Boa constrictor

Boa constrictor (Imperator)

One of the most common and popular snakes in the private collections of terrariumists in the world. And the fondness could not have arisen from nothing: this snake species is worth mentioning in every blog or any piece of literature, that describes the most well liked reptiles.
They have the perfect size, the ideal calm temperament, a catchy bright and contrasting skin colour. All in all, these snakes lack imperfection and can be recommended both to terrariumist beginners and to experienced reptile-keepers.

There is so much to say about this snake, that I could never really collect all of my ideas and post them before. But I think I will only mention the most important things :)

Background information

These snakes do not grow as big as Indian rock pythons, however, they do have a solid, muscular and heavy body shape with a extensive variety of colour variations with bright, changing colour tones from the head to the tip of their tails.
Normally, the pythons, held in captivity, tend not to grow larger than 2 m long (considering the fact, that in the nature the Boa constrictor's sizes vary from 1 to 6 metres). The size depends on the area, where it has originally been found, and only then transported for breeding to a different location.
The main body-colour of these Boas is usually light-beige. However, it is the patterns on the back of the snake, which make it stand out among any other reptiles. The head and the upper part of their bodies tends to be more or less monotonous, while from around the 5/7th part of their body, the patterns become more visually distinct, ending with a very bright ornament on the tail of the snake. Considering the fact, that these snakes are "big", their heads are relatively small, making their body proportions seem quiet elegant, compared to some other snakes (Boiga cyanea, Eryx miliaris and etc). The colour varies from light-grey or pastel-green to dark-brown and dark-burgundy. Also, these snakes are well known for the great amount of morphs present. I, personally, have a female 'Albino Boa constrictor - Kahl line'. Her name is Honey and she is one of my favourites of the many reptile and amphibians I have ever kept in my personal collection.

Boa constrictors inhabit a wide range of places: from North Mexico to South Argentina, including most islands of the Gulf of Mexico and some islands on the equator region of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. And even though the place of origin of each species may vary greatly, one of the greatest aspects of keeping them at home is the ability of most Boa constrictors to adapt to the environment the are introduced to in very short time. So, all of the rules and recommendations of keeping the Boa constrictor, which I will write about below, can be applied to most specimen of this species.
They tend to occupy not only the lower areas of the plant community of the rainforest but are also locating themselves in open woodlands with rich bush and shrub vegetation, rocky mountains, the sandy ground, the top of the kapok trees (the tallest trees of the Amazon) and etc.

Though, the colour variation of this species cannot be the only reason why these snakes are so popular. The ease of keeping them in their vivariums, the methods of feeding and their character make up a great reptile for showing off to your friends and family.

Terrarium

If you decided to purchase and keep a Boa constrictor at home, the only factor you might consider problematic is the size of the tank, needed for keeping this species. As  I already mentioned, these snakes can grow up to 2 m (and sometimes 3 m long, if female). Therefore, the minimum size for one grown Boa constrictor must not be smaller than 100*50*50 (Width*Height*Depth) cm. However, that is the size for an average Boa c.. If you have seen the parents of your snake specimen, you should expect your snake to grow as big as them and therefore you should pick a terrarium, suitable for the size of your snake. It is obviously recommended to pick a bigger version of the tank if you are choosing between a bigger and a smaller version. Remember, the width of the tank should not be smaller than half the length of the snake. And the depth, therefore, at least half the measure of the width.

For a specimen that has not yet reached the length of 1 m a tank with the dimensions of 60*40*40 (W*H*D) cm will suit the snake perfectly. Later, though, you will have to switch to a new and bigger terrarium.

Even though most of the Boa c.s tend to inhabit the less humid areas of their original environment, they are still most often located near some kind of water source, which could be a slow-flowing river, a pond, lake, puddle or even an inland sea. Therefore you should place a water-basin, big enough for the whole snake to fit in it, as it would have a greater surface area, increasing the water evaporation rate, easing your job of keeping the humidity level at a certain level.

I would also be a good idea to place some branches, twigs and rocks in the tank, as most Boa c.s are arboreal animals, meaning that they live in the trees. The presence of such objects will also help the moulting of the reptile.

Light and Temperature

You should consider to create a clear temperature gradient in your snake's tank. During the day the terrarium should have a 'cold corner' with the temperature of 19-23 ºC and a 'Hot corner' of approximately 30-40 ºC. The average daytime tank temperature should not fall below 26-27 ºC.

Make sure that the temperature at night is not lower than 19-10 ºC. I would also recommend to place a heating pad, a heating cable or a heat rock in the hot corner for the times, when the temperature is too cold for the snake at night.

In order to keep the temperature stable, you should have a heating lamp in the Hot corner of the terrarium. The lamp can be both a ceramic heat emitter or an actual heating light-bulb. If you choose to provide the heat with a ceramic bulb, make sure you have an external light source above the High-temperature area for the snake's control over the day and night times (that provides a sharp difference between day and night, helping the metabolism of the snake). 

Many people have asked me if a source of ultraviolet light is needed. It is true, that The lack of Vitamin D can cause serious problems (suck as Rickets) and even a lethal outcome, but personally, I do not have a UV light. However, my snake's terrarium is located under direct sunlight (of Denmark...) and that is enough for it. During the summer I take Honey outside (during a warm summer day) to increase the rate of the melanin hormone flow in her body. If you keep your snakes in an area, where no natural sunlight is available, I would recommend to irradiate your snake with an hour of artificial UV light every month. This procedure is not that complex and is often applied to other reptiles as well: place your animal in a separate container with no light obstructions on top (glass, plastic), place the UV light 35-50 cm away from the top of the container and, preferably, leave the room (you don't want to risk your chances of getting skin cancer, do you?).

Humidity

Try to keep the humidity within the bounds of 45-60%. Spray the cold corner with lukewarm water from a sprayer every 3-4th day.

Feeding

Feeding Boa constrictors is normally no difficulty for the keeper, as the snake will gladly accept any prey of appropriate size. The food could be any rodent (mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits are most common for feeding) or some birds (chicks, button quails). 

As a general rule, teaching the snake to take frozen prey is no problem, making the feeding a LOT easier. 

Try not to feed your snake prey of too big size, as it may cause the reptile to vomit. When vomiting, internal organs, blood vessels and bones might be damaged by the food. 

Breeding

Again, I do not know a lot, but I do know the basics of how to breed Boa constrictors. Please ask me in the comments, if you want a description of this wonderful process :)

Extra information

Yes, I did say that these snakes are most often very calm and rarely attack people. However, each snake, no matter which species, can have it's own temperament. Also, juvenile Boa c.s may be aggressive.

Yes, it does hurt when they bite.

No, my Boa constrictor has not bitten me (yet).

Here is a gif of Honey's strike

Feeding Honey (7 month old)