Care for Redtail Boas

Purchase the proper enclosure. Red Tail boas can grow up to 7 to 8 feet long, and need to be housed appropriately to accommodate the large size. If you purchase one as a baby, you can start it off in a small glass tank, preferably a 20-gallon so it will have room to grow. Once it reaches a length of about twice the length of its current cage it needs to be moved to a larger enclosure. If possible, start out with the snake in the largest size enclosure it will need so you won't have to worry about moving it in the future.

Set-up the enclosure. Decorations should include tree branches and rocks for the snake to climb on, as well as a "hide" such as a hollow log or box for them to go into. Snakes feel most secure when they have a place they can retreat to, so the "hide" is very important to their mental well being. For substrate, use newspaper or paper towels if you want to go cheap, or spend a little more for something like coconut bark. This bark is a good choice because it holds moisture in to help maintain humidity levels. Place a water dish in the enclosure, preferably one the snake can fit into, as they like to soak themselves.

Maintain a healthy environment. Red Tail boas need a certain amount of heat, light, and humidity to stay healthy. Maintain a tropical level of heating in the enclosure, usually between 80 and 90 degrees F. A basking area is also necessary, which should maintain a temperature between 90 and 95 degrees F. This basking area should not cover the entire enclosure, just one area where the snake can go to heat up. It will also require an area that is cooler where it can go if its body heat rises too much. Moisture is also important for Red Tail boas, as they come from tropical areas. A humidity level between 50 and 60 percent should be maintained at all times. To achieve this, lightly mist the enclosure once or twice a day. Also get a glass or acrylic top for the enclosure, as this holds moisture in better than a screen top.

Follow a proper feeding schedule. Red Tail boas are carnivores who can live quite happily on mice and eventually rats. When the snake is small, start off with pinky mice or fuzzy size mice, given once or twice a week. Once he has grown to a size of several feet, move up to the next size mice, usually called hopper size. Every few feet that the snake grows, up the size of the mice, until he has surpassed a length of 4 feet. At this time, move on to feeding rats. Baby boas need to be fed frequently, about twice a week, while juvenile boas are good at just once a week. Yearling boas, of about 1 to 2 years, should be fed every 2 weeks, and adult boas can be fed every 3 weeks, or sometimes once a month. Follow a feeding schedule and keep track of how often you are offering your snake food. How often you stick to this schedule can determine how big your snake will ultimately get. Mice and rats can be purchased alive and offered to the snakes that way, but this could lead to your snake becoming injured by prey that fights back. It is usually best to stick to feeding frozen or recently killed rodents.

Keep the enclosure clean. Red Tail boas defecate and urinate on a less frequent basis than animals such as dogs or cats, and might only do so once or twice a month. This will happen in the form of solid feces and mostly solid urine, which will look like white or yellow chalk. Clean these out of the enclosure as soon as possible, so that your snake is not laying in them or moving through them. Many times snakes also defecate in their water bowls, so this needs to be checked every day. If it is dirty it needs to be cleaned immediately. The substrate for the enclosure should be emptied every couple of weeks and replaced with fresh substrate. This keeps bacteria, mold and bugs from overtaking your snake's home.

Watch for any health problems. Mites and ticks are a common problem that can affect a Red Tail boa. As many are wild caught and brought into the pet trade, they can carry mites before you buy them. Mites are tiny bugs that look like black specks on the snake's scales. It is very important that they are taken care of immediately if you discover them. The snake must be removed from the enclosure and sprayed down with a mite killing spray. The enclosure should be cleaned out thoroughly, and any furniture in it that cannot be sterilized must be thrown away. Do not put the snake back into the enclosure until the mites have been completely eliminated. Another common problem that can occur with boas is that they won't shed properly and will have skin left on their bodies or faces. It is important to maintain a proper level of moisture in the enclosure, especially when you see that the snake's eyes have become milky and its skin has darkened. These are signs it is getting ready to shed, and it will help the snake to have a proper amount of humidity for this. Other health problems can occur in Red Tail boas, including respiratory infections, dehydration, and even neurological disorders. If your snake is exhibiting behaviors that are not normal for it, or if you see signs of sickness, take him to a veterinarian as soon as possible.