Top 30 How Long Can A Boa Go Without Food Trust The Answer

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A baby snake will begin to seriously starve after roughly a week without food — and once that baby grows into an adult, members of most snake species can comfortably get by for at least two to three weeks. But the time it takes for a snake to starve can depend significantly on the species.A feeding schedule of every 5 to 7 days is suitable for babies, while adults can be fed once every 7 to 10 days. It is healthier for a snake to eat smaller portions more frequently than it is to feed larger portions less frequently. All red tail boas should be fed pre-killed prey for the safety of the snake.Depending on the boa’s age, the process of settling in enough to eat can take up to a month. If your boa still isn’t eating regularly, the first thing you need to do is check the enclosure’s temperatures and humidity. Snakes aren’t stupid — they won’t eat if it’s not warm enough for them to be able to digest the meal.

Can Snakes In the Wild Go Longer Without Eating Than Pet Snakes?

Wild snake types	Regular feeding
Mojave Rattlesnake	Once in 1 to 2 weeks
Anaconda	4 to 5 times a year
Python	Twice a week juveniles Once every 1 or 2 weeks adults
Boa Constrictor	Once in 5 to 7 days juveniles Once in 10 to 14 days adults

Contents

How long can a snake go without eating?

How often should a boa be fed?

A feeding schedule of every 5 to 7 days is suitable for babies, while adults can be fed once every 7 to 10 days. It is healthier for a snake to eat smaller portions more frequently than it is to feed larger portions less frequently. All red tail boas should be fed pre-killed prey for the safety of the snake.

Why did my boa stop eating?

Depending on the boa’s age, the process of settling in enough to eat can take up to a month. If your boa still isn’t eating regularly, the first thing you need to do is check the enclosure’s temperatures and humidity. Snakes aren’t stupid — they won’t eat if it’s not warm enough for them to be able to digest the meal.

Do snakes starve themselves?

Yes they can and will starve them selves to death.

How do you know if a snake is hungry?

Signs that your snake is hungry, include:

Prowling Behavior. Your snake will move along the front of the enclosure more often. …
Air Tasting. …
Moving Between Hides. …
Soaking and Resting Less. …
Focussing on You. …
Feeding and Hunting Schedule.

Can a snake go 2 weeks without eating?

Generally speaking, snakes can go a long time without being fed or eating. Nearly all snakes can last a few weeks, no problem. Similarly, most snakes can even last a few months. After the two-month mark, certain snakes will begin to starve.

Are boas picky eaters?

Healthy Colombian red-tailed boas (Boa constrictor imperator) are typically enthusiastic feeders, even as neonates. They’re rarely fussy or picky eaters and thrive on a diet of appropriately sized, already killed rats throughout most if not all of their lives.

Do boas need hides?

Housing the Boa Constrictor

The minimum size is around 10 square feet of floor space for a single snake. Hide boxes are essential to make your snake feel secure. A minimum of two hides should be provided in the enclosure, one at each end of the temperature gradient.

How often should I feed my 2 year old boa constrictor?

Boa’s will eat essentially whenever a meal “wanders” by. In the wild not only does this not happen often, they are not always successful when they strike. Your job is to mimic the wild conditions as much as possible. Your boa would likely take a meal everyday if you let it!

How do you know if your snake is dying?

Breathing issues are one of the major signs of a dying snake. You can come to know that if your snake is straining to breathe or is breathing by keeping its mouth open. Apart from these, you may also hear your snake gasping for air or wheezing loudly.

Can snakes recognize their owners?

Snakes are able to recognise and distinguish between humans and may recognise the scent of their owner as familiar or positive with time. However, snakes are unable to view humans as companions so cannot form a bond with their owner like other pets can.

Do snakes like cuddles?

Snakes do not tend to enjoy cuddling because they have evolved to be solitary creatures. It’s unlikely that snakes respond to physical contact the way mammals and birds do. However, over time a snake can associate you as a positive part of its life due to providing food and heat.

