Measuring Your Boa

[PythonTamer]

This was brought up in another post in this section by CewlCat in regard to measuring your snake accurately, so I thought I would post it here.
This is Zena's shed skin (my Dumeril's Boa).  I was happy that she shed in one piece yet again.  I kept the humidity at 70% during the shed cycle.  She measures 5'2" and the skin measures out at 6'4" s35.gif.  Just to show that shed skin is NOT an accurate way of determining your snake's size cwm24.gif.  My foot, which measures 10 1/2" is there for reference.  
Thanks for looking.
PT

[eViL_KaRoT]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

The easiest way I've found is the string measurement. A piece of string will curve with her body so that you don't have to try to straighten her out, (when you have a 6.5 ft snake that is not the easiest thing to do) and it is less stressing for them. Then just measure the piece of string. You will get a pretty accurate measurement, give or take an inch or two!!!!

[Guest]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

That is what I have been using,...the string measurement.

[kahaj]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

Yep, easiest way for snakes, lizards, whatever.

[MrSparkle]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

I have found the best way to MEASURE my snake,...was to place her next to a wall,............. her slow slither will straighten out as she follows the wall and then you can make the measurement .

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

If the shed skin thing works then I have some WHOPPERS!!!!! ;D Don't you Lori? ;D

I have told people in the past that one of the easiest ways to measure ( although this is not exact ) is to know the dimensions of your enclosure, ie 4 foot long, 2 foot wide.

I find my boas exploring the enclosures all the time, and it is easy to see that when one is stretched the length of the enclosure and 5 or 6 inches around the corner, that a good ballpark is 4 1/2 feet. Rarely do we need to know exact increments of inches.

This method works very very well with younger smaller boas who do explore a lot.

You can even make small marks every 6 inches with a felt tip pen and help you measure the smaller boas.

Older and bigger boas tend to stay in places coiled, so this becomes very difficult.

If you check on your boas often, then you will find them in this position where you can "judge" the length.

Hope this helps

[tatdaddy]

Re: Measuring Your Boa

I use the wall along with the stirng. I take a piece of string lay it along the wall. Then I set my snake agaist the wall once his head gets to the end of the string I mark where his tail is. Then I measure the string. It works really well for me.