Reptile & Amphibian Forums

very interesting. My Daughter keeps a little rubber boa and a little great basin gopher together in a 10 gallon tank in our living room. Well, I looked in there today and saw that the rubber boa was rapped all around the neck and head of the gopher that was twice the size. The gopher didn't even have his mouth on the boa and the boa didn't have his mouth around the gopher either. Really weird I never would have guessed and to think the boa is only half the size of the gopher. I unrapped them and the gopher was really close to death.
Anyway, just found it interesting and its something you don't see everyday.

Shannon

thats cool&wierd at the same time, had they recently been fed? are rubber boas known to be cannibals? glad to hear both are ok. are they still housed together?
,,,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

Thomas, they aren't housed together anymore.No boas are not known to be canibals but maybe it was just a defensive responce or something???
They had both ate about a week prior.

Shannon

p.s. did you produce anything cool from your "guy clark" aberrant hondos?

Dumerils boas are canabals and will eat other snakes also
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To you im just the crazy snake guy, but to some I'm a 'Herper'.

Hey Shannon,
Next to Kingsnakes, I think Rubber Boas are one of the species you have to be most cautious with eating other species of snakes.
I have a 3.6 group of adult Rubber Boas that I have kept together for years, with no problems. But I have heard of several people having similar experience as yours. I always seperate my gravid females from the group and keep the newborns seperate in shoe boxes.
-Phil

When I lived on the West Coast I would use newborn Garters or Sharp Tailed snakes to get stuborn feeders started. So yes Rubber Boas are ophiophagous.
-Phil

Yep, I have heard that they will take Garters some times. I also know that Zonata will not eat rubbers except very small zonata will sometimes take baby rubbers.

L8r Shannon

I've found adult/juvenile Rubber Boas and Zonata under the same rock.
-Phil

p.s. you should contact Richard Hoyer and pass on your experiance with him. I have his e--mail if you need it.
Shannon

I've actually been in contact with Richard in the past. I'm pretty sure he's aware of the information that I have.
Thanx!
-Phil

Weird, I have kept them for many many years with zonata and Garters as well with no ill affects?
Anyway, I talked with Richard Hoyer in length about it and he figures it was just a defense thing?

Shannon

Maybe the gopher was mouthing off! Snakes do the wackiest stuff!