Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Are live plants suitable for use in a boa cage? If so what kind would be good. I was looking for something like an ivy or vine that doesn't need to be planted in earth and will grow covering the sides.

Hello,

What kind of plants you use will depend on what species of boa. Heavy-bodied species such as B. constrictor will ruin most any but the absolute most hardy plants. Smaller, or lighter-bodied species might allow you a greater choice of plants. As for ivys, it would be nice if they would grow on branches or wall of the cage but unfortunately I've yet to find any type of ivy that will grow that well. For starters, most ivys you'll see in a nursery or at a greenhouse are going to be terrestrial ground cover types. What you're looking for is something like Boston Ivy which is capable of growing on vertical surfaces as it's stems put out little sucker-like appendages. The other problem is going to be providing enough light. Unfortunately even though many ivys do well in low light the low light of a herp's cage is even darker than they're used to growing in. You can get plants to grow better but then you're looking at the whole issue of providing enough light - which is a whole other topic in itself. Anyway, tell me which species of boa you have and I can maybe give you some planting suggestions.
-----
Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois