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 #2083442


Leonamc
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 NEWBIE

Hey all, so i am completely new to Boas but have aquired a common boa. He is male about 8 months old and is stunning!!!
I am not entirely sure of the set up they need and do not want to assume that they need the same as corn snakes. Do they need a heat mat?? He is in an enclosure with a tub of sphagm moss and a water dish but nothin else at the mo an wanna make sure i not missing nythin important!!

Thanks in advance for any help which is much appreciated. As i said i have neva had a boa b4 jst corn snakes an Chinese Water Dragons as well as tarantula, fish, kittens an puppy.

Leona xx
10/13/09  01:57pm

 #2083444


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Leonamc   In reference to Message Id: 2083442


 NEWBIE

Quite different than a corn. They need humidity (60-70%). Yes, you need a heat pad - UTH preferred. They also need a hide. Cage size depends on the size of your snake. A hatchling will be good in a 10-20 gallon tank. After that, you need to have one sq foot of cage floor per foot of snake. A 20-30 gallon will be good until it is around 4ft long. Although, the more space you can offer, the better (once they get that big). I use a substrate of eco-earth covered with a thin layer of repti-bark. The eco-earth keeps the humidity up and the repti-bark keeps the eco-earth from drying out. They need a hot spot between 88-90 F, with an ambient temp in the low to mid 80s. Mine is in a 20 gallon critter cage right now (although I’m planning his larger cage now) and I keep half the screen top covered with plastic wrap to keep humidity and temps up. I spray mine down about once a day. This depends on how well your cage keeps humidity and how humid your house is. You may have to spray less. I wouldn’t spray more than once a day unless you live in a very dry area. You don’t want mold growing in your cage. Good luck.
10/13/09  02:33pm

 #2083445


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: Leonamc   In reference to Message Id: 2083442


 NEWBIE

First thing. Hurray! You are now the proud owner of a boa.
Second (and probably should really be first) Get thyself to a BOA CARESHEET!!!
There’s some good ones on this site and all over. I recommend googling Brian Sharp and Pete Khal’s Caresheet. Also the Boa Constrictor Handbook by Phillippe de Vosjoli (Sp?) is good reading.

Boas need much higher humidity and warmth than Cornsnakes. 79-80*f on the cool side, 85-88*f on the warm side. They have two lungs and are more suceptable to Respiratory infection if you are not religious about disinfecting the tank monthly and cleaning the substrate right away when they deficate or pass urates. A bowl large enough to soak in is recommended as well. Screen top cages are very difficult to keep humidity up in. If you have it in a 20 gal long, you will need to cover most of the top to keep the humidity in. Sheets of plastic (as in 1/8 inch thick, not saran wrap) Plexi, even aluminum foil can help with that, if thats all you have.

Same rules with corns apply to feeding boas. A rodent the same girth as the snakes body is the appropriate size once a week for growing boas. With full grown adults over 7 feet, you can feed 2-3 Jumbo rats every 10-14 if Small Frozen Thawed Rabbits or Gunea pigs are not available.

They grow FAST. In a year your two foot 8 month old will become a 5 foot monster! By age 3 some localities can reach 8-10 feet. Be sure you can afford an enclosure to suit when the time comes. As an adult, depending upon the individual boa and its locality they will need a 4X2X2 MINIMUM. Basic rule of thumb is a square foot to a foot and a half of floor space per foot pf boa. A 4X2X2 is t herefore good for an 8 foot snake. This enclosure will have to have a temp gradient as well, and be able to keep 50-75% humidity. (75 % in shed, 50-55% other times)

The good news is, when handled often as youngsters, boas are generally quite docile, moving fast only when they strike. (Compared to corns which are always zipping about on the go!) They tend to be very good eaters. And they are beautiful creatures.

Newspaper, Papertowels, aspen, coconut hull fiber, or Reptibark are all good substraits. Cedar/pine shavings are bad. Sand is completely out of they question unless you want impaction. (Remember sand and mud= cement. Sand and feces...same deal basicly- only in your snakes belly. My apologies to anyone eating)

Heat- I personally like a combination of Red Thermal lamp and UTH. Some others swear by one or the other. You need that gradient and Humidity, so do what works for you to acheive that. Keep any lamps away from where they can reach them. If inside a wooden enclosure, cage them in so the snake cannot touch it or they WILL burn themselves. (If you have had corns you probably already know this anyway) One trick Ive used is to put the water dish part way under the heat lamp so it evaporates into the tank. It helps me keep humidity up! That and coconut hull fiber bedding has done the trick in my dry apartment.

IMO, They are to snakes what Great Danes are to Dogs I think. Huge, well proportioned with striking features, and really mellow usually.



