6 week old BCI: DUW

I "caught" Simon, my 6 week old male BCI cruising around his branches this evening, just checking things out. This was interesting to me, because since he came here about 2 weeks ago, he has rarely come out of his hide. So I snapped a few pictures, and thought I would share.

Enjoy, and thanks for Looking!

very nice colors! he's a great looking snake :0)

Great Looking indeed!

I like the pics. Good Job!

Boas love to climb if given the oppertunity! They are amazing snakes Chris, Glad your enjoying your new boy.

That's cool! He must be feeling comfortable. He's a pretty guy! I'd like to see his entire viv.

Nanci

Originally Posted by Nanci

That's cool! He must be feeling comfortable. He's a pretty guy! I'd like to see his entire viv.

Nanci

He's moving in the next day or two. Currently he is in an 18"x18"x18" Exo-Terra Vivarium, which is ok...but not designed with snakes in mind. Over the weekend I am getting a new rack, moving ALL of my colubrids into rack units, and Simon will move into a 30g Critter Cage, where he shall remain for the next year or so. I'll take pictures of the "jungle gym" when I get it set up for him...

Which is cool...I might actually invest in some "legged" creatures. I was thinking of getting a couple anoles to put in the Exo-Terra once I move Simon. This will serve the dual purpose of providing entertainment for my daughter, and a scent-source for next spring's reluctant hatchlings....

i love them. i wanted another ball python but im going for a red tail when i set my new viv up!

Sweet! He's looking great! I love thier colors - but don't have the room for one here.


Jenn

Originally Posted by Mrs InsaneOne

Sweet! He's looking great! I love thier colors - but don't have the room for one here.


Jenn

Not all BCI's are monstrous in proportion. This guy's mother was under five feet long, dad the same. I don't expect him to ever get bigger than 7' and about 20lbs...though admittedly, I am prepared for a MUCH bigger snake if need be.

I just finished reading "The Boa Constrictor Manual" by Philippe de Vosjoli, with sections by Roger Klingenberg, DVM and Jeff Ronne, and published by The Herpetocultural Library and Advanced Vivarium Systems. Let me quote what he says about boas and their size:

"By keeping boa constrictors at the low end of their temperature requirements(80-82* background temperature) and by feeding them a moderate-sized prey item every two weeks with babies and every two to three weeks with adults, it is possible to stunt the growth of boa constrictors so that they do not exceed 5 feet for males and 7 feet for females in the case of both Colombian boas and red-tail boas. As long as a snake maintains a decent weight this dietary "stunting" will not harm the health of your snake...."

This was a surprising bit of information to have. While I have no intention of performing this sort of dietary "stunting" with my pretty boy, it is an interesting tid-bit for folks considering a BCC(true red-tail) or BCI(common boa), but not having room for a 10-14' snake...

Chris, that info is BS. I would NEVER reccommend following it. Boas grow at an alarming rate, and a hungry big boid is no pleasant pet. You may have stunted their growth on the outside, but their organs are still growing.

Eventually it will kill the snake, much sooner than expected. BCI's and BCC's can live in excess of 30 years, I HIGHLY doubt any snake that has been underfed and as a consequence is 3-4ft smaller than it should be will live for more than 10 years.

If you cannot house an adult common boa, don't buy one. Theres no loop holes around that factor!