Rainbow boas, admired for their iridescent sheen and manageable size, make captivating additions to the reptile-keeping hobby. This article delves into the essential aspects of rainbow boa care, covering their natural history, housing requirements, dietary needs, and responsible handling practices. Whether you're a seasoned reptile enthusiast or a curious beginner, this guide provides valuable insights to ensure the health and well-being of your rainbow boa.
Natural History and Appearance
Rainbow boas (Epicrates cenchria) are slender constrictor-type snakes native to Central and South America. Their iridescent sheen, visible during daylight hours, makes them a stunning species. There are nine recognized subspecies. Typically, these snakes are maroon or light red with brightly colored patterns surrounded by dark borders. An excellent boa for those who want the length of a big snake without the overwhelming girth.
Brazilian rainbow boas (Epicrates cenchria cenchria) typically grow to be 5-6.5 feet (1.5-2 meters) long. Colombian rainbow boas (Epicrates maurus colombianus) usually reach 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 meters) in length. Females generally grow longer than males. Rainbow boas can live for 20-25 years with proper care.
Rainbow boas are found throughout Costa Rica and central South America. Generally, these snakes are found in the forests, grasslands, and swamps of this region both in the trees and on the ground. Brazilian rainbow boas inhabit the Amazon Basin and Guiana Shield areas of South America, preferring tropical forest habitats. Colombian rainbow boas inhabit Central America and the northern extreme of South America, including Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. They prefer habitats with more open landscapes interspersed with trees and shrubs and can be found at high altitudes.
Enclosure
There are many different ways to keep Rainbow boas, as with any snake. These semi-arboreal snakes require vertical space in the cages as well as large amounts of floor space to suit their active lifestyles. Adults can be housed in Neodesha, large plastic containers, and vision cages. Vision cages are the best for monitoring, humidity support, and ample room for maneuvering. Adults can also be kept in a minimum 50 gallon tank but larger is always better with these snakes. Custom enclosures are encouraged and should be at least 4 feet long, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet high.
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A good formula for estimating the minimum enclosure dimensions for a semi-arboreal snake is: Full snake length x half snake length = length x width. For height, no less than 3′ / 0.9m should be provided. Given that most Brazilian rainbow boas grow to 6′ / 1.8m long or smaller, ReptiFiles recommends providing an enclosure no smaller than 6’L x 3’W x 3’H, or 1.8m x 0.9m x 0.9m.
Although you may not see your pet climbing around all the time because it’s nocturnal, they’re still quite active when they’re awake. It’s important to provide an appropriately-sized enclosure that offers both terrestrial and arboreal space to facilitate natural behaviors such as thermoregulation, hydroregulation, photoregulation, hunting, climbing, and hiding. This leads to a fitter and overall healthier snake.
Hatchlings and very young snakes tend to do better in smaller areas such as 10 gallon tanks or plastic shoe/sweater boxes with appropriate ventilation. Ventilation can be added to plastic enclosures via a soldering iron or a drill.
Substrate
Rainbow boas can be housed on newspaper, butcher paper, paper towel, or reptile carpet for ease of cleaning. Aspen and Care Fresh can also be used as long as the aspen is agitated daily and bedding is changed weekly. Never use pine or cedar shavings as the aromatic oils are irritating to snakes.
Colombian rainbow boas are likely to be healthiest and happiest when they are housed on a substrate (a.k.a. “bedding”) that imitates the conditions of their natural habitat and supports high humidity levels.
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DIY tropical mix: 60% plain topsoil + 40% coconut fiberZoo Med ReptisoilZoo Med Eco EarthExo Terra Plantation SoilBio Dude Terra Fauna bioactive kit
Interestingly, Rainbow Boas: Natural History & Captive Husbandry by Bellosa and Bisplinghof states that a gravel substrate is also likely to be appropriate for this species, as their natural habitat often features rocky terrain. Provide a substrate layer that is 4” deep to cushion your snake’s body and help maintain healthy humidity levels. This takes about 6 ft³ or 180 quarts of substrate to achieve in a 6′ x 3′ enclosure. A generous layer of clean leaf litter on top is strongly recommended.
Feces and urates should be removed immediately, and contaminated substrate should be scooped out and replaced.