Do pet snakes feel affection?

They will not display emotions as cats or dogs do, but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy the company of their owners. Pet snakes are shy creatures, and although most will show affection without asking for anything in return, experts say you’ll have to work hard to earn your pet’s love.

What happens if a snake doesn’t eat?

Refusing to eat is a signal that your snake is stressed. It should come as no surprise that snakes are routine animals and don’t like change so very much. If your snake has just been brought to his new home and is not eating, there are very high chances that your snake is refusing food due to the stress of moving.

How do I know when my snake is dying?

The most common signs that may signify a dying snake include:

Breathing problems.
Abnormal posture.
Scale-related issues.
Sudden weight loss.
Lack of appetite.
Unusual discharge.
Weakness.
Dehydration.

How long can a snake live lost in a house?

Most snakes can live several months without food.

Pretty any snake can last 4-5 weeks without eating, and most can survive for two months.

How long can a snake go without drinking water?

Scientists curious about how the pelagic sea snake survives have found that the creatures can go up to 6 or 7 months without drinking fresh water, Smithsonian magazine reports. Rainfall, which sometimes doesn’t occur for months, is the Hydrophis (Pelamis) platurus’ only chance at hydrating.

How Long Can You Actually Go Without Eating?

How Long Can Snakes Survive Without Food? – Reptile Craze

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Table of Contents:

How Long Can Snakes Go Without Eating

What Affects Snakes’ Ability to Survive Without Food

Can Snakes In the Wild Go Longer Without Eating Than Pet Snakes

When Should Owners Start to Worry When Their Snakes Refuse to Eat

Is It Possible That a Snake Starves Itself

Conclusion

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How Long Can Snakes Survive Without Food? – Reptile Craze

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Table of Contents:

How Snakes Consume Their Prey

How Snakes Expend Their Energy

How Snakes Digest Their Prey

The Average Snake’s Dietary Schedule

How Long Snakes Can Go Without Food

How Long Can Snakes Survive Without Food? – Reptile Craze

It is natural that first-time snake owners have tons of questions about their pet feeding. The crucial ones are how long can snakes go without eating and what affects their ability to survive without food. Let’s see what experts say.

Snakes can survive an impressively long period without food, ranging from a few weeks to two years, like other reptiles. It primarily depends on their species, age, and living conditions. A regularly fed pet snake will have different needs than those surviving in the harsh surroundings in the wild.

This article aims are to find out how long snakes can live without eating. That period significantly varies between species living in the wild and your pet.

How Long Can Snakes Go Without Eating?

Over 3,000 snake species live worldwide, including 20% venomous. Only a few can be pet snakes you can keep at your home. However, it is crucial to learn about their habits before adopting one. For instance, snakes’ eating habits remarkably vary, depending on species, their specific anatomy, and origin.

Even though some can consume human food, you need to follow established guidelines to keep your pet long-lived and healthy. Plus, you should check on time how long it can go without eating if necessary.

Pet snake types Regular feeding How long can they go without eating? Corn Snake Once in 7 to 10 days 1 to 2 weeks California Kingsnake Once in 5 to 7 days in the first year Once in 10 to 14 days later Up to 6 months Children’s Python Once in 7 to 10 days A few weeks Carpet Python Once in 7 to 10 days Weeks to a few months Ball Python Twice a week juveniles Once in 7 to 14 days adults At least 6 months Rosy Boa Once in 7 to 10 days 14 days Milk Snake Once a week juveniles Once in 7 to 14 adults 6 weeks Western Hognose Snake Every 5 days juveniles Once a week adults 1 to 3 months Garter Snake Every other day juveniles Once a week adults 2 to 3 months Smooth Green Snake Once or twice per week A few weeks Cape House Snake Once a week A few weeks Kenyan Sand Boa Once a week Up to a year Rough Green Snake 2 to 3 times a week A few weeks

Snakes can survive for a long without food, but their feeding schedule depends on numerous factors. Let’s take Ball Python and Corn Snake, the most popular pet snakes in the US, as examples.

