On 10/16/04 in Shasta Co., Calif., I captured a somewhat thin (47.4 g) 22 1/2" adult, female Rubber Boa. Before placing her with other boas for the winter, I thought I might offer her prey just in case she might take a meal at this late date. Would be nice to have her in better condition for the winter season.
Placed her in a 15 gal. aquaria with 8 twenty-four hr. old, live lab mouse pinkies beneath a bark hide. None were take after about 3 hours. Removed the lab mice and put in 15 three - four day old, live deer mouse nestlings at about 3.0 grams each. When I looked again 1 hour later, the female had consumed 10 nestling mice. Nice surprise.
However, this is fairly typical that the species will more readily consume native prey vs. the lab. mouse. Eventually, and with considerable patience, I have found that most C. bottae can be successfully entered on lab mice. However, there are exceptions in which some boas will steadfastly refuse lab mice and only take native prey such as lizards, lizard eggs, nestling voles, shrews, mice, gophers, chipmunks, moles. etc.
Richard F. Hoyer
