Red Tail Boa

A friend of mine called me today and a gentleman that lives in his veterans housing is looking to get rid of his 5yr old 6ft long male red tail my husband and I have discussed getting a boa but I have a few questions one being is it safe to assume he is pretty much as long as he is going to get and 2 what would you recommend other than observation of having him around children and quarantine I have 2 ball pythons so feeding and care I am up to speed on. Also what would you recommend as far as looking him over other than the obvious signs of stressed breathing and rather or not he is nippy when handled, mites?

He might grow another 6 inches or so over the remaining course of his life, but yes he's pretty much fully grown. Since you already have snakes and know what you're doing in terms of basic care and quarantine you should be good to go, try to keep him in a separate room from the rest of your pets.

what other precautions should I take with him during quarantine and are they as laid back as pythons? I am always leery of getting an already grown snake and not having handled it from a few months old on up because you kinda never really know how they where handled or treated I know in our area he likely is on f/t already the only rats and mice for sale around here are 10-30$ a piece lol I just want to take all precautions with my children and other animals that I can

They can be cage aggressive, but once out of the cage they are fine. I'm sure it can be resolved with handling, if its not already more docile.


0.3 Normals (Coilette, Athena and Mary Jane)
1.0 Pastel (De Sol)
1.0 Spider (Zeus)
1.0 Mojave (Prometheus)

0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Stella)
0.1 BCI (No Name Yet)

A 5 year old boa is about as big as he's going to get. 6ft is a decent size for a male BCI. He will need a large enclosure though. 4x2x2 or similar as a bare minimum. And despite what many say, boas will climb if given the opportunity. Bigger is always better with boas.

Boas are generally pretty laid back. If you are going to the home of his owner to see him and handle him, you'll get a good feel for his personality. He should be curious and boas are usually pretty active so expect him to move a lot and climb all over you. But if you can get him out of his cage with no trouble, and there's no hissing or puffing, he's probably gonna be fairly tame. Don't worry if he's a pain in the butt to put BACK IN his cage though - boas hate to go back!

Quarantine is a vital must with boas, and be very strict with it. 60 day minimum and 90 is better. Boas can carry IBD (which although more rare than originally thought to be, is still a very real threat) and this is almost immediately fatal to pythons. Keep your eye out for any neurological signs. I would also treat the snake for mites whether you see any or not. Use this from Reptile Basics. It is by far the best product on the market - yes, even better than PAM - since it's safe to spray directly on the snake. I just give a quick spray down of any new arrivals and prevent mites right from the start. :gj:

Boas are usually garbage disposals and will readily take f/t. Did you say f/t rats in your area were $10-30 a piece?!? :O If so, order online!! Even with shipping, you'll save a bundle! I get mine from www.laynelabs.com and I've been very happy with them. Excellent quality. And you can order in small numbers if that suits you better.

Hope this is helpful! ;)

Its all kinda of interesting because my husband and I where just talking last night about my still wanting to get a red tail maybe after the first of the year then my friend calling me today I am kinda anxious to actually see him but needed opinions and info before seeing him to know if I should or shouldn't adopt him another question is what is average f/t size for him at his age and length on average I know to adjust according to his circumference and weight I assume much like my pythons prey should weigh 10-15% of his body weight and be no more than one and half times his circumference?

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Boas are usually garbage disposals and will readily take f/t. Did you say f/t rats in your area were $10-30 a piece?!? :O If so, order online!! Even with shipping, you'll save a bundle! I get mine from www.laynelabs.com and I've been very happy with them. Excellent quality. And you can order in small numbers if that suits you better.

