Sand boa. California pink boa (Lychanura trivirgata saslowi)

GENUS NORTH AMERICAN PINK BOAS GENUS LICHANURA COPE, 1861

Two species of this genus inhabit southern California, Arizona, Baja California and Sonora.

The size of mature animals ranges from 60 to 110 cm. The color is grayish-blue, brown or pinkish-red. Three black and brown stripes run along the body. The three forms of boa constrictors classified in this genus are very close, and differ from each other only in some nuances of color and signs of scaly cover. Some experts consider them as three subspecies of one species, others - as two species.

In October - November, the female gives birth to 6-10 live cubs about 31 cm long. Pregnancy lasts approximately 130 days. They inhabit desert areas, rocky highlands, dry canyons and badlands. They rise into the mountains up to 1200 m above sea level. u. m.

They are protected in Mexico and the United States, in some areas they live in areas declared national natural monuments and national parks. In the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, pink boas live in the territories of the Organ Pipe Cactes, Pinnacles, Saguaro, Chihuahua and other national natural monuments, where all landscapes as a whole with relict vegetation and unique fauna are preserved, and in Cumbres de Mayalca State of Chihuahua, in Mexico, where the original landscape and formation of pine and oak forests are preserved.

Included in Annex II of the Convention on International Trade.

California rose boa Lichanura roseofusca Soret, 1868

The species forms two subspecies: L.r. roseofusca Sore, inhabiting southern California. (USA) and northern Baja California (Mexico) and L.r. gracia Klauber, 1931, from the Kern Valley and vicinity of San Bernardino, California, the vicinity of Maricopa and Yuma in Arizona, and in the border areas of Mexico.

Three-legged rose boa Lichanura trivirgata Soret, 1861

For appearance, see the genus description.

About the California boa constrictor

Its homeland is the southwestern United States, northwestern Mexico. Because of their calm nature and small size, pink boas are one of the most popular terrarium animals in the United States.

Typically, California boas do not conflict with humans and rarely bite.

If California boas refuse to eat and shed poorly, the reason for this is insufficient humidity. They need low humidity or they will have breathing problems. They require bathing and spraying.

In captivity, snakes sometimes refuse food for months. However, if they eat well, they shed well and their skin comes off completely.

These boas eat while keeping young mice and gerbils.

Black variety of pink boa

Coconut fiber can be used for bedding; it wets well and remains moist for a long time.

The average size of the animal is 80 cm, but larger individuals are also found.

If you live in an area with high humidity (60%), you should provide good ventilation in the terrarium to reduce the humidity.

Boas eat mice at night.

11

Another name for the reptile is the pink boa constrictor. The body of the animal is decorated with longitudinal stripes of brown, cream, black and reddish colors.

13

14

15

California boas breed easily in captivity. The female gives birth to 3-14 cubs (average 6.5) 18-36 cm long. Young boas become independent immediately after birth. The female does not take part in their future fate. The first molt occurs on days 7-10. During the first year of life, young boa constrictors double in size.

If the boa constrictor has not eaten live food (a mouse) within an hour, it should be removed so that it does not injure the snake.

Boas are bathed in a deep basin with warm water, which is filled to 5 cm. Bathing lasts 10 minutes.

If the humidity is insufficient, it is recommended to put wet sphagnum moss closed in a plastic box and cut a hole in it for the boa constrictor to crawl into.

For the California boa constrictor, a plastic or glass terrarium with a volume of at least 60 liters, with a thick layer of soil, is suitable, since pink boa constrictors love to dig holes. The thickness of the substrate should be 5-11 cm. Hobbyists use white paper as a substrate. The base is wood shavings of cypress and aspen.

When threatened, a boa constrictor may, for the purpose of self-defense, release a substance with a pungent odor.

In captivity it can live 18-30 years.

