Too big for rats too small for rabbits

It seems my boa takes her rats with ease & needs more.. I was recommended to feed her two rats instead of one colossal rat but I'm worried about length of her stomach as it's my first snake any suggestions on food? Thank you!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHe_pC-j...=19tk4zthra4ns

Need something in the photo to provide a sense of scale. An adult boa doesn’t need, and should not be given, enormous meals. Something a little less than the girth of the animal every 3-4 weeks or more is fine. Prey item should not leave a big bump if any at all.


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I've added a few photos for a better scale... I feed her a colossal rat every 12 days but I'm not sure if her weight is good enough I have yet to scale her I just recently moved so everything is harder

I don’t see any other photos posted here.
(Edit: Found the others on your IG through my browser. Better to upload pictures to the forums as not everyone uses social media and can’t easily access pics on IG. When using a browser it blocks content after the second view. The Tapatalk app makes loading pictures here very simple.)

How old is this animal? An adult boa doesn’t need to be fed more than every 3-4 weeks and can easily go 6 weeks comfortably.

A colossal rat should not be given to any boa. Their higher fat content is hard for a boa’s slow metabolism to digest and can lead to obesity and other health complications which ultimately shortens their life expectancy.

The snake looks alright in those pictures and is maybe a tad chunky. A boa’s cross section should look like a loaf of bread, tall and square.


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You can find vendors online that will sell rabbits from stillborn kits up through 10 lbs. My adult females eat 6-8 oz rabbits at most, the same size as an XL rat, once every month. Over the winter they get less.

If you are feeding colossal rats which likely weigh a pound or more then your snake should only be eating every 6-8 weeks, not every 12 days. Keep that up and your snake will become obese and die.

Or feed smaller once a week. It's not like a Boa will refuse a meal.

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Originally Posted by 303_enfield

Or feed smaller once a week. It's not like a Boa will refuse a meal.

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Do not feed an adult boa once a week.
Slow metabolism + overload of prey intake = unhealthy animal with shortened lifespan


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Your boa is a good size. Boas are very efficient. However, they do not do well with fatty meals - like jumbo rats.

Also, feeding weekly is a big no no for an adult boa, no matter what you are feeding.

I would be feeding a large rat every 2-3 weeks tops. If you want a rabbit, get something smaller, but nutritionally they are better than a jumbo rat, although not much different than a large rat.

From the looks of it, you could not feed your boa for a year and he/she would probably lose less than 5% body mass and still be healthy as can be.

Go smaller and less frequently for a boa that will live a long and healthy life, assuming not too much damage has already been done.

You can find small rabbits, a rabbit breeder is your best bet there but online suppliers would have them. You could also rotate with other prey such as chicken or quail. I absolutely would not be feeding two prey items or jumbo/colossal rats, that's not healthy in the least, very fatty and hard on their systems. I'd stick to a large every 2-3 weeks at max. You need to let her work through an entire digestion cycle before stuffing her with more food, your current feeding schedule is going to leave you with an extremely overweight boa.

She still hunts so I figured I should be doing bigger.. thanks for the advice I will definitely adjust her diet! I'm gonna weigh her soon & as for pictures go it only lets me use URLs which I have none of personal photos

Boas will eat everyday if offered. Doesn’t mean it’s good for them.

Good that you want what’s best for your boa.

Let us know if you have any other questions.

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Originally Posted by Introvert

She still hunts so I figured I should be doing bigger.. thanks for the advice I will definitely adjust her diet! I'm gonna weigh her soon & as for pictures go it only lets me use URLs which I have none of personal photos

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Yep. Boas are opportunistic predators that will eat anytime they can because they’re programmed to know that they might not see food again for months. As a result they are very easily fed to morbidly obese weights in captivity.

On the subject of pictures, download the Tapatalk app for your phone like I mentioned earlier. Makes sharing pictures here no more difficult than sending one in a text message.


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Originally Posted by Introvert

It seems my boa takes her rats with ease & needs more.. I was recommended to feed her two rats instead of one colossal rat but I'm worried about length of her stomach as it's my first snake any suggestions on food? Thank you!

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if you want try feeding her/him a rat and a half rat together, if you continue doing that and it still seems hungry then start feeding it two whole rats. or instead if still hungry try feeding guinea pigs? I don't know because I don't have a boa but I've been studying snakes. hope you fix your problem!

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Originally Posted by BoopsTheBallPython

if you want try feeding her/him a rat and a half rat together, if you continue doing that and it still seems hungry then start feeding it two whole rats. or instead if still hungry try feeding guinea pigs? I don't know because I don't have a boa but I've been studying snakes. hope you fix your problem!

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No. Just no. Guinea pigs are even fattier than the rats we advised to stop feeding. I know you’re excited about being on these forums but refrain from offering advice on topics you are not versed in until you have sufficient experience with the animals you are trying to advise on.


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A large rat every 2-3 weeks is plenty of food for a boa that size. Offering a 2nd prey item on occasion won’t hurt anything but I wouldn’t do it consistently. You’re not really feeding for growth anymore at this point, you just want to maintain a healthy body condition. With the exception of my colubrids I feed all my snakes every 2-4 weeks after their 2nd year and only once every 4-6 weeks during the winter.

