Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi im looking to add a few more snakes to my small collection wich consists of a baby carpet python at the moment.ive kept snakes before.the ones ive kept are north amarican one i caught.im looking into viper boas.i was wondering if any one had some tips on how to care for these snakes and where i could go to get some cb babies.thanks for your time
nick

Nick,
Viper Boas (Candoia asper(aspera)) are an interesting species to work with. They are a more stocker version of the Solomon Island's Boa (Candoia paulsoni sp.). Of all the Candoia, due to their temperament, neonatal Vipers are more readily going to accept pink mice as a first meal, as apposed to the other members of the Genus; which seem to prefer House Geckoes, Anoles, or Green Tree Frogs.

Vipers tend to be more aggressive than the other Candoia's. They will flail around and stress out more if forced interaction is imposed upon them...(i.e. they do not like to be handled). I have a few that do not mind mild interaction, like shifting from one enclosure to another for cleaning. For the most part, I just let them be and they have become accustom to the routine. A little huffing and puffing with the occasional strike. For the most part, a calm, tractable Viper raises my suspicions that there may be an underlying problem.

Some of the imports can take time to accept their first meal in captivity. They strike out of defensiveness, more so than hunger. The more they are teased fed, the longer it can be until they will take a meal. They will generally accept a prey item shortly after dusk, as long as you are patient. On the other hand, once they settle in and begin to feed regularly, they will hit like a truck.

Viper housing is fairly simplistic in requirements. They need a fair level of humidity. They must have a water dish large enough for them to soak in(which they will for most of the time). They are a rather reclusive species and will utilize a hide spot if offered. They tolerate temperatures from the high 70's at night to the low 80's during the day. They have a slower metabolism than most other smaller species and feeding once a week for juveniles and once every 10-14 days for adults is fine.

In regards to true Captive Born and Bred animals, they are few and far between. 99% of the available Viper Boas on the market in the States are wild caught imports.

Viper's are an amazing and rewarding species to work with, but they are generally an acquired taste due to their temperaments.

Hope this helps,
Scott