Overfed Yearling

I realize that I have been overfeeding my first boa in the frequency.
It is now 16 months old and 475g.
I find her round to my liking.

She is feeding on weanling rat (around 37g) every 3 weeks.
I decided to cut her to 3 weeks.
I also plan to feed her way less in the winter.

Would you feed her even less frequent than every 3 weeks ?
Is it possible to rectify her body shape since she is very young?

What do you think?
She's a Nic.

Here's a couple of pictures
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...dadaf3e4e0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8ef479f04b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6d33ed2179.jpg

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She looks fine to me...(I'd keep doing what you're doing.)

She looks pretty good to me. How much/often were you feeding her before the diet? At that age/size my boas were eating rat weaners biweekly but every 3 weeks would be just fine too.

Agreed. Body condition looks good to me too from what I can see. Maybe a little bigger than others at that age being of Central American lineage, but all snakes are individuals.


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Alright. I was doing 10 days for a long time. Then she was growing sooo fast that I decided to do 2 weeks for maybe 2 months and then im on 3 weeks for maybe 3 months now.

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All looks good and for a yearling I don't think you need to jump on the complete winter off of food protocol.

Its great to do eventually and your snake has the island background that goes with that strategy. The migratory flow of birds play a role in the feeding schedule but I like young animals to get a good start.

The ones that have the most success feeding in the wild usually rise to be the breeders and long lived survivors.

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Originally Posted by Gio

All looks good and for a yearling I don't think you need to jump on the complete winter off of food protocol.

Its great to do eventually and your snake has the island background that goes with that strategy. The migratory flow of birds play a role in the feeding schedule but I like young animals to get a good start.

The ones that have the most success feeding in the wild usually rise to be the breeders and long lived survivors.

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I see. Would you suggest to at least feed less frequently in the winter and more in summer?
Like lets say every 4 weeks or 5 weeks in the winter?
I'm reading the complete boa constrictor book, but I am curious about specifics if you have an ide with young nics.

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I am far from an expert but that doesn't look like a red tail to me (this is posted in the red tail section). Kind of looks like some kind or Morph to me? Brian Boas has some you tube videos showing Morphs grow faster than normal/regular Boas.

With that being said your snake looks healthy to me.

She looks a little "fluffy" but not bad. I would stick to the three week feeding schedule and handle as much as possible when the snake isn't digesting or in shed.

During the winter my three year old and older boas go on half rations but on the same feeding frequency. So, if they were getting a large rat every four weeks, they get a medium, or something like a rabbit fuzzy or older chick that weighs around 100 grams.

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Originally Posted by rakeonepow

I see. Would you suggest to at least feed less frequently in the winter and more in summer?
Like lets say every 4 weeks or 5 weeks in the winter?
I'm reading the complete boa constrictor book, but I am curious about specifics if you have an ide with young nics.

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As for specifics on Nicaraguan boas I can’t say for sure, but the feeding regimen you’re describing sounds like you’ve got the right idea. You’ve definitely got the right piece of literature to guide you so keep on reading and ask questions when you have them.


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Ty all.

Sorry if it was posted in redtails,, my bad.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by rakeonepow

Ty all.

Sorry if it was posted in redtails,, my bad.

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There’s no Central American boas forum on here so red tails is fine. You’ve clearly stated the animal’s background in your posts so anyone that cares to read can glean that information with ease.


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I hope you didn't take my mentioning I did not think it was a red tail as confrontational. I was merely stating that Morph Boas grow at a faster rate than locality Boas.

Here is the Brian Boas video discussing just that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr1_3JZ8hiM

OP - what you describe of the past feeding doesn't seem like power feeding at all. Your current schedule is fine, too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alien

I am far from an expert but that doesn't look like a red tail to me (this is posted in the red tail section). Kind of looks like some kind or Morph to me? Brian Boas has some you tube videos showing Morphs grow faster than normal/regular Boas.

With that being said your snake looks healthy to me.

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Red tail is an outdated term used to refer to various/all boa constrictors, depending on who you ask. Since there isn't a "boa constrictor" category, or a more specific one to suite OP's boa, this forum unfortunately would still be considered the correct one. I don't really like using "red tail" for any boa constrictor, but that was the most common label used for them in the past next to boa constrictor, and that's what the forum is using.

Also not really sure how a morph would grow faster than a normal. lol Feeding holds the most influence over growth rate. My normal grew faster than any of my morphs - he was 6' by 3 years whereas my 5 year old morphs have yet to reach 6'. But there was a year period where housing got kinda crazy, and where my usual f/t suppliers ran out of the rats I needed...which is why I now breed my own. They may have already reached 6' by now if it weren't for that, and they're growing more rapidly than ever now. But regardless, they never would have reached 6' by 3 years unless I power fed them as well.

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Originally Posted by CloudtheBoa

OP - what you describe of the past feeding doesn't seem like power feeding at all. Your current schedule is fine, too.



Red tail is an outdated term used to refer to various/all boa constrictors, depending on who you ask. Since there isn't a "boa constrictor" category, or a more specific one to suite OP's boa, this forum unfortunately would still be considered the correct one. I don't really like using "red tail" for any boa constrictor, but that was the most common label used for them in the past next to boa constrictor, and that's what the forum is using.

Also not really sure how a morph would grow faster than a normal. lol Feeding holds the most influence over growth rate. My normal grew faster than any of my morphs - he was 6' by 3 years whereas my 5 year old morphs have yet to reach 6'. But there was a year period where housing got kinda crazy, and where my usual f/t suppliers ran out of the rats I needed...which is why I now breed my own. They may have already reached 6' by now if it weren't for that, and they're growing more rapidly than ever now. But regardless, they never would have reached 6' by 3 years unless I power fed them as well.

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I don't think red tail is outdated at all. It has recently been changed to more specific BCC/BC Red Tail, and BCI/BI all other locality Boas.

My Pastel Hypo Jungle Boa who I have fed 10% of weight every 14 days seems to prove that out to me? I have recently changed him to every 21 days at 15 months as he is growing like a weed. He seems "hungry" when fed at that interval. He has never refused a meal. He is 4' and 850 grams

Here is where Brians Boas discusses growth rate?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr1_3JZ8hiM