Since Corn Snake is relatively small, it needs food every 7 to 10 days and can live hungry for an additional week or two without any consequences.

On the other hand, you should provide an adult Ball Python meal once in 10 to 14 days. This large snake can starve for at least six months, but its juveniles will look for food twice a week.

When considering snakes’ feeding habits, you should pay attention to brumation, the specific period of slowing down snake metabolism.

Most reptiles will stop eating during the winter, so you shouldn’t worry about your pet’s immobility and disinterest in food in that period.

In fact, many owners prepare necessary conditions at a particular time of year to allow their pets to fulfill their instincts.

In the end, you should remember one thing. Even though your pet snake can starve for a long, it doesn’t mean you should let it without food for more than a week. This reptile needs a consistent eating schedule to stay healthy and prosperous.

What Affects Snakes’ Ability to Survive Without Food?

Be prepared that snakes occasionally lose their appetite. Reasons can vary, and most of them are a regular part of the reptiles’ natural life cycle.

Snake type and size

Snakes’ type and size are the most prominent factors that affect their metabolism. Smaller species with a faster metabolism will require more frequent meals, while larger snakes can survive months without food.

Snake age

As usual, snakelets (baby snakes) and juveniles need to eat more frequently to grow. You should feed some of them daily, while sizable species offspring require to get food twice a week.

Breeding time

Most snakes stop eating during the breeding season. In fact, some males can stop eating for months or even a half of a year when smelling the ovulating females. On the other hand, females will stop eating shortly before laying eggs.

Shedding

Snakes will refuse to eat in a period of shedding. If you notice that your pet has cloudy or milky eyes, a pink underbelly, or an ashy appearance, it is a sign that there is no reason to worry. It is only time to get rid of old skin.

Time of year

The season will significantly affect the snake eating frequency. Some species will enter brumation in winter, and you can expect them to stop eating.

It seems that these reptiles have an internal clock, and their metabolism slows down once the cold weather comes. That is why some large snakes enter brumation, although they live in warm enclosures in captivity.

Food

Any changes in diet and feeding schedule or overfeeding can cause an eating disorder in your snake. Some will also refuse to consume frozen food, wrong prey, rodents of inadequate size, or freshly killed animals.

You should change your feeding technique if your pet stops eating. Keep in mind that some species require the food they are used to. If the snake can’t recognize the prey, it won’t eat it.

Inadequate environment conditions

Insufficient lighting – Some snake species prefer eating in the dark. Since these nocturnal animals often don’t feel safe when exposed to too bright lighting, they may refuse a meal.

Temperature – Most snakes native to equatorial climates will refuse to eat if they are cold. Keep in mind that the coldest temperature snakes can thrive in is 65 F (18.3 C). Ideally, it should be from 70 F to 90 F (21 C – 32 C), depending on the species.

Humidity – Inadequate humidity levels will result in respiratory diseases, skin disorders, and appetite loss.

Dirty terrarium – Snakes sometimes refuse their meals because of the dirty enclosure.

Inadequate tank conditions like too high or too low humidity, wrong temperatures, or incorrect lighting can influence how long a snake can survive without food. Such mistakes can also lead to a snake refusing to eat.

Stress

The stressed-out snakes will stop eating. Reasons are numerous and include:

A snake feels insecure

You handle your pet more than four times a week, especially during shedding or right after feeding

A snake is enclosed with other snakes in a small terrarium

Temperature or light changing

Transportation

Loud noises

Can Snakes In the Wild Go Longer Without Eating Than Pet Snakes?

According to Marshall D. McCueand and co-authors, starvation is a part of wild snake life, particularly those living on islands. Since food is only abundant seasonally, these reptiles need to adjust to limited food supplies.

Many long-term studies based on Radio Telemetry and mark-recaptured snakes showed changes in snakes’ body condition after extended starvation periods.

Most of them survive the winter months in a state of brumation when they stop eating and slow down their metabolism. That capability helps these animals live in the wild for a long regardless of the circumstances.

