Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am one the tries to get my hands on any book or publication dealing with Boas. A recent addition to my collection has lengthy discussion on how it is very important that you offer your boas a diverse and varied diet. I am wondering how true this is and what type of benefit it would have for the animal. I know chicks and other items are readily available online but am wondering if it is really that much of a benefit and if it is worth rotating in an occasional bird.

Most people feed their boas a very simple diet of rodents without much variation and they live long and healthy lives on such a diet. Seeing that most captive Boas will long out live their wild counter parts I would say that the statement about a varied diet is unfounded.
Now with that being said, I do on a regular basis feed my boas partially cooked chicken parts (mostly drumsticks/legs) some of my bigger boas even get turkey legs or if the store is sell their “game hens” on sale they will get entire game hens. I do this to help restore weight after breeding season and to add weight before breeding season. The meat content of chicken parts is much greater then rats and the extra protein helps the snakes gain quickly. However they are not “whole animals” and can not be fed exclusively, but the do make a great supplement.
Just one more thought though. I do have one entire line of boas that seem genetically predisposed to refusing chicken. My High Pink/Striped Line has never been chicken eaters, none of them have ever eaten chicken and refuse it each time. It is the oddest thing I have ever seen, the entire line and all the offspring have always refused it where every other boa I have ever had loves their chicken. I don’t know if an animals can be predisposed to a food item, but it sure looks like it with these guys.
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com