Red Tailed Boa

Boa constrictor constrictor

The Red Tailed Boa is from from Brazil,  Columbia, the Amazon, Guyana, and Surinam. They are a non venomous snake in the boidae family.

They are solitary, nocturnal and like all snakes cold blooded. The Red Tailed Boa can climb trees or hide among the vegetation on the ground. 

In the wild they live near water and will grab their prey when it comes to drink.  They will wrap around the prey squeezing tighter and tighter constricting it until it can no longer breathe and then they will swallow it whole, eating it head first.
 

A baby boa will increase it's size by 300% the first year. These snakes grow up to 13 feet or more and can weigh 60 pounds.  They eat mice when they are young but will need something the size of a rabbit a couple of times a month once they are grown.

The Red Tailed Boa can live up to 30 years. 

The female does not lay eggs but is ovoviviparous, giving birth to anywhere from 10 to 80 live babies! 

Red Tailed Boas at Camp 

At Cub Creek Science Camp we have two large boas, a male named Zephyr and a female named Charmin.  We have raised over 50 baby boas from these parents.  The campers during summer camp can adopt these snakes for a week and handle them with the help of a staff.  They are very heavy but quite docile.