Even though many snakes species can survive months, even years of starvation, many details are still unclear to scientists.

For instance, the question of physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses of snakes’ bodies to food limitation is still insufficiently examined.

Wild snake types Regular feeding How long can they survive without food? Copperhead One meal in three weeks in summer All winter Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth) Whenever prey is available For weeks Rat Snake Once in 7 to 10 days At least 6 months Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Once in 2 to 3 weeks At least 6 months Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Once in 2 weeks At least 6 months Western Diamondback Rattlesnake Once in 2 to 3 weeks At least 6 months Western (Prairie) Rattlesnake Once in 2 to 3 weeks At least 6 months Mojave Rattlesnake Once in 1 to 2 weeks For weeks Anaconda 4 to 5 times a year Up to two years Python Twice a week juveniles Once every 1 or 2 weeks adults At least 6 months Boa Constrictor Once in 5 to 7 days juveniles Once in 10 to 14 days adults A few weeks to several months

Thanks to biologist Marshall D. McCue’s examinations, scientists know that some snake species can survive without a meal for months. He was interested in three snake species:

Twenty-two Rat snakes (Elaphe obsoleta)

Twenty Ball pythons (Python regius)

Twenty Western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox)

After leaving 62 snakes without food for 168 days, he monitored starving snakes’ potentially adaptive strategies to cope with food limitations. The primary ones were:

Lowering metabolic rates by 70% to 72%

Reducing energy expenditures by 80%

Putting circulating metabolites under control

Increasing body length by tissue remodeling

Prioritizing mass loss in particular organs

Amazingly, a hypometabolic state not only enabled snakes to survive harsh conditions without food, but they kept growing during that period. In other words, these reptiles were highly efficient in using available resources.

Once they stopped using food, these fascinating animals started burning belly fat stores to save structurally critical protein. After that, the way of generating energy depended on the particular species.

One of the earlier researches of the same biologist included 16 subadult Western diamondback rattlesnakes. They were deprived of food for 24 weeks under controlled conditions, and their bodies efficiently adjusted to the situation by:

Reducing plasma glucose

Increasing circulating ketones

Increasing fatty acid burning to save amino acids

He also noticed a few fascinating things. For instance, water accumulation caused the snakes’ bodies to bloat by 7%. Over time, starving snakes started digesting their heart muscles.

Their hearts became smaller without negative consequences since the lower energy consumption required less circulatory demands.

Snakes lost approximately 9 to 24% of their initial body mass at the end of the experiment, depending on the species. Impressively, their hearts were quickly rebuilt after the first feeding.

Recent research showed the effects of starvation on snakes’ scales and excreta and changes in the carcass of reptiles starved to death. It was proven that stable isotopes could provide information for famine in reptiles, including snakes.

For instance, the carcasses’ isotopic composition didn’t show significant changes after starvation. On the other hand, the scales’ isotopic signatures vary slightly, while they significantly differ in excreta.

When Should Owners Start to Worry When Their Snakes Refuse to Eat?

Once you eliminate typical reasons for refusing food in your pet and the snake still doesn’t eat after all your efforts, it is time to visit an exotics vet. The tricky part is that no one can say the right moment for concern since it depends on a species.

Typically, there is no reason to worry if the snake loses some weight, but it is alarming when it becomes too thin. As soon as you can see its spine that forms a ridge typically covered by muscles, you will know that something is wrong.

Such changes will become visible after approximately six months in adults, but it is different with juveniles. They can’t starve for more than a month. After that period, you should suspect some pathological conditions, including the most common:

Mouth rot (infectious stomatitis)

It is a painful mouth infection appearing as a result of the immune system weakening. Probable reasons for such a condition are improper diet, oral injuries, and inadequate humidity or temperature in a terrarium.

According to Stephen J. Divers from Elands Veterinary clinic, ulcerative stomatitis is a significant problem in captive reptile populations, primarily snakes.

