Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a male DH for snow that is between 24-28 inches at the moment. I've heard that male boas can breed at 4ft, but I'm not familiar enough with columbians to know how fast their normal growth patterns are. Will he be breedable next year?

I also have a normal female that is approaching the 5 foot mark if she hasn't hit it already. Will she be large enough to breed to the male next year?

Both snakes are fed an appropriately sized rat once a week. The male is eating med fuzzies and the female is taking med-large rats.

It would be great if it were possible to breed them next year, but its more important to have them nice and healthy. I know I could step up the feeding to get them up to size, but I would rather not "push" them. Both have awesome feeding responses though If the male would be breedable, but not the female I might just try to find an adult female to give it a try...let me know what you guys think.

I've raised snakes for years, but Columbians are totally new to me. Any comments would be very greatly appreciated.

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1.4 Columbians
2.7 Kenyans
1.0 Borneo Blood
0.0.2 Blue Tounged Skinks
3 Dogs
3 Cats
1 Ferret
1 Wife

Jeremy Stone answers this in an earlier post reguarding the number of motley boas in the current market. You might look for that post a little farther down the page.

Individual boas reach sexual maturity at variatable ages and sizes. Some males will breed at 18 months, but you have a good chance of a high number of unfertilized ova (slugs or pills). I think 2 years old and 4ft is a good bet for males.

Females are a little more complicated. 6ft is a good length, but it's the weight you really need to be concerned with. She needs to be nice and heavy. The amount of stored fat a female has is one of the triggers that start the production of ova. Also, if an underweight female does become gravid, not only is the females life at a greater risk, but you increase the likelyhood of slugs, still borns, and production problems for years to come.

If your female has good body weight at 6ft, their isn't much harm in trying to breed your male. It will either take, or it won't.

To answer your question about your male reaching 48 inches by next year, It's almost certain.

Good luck, Chris
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www.chrisolsonreptiles.com

DID YOU SAY THAT YOUR MALE WAS 24-28 INCHES AND YOUR FEEDING HIM FUZZIES??? I THINK ITS SAFE TO SAY THAT AT THAT SIZE YOUR MALE CAN EASILY BE TAKING SMALL RATS I MEAN THATS MY HONEST OPINION BUT I THINK THAT FUZZIES FOR AN ANIMAL THAT SIZE IS WAY TOO SMALL A MEAL
JOHN PERAZA

The ones I feed him are large enough that you can see a slight bulge after he has eaten. Thats pretty much what I go by. Just a hair larger than his natural girth. (My fuzzies are the size of adult breeder mice ,I breed my own rats) I think he is at that stage where they put on more length than girth. He is just now starting to bulk up some. Am I wrong in thinking that? My kenyans stay slender until they reach a certain length, and then they become porkers. I saw the same pattern when I raised corns.

The female that came with him was a little bit finicky. Wouldn't touch a rat unless it was scented with mice first. If it was as big as her girth she would regurge it after a couple of days. I gave her a couple of weeks off, and just started feeding her very small items. This month she has decided she can't get enough food She no longer cares what it smells like. I've been feeding her 2-3 times a week, but small items still. Hopefully within a couple of months she will catch back up with the male.

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1.4 Columbians
2.7 Kenyans
1.0 Borneo Blood
0.0.2 Blue Tounged Skinks
3 Dogs
3 Cats
1 Ferret
1 Wife