#Albino boa constrictor install

#Albino boa constrictor install

Cypress, in particular, has oil that’s toxic to snakes.Īfter adding a layer of substrate, install two hide boxes and place them on opposite sides of the enclosure. Avoid any untreated cypress or other wood species that contain oils. Reptile carpet is a suitable choice, too.Ī more natural alternative is aspen shavings. It’s easy to clean and is perfectly safe for the snake. If you’re looking to keep costs low, newspaper works well. Start with an absorbent substrate material. It’s best to model your enclosure after that environment. That said, most tend to prefer the humid conditions of a rainforest. In the wild, they’re capable of living in a wide range of environments. What To Put In Their HabitatĬolombian red tail boas are pretty adaptable to life in captivity. You can go a bit larger with adult snakes if needed.Įxpert Tip: As a good rule of thumb, provide an enclosure with a length measurement that’s at least two-thirds the length of your snake.

As an adult, these snakes need an enclosure that’s no smaller than about 4 feet long by 2 feet wide. If you don’t want to invest in a fancy vivarium until your snake is fully grown, you can always use a plastic box or glass terrarium.Ĭontinue to get larger enclosures as your snake grows. Young snakes will do fine in a vivarium-style enclosure that’s about 30 inches long, 12 inches wide, and about 12 inches tall.

The key is to choose an appropriately sized enclosure for every stage of growth. While many assume that larger is always better, that’s not the case with these reptiles.Īs juveniles, a larger enclosure will cause unwanted stress and anxiety. Colombian red tail boas are an interesting bunch. Some knowledge can go a long way in helping you keep a Colombian red tail happy and healthy. We recommend these pets for owners who have a bit of experience. These snakes require a lot of space and a well-maintained environment to stay healthy. Colombian Red Tail Boa CareĬolombian red tail boa care can be a bit of a challenge due to their size. Snakes that receive lackluster care can suffer from disease and premature death. The best thing you can do is to provide the best care possible. There’s no way to know for sure how long a snake will live. Like size, outliers can live beyond 30 years (but those instances are rare). The average lifespan for a Colombian red tail boa is 20 to 30 years in captivity. LifespanĬolombian red tail boas aren’t just big. Males will usually stop growing after they reach 6 to 8 feet. A female Colombian red tail boa can grow to be between 7 and 10 feet long. As for weight, adults will tip the scales at around 60 pounds.Įxpert Tip: Females will grow to be bigger than males in terms of length and girth. The largest boa constrictor ever recorded was over 18 feet! While rare, measurements over the average do occur. As you can tell, these snakes can get quite large! The typical Colombian red tail boa size is between 6 and 10 feet in length when kept in captivity (sometimes even longer). However, you’re more likely to find natural coloration due to the snake’s frequent importation. Morphs are quite common in captivity thanks to selective breeding. You might encounter some unique morphs as well, such as albino snakes. But in the Colombian red tail boa, the coloration is noticeably redder than any other snake in the boidae family. More vivid tail coloration is common in all boa constrictor subspecies. The saddles run the length of the snake and become more intense towards the tail. Accompanying the base color are darker patches of brown and black. But generally, you can expect to see a base color of brown, tan, or gray. Several stripes run dorsally and laterally on the face to create the snake’s naturally intimidating looks.Ĭolor can vary a bit based on where the snake comes from. They are relatively large snakes with a girthy and muscular build.

The Colombian red tail boa has all the signature traits of a standard boa. Though, they can also inhabit rainforests and arid environments in South and Central America. While it looks similar to the standard boa at face value, its iconic red tail becomes apparent with closer observation.Īs you can guess from the snake’s common trade name, these creatures are most-often found throughout Colombia. Semantics aside, this particular type of pet snake is hugely popular in herpetology circles. Rather it’s one of nine boa constrictor subspecies.Įxpert Tip: Interestingly enough, there are also separate varieties within the subspecies based on locality. Technically speaking, the Colombian red tail is not its own species. A favorite among collectors, the Colombian red tail boa ( Boa constrictor imperator) is a beautiful snake with some distinct physical features.