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I just picked up a Central American imperator (looks like a Nic to me) that was somewhat larger than the others I've seen for sale locally. I've heard that these boas grow to about 3.5-4' long when fed conservatively. Mine is a little over 2 feet long and not quite the diameter of a quarter at the thickest. Obviously it's not a newborn, but I was hoping someone with experience could give me some estimate of its age?

It's a farmed import so I'm wondering if it's one from last year? I just didn't think one would get to this size if it was born this spring. Any help would be great. Also, can anyone tell me how many offspring the boas from this locality tend to have per litter? Thanks.

It's possible that it's this year's baby. Growth rates vary and if it eats well, a May baby could certainly reach that size by now. We had a litter of 6 from a 5 year old first time breeder female this year and those babies were much larger than the other Nic litters we've had. Our litter sizes have ranged from 6 to in the high 20's.
The size estimate that you mentioned is on the small side. That size would be true for a male but females often grow to 5 or 5 1/2 feet long on appropriately sized meals every 7-10 days. I'm not sure if that's what you meant by conservative feeding, but many people think that they should feed Nics less in order to keep them small. That isn't necessary. They stay small naturally and should be fed size appropriate meals regularly, just like with a Colombian boa.
I hope this helps.
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Amanda Burke
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