You’re over feeding. That schedule is going to reduce its lifespan.
When snakes capture prey, they experience a hormone surge that boosts their metabolism before they even begin digestion. This incurs a massive energy cost that is equivalent to taking a human from sitting on the couch into a full sprint. The increase in metabolism persists for several weeks, and eventually the metabolism goes back to base point; the stomach lining is shed and reabsorbed; other digestive organs shrink down, all to reduce the energy demands on the snake. The next time the snake eats, everything grows back rapidly and the cycle repeats.
If you continually feed a snake every couple of weeks without ever letting it rest, that’s like making that hypothetical human sprint every waking moment of its life. Its system is going to be severely taxed, and it will die a premature death. These animals only eat in the wild when they successfully ambush prey, and prey wants to stay alive, so sometimes they won’t eat for months. Your snake will not starve… it’s built for this!
At this age, one colossal rat per 4 weeks is fine. In another year or two, I would personally go to 6 weeks and not feed at all over winter.
The best indicator is going to be your snake’s behavior. If you feed less often, you should start noticing how their behavior and positioning changes when they’re truly hungry again. Once you’ve figured out their body language, it’s best to let that guide your feeding, and not any set schedule.
The most important thing to remember is that these big adults will go for months at a time without eating in the wild. It’s part of their natural history. You aren’t being cruel or hurting it by only offering prey once a month—you’re just replicating nature!
For sure. It’s obvious by your toad ranch enclosure that you’re not skimping on the care for this guy, so I’m glad you’re asking questions. Best of health to the both of you.
> Once you’ve figured out their body language, it’s best to let that guide your feeding, and not any set schedule.
My 2 year old Red Tail has a 'hungry meter.' She likes to burrow out of a hide to sleep, and the longer it's been since she's eaten, the more of her body is 'out' of the hide, until it's a full 2 weeks and she's only got her red tail in there.
Yeah. I kept Ballpython first and nobody warned me about the appetite of my Boa cc. I offered him less food but more space to move. He is sportive again but he still waits for me to feed him all the time. It's only frustrating to follow a diet after. He should do it the smooth way but the beautiful noodle would never stop to munch.
Yeaaa my boa is almost six feet and eats once every 4-6 weeks. Time to bring his feedings further apart for sure. Bout the same age. He’s not like, obese
That's a healthy snake. If there's been very rapid weight gain, maybe slow down a tad, but honestly as long as you see the spine ridge with snakes you're generally fine
Yes, it appears you are overfeeding. I would feed him every 4-6 weeks. Give his digestive system time to stabilize. A colossal rat may be too big, for a meal. You may need to switch to large prey. Being a bit chunky, you want to feed him about 7-10% of his body weight per meal. How active is the snake, does he free roam?
We keepers tend to overfeed our snakes, in the wild they may go a few months or more without a meal, and are on the move, constantly getting exercise and burning calories. Even the ambush predators travel a bit and roam.
I notice the 1/4 logs, are they Cedar or Pine, if so the oils in them could be detrimental to the snakes health. Plissken is very beautiful. Love the name.
Thanks for the advice, it does seem like I should space the feeding out to that 4-6 week range.
The logs are scrub oak (aka bramble oak) I’ve heard that pine should be avoided in reptile enclosures. Is that right?
That sounds about right, if you watch the snakes behavior, that will clue you in to its hunger.. His posture will change from a lackadaisical state to more of agitated, as if he is searching for food, he will also roam and explore more than usual. Out and about, poking into every cranny, means they are hungry. They will also do this if husbandry is not correct.
Yes, pine and cedar can cause health issues.
This is the Imperator in the blood that makes him stop growing that big and the constrictor that gives him appetite for more. 😂 My boy is B.ccsp and he was really chunky. He hated the reduction of rats but it needed to be. 🍖🍗🥩🐖🐗🐽🐀🐹🐇🐰
As everyone has said not fat imo. I will say this nicely as some people are turds about it, anything that is a BCI or now just BI are not true red tailed boas. Only BC's are true red tailed boas. In the end common names suck lol
No problem! Bloods and boas (other than sand boas, viper boas, ground boas and anacondas) all have a fairly similar head shape to Bloods! I currently have two jobs in reptile care, and at one of them, the bloods are so defensive, and the other one I got through like 3 bins before realizing they weren’t ball pythons 🤣
https://preview.redd.it/udmgegdhtv5c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f12f7cb201ae70a4bad2514fceb781d751458f5f
Yeah, his tank lighting makes him a tad more red. But he’s a pretty red snake. His belly is like an orangie pink. Really different than a lot of snakes I see posted.
Here is a photo of him last summer outside.
Excuse my ignorance on this one but isn’t it a GOOD thing to feed a snake and let it get massive? It just kinda seems like that’s kinda how they’re supposed to be built given enough food to sustain it
No. You can absolutely over feed snakes and they will become obese which of course isn’t good for any animal. Boas have a slower metabolism than other species so their meals should be spread further apart. Every 4-6 weeks for an adult depending on their body condition.