Madagascar and African boas 198

Group Acrantophis 198

Sanzinia madagascariensis 202

Casarea dussumieri(Mascarene boa) 205

Group Eryx 206

Central and South American boas 211

Group Boa constrictor 211

Group Cor alius 217

Group Epicrates cenchria 224

Island Epicrates 229

Group Tropidophis 234

Group Eunectes 235

Ungaliophis 237

Trachyboa 238

Exilboa 238

Pacific boas 240

Group Candoia 240

North American boas 245

Group Yskapiga 245

Scappa boliae 247

Chapter 9. Herpetology in the future 252

Thanks 260

Literature cited 263

Glossary 270

Application. Medication dosages 271

Index of Latin names 272

The main goal in translating this book was to convey as accurately as possible the information from the English original into Russian. This goal was successfully achieved despite a number of problems, the most important of which are probably worth mentioning.

Taxonomy. The authors of the book often use English names of animals, without giving Latin names next to them. In such cases, the translator tried to replace the English name with the corresponding Russian one, which was taken from the only official dictionary of Russian names of reptiles: "Five-language dictionary of animal names: Amphibians and reptiles; Generally edited by V.E. Sokolov; "Russian language"; Moscow, 1988. Since there are significantly fewer Russian names of tropical reptiles than English ones, many equivalents, especially for subspecies, are simply not available, and in such cases the English name was replaced by the Latin one in translation. R. Ross and J. Marzek provide a list of most Latin and English species and subspecies names at the beginning of their book. This list has been translated into Russian as far as possible, and the names of animals for which no Russian correspondence has been found are given only as Latin names. For the name of the entire group of snakes discussed in the book and which constantly appears in the English text as “Bo1c18”, the only official Russian name for the family was also chosen - “pseudopods”, although in the jargon of terrariumists these animals are usually and in Russian they are called “bonds”.

Terminology. Due to the lack of equivalents in Russian zoological and biological terminology, some English terms were forced by the translator to literally translate or transliterate. Sometimes there were discrepancies or incomplete matches of the meanings of the same terms in both languages. Thus, for example, the term “fertile” in Russian biological literature is usually used only in relation to females, whereas in English this word is often used when talking about both sexes. In general, the translation conveyed the author's terminology.

Units. In the original book, all temperatures were indicated by the authors in degrees Fahrenheit (E) and were converted into degrees Celsius (°C) during translation. Since the recalculation resulted in a fractional result, the original Fahrenheit value was left in the text, and the rounded result of the recalculation was written next to it in parentheses. This allows you to recalculate this data again if necessary if a more accurate figure is needed. The formula for recalculation is as follows: C = 5/9(P-32). The same was done for other American measures: length and mass.

This translation has nine chapters, not ten, as in the original. This is due to the fact that the translator did not have the small first chapter of the original at his disposal, so the numbering in the translation began from the second chapter of the original, which became the first in the translation. For this reason, and also because of differences in grammar, vocabulary and sentence length in English and Russian, the arrangement of text on the pages in the translation differs from the original, that is, the page numbering does not match.

A.A.Tyutenko

Preface

The Python Breeding Handbook, published in 1978, was the first attempt to compile data on python breeding from a variety of sources, including private individuals, zoological institutions and field observations. At this time, captive breeding of reptiles was unusual, and records of their breeding were rarely kept. Most captive breedings took place in private collections, much more often than in zoos, and private terrarium keepers often jealously kept their techniques secret.

Since 1978, reproductive herpetoculture has become the main goal. Zoological institutions and private herpetologists use sophisticated technologies and complex equipment in their quest to achieve artificial propagation. Techniques such as artificial insemination, laboratory and ultrasound diagnostics, and cesarean section, which were once the exclusive prerogative of other areas of veterinary medicine and medicine, have now become common practice in herpetoculture. Some zoos use computerized climate chambers to simulate the seasonal cycles of temperature and daylight that occur in nature.

