Enclosure size

[Lferg]

I've been reading a lot of different caresheets for Red Tails. What is the proper size for an adult Red Tail? Is it 4ft long or 6ft long. And do Red tails grow to 6-7 feet or 10-12 feet? Sorry for the silly questions, there's just lots of information out there.

[MissDizzyBee]

Each subspecies grows to a different average length, and cage size is dependent on that length....that's why you're getting conflicting info.

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

The one silly questions are those left unasked. As to the size of the boa, 10-12 foot is pretty big for a red tail (depending on type and sex) I'm assuming since you didnt say otherwise you mean a common BCI so we will address those. For females 10'plus is possible but not always the rule, for males 7' is a little more likely as the females get larger. As for the enclosure, 4' will last a long time for your boa but probably not forever. 6' is a little better for an adult. Also make sure that your enclosure has depth as well don't build it 6' long x 18" deep. A pretty good adult size is 6' x 30" in my opinion. This may be a little snug if your female gets huge but should cover the majority of adult red tails. Hope this helps have fun and good luck!

[Lferg]

Thanks, I would thank your reply but I can't on my phone

[MikeV]

Its very confusing when it comes to boa size. some BCI can be bigger than some BCC and the other way around.

Infact... ive probably seen more "huge" BCI females than I have BCC. simply because BCI are more common, they are easier to care for and feed compared to a BCC.. BCI just seem to thrive more with equal or better care.

Thats why when i got my baby boa Powder I planned everything around her getting HUGE, im talking 9 - 10+ foot and over 40 pounds.

And so far she has shown me every sign that my preparation for a giant wasn't a bad idea if you know what im saying

as for specific cage size... 4x2x1 would work for most male BCI boas and generally most bcc males unless they are relatively big males (from either species)

6x2(or 3)x1 (or 2 foot for a big female) would be good. But a female bigger than 9 foot would love a bigger cage (something like 7..8 foot x 2 or 3 foot x 2 foot)

Hope this has helped!

[Crazy4Herps]

I've been reading a lot of different caresheets for Red Tails. What is the proper size for an adult Red Tail? Is it 4ft long or 6ft long. And do Red tails grow to 6-7 feet or 10-12 feet? Sorry for the silly questions, there's just lots of information out there.

As others have said, there is conflicting information because there are many different "red tail boas".

Here's a very brief overview of "red tail" boa taxonomy:

Boa constrictor imperator (Bci) are one subspecies of boa including locales such as Colombian, Hogg Island, Central American, etc. Colombian Bci (by far the most popular boas in the pet trade) are commonly referred to as "red tail boas". This is an unfortunate mistake, as Colombians are not actually red tails. Different locales of Bci attain different sizes, but Colombians average at 6-7ft for males, 8-9ft for females (while this is the generally accepted average, there are some pretty massive 10ft+ females out there).

Boa constrictor constrictor (Bcc) are the "true" red tails, from locales such as Suriname, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana, etc. Bcc have much richer colorations than Bci, fewer saddle count, and some are prone to feeding issues. Again, size varies depending on locale, but Bcc are generally much larger than Bci. I believe Peruvian Bcc to be the largest, females attaining lengths of 10-12ft.

Assuming you're a beginner to boa-keeping, you will probably want to start with a Colombian boa (or some other Bci locale), as they are cheaper and easier to keep than Bcc. Again, Colombians range from 6-9 feet, males being on the smaller end.

As for caging, boas take a while to reach their genetic potential, so a 4x2ft cage will last a while. A 4x2ft is fine for smaller males, but any boa over 7ft should be kept in a 6x2ft enclosure or larger. When it comes to adult boas, the bigger the cage, the happier the boa will be.

[Amon Ra Reptiles]

I have heard that a basic rule of thumb is that for every foot of animal you should have a square foot of floor space. For example; 6' snake minimum of 3'x2' enclosure, 8' snake minimum of 4'x2' enclosure but that seems a little snug to me. I think it could work as a minimum though. Anyone else heard this?

[MissDizzyBee]

I have heard that a basic rule of thumb is that for every foot of animal you should have a square foot of floor space. For example; 6' snake minimum of 3'x2' enclosure, 8' snake minimum of 4'x2' enclosure but that seems a little snug to me. I think it could work as a minimum though. Anyone else heard this?

Ive seen the same, but I have typically heard a little more for more active snakes. Ive seen that rule of thumb referenced for balls, carpets, and red tails though.

[Crazy4Herps]

I have heard that a basic rule of thumb is that for every foot of animal you should have a square foot of floor space. For example; 6' snake minimum of 3'x2' enclosure, 8' snake minimum of 4'x2' enclosure but that seems a little snug to me. I think it could work as a minimum though. Anyone else heard this?

I have heard this rule of thumb many times, but I personally think that is too small for adult boas.

The ideal ratio of cage floorspace to length of snake is different with every type of snake, but also with age. It is true that hatchling boas like to be kept snug, in which case this rule may be appropriate, but adult boas like lots of space.

[Vypyrz]

I have heard that a basic rule of thumb is that for every foot of animal you should have a square foot of floor space. For example; 6' snake minimum of 3'x2' enclosure, 8' snake minimum of 4'x2' enclosure but that seems a little snug to me. I think it could work as a minimum though. Anyone else heard this?

That is one guideline for determining cage size. Another one that you can use, especially once they hit 5-6ft is the Length + Width method. Which means, once your boa reaches the total of the length + width of the cage, it should be moved into a larger enclosure. So, a 3 X 2 would be good for a snake up to 5 ft. A 4 X 2 would be good up to 6 ft, and so forth...