In the article published in 2017, Seven Mustafa and Teodora Popova found out that Enterobacter agglomerans can cause stomatitis in captured reptiles when the hygiene in a terrarium is poor.

Snakes suffering from mouth rot will usually stop eating sooner or later. This snake is not suffering from mouth rot. No wounds, no yellow mucus, and no red spots in the mouth. If you fear your snake might be suffering from mouth rot, visit a vet immediately.

Respiratory disease

Any respiratory infection, including pneumonia, is common in captive snakes and can be a possible reason why a snake stops eating. Scientists isolated 47 different gram-negative bacteria in 25 snakes suffering from pneumonia.

According to Christal Pollock, DVM, DABVP, the problem is that owners often fail to recognize this condition until it escalates.

Intestinal parasites

Both ectoparasites and helminths will disturb your snake and negatively affect its eating habits. Keep in mind that some worms are common in reptiles, but their overpopulation causes this particular problem.

Is It Possible That a Snake Starves Itself?

Believe it or not, snakes sometimes starve themselves to death if they can’t get used to poor environmental conditions.

These reptiles living in captivity will quickly react to stress, inadequate temperature, light, and humidity in the terrarium. The first reaction is refusing to eat.

The primary problem is their inability to produce their own heat, so these poikilothermic animals depend on environmental conditions.

Without an adequate heat source, your pet’s metabolism will stop working regularly, its immune system will drop down, and the snake will become lethargic.

Another reason is a disease. So, it is OK when your snake stops eating for biological reasons, but the neglected or ill animal won’t begin eating at all, and you can expect it to starve itself to death.

Once you improve its surroundings and solve the health issue, your pet will give up starvation.

Keep in mind that scientists know snakes can survive for months or even years without food. Still, no studies can confirm the effects of physiological changes in their bodies after prolonged periods of starvation.

So, be careful and take good care of your pet.

Conclusion

Snakes are fascinating animals that can survive without food for weeks, months, or even years, depending on species and age. However, most pet snakes require regular feeding and a healthy diet, preferably whole prey.

Always check the feeding schedule for a particular reptile you want to adopt and learn to recognize typical reasons for refusing food before panicking.

How Long Can A Snake Go Without Eating?

Think You Know Snakes? Take Our Snakes Quiz

Snakes in popular culture are often treated as voracious and alien creatures, and there’s some degree of truth to that. The ability for snakes to unhinge their jaws and swallow prey of seemingly impossible sizes whole is incredible, and that’s doubly true when speaking of an enormous snake like an anaconda. But what may seem horrifying to us is a sign of evolutionary success.

Natural selection caused the snake to lose the four legs its ancestors have, but serpent species have now come to represent a third of the total number of reptile species. On the surface, the snake takes several complex biological processes and reduces them to their most basic parts for the sake of accommodating its primitive body shape. But that’s also forced snakes to adopt some truly creative — and often ghastly — characteristics to help them perform tasks that creatures like humans and chimps take for granted.

Due to some of these unique alterations, snakes can go a long time without needing a meal. But the whys and the hows are the important part of the answer. This is how some snakes have developed the ability to go for long periods without eating and how circumstances led to them becoming this way.

9,921 People Couldn’t Ace This Quiz Think You Can? Take Our Brand New A-Z-Animals Snakes Quiz

How Snakes Consume Their Prey

Because snakes are unable to rip or cut the flesh of their prey, they must open their jaws as wide as they can wiggle their lower jaw underneath their prey. iStock.com/tikephoto

The open and hissing jaw of a snake might be terrifying up close, but it’s also a reminder that we’re lucky to be able to chew. All snakes are ambush predators, but they’ve developed three primary methods for consuming prey, each of varying effectiveness depending on the size, nature, and environment of a species.

Venom is perhaps the most effective. The needle-like fangs of snakes may not be great for ripping and tearing at an animal’s body, but they’re effectively built like hypodermic needles. Once the venom does it work — by either killing or paralyzing prey — the snake can get to work swallowing it. In some cases — such as with pit vipers like rattlesnakes — the venom can even begin the process of liquefying a prey animal’s insides to make them easier to digest. But only about one in five snake species is venomous.

