Food size?

My little boa is getting so big. I have been under the impression that boas shouldn't eat as large of meals as ball pythons mainly because they have a higher chance of regurgitating. I started him out eating mice and after the first ravenous feeding started him on two mice once a week. I quickly found out he likes the rats better, so he started getting two decent sized rat pups once a week instead of the mice. I weighed him on empty the other day and he's almost 500 grams. Boas obviously aren't as fat as ball pythons (my 500 grams bps are eating weaned rats with ease) but is two rat pups per feeding enough? There is a rather large size difference between rat pups and weaned, and weaned seem too fat for him to take. Should I give him 3 or 4 rat pups instead? Thanks for any input :)

Leah,

I would feed it the same size prey and same fequency as you would a 500 gram BP. I dont know where you heard the regurg theory. Maybe you are thinking of BCC? In my experience as long as you are providing adequate temps to utilize digestion there good. However as they become adults and slow down in there growing you have to watch that they do not become fat, they are incredibly efficient creatures. Boas are supposed to have a box shape, the body should be taller than it is wide. If you have any questions shoot me a pm or an e-mail and I would be glad to help anyway I can.

My Hog Island ate 60-100 gram rats when he was under 500 grams. Now (not sure how much he weighs) he eats 100-150 gram every 7-10 days depending on what is available. Yes he has a nice lump but it is gone in a day or so.

I had 1 regurg and that was after an adult asf due to me fussing with him too much afterwards getting him out of his separate feeding container. Now I feed him in his cage because of that.

Did you get the other Boa off of craigslist?

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Originally Posted by AGoldReptiles

Leah,

I would feed it the same size prey and same fequency as you would a 500 gram BP. I dont know where you heard the regurg theory. Maybe you are thinking of BCC? In my experience as long as you are providing adequate temps to utilize digestion there good. However as they become adults and slow down in there growing you have to watch that they do not become fat, they are incredibly efficient creatures. Boas are supposed to have a box shape, the body should be taller than it is wide. If you have any questions shoot me a pm or an e-mail and I would be glad to help anyway I can.

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I appreciate the help, I'm not sure where I heard that theory from though. The only reason I worry is because he's long, but not as wide as a weaned rat. I just don't want to stuff him, or overfed him like you said. He has definitely put on weight since I got him, he was rather skinny, but the weaned rats like look so big compared to him....

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Originally Posted by rperry03

Did you get the other Boa off of craigslist?

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No, He's a Kahl strain albino that I got from a friend, he was being housed at NERD when I got him.

Mine weighs less than yous and feeds on weaned rats just fine

Mine is 400 G and it takes small 65g rats without a problem.

I've got a ball and 3 boas...2 red tail and a hogg island...The boas eat much better than the ball...my year old hogg is tiny and still can eat a rat pup, my male red tail isn't all that big, less than 2 years and can eat a weanling or a small rat and my 2+ year old female eats the biggest rat i can get...they have never regurged and even feed the day of a shedding....and they can put it away...i'd try a larger size, you'd be surprised.

Thanks for all your input everyone. I am going to try a weaned rat like my bps tonight. I have no doubt in my mind he's going to gobble it down....now my balls are another story...lol

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Originally Posted by LGray23

No, He's a Kahl strain albino that I got from a friend, he was being housed at NERD when I got him.

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Sucks when somebody doesn't have the courtesy to respond back to say they found a home for em!?

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Originally Posted by Plissken

I've got a ball and 3 boas...2 red tail and a hogg island...The boas eat much better than the ball...my year old hogg is tiny and still can eat a rat pup, my male red tail isn't all that big, less than 2 years and can eat a weanling or a small rat and my 2+ year old female eats the biggest rat i can get...they have never regurged and even feed the day of a shedding....and they can put it away...i'd try a larger size, you'd be surprised.

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My 2yr old 200 gram bci red tail will eat anything from a pinky to a 65 gram rat and still look for more. Picked her up a few months back from someone you didn't realize that a mouse was too small for a boa and that they shed and need humidity! Stunned her growth but she is still very tame and seems to be thankful ;) She was 105 grams when I got her.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

Thanks for all your input everyone. I am going to try a weaned rat like my bps tonight. I have no doubt in my mind he's going to gobble it down....now my balls are another story...lol

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When I got 2 bp's I was so frustrated with them eating after owning boa's that I was ready to find them someone who knew what they were doing. They drove me nuts, but have started eating steadily.

I just wanted to update that I gave him a nice big weaned rat at the last feeding and he took it like a champ. But now I feel bad that I may have been under feeding him :(