Baby boa care

[ssjsmits]

I’ve had several people send me messages asking how I care for my younger BCC boas. So I thought I'd make a thread stating how I go about taking care for these animals. I keep all young ones in rack systems. But here and there I keep them in individual setups. Here’s what I do. And this is a great way to raise any boa locality, not just a BCC.
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I buy an appropriate sized rubbermaid that isn’t too big, but small enough to make them feel secure as well as give them room to grow. My personal opinion based on my experience with Peruvian/Surinames boas is that they feel much more secure on a loose substrate like aspen, as apposed to newspaper or indoor/outdoor carpet. But the choice is yours. Drill holes with a small drill bit. I use 1/8", and space them about 1 1/2 -2 inches apart. Place a relatively small waterdish in there. You will probably have to move it around the tub accordingly to achieve the desired humidity level you are looking for. Since these types of set ups hold moisture well, you’ll probably keep it as far away from the heat source as possible. Also, you may have add more holes to lower the humidity. So make sure you start off by giving plenty of space between each hole you make. From there, just place an appropriate sized uth under one side of the enclosure. I like to provide one corner of the tub with a uth. Some people prefer the whole side to be heated while some like the uth to be about the size of the snake itself coiled up or slightly larger. Again, your call. With the exception of clamps for the top (don’t rely on the 2 clamps that keep the lid down and a book or two. Buy actual clamps) that’s about it. Those little buggers are pretty strong and can get out. I like to place a couple hides in there as well as some greenery for the really young ones.
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Having said that, here are so important considerations.
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1) Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to set up the tub before placing the boa in there. A day or two isn’t enough. Temps and humidity will change frequently in new setup. Especially if the season is changing in your area. Even more so if you use aspen. Freshly applied aspen with make the cage more humid for several days and then will start to fall some. Give yourself plenty of time to monitor fluctuations and make the necessary adjustments before placing the snake.

2) Use good devices for measuring temperatures and humidity. An infra-red temp gun is your best friend when working with BCC or any locale of boa constrictor.

3) Most dial devices are crap, stick with digital. They are easy. Accurite makes a nice hydrometer/thermometer combo. The device itself measures temperature (ambient) in 2 locations. The actual device measures a temp, as well as the probe that is located on a 4 foot cord. I place the accurite on the cool side of the tub and run the cord with probe to the warm side.

4) Make sure you understand the difference between ambient (air) and surface temps. They are two different things and are commonly misunderstood in this hobby. One of the reasons why you cannot trust every care sheet you read as most don't explain the difference when referencing temperature. So read lots! And ask questions!

5) Fart around with the thermostat probe. "Where do I put my thermostat probe?" You see that question a lot. There’s no set place to put it in any type of setup. Stick on the wall on various spots, under the substrate, on top, dangling from the air, etc. You’ll get all sorts of readings when moving it around. Doing this comes in handy when you seem to have trouble achieve the desired basking area you are aiming for. Try it.

6) A boa kept in a tub will need to be in a room that has an adequate ambient (air) temperature corresponding to the time of year. This is crucial in a tub setup! I adjust my boa’s cage temperature in correspondence to the season. I give them a "Summer" and "Winter". It’s not necessary if you have no desire to breed the animals, but I think it provides more beneficial than just breeding benefits, which is why I do it. Ideally, a room from about 78-84 is a good range for the Summer months. This is important. A boa cannot be kept in a 70 degree room with only uth for extended periods of time. If you have cool rooms and are unwilling to heat them because you don’t like it warmer or are too cheap, then this method of keeping boas will not work. A warm basking area doesn't compensate for low air temperatures.
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A sample setup of one of my Boa constrictor constrictor
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This information is based on my own opinions and experience. Hope this helped a little!


Brandon