Breeding boa constrictors (Boa constrictor imperator) can add great excitement to keeping these reptiles. While they’re live-bearing animals and considered more challenging to breed than many other snakes, following these tips will help you produce healthy baby boas.
Boa constrictors can breed when younger, but it’s best to wait until they’re about 3 years old. Standard-sized female imperators should weigh at least 8 pounds before breeding attempts. Males reach sexual maturity at 18 months, but waiting until they’re at least 4 feet long is recommended. A seasonal temperature shift is crucial for breeding induction. Maintain ambient temperatures between 82-85°F from June to October, then lower to 75-82°F in October. Feed boas one prey item weekly before temperature reduction, as males typically stop feeding after temperature changes. After temperature reduction, offer smaller prey items weekly and maintain fresh water constantly. From late October through March, introduce males to females in breeding cages with one-quarter maintained at constant 88°F. This temperature range helps females develop proper egg follicles, aids digestion, and prevents respiratory infections. Males expend significant energy courting and breeding females. For optimal success, breed one male with the same female throughout the season, separating them for few days weekly for feeding and rest. Never feed snakes when together in breeding enclosures. Gradually raise temperatures in home enclosures from March through May, typically finishing male introductions by April. Females may ovulate and become gravid during breeding season, usually within four months after male introductions cease. Photo credits: Jeremy and Jackson Stone, including images of a male Motley Het Sharp breeding with larger Sunglow Sharp Albino female, gravid female boa, and live baby boas born in membranes. The authors previously featured in REPTILES magazine’s January 2007 issue.Photo credit: Jeremy and Jackson Stone
A freshly born baby boa. Boas produce babies only once a year. The average litter is about 16 babies, though some larger boas have produced litters of more than 50. Female boa constrictors average three to five litters over their captive life span. We separate the babies from the female and place them all together in a 32-quart tub. Fresh water is available, and the tub is kept humid. The baby boas usually ball up together in the tub. Within 10 days they begin to shed and at this time we separate them into individual plastic containers measuring 4 inches wide by 11 inches long by 3 inches tall. The babies’ enclosures contain aspen bedding and fresh water, and the baby boas will often burrow into the aspen to feel secure. We wait until the babies are 2 weeks old before offering them one small mouse once a week for the first few months of their lives. We’ve noticed they seem to do better on mice than rats.