Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all, Just joking by the way, nice rant though. I have some smaller boas as of now, i have been feeding them mice. At what point would i decide to give them an additional prey item? I've got 200 or so mice in the freezer and i plan on using them up before switching to rats. Their sheds are about 5-6 weeks apart as of now. I was thinking it would be safe to offer them each 1 more mouse a week, the last thing i wan't to do is power feed them. I don't feel this is the case with sheds being so far apart. Any help would be most appreciated, thanx, Clint

Hi Clint,
I would start by giving them an extra mouse, once every other feeding at first. That way the will adjust to the larger feeding and still be able to process it all before the next larger feeding. Boas may not always defecate with the 7 days most feed their snakes and if a younger snake starts getting large feeding one after another then they may get constipated and start to regurge. Try it every other feeding for about three and if they take that well then go with the two mouse diet for a while.
Good Luck
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

In your rant below you spoke of books available, i have the bc. manual. What material is available besides this book, i would like to know more about morphs and hets. I see that Roanne has a video, is it worth looking into or is it a recap of the book? If i do breed it wouldn't be for a while yet, but it is a subject that has got my attention. I would like to research more. A newbie has got to start somewhere. Thanx, Clint

There is very few published books that specificlly take on the topic of Just Boa Constrictors, but there is a plethra of information in general books on reptiles or snake. Most of the larger breeders that have websites have all kinds of information posted on thier sites. I have some on Mine, Gus has great information on his, Jeff Ronne has breeding info on his, Pro Exotics has a nice FAQ section on their website and Hermann the Germann has some of the best Locality and care information on the net posted onto his. The Syntax might be off on a word or two here and there but that is because of the German/English translation but the information is great. I am sure that there are many others who have great infomative sites but I don't know them all LOL. Back issues of reptiles magazines. Nov 1996 was a great Boa Constrictor issue, sadly reptiles does not seem to place much attention to the world of Boas anymore which to me is unexplainable but I guess the monthly bug articles are more important, When did they place bugs in the reptile family anyway, I must have missed the workshop on that one?
I can't say for sure on Jeff's video as I have never seen it, but I do know that every time someone quotes the 105 POS time frame that the credit goes to Jeff for doing that research. Check out his breeding article posted on his website. It is from the Nov 1996 issue of Reptiles magazine. It is there that he coined the POS term the dates and the most of the breeding information that is used today on a regular basis. So regardless of what other may claim, he put that info out there before many of them ever thought of breeding Boas! I see many claiming that information to be their results of their own study, while it may be true that many have duplicated and confirmed his info, he was there to publish it first (but I and getting side tracked on an issue).
I have found that field guides from different Boa localities is a great source of information. Although these field guides give only the basics about the bosa that live there, they do provided information on climate conditions, year round highs and lows, rain fall and humidity, elevations, prey and seasonal light cycles. Putting the information that this is where the boas live and this is what their natrual enviorment is like goes a long ways to telling you how to keep your snakes.
If you have any question and can't find the information you need, let me know and I will try to guide you to the right direction.
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Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

Thanks, i just thought there might be some more published on this topic. I know the sites, when i want to know something i'll research it till i have my answers. I'm not as yet ready for the breeding thing, maybe next fall if i can find a boyfriend for my Argi or a girlfriend for my hogg. Decisions, decisions. Thaks for the info on feeding. Clint