snakes

dutches · #1 11-18-2003, 01:50 PM

we got two redtail boas and i am wondering how often should they be fed the guy that had them was feeding them every two weeks.

emroul · #2 11-18-2003, 08:28 PM

How old are they, and how big are they (weight and length).. Congrats on the additions by the way! Redtails are wonderful snakes. Do you have any experience with snakes? You can PM me or email me anytime; I would love to give you some pointers. Or if you have some questions, I can do my best to answer them!

I can't answer your feeding question because I do not know their age/size. Once I know that I can help you further...

Have fun with them and let me know.

Jennifer
emroul@cox.net

dutches · #3 11-19-2003, 03:55 PM

i am not sure how old they are but the female is about three and a half feet and the male is about four and a half feet long.yes my husband has had snakes before.

emroul · #4 11-19-2003, 07:53 PM

Well, by the sound of their lengths, they are definately not adults, meaning they need to eat more than every two weeks! I would say, once every 5-7 days feed them one or two small rats each. Red tails hit adult hood by about the six-foot mark, and can continue growing after that (up to 10 feet!). So, good luck with them, hope I have helped some!

Jennifer

dutches · #5 11-20-2003, 04:36 PM

well my husband wants to breed his own rats because the pet store wants eight bucks for a small rat and 13 bucks for a medium rat so he is goint o start breeding rats and feed them once a week.also is there a certain age that they can start breeding cause we do know they are female and male. i will try to get apic of them and put it on.

emroul · #6 11-20-2003, 05:55 PM

You would seriously need to do lots of research if you are going to breed. I can write you a book here, but it might take me awhile

They HAVE to be AT LEAST 6 feet long in order to breed, the female must be bigger than the male, and of extraordinary health. So, basically, breeding them this season is COMPLETELY out of the question (this breeding season has already gone under way). There is also quite a long process that goes into breeding any snake, you can't just put them together and expect them to start going at it.

Go to www.ssnakess.com ; they have TONS of info on breeding, BCI's, BCC's etc (Boa C. constrictor and Boa C. Imperator) Just do your homework, PLEASE! (I urge you!!) You'll have fun with it if you know what you are doing.

Also, if you are going to breed them, keep in mind that they can have anywhere from 4-60 babies at a time, and placing them may not be as easy as it seems. Not everybody is up to keeping a snake that will end up getting 10 feet long, and they only sell for about $60-$80 TOPS.

Please email me if you have other questions.

emroul@cox.net

Good luck,
Jennifer

emroul · #7 11-20-2003, 05:58 PM

Oh, and breeding your own rats is a very good idea

it will surely save you lots of money in the long run.

Jennifer

dutches · #8 11-24-2003, 07:59 PM

well we are not planning to breed them and if they do well then that would be alright but if they dont that would be great. they are just our pets not breeders.well my husband got two rats to breed for feeders but i told him he cant feed these to the snakes they are to cute and friendly for a rodent.well i actually handled one they raent what i thought they felt i thought they were slimy but they arent.we are not sure which one is male and what one is female but i like the calm one its not as active as the other one.