Our Common Boas
At Scovill Zoo we have three common boas. Their names are Zeke, Bebe and Nagini. Zeke is 41 years old and is a female. Bebe is a male and is 35 years old. Nagani is 8 years old and we're unsure of the gender. All three boas were donated to the zoo. Zeke is easy to handle and is often used in demonstrations or with the mobile zoo.
Common Boa Size
A newborn boa is approximately 18 inches. An adult boa can measure between 5 and 9 feet. The record size for a common boa is 13 feet. They can weigh more than 100 pounds. The female boas are usually larger than the males. Like all snakes, they shed their skin in order to grow.
Common Boa Life Span
Common Boas can live more than 40 years. However, the average lifespan for captive boas is 20-30 years.
Common Boa Housing
The Boa's cage should be as simple as possible. The cage should allow the boa to chose between warm and cool regions. A hide box should be included to allow the boa to feel safe and secure. Floor space is more important than height when choosing a cage for a boa. Adults should be kept in a cage that is at least 2 feet wide and 4 feet long.
Common Boa Food
Boa Constrictors are nonvenomous snakes famous for squeezing or constricting their prey. They have small hooked teeth they use to grab and hold their prey. Boas diets are composed mostly of small mammals like rats and squirrels. Bats are also a favorite food, which boa constrictors catch while hanging from the trees or the mouths of caves, snatching their prey as it flies by.
Though most of their prey is large, boa constrictors will eat anything they can get their enormous, stretchable jaws around.
Common Boa Lighting & Temperature Requirements
Boas are typically solitary and mostly nocturnal. They will sometimes come out in the day to sun themselves on a rock.
Boas prefer an air temperature between 80 to 85 degrees. The snake will probably chose a warmer area of its cage to rest while digesting a meal.
Common Boa Substrate
Newspaper is recommended as substrate because it is less likely to be ingested and is quick to dry. Substrate heating pads are recommended.
References
livescience.com www.livescience.com/52787-boa-constrictor-facts.html
reptiles magazine www.reptilesmagazine.com/Snake-Species/Boa-Constrictor/
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