Feeding a Boa 25 mices part 1
Like 2 Dislike 0 Published on 27 Jan 2016
Boa Constrictor. Homeland: Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Central America. Peru, Trinidad, Tobago and Venezuela depending on the type of boa.Size: can reach up to 14 feet. Lifespan: 20-30 years
It really goes according to the youth, the younger the snake the more frequent they eat. A boa can sometimes when they're younger eat once or twice a week. Then as they get older anywhere from once a week to 10 to 14 days. So if we've got to feed this guy every 10 to 14 days it's important to also understand how long does this guy live?
What kind of food do they eat? Most of the time in captivity, the best thing to do is to feed them mice. Now a common question is how much do I feed my boa constrictor and how big of bait can I use. The basic thing to always do is the thickest part of the snake, other than the head, the thickest part of the snake, is the largest diameter you want for your bait. So you shouldn't have a mouse any bigger than this or a baby rat, okay?
Now snakes are ectotherms, they're cold blooded. So it's very, very important that we set up a terrarium for him to live in that is close to his habitat as we possibly can. For snakes and for boas it's important to number one, have a hiding spot. This guy right now wants to get out of my arms and go find a hiding spot. One of the easiest things to do is to have a plant pot turned over, or a box. They call them hiding boxes and it should be just big enough, so this guy can get in there, curl up and feel nice and secure.
Reptiles arose over 300,000,000 years ago, having evolved from a salamander-like ancestor. They represent a completion of the transition from life in water to a fully terrestrial lifestyle (although some reptiles have returned to the water). Waterproof skin and a water-resistant egg means that reptiles can live in places and ways that amphibians can’t. There are over 8,700 currently recognized species, a large majority of which belong to the group Squamata, which includes the lizards, snakes, and worm-like amphisbaenians.
Allow your snake to acclimate for a couple of weeks to its new home. Start your hatchling off with a single pre-killed week to 10-day old "fuzzy" rat. A smaller sized hatchling may require a small mouse. Larger Boas may be fed larger pre-killed rats. The rule of thumb is that you can feed prey items that are no wider than the widest part of the snake's body. While Boas will often gladly eat prey that is actually too large for it, they will generally regurgitate the prey item one or more days later. Not a pretty sight. If you have not had any experience force feeding a snake, you may not want to try it yourself until you have seen someone do it. Force feeding should be an action of last resort, as it is very stressful for the snake--and the owner! It is very easy to overfeed captive snakes, especially the boas and pythons, as they do not get enough opportunity to exercise and burn calories in captivity as they do in the wild. Be judicious--your snake will get big and impressive soon enough. Feed it enough to keep it healthy, not obese.