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View Full Version : Boa and Ball Feeding, and setup questions


Bar_BN
08-03-16, 03:18 AM
My name is Rodney , I have red tail boa and ball python , my boa is id say 28-30" female and i feed her an adult mouse every 7 days but thinking of feeding 2 mice next week and my ball is rt at 40"male i feed a small rat every 7 days but next week im uping him to a med rat ? I adopted them both one day apart bout 3 weeks ago i have fed frozen for 3 feedings now with no problems , my ball had not been fed for 2 months before i got him and my boa hadnt been fed for 3 1/2 weeks but after reading and you tube i decided to feed every monday just smaller portions but both are eating well so Im wondering opinions on feeding sizes and times spands between my feedings basically is what my plans for next feeding good or bad to much n too often or or not enough n not often enough ? Thanks guys i just want my snakes healthy and happy , and also there enclosures my boa is smaller for now she is in 20 gal on eco earth soil " per petco" and temp is rt around 90* and hum is between 50-60%, my ball is bigger so he is in a 40 gal on like med size pine shavings " per petco" temp is rt round 80 also he has a large heat rock under shavings for hot spot , and hum stays rt round 45-50% both are under red heat lamps and ample sized hides for their body sizes and water bowls from petco big enough to enter if the need , the enclosures will grow along with them , so any opinions on my setups as well , oh and also should i put any additives for like vitamins or wutever they may need like in there water etc. ? Thanks yall

Albert Clark
08-03-16, 10:59 AM
I would ditch the heat rock bc there is the danger of it being a cause of burns to reptiles. I would also consider a thermostat to adequately regulate the heating elements in both enclosures.

bigsnakegirl785
08-03-16, 06:58 PM
Feed your boa one mouse. At her size, one adult mouse is plenty. She puts on a half a foot, and she'll be ready for jumbos, mine is 36" inches and she just moved to jumbos. You'll be overfeeding her if you feed her 2 adults, though. Stick to one, she won't starve.

Keep the ball on smalls, the majority of adult balls only need a small rat every 2 weeks. Even at 40" a small is plenty. I personally wouldn't start a ball on mediums until they were well over 2,000 grams, maybe closer to 3,000, and I don't see many that big.

How old is your boa? Here's the feeding plan I follow for my boa constrictors:

Birth-1 year: 7-14 days

1-3 years: 10-21 days

3+ years: 4-6 weeks

Personally, if the boa is a year or older, it really shouldn't be fed every week. I would seriously encourage you to feed every 2 weeks, and no more than 10 days, but I feel that's a bit much for a yearling.

The boa should have 70-80% humidity and I'd switch to a plastic tub instead of the tank, it will make maintaining humidity easier. Drill some holes in the side and buy some heat tape, and a thermostat if you haven't already, and you'll be set minus the hides, water dish, and bedding.