Constrictor species are more common, as they use various methods of crushing their prey to incapacitate them before swallowing them. Others — like the garter snake — are simple effective predators that can reach out and swallow prey whole. For constrictors and venomous snakes, the real chore comes from actually swallowing their prey. Unable to rip or cut the flesh, these snakes have to open their jaws as wide as they can and slowly wiggle their lower jaws underneath the prey animal like lining up a forklift. A snake’s upper and lower jaw don’t detach from one another, but it can open up to four times the width of a snake’s body. Their skin is similarly designed for flexibility, and to form around the food item.

How Snakes Expend Their Energy

Wrapping your head around how these legless reptiles can go so long without food requires an understanding of how and why different types of animals require dramatically different amounts of energy. While the organisms that cover this planet take incredibly diverse forms, the process of natural selection that underlies everything is driven by the simple arithmetic of energy expended and energy consumed. As warm-blooded animals, humans and all other mammals can maintain their body temperature internally. While this allows mammals to be more active than their reptilian counterparts, this active metabolism is also costly in terms of energy. The cheetah is the world’s fastest land mammal, but properly maintaining that body means eating over six pounds of meat a day.

Reptiles can afford to be more energy efficient because they use an external power source. Natural heat and light get them active and moving, and snakes can work at optimum effectiveness between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Their lower metabolic rate means that they have to consume less food in the first place, and the average reptile requires only 20 to 25% of the nutrient intake of a mammal. It’s an effective way to succeed because it allows them to succeed even when opportunities might not be sustainable for more lethal but also more energy-dependent mammal predators. It also allows them to effectively live through cold weather without having to absorb the cost of maintaining their body heat or developing specialized behavior like hibernation.

How Snakes Digest Their Prey

Being able to disable their prey with a single venomous bite and then swallow them whole often allows these ambush predators to both hunt and feed with very little energy expenditure — but digesting their meal is a very costly process. The Burmese python is an extreme but representative example. Once a fresh meal is carried into the esophagus and begins the chemical process of being broken down inside the snake’s stomach, this serpent’s body begins to mutate wildly. Their metabolism will accelerate up to 44 times its original rate, and their organs can grow up to two times in size to maximize the efficiency of the digestion process. This isn’t the norm, but it’s impressive when you consider that most snake species will typically eat a quarter of their body weight in a single sitting. Pythons are especially voracious eaters, and some pythons have been known to eat up to 95% of their body weight.

Human beings may need three square meals a day, but a snake can simply gorge once and then take a long nap while digesting it. The actual digestion process can vary depending on the size of the snake, the surrounding temperature, the size of the meal, or several other conditions. Shorter meals can take three days, but it could take a massive snake, like an anaconda, weeks to fully digest a larger meal such as a deer.

There are dangers involved with longer and more difficult digestion processes. Larger game is more likely to have horns, fangs, or claws that can pierce an internal organ and kill the snake. They need to be exposed to heat to properly digest, but they’re also vulnerable targets as long as they’re engorged with their meal. And while the digestive acids being used are potent, a serpent’s organs are in a race against their prey. If it can’t dissolve the prey faster than the corpse can decompose, the snake’s meal could poison it, grow inside its stomach, or trigger the explosion of gases. It can be a costly risk, but a big meal dramatically increases the amount of time that a snake can go without eating.

The Average Snake’s Dietary Schedule

Snakes can sometimes go weeks at a time without eating. iStock.com/mjf795

In terms of how often and how much food the average snake needs, it can vary tremendously between different species. Researchers have identified both frequent and infrequent feeders, with the latter exhibiting the behavior of ball pythons demonstrated for growing their organs to assist with digestion. Baby snakes and frequent feeders might eat about twice a week, while infrequent feeders may comfortably go without eating for a couple of weeks at a time. In extreme cases, it might be weeks before the last meal is even digested.

