Breeding size of adult female boas

Could you post pics of her.

As far as Colombian Boas:

A healthy female Boa that has been feed appropriately and has been kept warm for 3-1/2 years, should be 6-7 ft long, and 12-16 lbs... At which point she can produce a healthy litter of 20-30 babies... And, 30 - 40 babies on successive breedings... A healthy female Colombian Boa can be expected to grow on average 7-9 ft long, by 5 years old...

I have seen some Boas that are feed less, every 2-3 weeks, and are raised tooo slooow... In 3-1/2 years they would be at about 5 ft long, and maybe 8-10 lbs... At that size you can expect a litter of 10-15 babies... And, 20-25 babies on successive breedings... These female Colombian Boas can NOT be expected to grow much more that 6 to 6-1/2 ft long, by 5 years old...

Of course there will always be those dwarf 5 ft females, as well as those 11 ft+ monster females...

The problem I noticed with breeding smaller size female Boas, is that they will considerably slow down growing after giving birth, and they will continue having smaller litter through their lives...

Salmon Hypos and Orange Tail Boas have been breed with Colombian Bci stock that you can expect then to get big...

Nicaraguan Boas are considerably smaller... Sonoran Desert Boas are also smaller Boas....

Other central American Boas can grow as large as Colombians... I seen Mexican Boas of nearly 10 ft long, the average is probably 7-8 ft long...

By no means a definitive research... Just observations from a Boa keeper... Luis

Although there is a certain amount of truth to what you say in regards to the size of the boa vs the size of the litter...anyone who's followed your posts over the years can plainly see that you're more interested in how many babies you'll get over all else. You've even ignored quarantine procedures to make sure you get that female bred. This post of yours seems to lend credence to that as well.

I don't think that's what the OP is worried about though, or even what he's asking.

Originally Posted by HerpHobbiest

As far as Colombian Boas:

A healthy female Boa that has been feed appropriately and has been kept warm for 3-1/2 years, should be 6-7 ft long, and 12-16 lbs... At which point she can produce a healthy litter of 20-30 babies... And, 30 - 40 babies on successive breedings... A healthy female Colombian Boa can be expected to grow on average 7-9 ft long, by 5 years old...

I have seen some Boas that are feed less, every 2-3 weeks, and are raised tooo slooow... In 3-1/2 years they would be at about 5 ft long, and maybe 8-10 lbs... At that size you can expect a litter of 10-15 babies... And, 20-25 babies on successive breedings... These female Colombian Boas can NOT be expected to grow much more that 6 to 6-1/2 ft long, by 5 years old...

Of course there will always be those dwarf 5 ft females, as well as those 11 ft+ monster females...

The problem I noticed with breeding smaller size female Boas, is that they will considerably slow down growing after giving birth, and they will continue having smaller litter through their lives...

Salmon Hypos and Orange Tail Boas have been breed with Colombian Bci stock that you can expect then to get big...

Nicaraguan Boas are considerably smaller... Sonoran Desert Boas are also smaller Boas....

Other central American Boas can grow as large as Colombians... I seen Mexican Boas of nearly 10 ft long, the average is probably 7-8 ft long...

By no means a definitive research... Just observations from a Boa keeper... Luis

I was talking with Jeremy about this size thing. I too have a female Albino. Her mom was a 100% Colombian Albino, 9ft+ and 35 lbs. Her dad however was not a pure Colombian, being part of a Sunglow litter. She just turned 5 today, and she's no more then 6 ft, probably not even that yet, and I'd be surprised if she hit 10 lbs too. She has good muscle mass, eats with gusto, and is the "epitome of health" according to my vet on her last check up concerning her size and a recent fast. A couple of her littermates are already 7ft+ and much thicker. Even my female Honduran, who is the same age within days, is 2 ft longer then her.

This is her August of last year, after fasting for a couple months. She's gained a little weight since then...



Even though she's small, I would trust her to support a litter. In fact, I plan on breeding her next season to this guy. Poss Super Hypo Blood...



She was born larger then most of the litter. She got fed every 2 weeks like the rest for her first 6 months, and even back then she just didn't grow as fast as the rest. I kept her on 2 week feedings for the next yr too, and still she didn't take off. I've fed her every 3 weeks since, (except for her fast) and haven't noticed any change or slow down in her progress. She grows consistently, just not fast.

IMO, the genes are gonna play a MAJOR role in the final size. Feeding can play a role as well, but only to a certain extent. It can only get as large as the genetics allow it to get, regardless of outside influence.

I say go by maturity and over all health more so then size. Using some common sense of course. I also say there's nothing wrong with slow growing at all. I tend to practice that myself. I'd rather have a 15 yr old female that can still produce litters, then a 10 yr old burned out lump of fat on it's last legs.

Just my opinion.

I couldn't get the greatest pictures due to lighting, but here are a few to show my 07 DH sunglow female and her size. She is in the middle of a shed and these pics were taken just before she was sprayed down.

She looks to have good muscle mass. I would try her this fall and see what happens. She should be mature enough reproductively, has the age and good muscle mass. Out of curiousity, what would you be breeding her to?

Originally Posted by jmwboas

She looks to have good muscle mass. I would try her this fall and see what happens. She should be mature enough reproductively, has the age and good muscle mass. Out of curiousity, what would you be breeding her to?

She comes from a coral line of albinos that also had some paradox threw in the mix. I will be breeding a pastel albino to her, but it won't be untill this fall as I want both of them to gain just a little more weight. I had a male DH sunglow to breed with her, but I decided to go this way. Next year will be a different story. I got something up my sleeve.

By the way, what I like about smaller females is that they are able to gain weight much quicker than a larger female. As I had a 8ft female that produced for me 2 years in a row, but it was tough getting her back to weight each time. She had this year off and hopefully next year too. I have since sold her as I am wanting to get away from normals. If I can get a bigger cage built I am going to hang on to my 9+ft normal female.

AND smaller females require smaller caging, which is a plus. By the way HerpHobbiest, numbers don't matter to me. If she has 10 healthy babies, I will be happy. My boas are pets/breeders and a hobby, not a business. Money used from selling my snakes goes towards other breeding projects. If I break even for the year I am happy, but have yet to do that.

I see where you are coming from... Some babies, is better than no babies at all...

Personally, I would not risk breeding a small female... I would try to get some size on YOUR until the breeding season, and if she is not at 10 lbs. I would NOT breed her...

Let me ask you... What is her feeding regimen? How often and how much?


This is one of my smaller breeder females Salmon Hypo, Het Sunglow... She is now at 6-1/2 ft long...



She was breed to a Sunglow Male... This is what she produced this year...



8 Possible Super Sunglows
1 Albino
8 Possible Super Salmon Hypos, Het Sunglows
4 Normals, Het Albino
3 Slugs
2 Still Borns

Sometimes waiting an extra year is better for the female and you get more babies too...

Regards, Luis


PS I still prefer quality, over quantity...

That was supposed to read: I would try to get some size on YOUR female until the breeding season, and if she is not at 10 lbs. I would NOT breed her...

Originally Posted by HerpHobbiest

Let me ask you... What is her feeding regimen? How often and how much?

For now, she took a large f/t rat the first week I had her, now she is on a schedule of a large or XL f/t rat every 10-12 days.