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Red Tailed Boa Constrictor
Red-Tailed Boas range from Colombia, Mexico and Central America. It should be noted true Red-Tailed Boas, from Brazil, tend to be rare. The name “Red Tailed Boa” is often used for common boas so to give a more pleasant image than that of constrictor.
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Common Name: Red Tail Boa Constrictor
Scientific name: Boa constrictor constrictor
Life expectancy: A healthy captive red-tail can live over 25 years
Size: Red tail boas reach about 8 to 12 feet, females being the larger of the species. Some can grow to 14 ft but is not common.
Sexing: Probing is the most accurate method of sexing. However it should only be carried out by a vet or other suitably trained herpetologist. On a female the probe will go to a depth of 3 to 5 ventricle scales. On a male 8 to 10 ventricle scales
Visually the hemipenes make the tails of males longer and thicker than the tails of females of the same size. When looked at from the side, male tails are generally half as thick at the middle as at the base. Female tails are usually half as thick a quarter of the tail's length from the base.
Activity Cycle: Nocturnal, feeding and being active primarily at night.
Position in Viv: Ground dwelling but enjoy climbing.
Humidity Requirements: Medium humidity requirements. Lightly mist the cage down daily and supply an over sized water dish they can bathe in.
Temperatures and Heating Equipment: Day time temperatures should be between 82-86 degrees F, with the basking area of 95 degrees F. with a night time drop in temperature of 10 degrees. As with all large boids, the best method of providing heating is to use a guarded ceramic hearing element and a pulse proportional thermostat. I do not recommend using heat mats with large boids due to the risk of burns.
UV Lighting: UV lighting is not required. Lighting may be used in the viv especially if the vivarium is not in a well lit room, as the snake needs exposure to a correct photoperiod. Any lighting should be guarded and used in conjunction with a thermostat
Housing: The cage should be no narrower than twice the coiled diameter of the snake, no shorter than three times the coiled diameter of the snake and at least as tall as 3 times height of the snake at its thickest point. A cage that is 4 ft long, 2 ft wide and 2 ft high is adequate for an 8-9 ft snake.
Substrate: The simplest substrate is newspaper or lining paper, but is not aesthetically pleasing. A common substrate for this species is reptile bark chippings, this holds in moisture.
Decor: Hides in the warm and cool end, branches to climb on and a large water dish.
Diet: Small Boas can be started out on 1 or 2 fuzzy or just weaned mice weekly.
Medium size boas can be fed 1 or 2 medium or 1 large rat every week to 10 days.
Large Boas may feed on 2 large rats or a small rabbits every 10 days to 2 weeks.
Water Supply: A large water bowl, large enough for the snake to bathe in. This should be changed out regularly as the snake will defecate, drink and bathe all in the same water.
General Ease of Care: Boas are fairly docile, but because of their size and weight I would not recommend them as first snakes. They need two people to handle them safely once they get past 7 foot. All this should be thought of before you decide to get a red tail. There are many smaller species of boa available, if you decide it really is a boa you want.
Additional Information: Not all boa constrictors are red-tailed. While many boas on the market are true red-tailed “Boa constrictor constrictor” imported from Brazil, most are actually “Boa constrictor imperator” from Columbia. And therefore are not true Red Tails. Unfortunately, many Bcc’s and Bci’s have been interbred so it is getting harder and harder to find a true Red Tailed Boa.
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This reptile caresheet is courtesy of Debbie Pendlebury from DNS Forums |
Please only take the information given in any of our caresheets as general advice. They may not provide an exact answer to your particular reptiles problem and are to act as a general guide and 'heads-up' to keeping reptiles.
We cannot be held responsible for any problems your reptile encounters following the reading of these pages.
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