As reptiles, snakes are also capable of a state called brumation which allows them to sink into a deep torpor during colder months. It can be a critical method for survival when prey can be scarce and hard to track — and with a lack of sunlight and heat, most snakes are ill-equipped to hunt anyway. Corn snakes are known to go two to three months without food during brumation, but many species will take periodic breaks during longer brumation periods to hunt for new food.

How Long Snakes Can Go Without Food

A baby snake will begin to seriously starve after roughly a week without food — and once that baby grows into an adult, members of most snake species can comfortably get by for at least two to three weeks. But the time it takes for a snake to starve can depend significantly on the species. Smaller snakes tend to feed more often than larger ones, but species like the ball python can go for as long as two years without needing a meal. Without an internal metabolism to manage, the energy cost of doing nothing is a lot lower than it would be for an equivalent mammal.

That said, science is just beginning to uncover the full survival capabilities of snakes. A study that looked at the tactics snakes employ when they might starve took various snake species and observed their behaviors when they were fed nothing for six months. In addition to their naturally low energy needs, three separate snake species demonstrated the capacity to further lower their metabolism by as much as an additional 70%. It’s a fascinating but still uncertain look into how these creatures operate and how they might conceivably be able to survive without food for even longer periods than we think possible.

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Red Tail Boas

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www.theexoticvet.com

Natural History

The red tail boa (Boa constrictor ssp.) is a large snake in the Boid family, commonly found in South America, Central America, southern sections of North America, and the Caribbean. There are a number of subspecies spread across these areas, but their captive care and husbandry is the very similar across all types. Found primarily in rain forest habitats, they also do well in more arid conditions. There can be a wide variation in size between subspecies, with females larger than males. Adults range between 7 and 12 feet. They will sometimes weigh up to 50 pounds and live to 20+ years of age.

Husbandry

Housing: The enclosure should be big enough so that the length of two adjacent sides is equal or greater than the length of the snake. The enclosure for a red tail boa needs to be well constructed, as they are very strong and can be escape artists. A locking lid or door is a requirement. Many different enclosures work well for red tail boas, including plastic tub containers, melamine racks, or any of the commercially available glass aquariums made for reptiles. However, take note that any screen top cage will make it more difficult to provide adequate humidity. Juveniles do best in small enclosures that make them feel secure. A small snake in a big cage can become overwhelmed and stressed.

The bottom of the cage should be lined with reptile carpet, newspaper, paper towels, or recycled paper, because these substrates are easy to clean. Wood chips or shavings are not recommended, as they can give off fumes or dust which can irritate the snake’s respiratory system. Hiding spots large enough for the snake to curl up in completely should be provided in both the cool and warm ends of the enclosure.

Red tail boas are solitary animals; except during breeding season, they don’t associate with other snakes. It is not recommended to house more than one snake together unless you are actively trying to breed them.

Heating/Lighting: A thermal gradient should be provided for all red tail boas, with one side of the tank being cooler and the other side being warmer. This allows the snake to self regulate his/her body temperature by moving from one end of the cage to the other. A red tail boa’s enclosure should have a temperature of around 80°F at the cooler end and 88-90°F on the hot end, with a basking spot of 90-95°F. Appropriate heating elements are ceramic heat emitters or various heat bulbs (provided that any light-emitting heat bulbs are turned off at night), or under tank heaters attached to thermostats. The heat source should always be placed outside the cage, as snakes may curl up around it and burn themselves if they have access to it. “Hot rocks” should not be used, as they often lead to severe burns.

It is important to purchase a temperature gun, or digital thermometers that possess probes, for accurate temperature readings. Plastic dial thermometers, or any thermometer with a fixed placement, are often unreliable, and do not adequately gauge thermal gradients inside entire enclosures. Red tail boas do not require specialized UV lighting.