Accessories
Cage accessories should consist of at least one hide box in the enclosure. Hides can be as simple as a half a flower pot, half log, or as complicated as a rock structure (make sure it’s well anchored). Branches for climbing are encouraged and necessary for this species and are wonderful for enrichment. The addition of hay or dried leaves offers new scents for the snake to explore. Also, adjusting the cage furnishings once in a while is recommended for enrichment as well.
Decorations play an important role in your boa’s enclosure as environmental enrichment. These items are not optional - they are essential to promoting positive welfare for your pet! Enrichment items encourage exercise, stimulate your snake’s natural instincts, and help stave off boredom.
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Décor ideas:cork logscork flatssturdy brancheslarge, sturdy live plants (ex: ficus, dracaena, schefflera)sturdy artificial plantsmagnetic ledgesadditional hides
At minimum, you will need a sturdy climbing branch, foliage for cover, and two hiding places. All branches should be firmly secured to the walls or floor of the enclosure to prevent them from falling and potentially injuring your snake.
Lighting
Rainbow boas are nocturnal by nature and do not require intense lighting despite their desert habitats. However, it is recommended that a 5.0 ReptiSun UVB bulb be offered during the day light portion of the light cycle. All snakes can absorb the calcium from their whole prey for their own use but a UVB bulb still offers some health benefits as well as promotion of natural behaviors from the UVA being emitted. Although rainbow boas can technically survive without UVB light, ReptiFiles strongly recommends providing it in order to promote optimum welfare! Lights should be on for 12 hours/day.
To provide appropriate UVB, you will need a Zoo Med T5 HO Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia Forest 6% bulb, long enough to span half of the enclosure and placed on the warm side of the enclosure. This bulb should be housed in an Arcadia ProT5 or Vivarium Electronics reflective fixture (yes, this does make a difference).
The basking branch should be placed as follows, given distance is from the snake’s back to the UVB lamp:
UVB mounted over mesh - 9-11”UVB mounted under mesh - 12-15”
Temperature and Humidity
The ambient temperature in the enclosure is more consistent with what people believe to be a temperate snake than a tropical snake. The temperatures should range from 72 to 80F° with a basking spot maintained at 85F°. Any higher than 90F° and these snakes develop serious health issues and can die. These temperatures should be maintained with a thermostat and monitored with two thermometers ideally. One thermometer should be placed on the warm end an inch above the substrate and the other an inch above the substrate on the cool end of the enclosure. Under tank heaters, heat cable (outside the enclosure not in the enclosure), heat tape, and ceramic heat emitters can all be utilized to maintain air temperature.
Brazilian rainbow boas dehydrate easily and are heavily dependent on having a high-humidity environment. Keep humidity levels around 70% during the day, and higher (at or near 100%) at night. Brazilian rainbow boas younger than 1 year old are more delicate and should have consistent humidity levels between 90-100%. Ambient humidity should be tracked via digital probe hygrometer with the probe placed in the middle of the setup.
Colombian rainbow boas seem to be more resistant to dehydration than their Brazilian cousins, but they still require a high-humidity environment. Keep humidity levels around 60-70% during the day, and higher (80-100%) at night.
To raise the humidity in your snake’s enclosure, you can use a pressure sprayer like the Exo Terra Mister to mist the habitat every evening and morning, as well as possibly in the middle of the day. Alternatively you can install a Mistking automatic misting system with at least 6 nozzles (personally, I strongly recommend this approach). The enclosure should be well ventilated enough to dry out a bit between mistings. It’s good practice to use a reptile humidifier at night to help maintain those nightly humidity levels of 90-100%.
Feeding
In the wild, these snakes feed primarily on birds, lizards, and rodents. In captivity however, most are fed mice and small rats although the largest of them have been known to eat large rats. It is highly recommended to feed only pre-killed prey as live prey can severely injure or kill a snake. Chicago Exotics recommends feeding properly thawed frozen rodents.
Rainbow boas are carnivores, which means that they need a diet of whole animal prey in order to get the nutrition that their bodies need. Juveniles should be fed every 1-2 weeks, and adults should be fed every 2-4 weeks. Rainbow boas generally reach adulthood between 4-6 years old.
A good rule of thumb is to provide a prey item(s) which totals around 10% of your snake’s weight, assuming that the snake is not obese. Each item should be no wider than the snake at its widest point.
Although rats and mice are the most common feeders, rainbow boas should eat more than just rats and mice to truly thrive. The key to providing a healthy, balanced diet for your pet snake is VARIETY. Provide as varied of a diet as you possibly can, and you will be rewarded with a healthier snake!