10/13/09  02:34pm

 #2083746


Bciaddict
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   Message To: Fairy Frog Mother   In reference to Message Id: 2083445


 NEWBIE

Welcome to the addiction!

Amie
10/14/09  06:45am

 #2083844


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Bciaddict   In reference to Message Id: 2083746


 NEWBIE

they are totally addictive. Since I got my male, I’ve had three opportunities to obtain more (two females and a male). I’ve had to turn them down, but it was hard. If I had it my way I’d have four right now.
10/14/09  12:56pm

 #2084864


Fairy Frog Mother
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   Message To: ReptileJay   In reference to Message Id: 2083844


 NEWBIE

Since I got my pair, Ive rehomed a rescue, had an offer of another rescue (my sisters damn upstairs neighbor again had another escape, this one is worse off. I should call her and see if it made it, but she is hoping to rehome it. I told her Id ask IF it makes it through to eating again and if the lump in its back isnt a broken back or deformation from starvation) If I had the address Id report him and get all his animals taken away!
Oh then I babysat corn snakes for the summer and they laid eggs a week after they got here, hatched em out and now have 4 neonate corns. 2 are staying here one mine and one for a friend, 2 go back to the teacher as soon as the one that is being finicky eats another meal.

They are addictive.

I wonder how Lucy is doing? Dumerils, if you’re reading I want pictures!!!



10/16/09  08:27pm

 #2084866


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Fairy Frog Mother   In reference to Message Id: 2084864


 NEWBIE

For me, there is a military wife here whose husband bought a female bcc and now he’s deployed and she doesn’t want to deal with it. Another guy has a male he can’t keep because he’s moving back to the east coast and he can’t have him where he’s going. Another guy is moving on post, and we’re not allowed to have exotics on post, and another woman had a female who had a litter of 6 and she can’t get rid of the last one and offered it to me for free. But my wife has put the brakes on me.



10/16/09  08:37pm

 #2087864


Leonamc
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   Message To: ReptileJay   In reference to Message Id: 2084866


 NEWBIE

Thanks for all the info i know now wat i gotta do!! I have added a pic of Riker for you guys 2 c him but it not a great 1 he sheddin so didn’t wanna disturb him 2 much. He gets handled every day so hopefully he wiol b placid enough wen he a bigger boy lol

Thanks again xx



PS he is in a snake tank which is fully enclosed with glass sliding doors at the front!!
10/23/09  10:18am

 #2087969


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Leonamc   In reference to Message Id: 2087864


 NEWBIE

He looks healthy. i don’t suggest aspen shavings with these guys though. It doesn’t hold humidity and is known to grow mold very easily when it does get wet. If you want a natural substrate, repti-bark would be a better choice. I use a base layer of eco-earth (compressed coconut husk, fairly cheap) with a layer of repti-bark over the top. The repti bark keeps him from swallowing any eco-earth during eating and it keeps the eco-earth nice and moist.



10/23/09  04:32pm

 #2088121


Leonamc
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   Message To: ReptileJay   In reference to Message Id: 2087969


 NEWBIE

Thanks folks - i have ordered some eco-earth and repti bark this morning, thought i had some as thts wat my CWD’s use but alas no but as soon as tht comes i will re-arrange his tank (could b a good few days tho wi the damn postal strikes!!). He has a heat mat and a small heat light there. His water dish and a tub filled with sphagm moss which is kept moist - i was told this is where he wld go when shedding but when he shed hi didn’t use it he went thru his water dish again an again!!!

I really should have researched boa’s a bit better b4 i got him but as he was a rescue i only had a few hours notice. I got him and another corn at the same time but i have my own 9yr old female corn so no worries wi the male corn i got.

Well thanks folks really appreciate ur help - it’s great being able 2 come on here an get plenty advice an tips from every1!!

Leona x



10/24/09  05:29am

 #2088237


ReptileJay
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   Message To: Leonamc   In reference to Message Id: 2088121


 NEWBIE

Don’t be hard on yourself. There is always times when a snake just falls in your lap. Either it is a rescue or you’re at a show and can’t pass it up. I say as long as you do all your research within the first 24 hours, you’re cool. If you know you’re going to get a snake, than yeah, research it first. I go to reptile expos planning on buying one particular snake and then I run into something I like and the breeder offers me a deal I can’t pass up, what I am supposed to do? "Oh no, hold on to him while I run home and google 20 care sheets on this snake!" No, I take the snake and google when I get home.



10/24/09  02:36pm

 #2088854


Thumpercool
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   Message To: ReptileJay   In reference to Message Id: 2088237


 NEWBIE

welcome to the boa forum



10/26/09  07:30pm


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