Has anybody had any experience with this long term? I know snakes grow their whole life so is it really possible to have just a six or seven footer (Boa) after 10 years by feeding medium sized prey every two to three weeks? Supposedly the Philadelphia Zoo boa lived almost 40 years and was only 6 feet long.
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reduced growth feedings
dmac
Dec 31, 2003 03:41 PM
Replies (1)
dfr
Dec 31, 2003 06:12 PM
` In my opinion, the vast majority of captive Boids are overfed. This is the leading cause of short lived snakes. They did not evolve to be overfed, and build up fat around their vital organs. Many large, young Boids die from liver, and other major organ failure, caused by fat buildup. The smaller Boids are foragers, and eat small meals more often, but still are harmed by overfeeding. The large Boids are ambush predators, and don't eat often. They are fun to feed, and some people want large critters. The snakes suffer from this.
` I feed my large, adult Boa c. constrictors, imperators, and Anacondas an average of 7 times a year. When they are fed, they get as much as they want. This has not stopped them from getting large.
` I think that to slow their growth significantly with feeding, you'd have to feed very little. That would be hard on the critter, too.
` There are races of Boa constrictor ssp. which do not get larger than 6 feet, no matter how you feed them. But I am convinced that Boids fed sparingly will live much longer and healthier lives.
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