Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi. I am planning on getting a smaller than average boa (one of the dwarf BCI species) and I was hoping I could get away with using a 36"x24"x12" cage.

I was hoping someone could tell me the largest size (length) that a boa could be and still be comfortable in this size cage?

Thanks.

When I got my boa they told me a 4ft vision cage would be perfect for it. You can go on vision web page and see the dimensions, or you can go with the rule that the cage should be half the length of the snake and wide enough it can make a like and 0 shape. I read that one in a book.

Any answer to this question would be purely opinion and partly speculation. It is hard to say what would fit without knowing specifics about the boa. But if fed conservatively it is my opinion that a male BCI should be fine in this cage. Now if the boa is "powerfed" its length and girth will be much greater and then my opinion would be that it surely would be too small.
You could start the boa in a smaller cage and then move it into a larer one when it outgrows it. Small boas feel more comfortable in small enclosures anyway.
-----
Jared Douglas

I agree with JaredAren that there is a lot of opinion in what an adequate cage size is.

FWIW, here's my opinion. Carl Kauffeld, in Snakes: the Keeper and the Kept, says that a 3x2 foot cage is acceptable for a six foot long boa. I've owned several six foot long boa constrictors, and they seemed quite happy in a 3x2 foot cage. Especially if they had a hiding box. By the time a boa constrictor reaches seven feet, it's time to start thinking about a bigger cage.

I tend to prefer cages that are 14-20 inches high to cages that are 12 inches high. But that is because most of my cages are front opening, and I have to stick my head and shoulders in to reach the back of a 2 ft deep cage. For a boa constrictor, cage height is determined more by owner preference than snake preference.

Paul Hollander