The thing with boas and retics is that their similarities are only...scale-deep. Both big tropical constrictors that will eat as much as you give them. But on the inside they are very different creatures. A retic is always hungry b/c it metabolism converts food into energy at an alarming rate resulting in fast moving snake that grows rapidly. A boa is always hungry b/c it has evolved to endure famine and feels that every meal might be its last. It's metabolism uses food for growth, but also stores the energy as fat. Now boas will certainly grow faster to if fed harder, but at the same time they will be developing health issues similar to those that humans who over eat can develop – an abundance of fat that starts to inhibit the function of their organs. Boa experts agree and it has been shown time and again that slow growing on a conservative feeding regimen leads to very long healthy lives. Overfed boas, arguably, aren't as satisfying to keep either as they are lethargic and slow - imagine how you feel right after a thanksgiving feast, now imageine it takes 2 weeks for that feeling to subside, but your host feeds you another turkey 4 days later (and you eat the entire thing in one bite, head first).
My boa is a 2 year old sub adult, still actively growing so I try to keep a meal coming every two weeks, but there are definitely plenty of boa people who think that I am feeding him a little too much. It can be tedious waiting for your small snake to get big – that's why all of my growth posts are so enthusiastic because it gets me so excited, but it's worth the wait knowing that I should have a happy healthy pet for the next 20 years at least. That being said, One of these days, when my kids are older, I really want to get a food-inhaling, poop-spewing, fast-moving retic as well!
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