Boas are a group of medium- to large-sized, non-venomous snakes found in South and Central America, Madagascar, Papua, and the Pacific Islands. Pythons are a group of non-venomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Some members of this family are among the largest snakes in the world. Boas and pythons kill their prey by constriction (they coil their muscular bodies around their prey and tighten their muscles to crush and kill).
"Boas and pythons kill their prey by constriction (they coil their muscular bodies around their prey and tighten their muscles to crush and kill)."
They are popular vivarium (natural habitat) reptiles, and most species have few problems in captivity if they are housed in a clean environment with the proper temperature and humidity and are fed the appropriate prey. They need an enclosure that is large enough for them to stretch out. If an owner is prepared for the large size and longevity of these animals, these animals can be rewarding pets.
Prey items fed to pet boas should be offered freshly killed or frozen and then thawed. Living prey, such as rats or mice, can bite and scratch snakes and inflict serious injury. Living prey should not be offered to pet snakes.
The following is a brief description of a few boas and pythons commonly kept as pets.
Red-Tailed Boa
Red-tailed boas (boa constrictors) originate from Central and South America. These snakes can grow to 4 meters (13 feet) on a diet of rodents, chickens, and rabbits, for very large snakes. Females are generally larger than males. In the wild, boas spend much of their time in trees, so in captivity they need a tall vivarium with plenty of access to branches for climbing.
In the ideal environment, Boa constrictors may live 20–30 years, and some up to 40 years. They reach sexual maturity once they reach about 1.5 meters (5 feet) in length. Boas are viviparous (give birth to live young rather than laying eggs) about 6 months after mating. Baby boas can eat mice immediately after birth. When housed at the temperature and humidity appropriate to their species, boas can thrive in captivity and can become tame if handled properly.
Rainbow Boa
Found in the wild in Central and South America, the rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchriais) is, as its common name suggests, one of the most colorful of the boas, especially immediately after shedding. The subspecies from Brazil is predominately red, while others tend to be brown.
"Rainbow boas in the wild predominantly eat small mammals and birds."
Gestation in this breed is about 5 months, and babies are viviparous (born live). Adults reach up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length, depending on the subspecies. This species does best in an environmental temperature of 24°C -30°C (75°F-86°F) and a relative humidity of 70%-80%. Rainbow boas in the wild predominantly eat small mammals and birds.
Royal Python (Ball Python)
The royal python, Python regius, is one of the most popular pet constrictor species sold at pet stores and reptile shows. Their country of origin is Africa. The royal python is also known as the ball python, since it curls into a ball to protect its head with its stocky, muscular body when it is threatened by predators.
Ball pythons are relatively small and are very attractive, but they are challenging to keep as pets, as they are timid, docile snakes that often go long periods without eating. Adults generally do not grow to more than 90–150 centimeters (3-5 feet) in length. While mice are a preferred food, ball pythons sometimes do not recognize white laboratory mice as prey. In such cases, brown gerbils may be offered to encourage the snake to eat.
Reticulated Python
Probably the world's longest snake (up to 30 feet or 9 meters), Python reticulatus has a striking series of diamond-shaped yellow patches down its back and flanks marked with brown, black, cream, and purple.
While they are beautiful snakes and are popular as pets, they should only be kept by a skilled and experienced reptile keeper, as they can be unpredictable and may strike unexpectedly. Because they grow so large, they also can be difficult to handle safely. These snakes feed on larger rodents and rabbits.
Burmese Python
The Burmese python, python bivittatus, is native to several habitats in southern and Southeast Asia, including several islands in Indonesia. Adults tend to grow to 3–5 meters (10–16 feet) in length and can weigh as much as 90.7 kg (200 lb). The albino Burmese python has become a popular large constrictor species.
They can be docile, but due to their adult size, they can be dangerous around small pets and small children. This species has gained notoriety as an invasive species in the Florida Everglades and is wreaking havoc on several species native to the Everglades.
Indian Python
The Indian python, Python molurus, is the classic old-world constrictor equivalent of the red-tailed boa, in that it can grow to be quite large. While new-world boas grow up to 4.3 meters (13 feet) long, pythons may reach up to 6.5 meters (21 feet) long. Their diet consists of large rodents, rabbits, and chickens. In captivity, these pythons are often overfed and become obese. A python that is fed weekly but does not have to hunt for its dinner may become so overweight that its intra-coelomic (internal) fat stores become very large, and its liver and kidneys become infiltrated with fat, preventing normal function.
"In captivity, these pythons are often overfed and become obese."
Female pythons are stimulated to breed by a reduction in light and day length. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. Eggs are laid approximately three months after mating. Females incubate up to 100 eggs for around 70 days until the eggs hatch. The young will shed soon after, and following that initial ecdysis (shedding of the skin), they will eat. Within 18 months, they are considered mature.
