constrictor in my life is if I’ll have space for another 12ft enclosure. Probably not! Give enclosure size requirements some serious thought before falling for a cute baby boa!
We’ve covered enclosure length, now what about height? I’d love to give Zeke more height as he really enjoys climbing- although the structure of the enclosure may suffer so I’ll have to see what added support can be included. For now he has a “fallen tree” and some other pieces of natural woods in the enclosure. Hides are a must- and these can be natural or otherwise, it’s a place for your snake to feel secure and a place they should be left alone. A pond filter cover did the job for a hide for Zeke, and some well placed decor on his cooler end provide a good coverage for him to hide away.
Heating
Boa Constrictors should be provided with a good heat gradient, with heat coming from above. As these snakes are heavy bodied, the use of heat mats is not advised. Your snake can lie on the mat, causing a thermal block, and become badly burnt. Second to that, snakes like to burrow to cool down- if they encounter heat upon burrowing, it’s rather unnatural. Replicating the way the sun heats the earth, and providing heat retaining items below, will keep your boa very happy and comfortable.
I prefer to use ceramic heat emitters, which are always suitably guarded to prevent burns.
You will be aiming for a temperature gradient of almost 10 degrees Celsius, with a cooler end of 24°C moving through to 29°C towards the warmer end of the enclosure. Your basking temperatures will sit between 32-34°C.
Lighting
Boa Constrictors require a day/night cycle, so some form of lighting is required. You can introduce UVB at 6% if you choose, and the majority of boas will really appreciate it (avoid providing UV for albino animals unless it’s sufficiently diffused). You know your snake best, so it’s up to you if you’d like to introduce a UV zone. Bear in mind, this must be a zone of no more than 75% of the enclosure.
Feeding & handling
Feeding
Boa Constrictors are often (and aptly) nicknamed the rubbish bin of the reptile room. They will happily eat and eat and eat. In fact, if your boa refuses food, it can often be a sign of illness- so keep an eye out if they’re turning their nose up.
Whilst boas do get rather large, most males stay a little smaller and will happily eat rats their entire lives. Variety is the spice of life though, so adding in the odd small guinea pig, or gerbil while they’re younger, is a good idea. Larger boas can also have small rabbits introduced, however they don’t need to be fed often at this size, every 3-4 weeks is sufficient.
Handling
Young boas can be a little nippy but this doesn’t usually last long. They’re fairly slow moving, inquisitive snakes and will let you know with a spot of heavy breathing if they’re annoyed. It’s respecting these little warnings that will help you avoid getting a heftier warning in the form of a bite.
Boas can be head strong, so my preferred method of handling is supporting their movement, whilst gently directing, rather than manhandling too much.
Large, adult boas should be handled with care. Two hands should be used to support the body when lifting to avoid any damage to the spine or ribs. It’s not advised to place your boa around your neck unless you are very comfortable reading your snake’s body language.