New Boas Arrival

New boas arrival to their new home.

Before you receive your new baby boa it’s important to understand how your boa has been kept. First and most importantly: PLEASE DO NOT FEED YOUR BABIES FOR AT LEAST 24-48 HOURS AFTER THEY ARE INTRODUCED TO THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT. It in your best interest to give them time to acclimate to their new environment. When it time to feed your new boa it is wise to feed them a small meal to test out they have adjusted to their new cage everything is working properly if this is a new untested setup.

My babies are kept in a small Rubbermaid shoe box with holes drilled for proper ventilation. The shoe boxes are kept in a snake rack with belly heat under each tub. The boxes have shredded aspen for a more natural feel of security. They have a 16OZ. disposable deli cup half full of water and are tong fed live fuzzy mice for their first few meals, and fresh water every week useless they fowl the bowl up before then. Humidity is not that much of a problem here in Nebraska as long as they have plenty of water. Baby boas are not for sale until they are fully established, have eaten and shed several times.

Your new boa needs to be kept at a constant temperature of approximately 75F-80F degrees in the cool end of the cage with a hot spot of 90F degrees. Do not confuse this with ambient temps. I like to use a

Infrared Temperature Gun to measure the cage and the boa's body temperature. I feel a boa's body temp. Should be 84 F. Too often, boas are not kept warm enough to process their food properly. If kept this way they can choose the environment that they need depending on their needs. Keep in mind one needs to be careful not to get them too hot this could lead to neurological problems or death. a quality thermostat must be use to keep perfect consistent temps, most homes temps change often throughout the day and seasons.

Transport/ Snake Box

I always carry a transport Styrofoam container with empty water bottle and towel when I am headed to a show or buying or selling a boa.

Reptile supply stores sell new ¾ inch Styro that are boxed in cardboard in many sizes. Snake box usually already has live reptile printed on the outside just in case you are separated from your box someone doesn’t think it is trash or opens it by mistake etc. I use the empty water bottle for heat when needed by filling with hot tap water and I use the towel to keep the water bottle from rolling around. During the summer I do not need the water bottle but the snake box keeps my boa from getting to hot if I need to stop and go inside for a while on my travels. Always carry a snake box whenever you purchase a new reptile especially a boa.