Three important factors primarily stimulated progress in the field of herpetoculture. First, the herpetological community began to realize that many species of reptiles that had once been common were becoming less and less common, while others were in danger of extinction. These changes have occurred in part because of the phenomenal and catastrophic extent of ongoing habitat destruction worldwide. The destruction of rain forests, for example, has become widely known. The current rate of decrease in forest cover is estimated at 6,000 (about 2.5 thousand hectares) acres per hour. If this trend is allowed to continue, all remaining rain forests on Earth, along with their unique, diverse herpetofauna, will be destroyed within the next 50 years. Biologists believe that hundreds of species of plants and animals disappear from the face of the Earth every year as a result of habitat destruction.

Secondly, the increasing popularity of herpetology as a hobby supported the continued demand for exotic reptiles. Restrictive environmental legislation has reduced the import of many reptile species, thereby increasing the need for artificial breeding. Thus, in many cases, the hobbyist terrariumist has evolved from someone who kept a few reptiles in homemade cages into a highly skilled specialist using the latest advances in veterinary medicine and the natural sciences.

Thirdly, the organization of herpetological symposia, focused exclusively on captive husbandry and breeding, provided the opportunity for a wide exchange of information and ideas, as well as meetings of herpetologists from all corners of the globe. In the past, such meetings were only possible for scientists and herpetologists whose interests were primarily in the field of taxa.

nomy, field observations, laboratory research. The emergence of such symposia, specifically dedicated to the keeping and breeding of reptiles, allowed the knowledge that had been accumulated by individuals and professionals in zoos to be disseminated. Even more important, these meetings made it possible for herpetologists to communicate on an informal level, generating collaboration that had previously been unusual.

The combined effect of these forces has resulted in an extremely rapid expansion of artificial reptile breeding over the past ten years. Captive breeding has become common for many species. Some zoos produce so many young animals each year that species that were previously financially quite expensive are now offered as surplus. Some species of reptiles still hold many mysteries and are surrounded by an aura of mystery. There are species of pseudopods that are rare in nature and, at the same time, difficult to reproduce in captivity. Such species represent the greatest challenge and, at the same time, captivate herpetologists. Perhaps the greatest achievement in animal culture is the success in breeding a species that has never before been bred in captivity.

Much work remains to be done in the field of keeping and breeding reptiles. Over the coming years, we will continue to uncover the secrets of these enigmatic species.

It is necessary to note the process that served to bring together the vast amount of information that went into this book. Because of the sporadic and often irregular breeding of reptiles in captivity, many reports from herpetologists state that breeding occurs “if” or “only if” one or another husbandry practice is used. If there are many such reports, the information may often be contradictory. For example, one herpetologist may write that a given species reproduces due to a well-planned photoperiod, while another reports that the same species reproduces without any photoperiodicity.

The authors critically analyzed all the incoming data and tried to determine which of the techniques play a causal role in the reproduction of pseudopods, and which are most likely just side observations. Every time maintenance techniques turned out to be related to breeding, they were included in the text of this book - only unrelated practices were omitted. Dogma was avoided whenever possible. Expressions such as “seems necessary” or “appears important” are often used, as are words like “in general” or “usually”. This phraseology is used to present available information while indicating that a direct relationship between cause and effect has not been established.

Taxonomy

The authors have attempted to provide useful reference material, but have made no attempt to establish taxonomic standards. Subfamily taxonomy Votae is currently in a state of change. Recommendations and revisions have recently appeared for Australian pythons, Pacific boas, Indian pythons, North American rose boas, and other false-boa genera.

legs In this regard, the authors decided to maintain the already widely accepted taxonomy rather than attempt to resolve contemporary taxonomic controversies. In Section II, taxonomic names are used for primary identification and are accompanied by an English name.

More rarely used English (in translation - Russian - approx.) names are indicated in brackets.

Anatomical terminology

The anatomy of the reproductive organ system of pseudopods has not been fully studied. Therefore, the terms uterus, ovary, oviduct and placenta are used in accordance with normal usage in relation to mammals. Placentation, or placental development, is known in viviparous snakes (Steward 1988). Placentation does not occur in ovoviviparous snakes. A diagram of the anatomy of the genital organs of female snakes is on page 58. Snakes, because they lack a diaphragm, do not have an abdominal cavity (abdomen). Instead, the body cavity is aptly called the coeloma. For the sake of simplicity, the snake's body cavity will be referred to below as the abdominal cavity.