Shes between 5-7 years, original owners were stupid & had no interest in caring for her so I can't give an exact birthday or age I got her in April I've had her for 7 months everywhere online said 14 days but I'm aware it's very easy to be misled with this information I only seek what's best for her as she's my first pet & a big commitment when I got her she had no bedding, dysfunctional UVB, heat lamp & a water bowl no bigger then my outstretched hand... Original owner fed frozen thawed but just threw the rat in a bowl of hot water changing the water frequently... I've heard to let rats thaw overnight in the fridge & warm with water then feed.. they also put her in a feeding tube, fed her & moved her back to the tank every feeding... I've bought tongs & have never moved her for feeding I lay paper towels in her cage where she's gonna grab the rat to minimize substrate.. I'm working on a larger tank with two hides at the moment as she's looking little squishy in there... Hardest part was finding large hides

What would nutritional be the best for my boa & what kinda time range would I be looking at I'd love to offer variety as Im trying to give her everything she needs I just don't know enough to safely offer her other items or where to acquire them as my city has no reptile stores I have to travel

Good on you for taking her in. She looks nice, maybe just a tad on the fluffy side as I had said.

I’d offer her probably nothing bigger than a large rat every 3-4 weeks for now. Be careful feeding on paper towels. If they stick to the feeder and she swallows it then that’s a very expensive vet trip to have it surgically removed. A little bit of substrate here and there isn’t the end of the world but good to avoid when possible. A piece of cardboard or a paper plate or something would be a better option.

As for variety of prey items and where to find them, there are lots of options online to have frozen feeders delivered.
Cold Blooded Cafe
Big Cheese Rodent
Perfect Prey
Layne Labs
Reptilinks
Etc.

My thawing method is to put the rodent(s) in a heavy freezer bag and place them in a bucket of cool water until they’re thawed. Then replace the water with the hottest that will come out of the tap and put the bag back in that for a little bit. Everyone does things a little differently but that’s what works for me.

One of the best things I can recommend for boa keepers is to buy and read The More Complete Boa Constrictor by Vincent Russo. It’s the boa bible and is an invaluable resource to have on hand.
https://beanfarm.com/products/the-mo...31177107636358


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Perhaps find a person who breeds dwarf rabbits (Netherland Dwarfs, Polish, ect.). Smaller than the typical New Zelands used for snake food but possibly larger than rats.

I'll definitely switch to paper plates thanks for the heads up! I thoroughly dry the rodent so I don't think it's been an issue but very useful I'm in Canada & are you sure she's big enough for dwarf rabbits? Shes a little thick but I honestly thought she needed more weight I've seen a lot bigger boas

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Originally Posted by Introvert

I'll definitely switch to paper plates thanks for the heads up! I thoroughly dry the rodent so I don't think it's been an issue but very useful I'm in Canada & are you sure she's big enough for dwarf rabbits? Shes a little thick but I honestly thought she needed more weight I've seen a lot bigger boas

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Nah, I wouldn't put any more weight on that animal. Relatively few boas ever really ~need~ rabbits but if you go that route keep them on the smaller side and only maybe once a month/6 weeks.
I've also seen much bigger boas. BUT, the biggest boas are the oldest boas. At 5-7yrs old she's just become a mature adult. These animals should hit 20yrs old without breaking a sweat but they only get that age with mindful husbandry practices. Not a race for them to get huge and some just won't get huge ever. Just like people. Doesn't matter how much you feed me, I'm not getting taller than 5'4" in my mid 30s now. There are genetic size maximums for all species, doesn't mean they can or will ever reach them.

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

No. Just no. Guinea pigs are even fattier than the rats we advised to stop feeding. I know you’re excited about being on these forums but refrain from offering advice on topics you are not versed in until you have sufficient experience with the animals you are trying to advise on.


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I see this is a mixture of misreading and me mistyping. I am meaning once the Boa gets BIG ENOUGH to start feeding guinea pigs. I don't know the exact size but I know a professional that feeds their boa constrictor guinea pigs and rabbits! sorry for the misunderstanding.

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Originally Posted by BoopsTheBallPython

I see this is a mixture of misreading and me mistyping. I am meaning once the Boa gets BIG ENOUGH to start feeding guinea pigs. I don't know the exact size but I know a professional that feeds their boa constrictor guinea pigs and rabbits! sorry for the misunderstanding.

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Again, no. Guinea pigs are toofatty of a prey item for a boa constrictor regardless of what the “professional” you’ve been consulting with offers as advice. Rabbits can be fine and ounce for ounce are a far more lean and calorie dense prey item than guinea pigs. Please stop spreading misinformation that could be to the detriment of another keeper’s animal. This will not be tolerated.


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Guinea pigs are fine for giant pythons as they have fast metabolisms and can handle fatty feeders. Boas should not eat them. Even the largest BCC adults will be fine with a young rabbit.

If you can find culled rabbit fuzzies/weans these are ideal for boas as the feeders are very lean. Weight-wise they're equivalent to a small(ish) rat. A local breeder saves them for me and I pay her by the pound so it works out for both of us.

ok, I might have gotten them mixed up, thank you for clearing that up. though the person fed the Boa rabbits and guinea pigs for years because of how big he is. this is a bit confusing.

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Originally Posted by BoopsTheBallPython

ok, I might have gotten them mixed up, thank you for clearing that up. though the person fed the Boa rabbits and guinea pigs for years because of how big he is. this is a bit confusing.

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c9e48f8202.jpg

This boa was fed piglets weekly. All those globs are fat. Just because they will eat it and get larger and larger, doesn't mean any of that is healthy.


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this ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ :gj: