Small Boa?

[Max2008]

Hey, uhh I got a question.. how big are boas supposed to get their first year? My boa is a year old and only two feet long... my cage is a 20 gallon long with 85 degree ambient temp. and about a 90-95 basking area... he eats once a week, 1 fuzzy and sheds about once every one and a half months. He seams healthy and all I'm just wondering why he isn't growing very much... when I got him he was very small, about 18 inches, he has grown a huge amount since then I'm just wondering when he will start the MAJOR GROWTH SPIRT

Thanks

[Max2008]

Re: Small Boa?

Oh yeah, and I don't feed him fuzzies.. I meant small mice.


Randy

[Red]

Re: Small Boa?

It depends on the snake but it should double it size in the first year and then again in the second... Did you get your snake at a pet store.?? If so they alot of the time don't feed there boa and python's well so they will stay small... If you have not had the snake very long and it has been growing well then it may be that it is just now hitting it's growth spert... They tend to grow long first then gain girth... I would say that it may have stomititus but if it has been growing well then I would not... a intestanal worm or anything like that is not likly ether do to the groth spert...
You did not mention what you humidity in the cage is.. Do you regulate the humidity?? If you don't they you need to start.. It should be around 60-65.. Higher is ok but not too much...
Well good luck... sounds like you have a healthy boa...
Eric aka...Red

[ClayEnglish]

Re: Small Boa?

Average colombian boa constrictor size at birth is 20 to 22 inches.  An average length at 1 year old is 3 feet.

It could be that your boa was just a smaller boa at birth.  And if boas are kept smaller at young ages, they generally remain overall smaller through life. If so chances are that your boa may never be any bigger than 5 or 6 feet.

Also smaller living environments have affected the growth rates of certain snakes. Getting an enclosure that will support the adult size of the snake may also help in the growth rate.

However I can tell you that one of the best things you can do is to switch to rats.  Rats are just down right more nutritious for boas.  More meat, less hair.

Switch now, and it will help add some growth to your boa.  There are others on this forum who have done this and seen quick results.

[Doug]

Re: Small Boa?

HI,
 I agree with CLay on this one, also you should consider buying
from a rat breeder like rodent pro or Cajunmice. The qulaity of the rats is considerably better ,cleaner no smell, most pet store rats are bordering on starvation and may have wet tail and parasites, most of the the frozen thawed at petstores have had to many thawed cycles due to ground shipping delays, many are bordering on rotten when you finally thaw...
  Another point is that you should condition you r young snake asap to feeding on thawed.  This will prevent parasites and mites in your cages.
 Here's an example of changing food from petstore to rodent-pro...

after eating only thawed rats from rodent pro

Your snake could proably eat larger prey items, the food should be slightly larger than the widest part of the snake, check out the feeding care sheets Clay has..
 good luck
  doug
[ftp]http://www.redtailboas.com/carelinks/carelinks.html[/ftp]

psps if you would like to visit my photo's and see my group of boa's
[ftp]http://photo.redtailboa.org/my-pets[/ftp]
;D

[Max2008]

Re: Small Boa?

I already feed him thawed :P, yeah I will start with rats now... I'm going to order them soon.. thanks guys.


Randy