Photos

All photographs, except where specifically noted, were taken by the primary author (PAP). Although the authors intended to include only high-quality photographs here, some unique photographs have been included that may not meet this standard. This was done due to the importance of their content. In addition to photographs of pseudopods and techniques for working with them, the book included photographs of natural habitats. The latter give an idea of ​​the diversity of biotopes in different parts of the world inhabited by boas and pythons.

List of Latin and Russian names

A list of all subspecies of pythons and boas is provided for your reference. Many of these taxa are rare and rarely imported. Some are known from a small number of museum exhibits. For many taxa there are no Russian names, and the names currently used may not be generally accepted or not sufficiently substantiated. For example, names such as "tree boa" or "ground boa" may not reflect the actual lifestyle of the snake they are used to refer to. Names derived from geographical names, although not necessarily commonly used, can carry more information than popular folk names.

Aspidites melanocephalus Aspidites ramsayi Calabaria reinhardtii Chond ropythonviridisLiasis albertisii Liasis boa Liasis boeleni Liasis childreni

Liasis fuscus

Liasis mackloti mackloti

Liasis mackloti savuensis

Liasis olivaceus barroni

Liasis olivaceus olivaceus

Liasis papuanus

Liasis pertensis

Loxocemus bicolor

Morelia amethystina amethystina

Morelia amethystina kinghorni

Morelia carinata

Morelia oenpelliensis

Morelia spilota bredli

Morelia spilota imbricata

Morelia spilota macropsila

Morelia spilota spilota

Morelia spilota variegata

Python anchietae

Python curtus breitensteini

Python curtus brongersma

Python curtus curtus

black-headed python Australian Ramsey's python calabaria

green [tree] python white-lipped python* ringed python*

spotted ringed python, Children's ringed python* dark python* Timor water python

olive python

bicolor snake amethyst python

keeled diamondback python south australian water python

diamondback python, carpet snake dwarf [Angolan] python

short-tailed python

Python molurus bivittatus Python molurus molurus Python molurus pimbura Python regius Python reticulatus Python scbae natalensis Python sebae sebae Python timoriensis

tiger python

royal ball python reticulated python

hieroglyphic python timor python

Boa constrictors

Acrantophis dumerili Acrantophis madagascariesis Boa constrictor amarali Boa constrictor constrictor Boa constrictor imperator Boa constrictor nebulosus Boa constrictor occidentalis Boa constrictor orophias Boa constrictor ortonii Boa constrictor sabogae Candoia aspera Candoia bibroni australis Candoia bibroni bibroni Candoia carinata carinata

Candoia carinata paulsoni Casarea dussumieri Charina bottae bottae Charina bottae umbratica Charina bottae utahensis Corallus annulatus annulatus Corallus annulatus blombergi Corallus annulatus colombianus Corallus caninus

Corallus enydris cooki Corallus enydris enydris Epicrates angulifer Epicrates cenchria alvarezi Epicrates cenchria assisi Epicrates cenchria barbouri Epicrates cenchria cenchria Epicrates cenchria crassus

Madagascar boa constrictor Dumeril Madagascar boa constrictor

common boa constrictor imperial boa constrictor

pacific boa constrictor

Pacific boa constrictor Bibrona keeled scaled Pacific boa constrictor

Schlegel's Mascarene boa* rubber snake

ringed [Costa Rican] boa

green tree boa, (narrow-bellied) dog-headed boa

garden boa

Cuban (smooth-lipped) boa constrictor

rainbow boa, aboma

"Together with family Bo1uepa, sometimes classified as a separate family Vo1ue^ae, Mascarene boas - approx. lane

