Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My son (age 13) and I have been raising bearded dragons for a year or so, and I have been promising him we would get a smaller boa soon.

Tonight at work (South East San Diego County, near the Mexico border) I found a 12" to 13" Rosy Boa (from the pictures here I'm assuming it's a Coastal). It seemed fairly calm and allowed me to pick it up and handle it. Since I am at work until 6:00 AM it is sitting in a cardboard box next to me.

I was planning on buying a snake next month so this seems like a great thing. I have an extra 10 gallon tank (from when my beardies were small) and most supplies so I think I would only have to buy a heat pad for under half the cage (right?). I had never even heard about Rosy Boas until I started researching them tonight to ID this species, but they seem to be exactly what I am looking for.

My questions:
Is it a smart idea to start with a captured/ wild Rosy?
Is this snake (about 12" too old to adapt to captivity?
Other than all of the helpful info on the web (all directed at captivity born Rosy Boas) are there other issues I need to be aware of (special feeding, handling, housing) above what a breeder born snake would entail?
What do I feed it (most care sheets list the types of mice for different ages, but since I don’t know its age, would you still feed baby mice to a 12” snake)? Since it is captured from the wild will it eat dead/thawed mice?

Thanks!

Dave

A wild caught rosy make a fine first pet snake. At 12 inches, it is about a year old. It will feed on small mice, try hopper mice size.

Thanks for the advice. It really is a beautiful snake. Very active and doesn't seem to mind handling.
Before I got your reply I went out and bought a few PetCo frozen pinkies. After thawing it to room temperature he didn't want to have any thing to do with it.
Today I went to a local (reptile friendly) pet store and all they had were full grown mice and large (almost fuzzy) pinkies. I bought one and placed it in the cage. The snake (named Rocky by my son) investigated the live pinkie thoroughly and then has since ignored it. It’s now been a couple of hours.

He was caught early Friday night, so I know he hasn't eaten since then. I'm a bit worried.

Dave

I have never heard of a wild caught rosy that bites. You will have a nice pet for many years to come. Do not fret about the eating. A rosy of that size will eat a hopper mouse about twice a week. Do not worry if it does not eat. It will eat as long as it is healthy. Keep it out of direct sunlight, as it would not take long to heat up and die in the heat. Your hot pad idea on one side of the cage is a good idea. Make sure that the snake can get off of it if he wants to.