Hope this is helpful! ;)

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not the f/t the live ones are 10-30$ a piece I think they are priced so high to deter live feedings we have some pretty snooty pet stores here but yet when we opted to buy our pythons on sale from one of them they where only around 84 grams at 4-6 mths old and recommending we feed them pinky mice I laughed and bought larger mice for them lol f/t I can get from the local nature center we pay 30-40$ for 50 mice and 40-50$ for 50 rats

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

Its all kinda of interesting because my husband and I where just talking last night about my still wanting to get a red tail maybe after the first of the year then my friend calling me today I am kinda anxious to actually see him but needed opinions and info before seeing him to know if I should or shouldn't adopt him another question is what is average f/t size for him at his age and length on average I know to adjust according to his circumference and weight I assume much like my pythons prey should weigh 10-15% of his body weight and be no more than one and half times his circumference?

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Boas are not balls. They do not need as large of prey relative to their size. A rodent the same size around as the boa is perfectly fine. At his age, feeding once every 2-3 weeks is appropriate. The rat should not leave a noticable lump in the snake's belly.

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

not the f/t the live ones are 10-30$ a piece I think they are priced so high to deter live feedings we have some pretty snooty pet stores here but yet when we opted to buy our pythons on sale from one of them they where only around 84 grams at 4-6 mths old and recommending we feed them pinky mice I laughed and bought larger mice for them lol f/t I can get from the local nature center we pay 30-40$ for 50 mice and 40-50$ for 50 rats

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Yikes. I would still order online. Layne Labs is great, but there are others. Yes, there's shipping involved, but the cost per rodent is far less. And when you're feeding several snakes, that is definitely important to consider. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Boas are not balls. They do not need as large of prey relative to their size. A rodent the same size around as the boa is perfectly fine. At his age, feeding once every 2-3 weeks is appropriate. The rat should not leave a noticeable lump in the snake's belly.



Yikes. I would still order online. Layne Labs is great, but there are others. Yes, there's shipping involved, but the cost per rodent is far less. And when you're feeding several snakes, that is definitely important to consider. :gj:

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even with prey 1 1/2 times the circumference of my balls by the time they consume it and constrict it it doesn't leave a noticeable lump I generally go with rats that are slightly larger than the snake and only once every 2-3 weeks why not weekly if you dont mind my asking

Here is a link to a free care guide for boas that I have found pretty useful

http://www.redtailboas.com/f110/down...ion-3-a-31312/

Because boas, it has been proven, can not process all the extra fat in the rodents we feed like pythons can. Keepers have lost boas due to over feeding. Especially over feeding obese rats. In the wild boas are semi arboreal and their diet is varied. They eat many birds as well as mammals.

The rule most of us follow is to only feed our adult boas after they poo. Feeding a boa the same way you'd feed a ball python causes them to grow much too quickly, shortens lifespan greatly, causes fatty liver and other organ issues, problems reproducing, many slugs, small litters, etc. They do not need a huge meal that puts a big feed lump in them. Slow growing a boa is always best for them.

I recently adopted a boa that was being "power fed" when she was younger. She is actually covered in scars all over her from being kicked by live rabbits! I have her back on maintenance feeding now. I am giving her 2 large rats every 2 weeks. I worry that it's not enough, but I have been assured it is plenty. She has gained a pound since I have had her, so I guess it's Ok! May have to back her off a little more even! She is 7' 7" and 35lbs!

Two large rats every two weeks is plenty. Boas should remain lean and muscular. It's when they become round and fat looking that you have a problem. Of course, you should not be able to see spine or ribs, but what we consider maintenance feeding for balls is actually proper feeding for boas. With mine, I will give her an extra rat every other month or so if she appears hungry. She lets me know if her bi-weekly feeding isn't quite enough and I'll give her a booster feeding persay lol.

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

even with prey 1 1/2 times the circumference of my balls by the time they consume it and constrict it it doesn't leave a noticeable lump I generally go with rats that are slightly larger than the snake and only once every 2-3 weeks why not weekly if you dont mind my asking

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Boas metabolism is very different than ball pythons, boas is much slower. They can become obese easily too. It is said to be best to slow grow boas. So you don't want to feed a rodent that will leave a bump. And yes, feed an adult every 2-3 weeks. Boas are awesome though, I love mine. And he is very docile, much mellower and more easy going than my bps.

