Honey - Kahl Sunglow Jungle

[ckuhn003]

I thought I was done with two snakes (8yo Super Ghost and 4yo IMG Motley) but shopping for supplies at the Expo last week brought home an unexpected addition. It’s my 1st female and she’s so inquisitive and sweet with all of us. She ate two days after arrival and is settling in nicely.

My question is on size because what the breeder is telling me goes against everything I’ve read (including Russo’s book). He said she’ll max out around 6 feet and a 4x2 will be perfect for her. He said she’ll never get big enough for a 6 foot enclosure. Both my males are currently in 4x2s.

Curious on everyone’s opinions before I order a new enclosure. I really don’t want a 6 foot enclosure but……..




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[Bogertophis]

She's beautiful, & I'd keep an open mind about her final size. It depends on genetics & diet, sure, but you know how human generations tend to outgrow previous ones due to better conditions? Just saying... In my experience, some breeders tell buyers what they want to hear, & others, what they think & hope- is true, but a real guarantee of ultimate size is just hard to promise.

[bcr229]

I would plan for her to get up to 8 feet. I have had females top out at 6 feet but they had a lot of CA blood.

[Homebody]

My question is on size because what the breeder is telling me goes against everything I’ve read (including Russo’s book). He said she’ll max out around 6 feet and a 4x2 will be perfect for her. He said she’ll never get big enough for a 6 foot enclosure. Both my males are currently in 4x2s.

Curious on everyone’s opinions before I order a new enclosure. I really don’t want a 6 foot enclosure but……..

What's she in now? Can you keep here there until you get a better sense of how she's growing and what size she'll ultimately be?

[ckuhn003]

I would plan for her to get up to 8 feet. I have had females top out at 6 feet but they had a lot of CA blood.

Just spoke with the breeder and 95% of his collection is CA so that's why he's sticking by this animal will max out around 6 feet.

[ckuhn003]

What's she in now? Can you keep here there until you get a better sense of how she's growing and what size she'll ultimately be?

She's in a quarantine tub which is temporary (hopefully less than 6 months) or at least until the AP enclosure is ordered and delivered.

[dakski]

A 6ft female is more snake than a 6ft male in most cases. Behira is 6.5 feet at almost 10 years old. She's about 10-11 pounds. I could have fed her bigger meals and more often and she might be bigger, but to her detriment. Still, she is on the smaller size for a female BI (although she has spurted a little in the past year eating small/1 pound rabbits).

Feed her responsibly, and with CA blood, maybe 6-7 feet, or less, is an okay estimate. I would get a 6X2' if you can so you get one tank and even if she gets bigger, you are good. If not, a 4X2' would be okay. Figure length + width = length of snake. Height is a factor too. Behira is in a 6X2X1' tank. In contrast, Yafe, my carpet python, is about 7 feet and 6+ pounds. He is in a 4X2X1.5'. He has PVC pipe going across the tank and climbs a lot. The floor space is okay for him, but the tank works because of the height and "branches." I also take all my snakes out regularly and they get to stretch out and move around. That's important as well, especially if in a smaller tank.

Jeff, my male BI, was fed similarly to Behira, is 7, and from the same breeder, and he is about 1.5kg and 5+ feet.

As mentioned, male vs. female, food, genetics, etc. all play a role.

The final thing I'll mention is that I have all my boas in 6X2' tanks with 2 doors. One door for the left side and one for the right side. They are aggressive feeders - as you I am sure you know. I like the option of picking a side and having a smaller door. If my 10+ pound boa is on the left side, I can open the right side, etc. Safer for feeding. They hit hard and fast. Even if a 4X2', consider 2 door options.

She's a beauty and I look forward to seeing her grow.

[ckuhn003]

A 6ft female is more snake than a 6ft male in most cases. Behira is 6.5 feet at almost 10 years old. She's about 10-11 pounds. I could have fed her bigger meals and more often and she might be bigger, but to her detriment. Still, she is on the smaller size for a female BI (although she has spurted a little in the past year eating small/1 pound rabbits).

Feed her responsibly, and with CA blood, maybe 6-7 feet, or less, is an okay estimate. I would get a 6X2' if you can so you get one tank and even if she gets bigger, you are good. If not, a 4X2' would be okay. Figure length + width = length of snake. Height is a factor too. Behira is in a 6X2X1' tank. In contrast, Yafe, my carpet python, is about 7 feet and 6+ pounds. He is in a 4X2X1.5'. He has PVC pipe going across the tank and climbs a lot. The floor space is okay for him, but the tank works because of the height and "branches." I also take all my snakes out regularly and they get to stretch out and move around. That's important as well, especially if in a smaller tank.

