Some Boa info needed

I just got an approximately 5 year old male Colombian who is lean and just the right size for me.
[[I'm 5'3"/100 lbs]

He has the proper "loaf of bread" shape and is not fat at all.

I read somewhere that "conservative feeding" would keep him basically at the size he is now.

I would prefer that but do not want him to feel "underfed".

Would feeding medium/large rats every 2-3 weeks maintain his current size without increasing it?
Or would small rats every 2 weeks be "better"?

A herp breeder I know has a 7 year old male who is not only "loaf of bread" shaped, it's also much bigger around than an actual loaf of bread.
[it's huge!] :O

He feeds the largest prey his snakes will swallow and they live in very tight spaces so I reckon they can't "burn off" their calories at all.

Some of his females eat live Bantam chickens and rabbits and look like they've swallowed a football after they've eaten.

I do not want that.

Is there any truth to feed more/grow more or has my male more or less "topped out" at his current length?

I've seen a lot of massively fat Boas whose owners could barely lift.

That's not where I want to be a year from now.

This is a photo of him at the seller's place:

http://file.walagata.com/w/the-salamander/boa.jpg

And this is him in relation to me:

http://file.walagata.com/w/the-salamander/BROM2.jpg

[sorry I look so awful...been fighting "The WV Crud" flu for over a month and he was crawling over my head and messing up my hair, to boot]

All I know of him is that the seller got him in a trade and that he's about 5 years old and a guesstimate would be around 5-6 pounds.
I don't even know what "kind" of Colombian he is.
[common? generic?]...;)

I also have a 7 year old Dumerils who's decided [after living a life of neglect and constant cold prior to coming here] that she is starving all the time.

A jumbo rat keeps her happy for less than a day and she's constantly "begging", now.

She's also about 5' long and I'd like her to "stay there", too.....:P

I have 11 BPs and don't really have this issue with them.

The biggest BP is still infinitely manageable.

I got the Dum because I couldn't stand to see her living like that any longer and the Colombian because I wanted a bold snake who wasn't nervous about being handled.

He's turning out to be a wonderful snake, in general, although he does tend to curl up on my shoulders and stare at hubby with his neck in an "S shape"...even though he'll then stretch out from me and cheerfully hop onto hubby's shoulders.
[but he still occasionally still stops exploring and looks at hubby with the "S shape neck" thing going]

Is that just their normal "curious examination posture" or is he thinking about biting hubby's face off?....LOL

He was not handled very much before coming here.

Is this just a "getting used to everything" phase?


[the "S" thingy makes hubby a bit nervous but he's an ex-snakaphobic while I've never been afraid of them and they seem to emotionally glom onto me instantly and become "mommy's snakes"]

Also, is it 'normal' for him to stick his head straight in the air every time we go under a light fixture?

He's obsessed with lights...any kind of lights...even drawn to them like a moth to a flame....maybe because he's always been in a tub with no experience with lights?

Sorry to be so clueless but the Boas are SO different from the BPs.

:D

Snakes grow all their lives, although much, much slower after they mature. I figure it's basically reached it's full size at 5 years old. Feeding time is all according to how the snakes acting. I have 2 full grown Hog Island Boas that I feed every 3 to 4 weeks depending on their actions, observation is the key. I have 2 juvy BCI's that i feed every 5 to 7 days depending on their actions. Attention to detail. Yes, boas are much different then Balls.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheWinWizard

Snakes grow all their lives, although much, much slower after they mature. I figure it's basically reached it's full size at 5 years old. Feeding time is all according to how the snakes acting. I have 2 full grown Hog Island Boas that I feed every 3 to 4 weeks depending on their actions, observation is the key. I have 2 juvy BCI's that i feed every 5 to 7 days depending on their actions. Attention to detail. Yes, boas are much different then Balls.

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Thanks!

[does this mean I should feed the bottomless pit Dum every day, based on her "I'm dying of hunger, here!" actions?]...LOL

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Salamander

Thanks!

[does this mean I should feed the bottomless pit Dum every day, based on her "I'm dying of hunger, here!" actions?]...LOL

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I would just continue to feed her every 10-14 days...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I would just continue to feed her every 10-14 days...

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Indeed, that would be my suggestion as well. I can't see a Dum being hungry all the time. LOL

Boas all have very different and very pronounced personalities compared to the Balls. I have a 6-7 month old juvenile female Dum who, even though I feed her every Friday on "feeding day" will sometimes look at my hand two days later like..."Okay mom, where's the food?" Your snake's "I'm starving!" reaction is likely because of the neglect, and now that she is fed regularly, she just wand to take advantage of that while she can. I have a female ball that was neglected and she was voracious for the first year or so I had her. She has only now calmed down enough that I can reach in and pick her up without her posturing. Lol. Your girl will calm down over time with regular feedings. (Hopefully).

