Boa Contrictor at 4-6 ft??? WTH

I was just reading the Reptiles 2013 issue on 15 Amazing Boa Morphs..Great cover....ANYWAY, in the article the writer Jeremy Stone wrote that's unlikely to find boas over 10 ft in captivity. That males are usually 4 ft and females 6ft


WHEN did this happen?? I have a Hog Island Boa, and part of the reason I picked her out is that locality maxs out at about 6ft regardless of gender.

Most non-insulars boa like true red tail and B.c.i's (not the small Mexican species in the mountains, nor Nics), I THOUGHT, reached 8-12ft

This is very odd news to read....I'm not a boa expert, so I thought I'd ask. When did these genus become midgets?? haha

I don't agree with either of the size ranges you posted. 8-12 ft is overly generous, IMO; 4-6 ft is misleadingly small. I have seen a couple of of 9 ft males, for whatever that is worth.

I think part of the discrepancy is due to changing thought processes regarding the feeding and growth of boa constrictors. Captives are fed less; and, accordingly, are growing more slowly and staying smaller.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

I don't agree with either of the size ranges you posted. 8-12 ft is overly generous, IMO; 4-6 ft is misleadingly small. I have seen a couple of of 9 ft males, for whatever that is worth.

I think part of the discrepancy is due to changing thought processes regarding the feeding and growth of boa constrictors. Captives are fed less; and, accordingly, are growing more slowly and staying smaller.

I thought it was misleadingly small as well, but I haven't been following boas since I bought my Hog, she's the best! I see what you are seeing, thanks for the input

Funny that Jeremy Stone is saying that when he overfeeds the crap out of his animals and has 2.5 year old females routinely between 6 and 7 feet.

Maybe the females die so early Jeremy has a poor estimate basis for them.

7-8 is what you should expect for a female Colombian. 5-7 is what you should expect for a male, but they can and do get bigger, those are just the more realistic averages. The largest animals found in the wild are often confirmed (by progressive tracking) or estimated to be quite old. You would be hard pressed to five a 2.5 year old female Colombian in the wild at 7 feet.

"or estimated" should be "are estimated".

No expert but Ive heard from experts that the main growth period for a boa is from 12months to 24months. And if under fed during that period they cant be stunted in growth.

Example of this I recently saw an ad for a 2008 male Argentine and upon inquiring the snake was only 6lb roughly 6ft. Where as I have a 2009 Argentine of same gender at 12 lb and roughly 7ft and hes not over fed..

I think it does vary a good amount between some species I know central americans tend to stay a lot smaller as well. But I really think the size your boa ends up is all based on how you feed it. Dont take that to mean you should starve your boa to make him stay small, but just dont offer him/her meals that make him/her bulge up and stretch feedings a little longer. And it would be more likely to stay in the 6ft range.

My males all tend to stay rather small. 6-10 pounds 5-6 feet. My females are enormous. I have one who is 30 pounds at 9 feet and growing. I don't think I would like to house a 12 foot boa.

I have been told, though I don't lend much credence to this rumor, that Albinos tend to be larger animals by nature. Does anyone have proof of this claim?

I have an old BCC ive had for years now and it came to me through a rescue as an import, its only pushing 6ft. I will say though that he has malaria, dunno if that would stunt his growth or not, but im not saying they stay small either, just an observation, and ive seen plenty of imperators surpass 8 ft easily, but they were all females.

That's interesting. How do you know it has malaria? Bloodwork from vet? I didn't even consider these animals could get diseases like that.

Originally Posted by MurdocksReptiles

No expert but Ive heard from experts that the main growth period for a boa is from 12months to 24months. And if under fed during that period they cant be stunted in growth.

Example of this I recently saw an ad for a 2008 male Argentine and upon inquiring the snake was only 6lb roughly 6ft. Where as I have a 2009 Argentine of same gender at 12 lb and roughly 7ft and hes not over fed..

I think it does vary a good amount between some species I know central americans tend to stay a lot smaller as well. But I really think the size your boa ends up is all based on how you feed it. Dont take that to mean you should starve your boa to make him stay small, but just dont offer him/her meals that make him/her bulge up and stretch feedings a little longer. And it would be more likely to stay in the 6ft range.

Interesting, I didnt know this. But it could make sense since the one BCI I have is tiny compared with his litter mates. He always regurged every meal when young unless it was a tiny mouse. As time went by he would eat bigger mice but never held down anything at big as a small rat. After he was a year and a half or so, he started to eat regularly and now eats rats with gusto and hasn't had any regurge episodes in a very long time.