Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello thought I would share a updated picture of my female albino I bought from the Burkes just about 2 years ago. The problem is that I'm worried if she is growing properly. Only because she seems to be growing slow to me. I posted the top of the plastic lid that she came in when she arrived at my door step. I know she has totally out grown that thank god but I have heard stories how a boa at one or two years can be as close to four feet. I been feeding her every Saturday from small hoppers to now large mice. Should I start on small rats? can you guy's tell from the pic. Sorry I'm just a worry wart about my boas don't want to do anything stupid. I just don't want to push her feeding at all with POWER FEED, a friend to me the more slower you raise them the healthier and promising a adult will be when i comes to breeding.

Thanks for listening,
Jacob

depends on the size of the boa of course, but for most 2 year old columbians, a large mouse is way too small. Most will be at med rats by that age.

I find that boas seems to have a good growth spurt when they are able to fianlly eat medium rats...maybe it is all the bone density that does them good.
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Dave Lee

i have an 06 female albino that is just over 4 feet long and pounds medium rats. shell be on large rats in a few months i think. she eats every 10 days or so.

IMO - I think she’s fine (and beautiful!). I follow a slow growth for my snakes. I personally start my boas on rat fuzzies and move up from there. My 2 year olds are on weaned rats now. I don’t know, can’t prove any benefit one way or the other, but they all act normal eat, poop, shed regularly and have great muscle tone and no fat. My male albino from my late '03 litter is on small rats. The pic below is when he was 2 years old, small by most standards, but after seeing how awful my big albino female was at 4 yrs old and 6’, a big fat tub of lard, I just couldn’t do that to him. I’ll find out years and years from now if it does anything to benefit their life span. The ‘big fat tub o’ lard’ albino female was put on a 1 lrg rat every 2-3 week ‘diet’ from the previous owner feeding her 2 jumbos every 2 weeks… 6 years later (she’ll be 10 this year) and she’s healthy, robust and no longer fatty at all, feeding 1 or 2 jumbos every 2-3 weeks.
As long as your snake is healthy and not skin and bones, I wouldn’t worry. Some just grow slower than others.
-April

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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

gp

A Boa should be put on rats as soon as it's large enough. My Colombians never even seen a mouse their whole life. They started on rat pinks.

But I wouldn't feed them more often than twice a month once they reach 6 months old. I have 2 '06 albinos, and they are around 3 ft plus, and about 1300 grams +/- and eating small rats. I even make 'em wait an extra week between feeds from time to time. They're growing just fine too.
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Richard Carew
Sunset BCI
You laugh at me cuz I'm different! I laugh at you cuz you're all the same.
Stop Inhumane and Illegal Practices

The litter mate to your 06's is a mere 938 grams and very much healthy.He has been on a 2 week then 3 week rotation since acquired.After his second year he will go on a full 3 week schedule with a rodent/poultry rotation,his fourth year thru life will be 4 weeks also mammal/poultry rotation.

>> I have 2 '06 albinos, and they are around 3 ft plus, and about 1300 grams /- and eating small rats. I even make 'em wait an extra week between feeds from time to time. They're growing just fine too.
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>>Richard Carew
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TnK

thanks guy's!!

My O6 male and female are pushing 5 feet and eat large rats about every 2 weeks.

I think a better way of measuring would be by weight, rather than length.

From the look of the original poster's boa, I would guess it is somewhere around a pound in weight.

From your description of your '06 boa, it would easily be 5 or 6 pounds.

In terms of total mass then, your boa would have grown to be at least 5 times larger in the same amount of time as the original poster's boa.

Seems like this puts things in a better perspective.

jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

No doubt ! weight is paramount IMO
So is Conservative feeding of captive boa.
It just takes some people longer to understand . . . . . .

>>I think a better way of measuring would be by weight, rather than length.
>>
>>From the look of the original poster's boa, I would guess it is somewhere around a pound in weight.
>>
>>From your description of your '06 boa, it would easily be 5 or 6 pounds.
>>
>>In terms of total mass then, your boa would have grown to be at least 5 times larger in the same amount of time as the original poster's boa.
>>
>>Seems like this puts things in a better perspective.
>>
>>jsc
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>>"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
>>John Crickmer
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TnK

I have an '05 colombian (female pretty sure) who is approaching 43-44 inches and eats every 3 weeks or once a month a medium rat and is healthy as a whistle. I started on rats about 5 months ago and it was like she took some steroids so I cut the feedings back from 2 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Not sure about the weight but does have some weight to her, and I also have a couple of '07 double het sunglows and my female is fed more often than the male and she is approaching 40 inches herself with feedings about 10-14 days apart on some small-medium rats.
Bob

My 06 DHSG 0.1 is 755 grams as of this post,not sure of the length ? 36" maybe ?

>>I have an '05 colombian (female pretty sure) who is approaching 43-44 inches and eats every 3 weeks or once a month a medium rat and is healthy as a whistle. I started on rats about 5 months ago and it was like she took some steroids so I cut the feedings back from 2 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Not sure about the weight but does have some weight to her, and I also have a couple of '07 double het sunglows and my female is fed more often than the male and she is approaching 40 inches herself with feedings about 10-14 days apart on some small-medium rats.
>>Bob
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TnK

Does she look under fed ?(pic is 2 months old)

BIGG KISS FOR THE CAMERA !!

>>My 06 DHSG 0.1 is 755 grams as of this post,not sure of the length ? 36" maybe ?
>>

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TnK

Tom did you underfeed her to remove all the speckling cuz I don't see much from herelol
Bob

Yeah just fer you Mr Bob !
Bred to our F4 Coral Bino should be intersting 'eh ?
Gonna be cool to see acouple of nice striped Coral Sunglows some where around 2010.

>>Tom did you underfeed her to remove all the speckling cuz I don't see much from herelol
>>Bob
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TnK

that should be around the time I have my first litter of boas whether it is my Rainbows or my bci but only one bci female is off to a good start and 2 aren't looking so good so 2011 will be a great year for me and my snakes
Bob

She sure does look good.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

What kind of temps do you keep her at?
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

I keep everything Col.BCI,CA.BCI/ssp,BCA and BCL all at 82-85*F ambient(they have never nor will ever see a temp above 90*F)

>>What kind of temps do you keep her at?
>>jsc
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>>"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
>>John Crickmer
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TnK

Yeah, mine seem to be most comfortable 82 - 84 deg. F.
Good digestion and all. Most of mine get quite stressed over 88F for any length of time.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

After Corey has his way with her, you need to let this DH Sunglow get him some. Maybe we can make a couple with NO black speckles at all. LOL

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Richard Carew
Sunset BCI
You laugh at me cuz I'm different! I laugh at you cuz you're all the same.
Stop Inhumane and Illegal Practices