It really depends on the prey and prey size. I don't really have a feeding schedule. Its feast or famine, and when I feed a rabbit, I won't offer again for a month. Then when I do, it will be a much smaller prey item, either quail or a rat, but either of those will be typically smaller than what an adult would eat.Originally Posted by Billy29
Then he may go 21 days and get a large rat, large quail, or go a bit longer and I'll give him a rabbit.
I like to make him crawl around and hunt to eat. A hungry boa is an active boa. If he becomes sedentary and content, I know he is eating more than I'd like. Boa constrictors should be lean and laterally compressed. The HUGE boas in the wild, 12-13 feet long probably weigh less than the 10 foot boas in captivity.
Metabolism in just about every living organism shortens lives. Fasting or going without food is not bad in many cases.
I believe one reason royal pythons are the longest living snakes is because they will refuse food for months, even close to a year, and then resume eating with no ill effect.
Obviously this isn't how I'd feed a neonate or juvenile snake, but with adults, sometimes less is more.
As a boa approaches adulthood, its important to know when the explosive growth has stopped, and the slow long term growth begins. They tend to store fat in their tail area, and if you are able to visually spot that, you are in a good position to keep your snake lean and healthy.
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