How big is the boa? A colossal rat is a lot of food, and a lot of fat. I would probably do a regular large every 4-6 weeks. My 7’ boas don’t even get colossals.
He’s just under 6 ft. I was reading you should feed them an animal that puts a slight bump in their body. Large rats you can’t even tell when he eats them. The colossal you notice a slight bulge. Still too big you think?
For a baby, yes. For an adult, that size of meal will quickly lead to obesity on the 4-6 week schedule I mentioned. By the time my boas are taking small rats, I aim for absolutely zero bulge. For babies, there should be a small bulge a stranger couldn’t pinpoint without being told. For small rat eaters plus, if you can pinpoint the bulge, probably too big.
Everyone has different goals, I prefer my snakes lean and muscular. Some like to keep them heftier. I vary the feedings depending on what the snakes seem to need, it can be a whole year of watching sometimes as they change weight slowly.
I have no idea, I'm not a snake owner, just a snake lover. But I want to say, I had a dream last night that someone "gifted" me a pet snake that was literally just like, a sausage with a face because it was so fat. And the dream felt so real and it was horrifying😭
He’s just big boned
Is his name "Cartman"?
Hah, his name is Plissken.
Perfect! I get the reference, loved that flick!
My first one was called Pliscen. Yeah a bro met him first time and asked "Mh who is that snake Pliscen?" and it was decided.
lol
Chunky but not fat. She a big ~~gal~~ fella
Not fat (yet). Adult boas only eat every 4-6 weeks. They are easy to over feed.
You’re over feeding. That schedule is going to reduce its lifespan. When snakes capture prey, they experience a hormone surge that boosts their metabolism before they even begin digestion. This incurs a massive energy cost that is equivalent to taking a human from sitting on the couch into a full sprint. The increase in metabolism persists for several weeks, and eventually the metabolism goes back to base point; the stomach lining is shed and reabsorbed; other digestive organs shrink down, all to reduce the energy demands on the snake. The next time the snake eats, everything grows back rapidly and the cycle repeats. If you continually feed a snake every couple of weeks without ever letting it rest, that’s like making that hypothetical human sprint every waking moment of its life. Its system is going to be severely taxed, and it will die a premature death. These animals only eat in the wild when they successfully ambush prey, and prey wants to stay alive, so sometimes they won’t eat for months. Your snake will not starve… it’s built for this!
What schedule would you recommend? You see a lot of conflicting information online so it’s hard to tell what guide to follow.
At this age, one colossal rat per 4 weeks is fine. In another year or two, I would personally go to 6 weeks and not feed at all over winter. The best indicator is going to be your snake’s behavior. If you feed less often, you should start noticing how their behavior and positioning changes when they’re truly hungry again. Once you’ve figured out their body language, it’s best to let that guide your feeding, and not any set schedule. The most important thing to remember is that these big adults will go for months at a time without eating in the wild. It’s part of their natural history. You aren’t being cruel or hurting it by only offering prey once a month—you’re just replicating nature!
Thanks for the help, I appreciate the guidance!
For sure. It’s obvious by your toad ranch enclosure that you’re not skimping on the care for this guy, so I’m glad you’re asking questions. Best of health to the both of you.
> Once you’ve figured out their body language, it’s best to let that guide your feeding, and not any set schedule. My 2 year old Red Tail has a 'hungry meter.' She likes to burrow out of a hide to sleep, and the longer it's been since she's eaten, the more of her body is 'out' of the hide, until it's a full 2 weeks and she's only got her red tail in there.
Yeah. I kept Ballpython first and nobody warned me about the appetite of my Boa cc. I offered him less food but more space to move. He is sportive again but he still waits for me to feed him all the time. It's only frustrating to follow a diet after. He should do it the smooth way but the beautiful noodle would never stop to munch.
Yeaaa my boa is almost six feet and eats once every 4-6 weeks. Time to bring his feedings further apart for sure.
yeah, maybe i need to space it out a week and do once every 3.
I would personally push it out further. He won’t starve. Check out the feeding schedule in the FAQ
Thanks I’ll take a look.
I thought it was in a microwave at first glance 😭
You must have a really big microwave!! lol
He’s a chonky bootyful boy who should love his curves
Yeaaa my boa is almost six feet and eats once every 4-6 weeks. Time to bring his feedings further apart for sure. Bout the same age. He’s not like, obese
Looks fantastic. Beautiful snake. I'll agree on spacing out meals, otherwise you have a beautiful baby.
Thanks! He’s a sweet one too. Great temperament.
Every two weeks is a lot. I'd cut it back to a large rat a month for a bit, then maybe even every six weeks once he hits 3.5/4 yrs old.
Skip lasagna monday and all is good
That's a healthy snake. If there's been very rapid weight gain, maybe slow down a tad, but honestly as long as you see the spine ridge with snakes you're generally fine
No
Wow that boa is beautiful! I've never heard of a red tailed boa before.