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

even with prey 1 1/2 times the circumference of my balls by the time they consume it and constrict it it doesn't leave a noticeable lump I generally go with rats that are slightly larger than the snake and only once every 2-3 weeks why not weekly if you dont mind my asking

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Because, as I said before, boas are NOT ball pythons. And for the following reasons too:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Because boas, it has been proven, can not process all the extra fat in the rodents we feed like pythons can. Keepers have lost boas due to over feeding. Especially over feeding obese rats. In the wild boas are semi arboreal and their diet is varied. They eat many birds as well as mammals.

The rule most of us follow is to only feed our adult boas after they poo. Feeding a boa the same way you'd feed a ball python causes them to grow much too quickly, shortens lifespan greatly, causes fatty liver and other organ issues, problems reproducing, many slugs, small litters, etc. They do not need a huge meal that puts a big feed lump in them. Slow growing a boa is always best for them.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Two large rats every two weeks is plenty. Boas should remain lean and muscular. It's when they become round and fat looking that you have a problem. Of course, you should not be able to see spine or ribs, but what we consider maintenance feeding for balls is actually proper feeding for boas. With mine, I will give her an extra rat every other month or so if she appears hungry. She lets me know if her bi-weekly feeding isn't quite enough and I'll give her a booster feeding persay lol.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

Boas metabolism is very different than ball pythons, boas is much slower. They can become obese easily too. It is said to be best to slow grow boas. So you don't want to feed a rodent that will leave a bump. And yes, feed an adult every 2-3 weeks. Boas are awesome though, I love mine. And he is very docile, much mellower and more easy going than my bps.

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Just because your BP constricts a rodent "down to size" so to speak, doesn't mean you should feed your boa in the same way. BPs can take prey 1 1/2 - 2 xs as thick as they are. Boas should not take prey that large - or as often as BPs. Read the Caresheet.

Please understand, I'm not being critical or mean. I am just tired of folks saying, "well this is what I do with my BPs...." and then wonder why their boa isn't thriving. Not saying this is what you're doing - just that I get a lot of that.... :D

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Because, as I said before, boas are NOT ball pythons. And for the following reasons too:







Just because your BP constricts a rodent "down to size" so to speak, doesn't mean you should feed your boa in the same way. BPs can take prey 1 1/2 - 2 xs as thick as they are. Boas should not take prey that large - or as often as BPs. Read the Caresheet.

Please understand, I'm not being critical or mean. I am just tired of folks saying, "well this is what I do with my BPs...." and then wonder why their boa isn't thriving. Not saying this is what you're doing - just that I get a lot of that.... :D

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That is fine I know they are different I use my bp as comparison because I have worked with more bp than I have boas so it gives me a basis for where to start and everyone else a general idea of my experience we are going to get the boa and we luck out in the process because the guy that is letting him go has a full set up including breeding his own rats no just to figure out the most humane way to kill them I will likely move them from live to f/t since I will be moving my bp to rats as well as soon and all in all it makes me sad that he cant keep his snake anymore because he is a great boy and very tame even my 5 year old held him until he got tangled in her shirt then he climbed onto my oldest girls head and rested there a bit we spent 3 hours with the owner and the snake today to get a good idea of his temperament and other than the owner giving us a general warning that he is protective of his cage and when in a bad mode may strike which he has only done 3 times in his life he uses the precaution of using a snake hook to remove him but once he is out he is great

now for his current regimine and care and clarifications as well as recommendations
1. He does feed in a seperate tub
2. his current temps are 90 on warm and 80 on cool side please tell me if that is inaccurate
3. I didnt check humidity while I was there
4. he has fed him 1 med rat a week for a while now (I need to know if that is a bad thing since he used the smaller rat instead of 1-2 large rats every 2-3 weeks - basically does the current feed schedule work)
5. He is free of scars and battle wounds with the rats (he said he is really predatory when it comes to his food as soon as the rat drops he takes less than 30 secs to have it bitten and coiled up) still I want to move him to f/t
6. anything else you can think of all info is appreciated I am currently a boa sponge

Congrats on the boa!

