Too big for rats too small for rabbits

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.