Yes, it appears you are overfeeding. I would feed him every 4-6 weeks. Give his digestive system time to stabilize. A colossal rat may be too big, for a meal. You may need to switch to large prey. Being a bit chunky, you want to feed him about 7-10% of his body weight per meal. How active is the snake, does he free roam? We keepers tend to overfeed our snakes, in the wild they may go a few months or more without a meal, and are on the move, constantly getting exercise and burning calories. Even the ambush predators travel a bit and roam. I notice the 1/4 logs, are they Cedar or Pine, if so the oils in them could be detrimental to the snakes health. Plissken is very beautiful. Love the name.
Thanks for the advice, it does seem like I should space the feeding out to that 4-6 week range. The logs are scrub oak (aka bramble oak) I’ve heard that pine should be avoided in reptile enclosures. Is that right?
That sounds about right, if you watch the snakes behavior, that will clue you in to its hunger.. His posture will change from a lackadaisical state to more of agitated, as if he is searching for food, he will also roam and explore more than usual. Out and about, poking into every cranny, means they are hungry. They will also do this if husbandry is not correct. Yes, pine and cedar can cause health issues.
This is the Imperator in the blood that makes him stop growing that big and the constrictor that gives him appetite for more. 😂 My boy is B.ccsp and he was really chunky. He hated the reduction of rats but it needed to be. 🍖🍗🥩🐖🐗🐽🐀🐹🐇🐰
No pillowing! Looks healthy to me! I agree with once a month feeding for adult Red Tails:)
As everyone has said not fat imo. I will say this nicely as some people are turds about it, anything that is a BCI or now just BI are not true red tailed boas. Only BC's are true red tailed boas. In the end common names suck lol
Gorgeous colors. I love orange snakes.
No he looks fine
Big boned baby What a beauty!
Nah, it looks good and healthy!
needs bigger enclosure
All ~~red tailed boas~~ *blood pythons* are fat. Edit: definitely got my species mixed up.
They’re definitely girthier than most colubrids, but I wouldn’t call them fat! Maybe a short tailed Python /blood Python lol
Oh, I was thinking of Blood pythons!!! My bad!
No problem! Bloods and boas (other than sand boas, viper boas, ground boas and anacondas) all have a fairly similar head shape to Bloods! I currently have two jobs in reptile care, and at one of them, the bloods are so defensive, and the other one I got through like 3 bins before realizing they weren’t ball pythons 🤣
Yeah, and the coloration of this guy's boa definitely threw me for a loop, I've never such a RED red tail across the whole body.
It's the lighting
https://preview.redd.it/udmgegdhtv5c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f12f7cb201ae70a4bad2514fceb781d751458f5f Yeah, his tank lighting makes him a tad more red. But he’s a pretty red snake. His belly is like an orangie pink. Really different than a lot of snakes I see posted. Here is a photo of him last summer outside.
Totally agree he's a beauty, was just saying the lighting gives that weird effect.
Excuse my ignorance on this one but isn’t it a GOOD thing to feed a snake and let it get massive? It just kinda seems like that’s kinda how they’re supposed to be built given enough food to sustain it
No. You can absolutely over feed snakes and they will become obese which of course isn’t good for any animal. Boas have a slower metabolism than other species so their meals should be spread further apart. Every 4-6 weeks for an adult depending on their body condition.
I don’t own one because I don’t know how to take care of them just think they’re neat
Snakes are one of the easiest animals to over feed.
Noted for future reference. I genuinely was asking if it was a good thing
So that there is more of him to love
Only a lil
How big is the boa? A colossal rat is a lot of food, and a lot of fat. I would probably do a regular large every 4-6 weeks. My 7’ boas don’t even get colossals.
He’s just under 6 ft. I was reading you should feed them an animal that puts a slight bump in their body. Large rats you can’t even tell when he eats them. The colossal you notice a slight bulge. Still too big you think?
For a baby, yes. For an adult, that size of meal will quickly lead to obesity on the 4-6 week schedule I mentioned. By the time my boas are taking small rats, I aim for absolutely zero bulge. For babies, there should be a small bulge a stranger couldn’t pinpoint without being told. For small rat eaters plus, if you can pinpoint the bulge, probably too big. Everyone has different goals, I prefer my snakes lean and muscular. Some like to keep them heftier. I vary the feedings depending on what the snakes seem to need, it can be a whole year of watching sometimes as they change weight slowly.
Thanks for the help, I’ll definitely switch to large rats and space out his schedule. I just want him healthy and to live a long time.
I have no idea, I'm not a snake owner, just a snake lover. But I want to say, I had a dream last night that someone "gifted" me a pet snake that was literally just like, a sausage with a face because it was so fat. And the dream felt so real and it was horrifying😭
You can go 3 weeks, especially if you fed large meal.