Provide your Colombian boa with a water bowl that’s large enough for it to immerse itself in completely.īesides the fact that Colombian boas enjoy soaking, a large water bowl helps to increase the humidity and assist your snake when it sheds.Ĭolombian boas often defecate in the water, so it’s important to change the water daily.Īlso, give the water bowl a good scrubbing once a week to prevent the growth of bacteria. You can also create hides by using an appropriately-sized plastic box and cutting a hole in it for the opening. You can obtain specialized hides online or at pet stores that deal with reptiles. Line the interior of the humid hide with damp sphagnum moss or paper towels. #Rainbow boa skinSnakes need moisture to shed their skin successfully, and humid hides give the boa a high-humidity area to shed. You’ll also want to include a humid hide. Hides larger than this won’t provide your Colombian rainbow the sense of security that it needs. Place the hides so that there’s one in the cool end of the enclosure and one in the heated end.Ĭhoose hides that are just large enough for them to curl up in. You should provide several hides for the Colombian rainbow as they’ll provide the snake with a sense of security. These are the minimal items that you need to keep your boa healthy. You should furnish your boa’s enclosure with the following items. While floor space is important, even adult Colombian rainbows will climb if given the opportunity. #Rainbow boa installYou can use commercially available plastic reptile cages and snake racks as alternatives to aquariums or home-built enclosures.Īs Colombian rainbows are semi-arboreal, the enclosure should offer height so that you can install branches. If young snakes feel unsafe, they may not eat.Īdditionally, it’s easier to control the humidity in small spaces. You shouldn’t keep newborn and young snakes in larger enclosures as they won’t feel safe in large spaces. For adult snakes, the minimum enclosure size is 36 by 18 inches, which is equivalent to a 30-gallon aquarium.The minimum enclosure size for juvenile snakes is 30 by 12 inches.For newborns, a 10-gallon aquarium is sufficient.Wood enclosures may not hold up to the humidity. Colombian Rainbow Boa Enclosureīecause Colombian rainbows have a high humidity requirement, we recommend making their enclosure from glass or plastic. Captive specimens can live up to 25 years if they’re properly cared for. The life span for Colombian rainbow boas in the wild is unknown. Also, Colombian rainbows will have a thicker appearance compared to Brazilian rainbows. The average size of Colombian rainbows is three to five feet in length, and females are larger than the males.īrazilian rainbows have an average length of four to six feet. At night, their skin can have a silver-like coloration while a darker color takes its place during the daytime. A young Colombia Boa showing its dark markings.Ĭolombian rainbow boas are nocturnal. Metachrosis refers to how some animals can change the color of their skin by adjusting the size of their pigment cells. An older Colombian rainbow boa showing its lighter colors.Ĭolombian rainbow boas sometimes demonstrate metachrosis. The dark markings are most distinctive in young snakes but fade as they become adults. This leucistic Colombian rainbow boa owes its color to a mutant gene. This contrasts with the Brazilian rainbow boa, which has a brighter red or orange color. Their striking appearance is caused by the configuration of their scales, which creates a prism-like effect.Ĭolombian boas are reddish-brown or beige with dark vertebral markings. Rainbow boas get their name from the iridescent sheen of their scales when they’re exposed to light. Adults usually occur in low-lying branches or on the ground.īabies and juveniles spend their time higher up in the trees, where they avoid predators. The Colombian Rainbow Boa is a semi-arboreal species. They prefer humid forests where they hide in the foliage, though they sometimes live in dryer regions. Their southernmost range extends down to the northern part of South America, including Colombia and Venezuela. This boa’s range extends as far north as Panama and Costa Rica. The range of the Colombian rainbow boas extends further north than any other subspecies. We’ll explain the differences between these two subspecies throughout this care guide. There are some differences in the characteristics and husbandry requirements of the two subspecies. Of the five subspecies of rainbow boa, the Colombian rainbow boa and the Brazilian rainbow boa ( Epicrates cenchria cenchria) are the most commonly available to reptile collectors.Ĭolombian rainbow boas are more difficult to obtain than Brazilians. Maintaining the Colombian Rainbow Boa Enclosure.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |