Boas Diet & Food

Whether your pet is the impressively large red-tailed boa constrictor, the small rosy boa, or the rare sand boa, feeding it is basically the same. In the wild, boas thrive on a diet of small mammals, lizards, amphibians, birds and even other snakes. In captivity, you are limited to small chickens and mammals raised and frozen for the purpose of feeding captive wildlife.

  1. How Much to Feed

    • In the wild, young snakes eat more frequently than adults. Baby boas should eat weekly, young snakes every 12 days and adults every three weeks. Never feed a boa an item larger than the widest part of the snake, or it will most likely be regurgitated.

    What to Feed

    • Live food is not recommended for pet boas. The food might escape or cause injury to the boa, and hunting makes pet snakes more aggressive--nor is it a humane death for the prey items. Catching your own food to feed your snake is risky, as many wild animals harbor parasites and bacteria. There are companies that sell frozen mice, rats, cavies, chickens and rabbits, raised and killed especially to feed captive carnivores. These animals were fed nutritious diets, raised in a sterile environment and pose no risk of contamination for your snake. Never feed your snake cooked or raw meat made for human consumption. They need whole animals: fur, bones and all. A bowl of fresh water in the cage at all times is a must.

    How to Feed

    • Never feed your boa by hand or you risk getting bitten. Use forceps to place the food in the enclosure, and, if necessary, a handling stick to hold your snake away from you. Snakes hunt by smell, so wash your hands well after handling prey. Avoid handling the snake for at least 24 hours after a meal or you risk causing the snake to regurgitate. Nocturnal species like the rosy boa are best fed at night. If your snake is not eating, be certain that its food is well-thawed and slightly warm when offered, and that the temperature in the snake's enclosure is optimal. A cold snake will not eat.