Epicrates cenchria gaigei

Epicrates cenchria hygrophilus

Epicrates cenchria maurus

Epicrates cenchria polylepis

Epicrates cenchria xerophilus

Epicrates chrysogaster chrysogaster

Epicrates chrysogaster relicquus

Epicrates chrysogaster schwartzi

Epicrates exsul

Epicrates fordii agametus

Epicrates fordii fordii

Epicrates gracilis gracilis

Epicrates gracilis hapalus

Epicrates inornatus

Epicrates monensis granti

Epicrates monensis monensis

Epicrates striatus ailurus

Epicrates striatus axagistus

Epicrates striatus fosteri

Epicrates striatus fowleri

Epicrates striatus mccraniei

Epicrates striatus striatus

Epicrates striatus strigulatus

Epicrates striatus warreni

Epicrates subflavus

Eryx colubrinus colubrinus

Eryx colubrinus loveridgei

Eryx conicus brevis

Eryx conicus conicus

Eryx elegans

Eryx jaculus familiarus

Eryx jaculus jaculus

Eryx jaculus turcicus

Eryx jayacari

Eryx johnii johnii

Eryx johnii persicus

Eryxmiliaris

Eryx muelleri muelleri

Eryx muelleri subniger

Eryx nogamrum

Eryx somalicus

Eryx tataricus speciosus

Eryx tataricus tataricus

Eryx tataricus vittatus

Eunectes barbouri

Eunectes deschauenseei

golden-bellied boa constrictor

Bahamian smooth-lipped boa constrictor

Dominican smooth-lipped boa constrictor Hispaniola [graceful] boa constrictor

Puerto Rican smooth-lipped boa

Mona Island Boa Constrictor

slender [Haitian] boa constrictor

black and yellow smooth-lipped Kenyan boa constrictor

spotted boa slender boa

western boa

Arabian sand boa Indian boa

sand boa Nubian sand boa

Somali boa

eastern boa

Barbour's anaconda Deschauensey's anaconda

EipesBevtigіpiv dіdavEipesBeeTypes of Types of Eipesiev

EXHIBITION

A list of all the toughest players in the worldIskapiga bggchgdabaMore information

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(common) anaconda southern (Paraguayan, yellow) anaconda

Mexican dwarf boa constrictor

California [pink] boa constrictor

three striped pink boa constrictor

arboreal [dog-headed]

madagascar boa constrictor

[knobby] Boulanger boa constrictor

dwarf [knobby] boa constrictor

Tropidophis Battersby

gray-haired tropidophis, gray-haired ground boa

caiman ground boa tropidophis schwartz caicos ground boa caribbean ground boa

spotted ground boa

Cuban ground boa

black-bellied ground boa leopard ground boa slightly scaly ground boa

eastern Cuban tropidophis

Tachanovsky's ground boa tropidophis [ground boa] Wright's continental dwarf boa Panamanian dwarf boa Hoge's boa

Description
Length 43-112 cm (average 76 cm), weight 300 - 600 g. Body thick; the tail is short, thick, tapering towards the end, slightly grasping, with a blunt tip. The head is narrow, slightly wider than the neck. The dorsal scales are small. The eyes are small, the pupil is vertical. The ventral scutes are 216-245, the paired subcaudal scutes are 38-52, the anal scute is not divided. There are no guards on the chin. The upper jaw has 14-20 (average 17) curved teeth. Males are smaller in size than females, and their anal spurs are more noticeable. The basic pattern is three broad dark stripes (black, brown to reddish-brown) running along the body on a lighter background (gray, bluish-brown, brown to yellow, cream or white). The stripes may be clearly defined or have blurred edges. There are single-colored individuals without stripes. The chin and throat are creamy to grayish-white.
Habitat: arid, scrubland, deserts and semi-deserts, rocky deserts and caves, desert oases, canyons, chaparral. They are found at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level. They prefer southern slopes and places near water sources. California boas mainly eat small mammals - rodents, birds, bats, lagomorphs, as well as reptiles (lizards and snakes) and amphibians.
Hunts from an ambush, making an accurate, swift throw towards the prey. Having grabbed the prey with its teeth, the snake wraps its body around it and strangles it. When the prey dies, the boa constrictor opens its coils and swallows the victim's body whole (head first). Boas can squeeze up to two animals at a time.
The pink boa leads a secretive lifestyle. In the hot summer months they are active at night and twilight, in winter - during the day. Overwinters (about 3 months) in caves or burrows.
It moves very slowly, moving straight like a caterpillar. Rarely climbs trees and bushes.
When attacked by a predator, the boa constrictor curls up into a ball, hides its head and releases a pungent-smelling substance from the anal glands.

