Keeping a Brazilian Rainbow Boa

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A Brazilian Rainbow Boa will thrive in captivity as long as you keep it clean, safe, and well-fed. The typical size of an adult on this variety of snake is from four to seven feet, although there have been some that grew to a length of twenty feet. For this reason, this snake needs lots of space in which it can move about freely. Along with a large cage, you need to keep the humidity in the cage quite high and always have a bowl of fresh water inside. During the day, these snakes need an average temperature of 26 to 29, and even though you can lower the temperature at night, you shouldn’t have it any lower than 24. An aquarium intended to hold 40 – 60 gallons of water should be quite sufficient.

The substrate you use in the cage should be one that holds the humidity quite well. Canadian peat moss is one that most herpers use with this subspecies of the rainbow snake. The diet can be entirely made up of mice that are equal to the size of the snake girth. You can also feed your small snake rats. You should never feed live food to the snake because of the possibility of danger to your pet. If you find that your pet seems to be off its menu and is not eating as it regularly did, try taking it outdoors. Experts will tell you that the fresh air seems to revive the boa appetite.

If you intend to breed the snake, you do have to make sure it is at least four or five feet long. Both snakes need a slightly lower temperature in the weeks preceding the breeding period, which means you should lower the temperature of the cage to about 20. Then you can introduce the male into the enclosure of the female. Male boas are very territorial, and it is not a good practice to put a female into a male cage because he will see this as an invasion of his territory rather than an opportunity to mate.

You can use newspaper or paper liners are good as coverings for the bottom of the cage. They are easy to remove when wet and you throw them in the trash. It is essential to clean the cage regularly and you should change the bedding at least once a week. Since there is a high level of humidity in the cage, this is the prime breeding grounds for mold. However, if you do not have enough moisture, it could prove fatal for your pet.

Even though rainbow boas do not have a problem living in wet areas, you should have an area of the cage that is always dry for them to use when they choose. These pets are quite active, and the babies tend to nip at your fingers if you put them into the cage or when you handle them. With proper handling, they are one of the most comfortable snakes to train.

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