Meet Our Animals

Boa Constrictor – Red-Tailed Boa

Boa constrictor sp.

Names and Personal History:
Balboa: We adopted him in 2002 from a former SF University High School student who raised him for over 12 years before leaving home for college. He had purchased Balboa at Balboa Park in San Diego. Date of birth approximately 1990.
We have two Boas.

Native Habitat:
Boa constrictor constrictor is from Brazil, with a few coming from very limited areas in Columbia, the Amazon, Guyana, and Surinam. Most are actually Boa constrictor imperator from Columbia, with a few coming in from Mexico, Hogg Island and countries throughout Central America.

Environment:
Ranging from the high cloud forests to the dry lowlands, these beautifully marked snakes are only moderately arboreal. Frequently found near human habitation (due to the quantity of rodents found near human habitats), Red-Tailed Boas are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk).

Physical Characteristics:
Red-tailed boas are very large snakes, growing to 8 to 10 feet in length! They are usually light brown or tan with dark brown blotches and rings along their back. Some, but not all, have red tails. There is great variation in the many subspecies of Boa constrictor.

Diet:
Boas devour a variety of prey in the wild - amphibians, lizards, other snakes, birds and mammals. In captivity, they should be fed pre-killed mice, rats and, when adults, rabbits and chickens.