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| Boa ConstrictorEnclosure Selection Health Feeding BreedingThe Decision to Breed Selecting a Pair Mating Gestation Juveniles The Decision To Breed... Boa constrictors are not that difficult to breed, and it should be possible for a beginner to achieve success. However there are one or two things which you should consider before embarking on a breeding project. The pair and young need extensive care and attention to ensure good health and ultimate success. Pregnant females need to be well cared for, and the adults will need separate enclosures when not together to mate. The long term costs are great and there is little money to be made in re-selling them. Unless you are considering full scale commercial breeding you are almost certainly going to lose money. Breeding is more about the love of reptiles than the money. Things to consider before you start: - Do you have the money to offer proper care to the young? - Can you commit time to feeding and looking after multiple snakes? - Do you have the necessary experience to deal with anything that might happen? - What are you going to do with the babies? If you’re still willing to give it a go, let’s get started! Selecting a Pair The pair should be closely matched in size, with the male slightly smaller than the female if anything. It is possible to breed small males with large females, however large males will tend to be aggressive towards smaller females so this arrangement is not recommended. Sexing can be done by looking at the spurs, which are the two scales which protrude from either side of the vent. They are remnants of the hind legs which are left over after evolution, and they are noticeably bigger on males. If you are unable to determine sex in this way, probing is the most reliable way and should only be undertaken by experienced herpetologists or vets. Mating No cycling is necessary to achieve positive results, and the pair should be introduced around one week after the females last meal, which should be in late September. The male should not be fed after late August. The male will usually then move around the cage looking for the female, and you should allow 2-3 days for them to begin courting. If he has not started courting the female by this time, he should be removed for a couple of weeks and then introduced at a later date. Courtship is signified by the male riding around on the females back, squeezing her at regular intervals. If the female seems annoyed or irritated leave them be, this is a normal part of courting. The female will begin to swell with follicles, however she is not fertilised until they are fully developed and she has mated with the male. Copulation will occur after many weeks of courting, and lasts several hours. It may occur several times over a couple of days, after which the male will lose all interest in the female. Once this has taken place you can separate the two snakes again. Gestation Gestation lasts approximately 4-8 months, after which the young are born live. They emerge in clear sacs which they break on their own, and each clutch can contain over 30 offspring. The process can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 6 hours, and will typically occur at night. Juveniles They initially live off the yolk which is absorbed before birth, after which you can begin feeding small pinkie rats as described on the feeding page. If the food is refused, try again in 3-4 days. Offer small meals initially and avoid handling after feeding, as they have very fragile stomachs when born.
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