Content
Terrarium - plastic or glass, with a volume of 60 liters or more, with a strong lid, the bottom area is more important than the height.
Temperature - 23-28ºC. Night temperatures should be slightly lower. Boas spend most of their time in burrows, where the temperature is more constant. Provide heating for the terrarium using a flat heating pad placed under the terrarium. For night heating, you can use a light bulb (but not white) designed for reptiles - red or blue.
Humidity is low. If you live in an area with high humidity (over 60%), you should ensure your terrarium has good ventilation to reduce humidity. In such a climate, a substrate of aspen shavings or mulch (the top layer covering the soil) is not suitable, since it absorbs moisture well from the air and becomes very humid, which can adversely affect the health of the boa constrictor (fungal or bacterial skin diseases).
Substrate - wood shavings (not sawdust!) of cypress and aspen. Pink boas dig holes, so the thickness of the substrate should be 5-11 cm. Some hobbyists use white paper as a substrate.
Design - several shelters, for example, caves (on the warm and cold sides of the terrarium), lying logs, large (stable) stones.
Lighting - full UV spectrum lamps are not required because... For the most part, California boas are nocturnal reptiles.
Water - water is poured into a shallow saucer. Remember that water evaporates faster from wide dishes than from shallow and deep ones.
Neighbors - you can keep several boa constrictors (2-3) in one terrarium. But in this case, each snake must be fed separately.
Shedding - Young snakes shed more often than adults.
Life expectancy in captivity is up to 30 years.

Feeding
Feeding - in the evening. Young boas are fed 1-2 times a week. Adults once every 7-10 days.
Pink boas have small mouths, so young snakes are fed small mice, and as the snakes grow, they begin to feed adult mice. Be sure to take into account that pink boas feed at night.

Reproduction
Female California boa constrictors are viviparous and have offspring once every two years. Territorial behavior and competition for females were not observed in males.
During courtship, the male flicks his tongue on the female's body, and the female on the male's body. The male slowly crawls over her, stroking her anal veneers. When the female is ready to mate, she turns over and raises her tail, allowing the male to insert the sexual organ into her cloaca for fertilization. The breeding season is from May to July. Puberty: males at a length of 43-58 cm, females at a length of 60 cm. On average, at 2-3 years of age. Incubation occurs in the female's body and lasts 103-143 days. The female gives birth to 3-14 cubs (average 6.5) 18-36 cm long. Young boas become independent immediately after birth. The female does not take part in their future fate. The first molt occurs on days 7-10. During the first year of life, young boa constrictors double in size.

Please check with our store managers for exact sizes!

Lichanura trivirgata

10,000-16,000 rub.

(Lichanura trivirgata)

Class - reptiles
Order - scaly

Family - pseudopods

Genus: Californian boa constrictors

Appearance

Length 43-112 cm (average 76 cm), weight 300 - 600 g. Body thick; the tail is short, thick, tapering towards the end, slightly grasping, with a blunt tip. The head is narrow, slightly wider than the neck. The dorsal scales are small. The eyes are small, the pupil is vertical. The ventral scutes are 216-245, the paired subcaudal scutes are 38-52, the anal scute is not divided. There are no guards on the chin. The upper jaw has 14-20 (average 17) curved teeth. Males are smaller in size than females, and their anal spurs are more noticeable. The basic pattern is three broad dark stripes (black, brown to reddish-brown) running along the body on a lighter background (gray, bluish-brown, brown to yellow, cream or white). The stripes may be clearly defined or have blurred edges. There are single-colored individuals without stripes. The chin and throat are creamy to grayish-white.

