Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, I was in a local pet store last night and came across a guy that has a female red tail about 5 foot. She was given to him a few months ago, and now he has realized that he doesn't have the time to give her the proper care that she deserves. He offered me her, the cage, & everything else for free if I can give her a good home. I already have two kings and two JCPs. Can anybody give me temps, and any other info for a redtails, as I have not really ever done any research on redtails. Also, does anyone know approximate age of a 5 footer? Thanks all, William

Hi William. Welcome to wonderful world of Boas! Redtail boas require high humidity, so you may want make sure that the cage for your new female boa will support a humid environment. At least 60% humidity is best. Give her an ambient temp. of about 80-82F and a hot-spot of about 90F. Hot spots are best provided with reptile heat mats as lights generally dry out cages very quickly. She will need to be in at least a 2x4' contianer, it will last her about another two years max with the appropriate food intake. At five foot she could be anywhere from 2years old (by getting 'crammed' with food) or much older (by not eating enough). She should be eating a large or jumbo rat every week or so. Make sure that the prey item is not bigger than the width of her body. Please take her to a vet for a 'well-pet' visit if you have a reptile-savvy vet in your area. Get her checked for internal parasites. My best advice is to buy one of those little 'how-to' books about boas. You can buy one online at Kingsnake and it will tell you all you need to know about general care an maintanence of a boa. "The Boa Constrictor Manual" by Philippe de Vosjoli is a well-informed little book. Best of luck!
Erin

Did you just say that redtail boas require high humidity? Maybe he's not the only one that hasn't done their homework.