Jeff, my male BI, was fed similarly to Behira, is 7, and from the same breeder, and he is about 1.5kg and 5+ feet.

As mentioned, male vs. female, food, genetics, etc. all play a role.

The final thing I'll mention is that I have all my boas in 6X2' tanks with 2 doors. One door for the left side and one for the right side. They are aggressive feeders - as you I am sure you know. I like the option of picking a side and having a smaller door. If my 10+ pound boa is on the left side, I can open the right side, etc. Safer for feeding. They hit hard and fast. Even if a 4X2', consider 2 door options.

She's a beauty and I look forward to seeing her grow.

Absolutely in agreement with your feeding approach. The breeder said his adult females will top out eating large and jumbo rats but spread out over a good period of time. I've seen some of his females and they don't look gigantic and he swears I shouldn't need anything larger than a 4 x 2. All my enclosures are double door and I offer food at the opposite ends because they pound the door when the lights go out and it's feeding time. I've heard a one way glass film on the enclosures is a game changer which I may try. Anyways, appreciate the advice. Your snakes are always well taken care of and I enjoy watching their progressions.

[ckuhn003]

Some more pictures after a week of ownership. All 3 of mine have different personalities and this one just seems to want to come out and be near us. Shes such a sweetheart …..so far at least….











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[dakski]

Absolutely in agreement with your feeding approach. The breeder said his adult females will top out eating large and jumbo rats but spread out over a good period of time. I've seen some of his females and they don't look gigantic and he swears I shouldn't need anything larger than a 4 x 2. All my enclosures are double door and I offer food at the opposite ends because they pound the door when the lights go out and it's feeding time. I've heard a one way glass film on the enclosures is a game changer which I may try. Anyways, appreciate the advice. Your snakes are always well taken care of and I enjoy watching their progressions.

That all sounds good and I am going to look into one way film (can you apply to plexiglass?). That could be a game changer and I never thought about it. Beats the drapes!

One word of caution from what I have heard repeatedly and from people I trust, as well as researching nutritional content of prey, etc. Avoid jumbo rats for Boas. They struggle with digesting fat and aside from the digestion issues, it will put the wrong kind of weight on them. They thrive on lean meals.

To be clear, there are absolutely snakes that can handle fatty meals better, just not boas.

I starting feeding Behira XS Rabbits (they are about 0.8 - 1 pound) when she hit about 9 pounds. 10% +/- of body weight is a lot for a boa, especially and established adult. So, I feed her every 4-6 weeks now, as opposed to smaller meals for my male BI Jeff (every 2-3 weeks) and my male dwarf BC Feliz (every 3-4 weeks). Rabbits are leaner than jumbo rats (noticeably) and have virtually the same nutritional content as an adult rat. 1/2 pound adult rats just weren't making a dent, even every 3 weeks.

The issue with rabbits is they are not as readily available as jumbo rats. I'd rather feed a 6ft boa a large rat every 2-3 weeks than a jumbo every 4 or so. Of course, both Layne Labs and Big Cheese Rodent Factory sell frozen rabbits. I order from Big Cheese. Love their quality and they often have sales on rabbits.

Some more pictures after a week of ownership. All 3 of mine have different personalities and this one just seems to want to come out and be near us. Shes such a sweetheart …..so far at least….

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She is a looker and likely will stay a sweetheart. She is a boa and if you handle her regularly and respectfully, she will just mellow out more with size. Fewer things can eat you when you are big.

The different personalities between species and with individual snakes is always fun.

Jeff is pretty chill (he is a boa) but is very grippy with the tail holding on. He's made indents with my wedding ring that last for hours. Just him. He is also a little more active and spooks easier. He's hardly defensive but I am more cautious with him. He's a little less inquisitive than the others, but again, very docile and handleable. He is also a more patient feeder. He rarely hits the doors, but does hit hard.

Feliz is practically warm and fuzzy. He is inquisitive, very calm and deliberate, and exceptionally interactive. He has always been curious and is almost interested in people when being held.

Behira is in between. Not grippy, inquisitive and docile, but seemingly more interested in being a snake than being social. She is a lot of snake and redirecting can be a challenge, but she is so docile it is fine.

Good luck with Honey. She looks awesome and sounds like she will be an amazing boa!