Rainbow Boa Care

Species Info: Rainbow boas, especially the Brazilian subspecies, are regarded by many as the most beautiful snakes widely available in the reptile trade. This is owed to their strong iridescence, produced by microscopic ridges on their scales. 

Level of Care/Handling: Medium-Advanced. Rainbow boas can be fairly hardy if always kept in their tolerable range of temperature and humidity, but this can be tough to accomplish without prior herp experience. These snakes can become fairly tolerant to handling if worked with consistently but infrequently. As babies they tend to be very nippy, decreasing in intensity as they get older and less timid.

Length/Lifespan: Female boas are longer on average than males, usually reaching lengths of 5-7 ft. Males generally get to 4-6 ft. These snakes can easily live 20+ years with proper husbandry.

Temperature/Lighting/Space Requirements: Your boa requires a heat gradient inside its enclosure with a hot side of ~80 degrees, hot spot of ~85 degrees, and a cooler side in the mid-high 70’s. Nighttime temperatures can drop by around 5 degrees on both sides. Heat lamps are generally not recommended as they make humidity tougher to maintain, and boas tend to instead prefer belly heat for thermoregulating. However, an incandescent/fluorescent/LED can be used to help moderate day/night periods (along with showing off your snake’s iridescence).  A heat mat hooked up to a thermostat should instead be used for heat, and cover a third of the floor of the enclosure. Babies can be housed in 5-20 gallon enclosures increasing as they grow, and juveniles under 3 ft in 30-40 gallons. Adults require a minimum enclosure size of 4 ft. by 2 ft.  

Water/Humidity Requirements: A large water bowl should always be kept in the enclosure and checked and changed frequently, as many boas make a habit of soaking/relieving themselves inside of it. Humidity should ideally always stay between 75-90%. This can be done by using a large water bowl and misting the enclosure at both the beginning and end of every day. Substrate can be damp but not sopping wet, the latter condition likely to result in scale rot or a bacterial infection. 

Enclosure Flooring: Good options for substrate include cypress mulch and fir bark/mulch, as they hold humidity well. Rainbow boas are not known to burrow deeply, so the substrate layer doesn’t need to be more than 2-3” deep.

Decoration: Any reptile-safe decorations are okay to use. Two hides should be provided: one on the hot side and one on the cooler side. The hide on the hot side can be filled with moss, paper towel, or other items that retain water so it can be used as a humid hide. Humid hides are especially helpful for if you have issues with keeping humidity up in general because it allows for the boa to have access to a constantly humid area. Rainbow boas are known to climb on occasion, so branches and sturdy woods can make for good enrichment opportunities.

Diet: Mice or rats as babies, and rats as juvies/adults are the only food your boa will need. The size of the meal being equal to the thickest portion of the snake. Frozen thawed prey is always preferable to live, as mice and rats can potentially injure your snake, even during constriction. 

Feeding Frequency: Babies and juveniles can be fed once every 7-10 days. After reaching adulthood (normally occurs between 2-3 years) they can be fed every 10-14 days. This can vary between individuals, so your ideal feeding schedule can be found by keeping track of your snake’s weight.

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