Humidity: Red tail boas prefer a humidity of 60-70%. A hygrometer can be used to monitor humidity levels. Humid hides made out of enclosed Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or other appropriately sized plastic tubs should be provided for all red tail boas that are kept in screen top cages. These hides should contain approximately 1-2 inches of damp sphagnum, peat, or green moss, which should be changed out whenever soiled.

Water dishes should be wide, preferably large enough for the snake to soak in, and placed under a heat source to promote evaporation. They must be kept scrupulously clean. If the snake is too large for soaking in its bowl, the animal should be removed from the cage and soaked at least once weekly in a tub of tepid water.

Diet

Red tail boas should be fed appropriately sized whole prey items no larger than the largest part of the snake’s own girth. Newborns can eat fuzzy rats or small mice, while full-grown adults will eat large rats. Mature prey items have a higher nutritional content than immature prey, so it is better to feed an adult mouse than a fuzzy rat. A feeding schedule of every 5 to 7 days is suitable for babies, while adults can be fed once every 7 to 10 days. It is healthier for a snake to eat smaller portions more frequently than it is to feed larger portions less frequently. All red tail boas should be fed pre-killed prey for the safety of the snake. Previously killed, frozen prey should be thawed completely to room temperature before feeding. Never feed prey that is still frozen, and never use a microwave to heat the frozen prey.

We advise feeding snakes in a separate (secure) box that is not their main cage. Snakes fed in their cage can come to associate the lid or door opening with food, and may strike at your hand when reaching in to clean or to take the snake out for some other purpose. Instead of feeding in the cage, place the snake in a separate box in a dim, quiet area to let them feed in peace. They may need to remain there for several hours before feeling comfortable enough to eat.

Handling

Holding a snake can be a safe and enjoyable experience, but some precautions should be taken. Always wash your hands before and after handling, and never let your snake wrap itself around your neck. The more a snake is handled, the more comfortable/tame it will become.

Safety Concerns

An adult red tail boa is a very gentle, but very strong animal, and could potentially harm a person. They should not be allowed to wrap around any person’s neck or be carried on their shoulders. Small children should not be left unattended with them.

Common Medical issues

Shedding: Shedding problems are common in snakes that are ill or suffering from improper husbandry. A healthy, well-kept snake should shed their skin in a single piece, including the caps over their eyes and the tail tip. If your snake is having difficulty clearing the whole shed in one or few pieces, we recommend a veterinary exam.

Respiratory disease: Boas are susceptible to diseases in their respiratory system. If you notice that your snake is breathing with its mouth open, rasping when breathing, or has any kind of bubbling or discharge from the nostrils, contact your veterinarian right away.

Injuries from Prey: When a snake is reluctant to eat for whatever reason, rodents that are left in the cage can chew on the snake’s skin and remove large chunks of skin/scales. They can also deliver damaging bites when the snake attempts to asphyxiate them, sometimes injuring the snake’s head and causing lifelong deformities. In some cases, these bites can be fatal. It is recommended that snakes be fed pre-killed prey to prevent any injuries.

Parasites: Parasites in the gastrointestinal tract can be a problem in any reptile. The best way to prevent this from being an issue is to have yearly fecal exams with your veterinarian while maintaining excellent husbandry at home.

Anorexia: Inadequate temperatures, improper cage size, going into shed, reproductive activity, or simply being offered a food that is different than normal can sometimes upset a red tail boa into refusing food. Careful monitoring of any snake who refuses food is recommended to assess whether or not other symptoms of sickness are showing, and persistent anorexia warrants a veterinary visit.

Scale rot: With particulate substrates such as shredded aspen, the risk of scale rot is higher than it might be with paper towels, but the biggest cause of this issue is an improperly cleaned cage. Scale rot will show up as brown or raw pink ulcerations on the snake’s belly, and will begin to erode the scales themselves if left untreated.

March 30, 2015

Content of this Care Sheet Courtesy of:

The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine

11401 NE 195th St. Bothell, WA 98011

(425) 486-9000 PHONE (425) 486-9002 fax

www.theexoticvet.com

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