Feeding inside the enclosure is fine, if you feel better using a hook to fish him out when handling he should recognize when it's food time vs handling time. I actually recommend feeding inside the enclosure for larger snakes opposed to moving them back into the enclosure after feeding inside a separate box: they may still be hopped up with just being fed and may be more inclined to strike out when being moved. Of course this depends on the individual but that's just my views on larger snake feeding: it's safer to feed inside the enclosure.

90 hotside and 80 cool/ambient is good. My boas tend to like a little cooler temps than my pythons but those are good temps.

I feed my biggest male (a little over 6') a large rat every 2 weeks. I like feeding every 2 weeks over weekly for larger/older boas due to the possible obesity issues already discussed here.

As for F/T: most boas aren't picky if food is live or frozen so I bet he'll take to F/T just fine. Much safer for him too.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Congrats on the boa!

Feeding inside the enclosure is fine, if you feel better using a hook to fish him out when handling he should recognize when it's food time vs handling time. I actually recommend feeding inside the enclosure for larger snakes opposed to moving them back into the enclosure after feeding inside a separate box: they may still be hopped up with just being fed and may be more inclined to strike out when being moved. Of course this depends on the individual but that's just my views on larger snake feeding: it's safer to feed inside the enclosure.

90 hotside and 80 cool/ambient is good. My boas tend to like a little cooler temps than my pythons but those are good temps.

I feed my biggest male (a little over 6') a large rat every 2 weeks. I like feeding every 2 weeks over weekly for larger/older boas due to the possible obesity issues already discussed here.

As for F/T: most boas aren't picky if food is live or frozen so I bet he'll take to F/T just fine. Much safer for him too.

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on the feeding it was more of a do I just skip a week as soon as I get him or keep things pretty normal and feed as he is use to while he is adjusting to my home? I fully intend on moving him to once every 2 weeks I just want to be sure to make the move as stress free as possible

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

on the feeding it was more of a do I just skip a week as soon as I get him or keep things pretty normal and feed as he is use to while he is adjusting to my home? I fully intend on moving him to once every 2 weeks I just want to be sure to make the move as stress free as possible

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I usually wait 5-7 days after bringing in a new addition before trying to feed, but it's preference. I say waiting a week to let him settle into his new place with you and then starting to feed on a 2 week schedule would be fine. It's a lot easier to stress out balls than it is boas in my experience.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

I usually wait 5-7 days after bringing in a new addition before trying to feed, but it's preference. I say waiting a week to let him settle into his new place with you and then starting to feed on a 2 week schedule would be fine. It's a lot easier to stress out balls than it is boas in my experience.

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ok so wait until hes been with me for two weeks to feed him I will be picking him up on sunday, friday is his current feeding day

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

ok so wait until hes been with me for two weeks to feed him I will be picking him up on sunday, friday is his current feeding day

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Or wait just one week from the time you pick him up then start your two week schedule. I bet he'll eat no problem within the first week with being with you guys.

Thank you all for your help I will keep in touch and when he gets here and all set up and has eaten for me I will take pictures I will also I am sure pick everyone's brain when I decide to build a bigger habitat for him

The husbandry you described sounds fine. If he is eating medium rats, I would only feed him every 10 days - 2 weeks though. I have fed my boas as soon as the 2nd day bringing them home. I've only ever had 1 refuse that first meal - and she shed later that same night. Boas generally are eager feeders and they aren't shy like BPs. They don't usually need much time to settle in.

If Friday is his current feeding day, and if you want to continue feeding him on Fridays, just feed that following Friday then go on your 2 week schedule. This should set him up best for success.

Looking forward to pictures and congrats on your new addition! Beware, boas are addictive................ :P