Currently there are subspecies:
- desert pink boa (L. t. gracia) - with distinct pink, orange or brown longitudinal stripes.
- coastal pink boa (L. t. roseofusca) - with spotted red-brown longitudinal stripes.
- Mexican pink boa (L. t. trivirgata)- The background of the body is light with clear pink or orange-brown stripes.

Habitat

Southwest USA, northwestern Mexico.

In nature

Habitat: arid, scrubland, deserts and semi-deserts, rocky deserts and caves, desert oases, canyons, chaparral. They are found at altitudes up to 2000 m above sea level. They prefer southern slopes and places near water sources. California boas mainly eat small mammals - rodents, birds, bats, lagomorphs, as well as reptiles (lizards and snakes) and amphibians.
Hunts from an ambush, making an accurate, swift throw towards the prey. Having grabbed the prey with its teeth, the snake wraps its body around it and strangles it. When the prey dies, the boa constrictor opens its coils and swallows the victim's body whole (head first). Boas can squeeze up to two animals at a time.
The pink boa leads a secretive lifestyle. In the hot summer months they are active at night and twilight, in winter - during the day. Overwinters (about 3 months) in caves or burrows.
It moves very slowly, moving straight like a caterpillar. Rarely climbs trees and bushes.
When attacked by a predator, the boa constrictor curls up into a ball, hides its head and releases a pungent-smelling substance from the anal glands.

Reproduction

Female California boa constrictors are viviparous and have offspring once every two years. Territorial behavior and competition for females were not observed in males.
During courtship, the male flicks his tongue on the female's body, and the female on the male's body. The male slowly crawls over her, stroking her anal veneers. When the female is ready to mate, she turns over and raises her tail, allowing the male to insert the sexual organ into her cloaca for fertilization. The breeding season is from May to July. Puberty: males at a length of 43-58 cm, females at a length of 60 cm. On average, at 2-3 years of age. Incubation occurs in the female's body and lasts 103-143 days. The female gives birth to 3-14 cubs (average 6.5) 18-36 cm long. Young boas become independent immediately after birth. The female does not take part in their future fate. The first molt occurs on days 7-10. During the first year of life, young boa constrictors double in size.

Plastic or glass, with a volume of 60 liters or more, with a strong lid, the bottom area is more important than the height.

Temperature - 23-28ºC. Night temperatures should be slightly lower. Boas spend most of their time in burrows, where the temperature is more constant. Provide with a flat heating pad placed under the terrarium. For night heating, you can use a light bulb (but not white) designed for reptiles - red or blue.

Humidity is low. If you live in an area with high humidity (over 60%), you should ensure your terrarium has good ventilation to reduce humidity. In such a climate, a substrate of aspen shavings or mulch (the top layer covering the soil) is not suitable, since it absorbs moisture well from the air and becomes very humid, which can adversely affect the health of the boa constrictor (fungal or bacterial skin diseases).

Substrate - wood shavings (not sawdust!) of cypress and aspen. Pink boas dig holes, so the thickness of the substrate should be 5-11 cm. Some hobbyists use white paper as a substrate.

Design - several shelters, for example, caves (on the warm and cold sides of the terrarium), lying logs, large (stable) stones.

Lighting - full UV spectrum lamps are not required because... For the most part, California boas are nocturnal reptiles.

Feeding - in the evening. Young boas are fed 1-2 times a week. Adults once every 7-10 days.
Pink boas have small mouths, so young snakes are fed to small mice, and as the snakes grow, they begin to feed adult mice. Be sure to take into account that pink boas feed at night.

Water - water is poured into a shallow saucer. Remember that water evaporates faster from wide dishes than from shallow and deep ones.

Neighbors - you can keep several boa constrictors (2-3) in one terrarium. But in this case, each snake must be fed separately.

Shedding - Young snakes shed more often than adults.

Life expectancy in captivity is up to 30 years.