What do you have to do to encourage Boa Breeding.....

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #1 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 07:51 PM

What do you have to do to encourage breeding in RTB's? I am looking into getting a young make albino boa to breed to my female in the next couple years. I figured I would ask Experts. I am new to this site and currently keep savannah, mic. frogs, leos, and a juvi redtail. She is eating adult mice and I will upgrade her to rats when I am done with the mice in the freezer. Only 47 left!!!! lol She is about 3 feet and eating mice 1-3 times a week. She is in a 20 long and the temps range from 92.7 to 73.2 in her cage. And what substrate do you recomend I keep her on in aquariums to keep the humidity up.

Heidi · #2 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 07:58 PM

I'm not sure you'll like the responses you get from this post. First off I would encourage you to study a little bit about husbandry for your current snake. 3 feet she is outgrowing your 20L. Your lows are too low. High is okay if this is for basking. Try not to go over 90 on the high side. Is the 92.7 basking temp? She should not be eating 1-3 times a week. One appropriate sized food iten once a week MAX until she is 2. You are not giving her time to digest before her next meal. If your food isn't big enough some people feed 2 items, but I've always been afraid to do this. Maybe somebody else can give you ideas on how to get rid of your current supply.

Substrate, newspaper and paper towel is easy and clean. No worries about bugs or clean-up.

After you learn to properly care for your current animals then you can decide on whether or not to get another one. Breeding shouldn't even be in your vocabulary right now.

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 08:39 PM

I am upgrading her to a 40 breeder when I finish sealing the cage for my savannah. The 92 in the basking area with a red heat lamp. I am working on finishing the cage for the savannah this week while I am home from school.
II do not believe 3 feet is out growing a 20 long yet. I am not the type to keep a snake or animal in to small of a cage and since she is not overly active, I see no reason to go to a larger cgae just yet. I didn't mean she is eating 3 times a week. 1-3 mice per feeding. I should have made that more clear, sorry. I am currently using aspen for a bedding and have 2 hides. 1 on warm, 1 on cool, and 1 water bowl on the warm side. The mice are full size and are about the same girth of her mid body. I just recently started feeding her 3 this week and she seemed to take them pretty well over a 3 hour period. I am not over feeding her since I offer her prey only when the lump has been gone for 3 days.

toker · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 08:57 PM

Quote:

The mice are full size and are about the same girth of her mid body. I just recently started feeding her 3 this week and she seemed to take them pretty well over a 3 hour period. I am not over feeding her since I offer her prey only when the lump has been gone for 3 days.

If the mice are the same girth as her body, yes you are over feeding her. Only one item, the right size, once a week.

Dont worry about the, x days after the lump is gone. 7 days at a min.

Got any pics of your crittes?

wreckwriter · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hbwright

After you learn to properly care for your current animals then you can decide on whether or not to get another one. Breeding shouldn't even be in your vocabulary right now.

But of course it is, just like all the others

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #6 (**permalink**) 10-11-2005, 10:06 PM

Once I can talk my brother into letting me use his camera for a few days I can get some. I will feed her 1-2 mice a week then. She was feeding on 1 rat pink a week when I got her and she was skinny so I bumped her up to mouse hoppers for 3 feedings and then adult mice. She has bulked up nicely and doesn't have anymore deep creases from low feeding. I will try to get some pics really soon. I need to ask santa to help me get a digital camera for christmas!!! LOL Also does anyone know if PVC pipe works good for hiding spots? Proving that it is cleaned and all rough edges are removed. I used it for my savannah for a while but it out grew 3/4" pipe.

Thanks for the fast responses.

Pork Chops N' Corn Bread · #7 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 09:49 PM

I just got her into a 50 gallon aquarium. It is 36" long x 18" deep by ?? high. She seems to small for it but she will grow into it quickly. I will be ordering some more rats soon but don't know how many to get. She is eating the adults great and I will probably order 25-50 weaned rats once she is almost done with the mice I have now.

Alika · #8 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 09:58 PM

She can definitely eat weaned rats. My bcc isn't quite 3 ft, and he's been on weaned rats for several weeks now. I think you'll find that she'll feel out better on rats than on mice, and be healthier overall.

I use cypress mulch for my snake to help with humidity. I like newspaper better, but I just had such a hard time with bad sheds that I had to switch. I lay down a layer of newspaper before feeding him to prevent accidental ingestion of the mulch.

How old is she?

Besides the other concerns everyone else has posted about basic husbandry, my understanding of breeding (granted, I am not a breeder) is that a snake should be at least 6' before you even think about breeding her. Before that, she is just too young and too small to be able to successfully handle being gravid.

You still have almost, if not at least, another year to go before she might finally be in proper breeding condition.

jjmetro · #9 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 12:10 AM

WOW is all i have to say! this is why rescues are needed!! You've got a 40 gal breeder tank, which is a good size. thats what i have and my girl is 3 foot. ONE rat same girth as the widest part of the snake, MAX. how long did it take you to get the snake from pinkies to three full size mice???? if it was any less than about 6 months you are powerfeeding and causing more damage than good. the snakes organs can't keep up with the rest of the body's growth and you WILL have health probs. Santa?? how old are you??
and 3 foot is def to big for a 20L, which is a 10 gal 20" long. You need to spend all of your free time in the next two weeks doing nothing but reading on proper care of your boa.

PS NEVER feed live.

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