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| Name: |
Mr. Snake
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Age: |
Three years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Red Tailed Boa
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| Home: |
Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA
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Mr.
Snake is a three year old Red Tailed Boa. He lives in Virginia
Beach, Virginia. Mr. Snake likes to teach children why snakes aren't
scary, or slimy like many people think. He sleeps a lot on a nice
warm rock, and eats only every other week or so. About every three
months he sheds his skin. After he sheds, his skin is very shiny and
beautiful; a rainbow can even be seen on it.
Mr. Snake is a Common Red-Tailed Boa. At three years old, he is about
four feet long. Often times, people who buy them will gorge them with
food to make them grow fast. In the wild, a snake will eat whatever
happens his way, which isn't usually twelve guinea pigs :-) We feed
Mr. Snake a medium rat once or twice a month. When he becomes active
after his last meal is when I provide a new meal.
Snakes will not eat as much in the wild, as they are fed in
captivity. They have a dormant period each year in which they will
sleep for three to six months at a time. There for, feeding light
during the winter months is appropriate. Mr. Snake is quiet, and
prefers to sleep the day away. Snakes prefer not to be bothered too
much; it is stressful, so we don't hold him too often. However, when
we do hold him, he is calm, and usually active. He constantly is
moving, and trying to go somewhere.
I do usually bring him out for kids to see, because I believe in
educating children about things they're usually afraid of. I try to
show them that he isn't slimy at all, and that there's really nothing
to be afraid of (with him). He is a beautiful color, and is awesome
to look at after freshly shed. His colors are light, as he is
supposedly a "Colombian" Boa (fairer than the common red
tailed). His gray and peach coloration was the main reason I chose to
bring him home. (He was also a baby, and babies are sooo cute, you
know.)
I am not sure how long boas or snakes live, although I believe them
to be long-lived. Adult common boas have grown as long as fourteen
feet in captivity. They do not grow as long as the Burmese Python,
though. The Burmese is neck and neck with the Anaconda in length. It
is not known for sure, which snake can grow the longest, because
examples of both have been found at lengths of 30 feet and longer.
Common boas make wonderful "pets" that are easy to take
care of, and as long as they aren't fed too much, too often, will
stay a reasonable length for a long time.
Mr. Snake has a few things to say about snakes and reptiles on his
web page. He
explains to children why snakes are so cool, and how snakes have been
on this earth since before the dinosaurs.
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