Herpetoculture Boa Constrictors Nathaniel McClain II Communication Physics Florida State University

Boa Constrictors Temperament and Handling Housing Food and Water Growth Reproduction

Boa Constrictors * Boa Constrictors tend to be very easy-going snakes, although I have been told that first-time handlers should not choose a Red-Tail Boa for a pet!

Temperament and Handling If a boa constrictor is in a bad mood, the head and neck usually are thrown back in an S- curve and the animal may hiss long and very loudly. It is not hard to tell when a boa constrictor wishes to be left alone. After biting, the snake may let go immediately or clamp down with its jaws and coil tightly around anything available.

Temperament and Handling Here is a Red Tail Boa constrictor that has coiled it’s tail around itself. This boa looks to be no more than a year old. The boa in which we will see today is around 3 years of age.

Temperament and Handling Holding the animal’s head under a running tap may convince it to release its hold. Otherwise, a flat card or blade must be forced between one of the jaws and whatever it is biting. Boa Constrictors seem to become more familiar with people as a result of handling and so are less likely to bite if taken out of their cages every now and then.

Housing Cages or aquariums made with wood, plastic, fiberglass, etc. serve well for boa constrictors. No screen should be used for the top or anywhere else in the cage. Some snakes may rub their noses on the screen until they develop abrasions and infections.

Housing Much controversy exist over what to put in the cage besides the snake. In general, keep the interior of the cage as simple as possible, since it facilitates cleaning, changing water, and taking the snake out of the cage.

Food and Water This snake swallowing this egg is the equivalent to a human swallowing a watermelon. A snake’s jaws are only loosely joined to it’s skull by ligaments which are very strong---so the jaw act as one solid structure during the bite.

Food and Water How big a prey can a snake eat? It is the diameter of the prey and not its weight that limits their edibility to snakes. Some snakes can’t open their mouths very wide because their skulls are more solidly fused together, e.g., blindsnakes which can only eat soft or thin prey like worms and insect larvae.

Food and Water Snake eating a deer. A snake is capable of eating such large prey because their (glottis) protrudes to the edge of their mouth.

Growth Growth rates over time are a great deal messier than the length-weight relationship, since growth is affected strongly by temperature, amount of food, sex, and probably the snake’s origin. Females continue to grow to much larger sizes, and their data points indicate that a maximum has not been reached by sixteen years of age.

Growth Both snakes in this picture are about 6 feet long.

Reproduction Males may be distinguished from females by their greater development of the “spurs”, proportionately longer and fatter tails. To find whether a snake is a male or female, you would have to use a certain technique. This technique involves catching the base of the tail between the thumb tip and index finger, applying light pressure, and pulling the tail through the opening. In males, blood seems to get caught in the hemipenes within the tail and the heads of the hemipenes can be palpated as they pass beneath the thumb tip. Nasty!

El Fin