Prey ideas for Brazilian rainbow boas:miceAfrican soft-furred ratsdomestic ratshamstersgerbilsguinea pigsquailchicksReptilinks
These can be purchased from high-quality breeders such as Layne Labs, RodentPro, and Reptilinks. It’s best to offer frozen-thawed prey rather than live to your pet snake. This is safer for the snake and generally considered to be more humane as well. Prey should be thawed in a plastic bag in warm water to around 100°F/38°C before offering. Use soft-tipped feeding tweezers to reduce the risk of getting accidentally bitten when the snake strikes.
Young snakes are generally fed mice to small young rats every 7-10 days. Adults are fed small to large rats every 14-21 days to maintain a healthy weight. These snakes can become obese!
Supplements
Rainbow boas can survive without vitamin or mineral supplements, but they can be a good way to help prevent nutritional deficiencies. Occasionally lightly dust the prey item with a 50/50 mix of calcium and multivitamin before thawing. Arcadia RevitaliseD3 and Repashy CalciumPlus LoD are both good options.
Drinking Water
Your snake should have free access to a large tub of fresh water every day, large enough for the snake to be able to soak its entire body as desired. Larger is likely to be beneficial, as these snakes are quite comfortable with swimming. The water should always be kept clean, with the bowl scrubbed out with veterinary disinfectant such as Rescue or F10SC weekly for good hygiene.
Handling
Handling is an essential part of owning a pet snake. Whether you prefer to keep it as a display animal, companion, or educational animal, getting it used to handling makes chores such as taking it to the vet and cleaning its enclosure a lot easier. Regular handling, when done correctly, can also be a beneficial source of exercise and enrichment for your pet.
After your boa has settled into its new home, start nighttime handling sessions at no more than 5 minutes every few days. After a couple weeks of this, gradually work your way up to longer periods of time more frequently. Once your snake is up to it, handle for 10-15 minutes daily for best results. Note that it is normal for juvenile rainbow boas to be more nervous and nippy.
Before you get your snake out of its enclosure, wash your hands with soap and water. This gets weird scents off, and removes potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites from your hands. If you are particularly smelly/have been spending a lot of time around other animals, it is also advisable to change clothes. I like to rub hand sanitizer on my hands as well to make sure I’m labeled by a consistent scent that is very different from food.
Once your hands are clean and smell like chemicals, use a paper towel roll to gently tap the snake on the head. This lets your pet know that it’s time for handling - not food - and prevents potential accidents caused by a misunderstanding. Once the snake shows calm, slow tongue flicks, it is safe to pick it up.
Use both hands to pick up an adult rainbow boa. One hand should be behind the head, and another should support the rest of the body. NEVER pick up a snake by its tail - this can cause severe damage to their spine.
Since snakes don’t have hands or feet to help them climb, they use their powerful muscles to wrap around objects for stability. During handling, your rainbow boa will treat you like a tree, wrapping around your body, arms, etc. so it doesn’t fall. Use your hands to guide its movement, and don’t let it wrap around your neck.
Health Considerations
Rainbow boas are prone to regurgitate if offered food too often or too large. Do not power feed your rainbow. We feed our baby rainbow boas every 5-10 days. The adults eat every 10-15 days. After three consecutive missed meals, reach out to us.
Proper humidity and available clean water is crucial for keeping a healthy rainbow boa. Most rainbow boas thrive with humidity levels of 70 percent and higher, however Colombian rainbows (C.C.Maurus) are known to thrive in humidity levels as low as 50 percent. Dehydration and overheating are the two most common causes of mortality in rainbow boas. Signs of dehydration include: incomplete sheds, wrinkly dry scales, and regurgitation.
Adult rainbow boas will shed their skin multiple times a year. Healthy snakes should shed their skin in one complete piece. A snake’s eye caps, also called the spectacles, should come off with the rest of their shed skin. Snakes may become irritable and lose interest in eating while shedding. Avoid handling snakes during shedding periods. Snakes can soak themselves in a shallow, open water dish to help them shed and stay hydrated. Damp paper towels and moistened sphagnum moss should be placed in the snake’s enclosure to encourage healthy shedding.
Brazilian rainbow boas should be seen by a veterinarian once annually. They can be transported using a ventilated plastic lidded bin and snake bag.