As to that "S shape" posture, my boa does that when she's chillin on my neck if someone walks up or sits down next to me. It's almost like "Hey! This is my warm comfy place! What do you want...Oh, nothing? Okay, well, I can relax now." lol. He too will probably calm down over time with regular handlings.

The light thing though, none of my kids do that. I've heard of boas and retics doing it before, but personally I have no experience with it. Perhaps someone with more experience with boas could chime in and help with that bit.

Good luck with your new boy! He's a good looking snake! :gj:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheWinWizard

Indeed, that would be my suggestion as well. I can't see a Dum being hungry all the time. LOL

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Hmmm...I'm sensing that gluttony is one of a Dum's "normal traits".....:D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WarriorPrincess90

Boas all have very different and very pronounced personalities compared to the Balls. I have a 6-7 month old juvenile female Dum who, even though I feed her every Friday on "feeding day" will sometimes look at my hand two days later like..."Okay mom, where's the food?" Your snake's "I'm starving!" reaction is likely because of the neglect, and now that she is fed regularly, she just wand to take advantage of that while she can. I have a female ball that was neglected and she was voracious for the first year or so I had her. She has only now calmed down enough that I can reach in and pick her up without her posturing. Lol. Your girl will calm down over time with regular feedings. (Hopefully).

As to that "S shape" posture, my boa does that when she's chillin on my neck if someone walks up or sits down next to me. It's almost like "Hey! This is my warm comfy place! What do you want...Oh, nothing? Okay, well, I can relax now." lol. He too will probably calm down over time with regular handlings.

The light thing though, none of my kids do that. I've heard of boas and retics doing it before, but personally I have no experience with it. Perhaps someone with more experience with boas could chime in and help with that bit.

Good luck with your new boy! He's a good looking snake! :gj:

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Aw, my poor, pitiful Dixie!
I wish she could understand that warmth and food are the rule now, rather than the exception.

I hope she eventually learns to trust.

As of now, when I take her out, she just wraps around my waist like a belt and hides her head behind me on the chair.

She does accept gentle stroking now, though.
For the first week or so, she'd jump or twitch when I touched her.

The boy is just the opposite.
He can't get enough attention.

His obsession with lights reminds me of myself, the first time I went to NYC.
I nearly broke my own neck, gawking upward at the skyscrapers.

Since he has to look at everything, I suspect his life has possibly been pretty much one of general sensory deprivation.

Thanks for the info on the "S thing".

I was a bit concerned that he [like all my other critters] was becoming obsessive/possessive of me.

Hubby loves all of our pets but, if I leave the room, they follow me out, ignoring his calls for them to stay with him.

All the snakes will let him hold them but after a short while, they start stretching and straining to get back over to me which is harmless if they're BPs but having a big Boa "S" at him unnerved him a bit.....LOL

Hubby had the Boa for a while and he was moving around too much and the Boa, naturally, wrapped around his neck for security/stability.

Himself asked what the snake "was doing".

Jerk that I am, I calmly replied "I assume he's preparing to strangle you".

[I know...I'm no help at all].....:D

Your Colombian looks perfect. He's got the perfect size and shape to him. Your Dum will definitely get larger than 5' being a female but don't give in to her begging. Just keep feeding her the proper way. It sounds like you know what your doing :)

She will calm down with patience and handling. If she was neglected her attitude is to be expected.

Boas are naturally more active and curious snakes. Your male is just happy to have something to do. I'm sure he's overwhelmed with how big the world just got when you took him in lol!

That "S" curve look is really common with boas. Both of my babies do it all the time and it never means anything. Seems to be just how they look at the world, lol...

As far as feeding, you should never be too conservative just as you should never overfeed either. Just choose an appropriate sized rat or two and feed every 10-14 days. As he gets a bit older once every 2 weeks will be fine. And you can certainly keep him on rats. 1-2 large to jumbo sized rats should do him for the rest of his life. If you were to switch to rabbits, it could instigate a growth spurt. But the rats are fine.

He will grow as a big as nature intended if he's properly fed - but that does not mean he'll turn into an overgrown monster. At 5 years old and being a male, he really shouldn't get much bigger than he is now - he looks perfect. :gj: