Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what the experiences of you long time bci breeders is with the age of your female breeders. I heard that 10 yrs old was about it for a female. Does this sound about right or are there any of you that has bred older boas.
Thanks
Chuck

The reason why you heard the claim of 10yr old is real simple. Most people feed their boas WAY TOO MUCH and they are about ready to die by the time they are 10 " in captivity. " My friend; " Pete Bandre " had an 13ft import Guyana drop 66 babies last year and the animal is EASILY in her 30s or probably 40s. That is because she was the size that Nature intented her to be and not a power fed slob that some over anxious keeper wanted her to be. A 9ft boa in the wild, is an old animal, but in captivity it is achieved in a few short years. It is possible that even though a captive raised adult may not have alot of actuall years on her, her body may be telling her that she is 50! If you want quick profit " like most " then raise them fast and feed the crap out of them. If you want something to live as long as you and be truly healthy, raise it slow......GOD BLESS...Johnson Herp

.....Boas living for very long anymore, and when I see pics of yearlings that have the plump bodies of adult Ball Pythons, then I know why. My friend bred his 14 year old female to a 26 yr old male not too long ago. That's the oldest pair that I personally know. They're fed every 3-4 weeks, and are vibrant. He only tries to breed them every other year, as I am starting to do as well, so I'm not trying to stuff the weight back onto them in a few short months. Take care.
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--aka DMOG68