Overview

    Rosy Boa’s are a very low maintenance and, high reward snake. They are also very responsive so if your looking for a positive engagement snake then; the rosy boa might be one of the best choices for you.

   A rosy boas average cost can be around $50, but the prices vary on morphs and sub species

   You also need to that the cost of a snake is NOT the cost of ownership.

Here are a couple pros and cons to owning a Rosy

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* Small Size (Between 17-36 inches in length on average)

* They are a ground dwelling snake meaning they like to burrow and, don’t require a tall enclosure.

* They don’t have much of a temperament and are mostly quite calm; making them easy to handle.

* They are quite affordable (prices will vary based on sub species and morphs but in this guide I’ll be focusing on the normal morph)

* Rosy Boa’s are also very beautiful snakes.

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* rosy Boa’s tend to live for 20-30 years in captivity and, can exceed that time if they are cared for properly.

* Before you ever buy an animal with such a long life span be sure you are ready for a long commitment to the animal.

* Rosy Boa’s do tend to be quite nippy since they have a very fast feeding response, meaning they can mistake your finger for a meal. (this doesn’t just go for rosy Boa’s, any animal can make a mistake like that)

Region and Natural habitat

  The rosy boa tends to be native to the American Southwest, being California and Arizona. They live in a naturally hot desert environment, so it is ideal to meet their heating requirements.

Size and Appearance

   Rosy boa’s are commonly known for the stripes along their back, they usually appear in a grey, brown, or auburn color with stripes going along their body.

The average size of a Rosy is usually between 17 and 36 inches. The rosy boa is not a particularly large snake, they tend to work well with beginner reptile owners.

Diet and Feeding

  Rosy Boa’s when young should eat pinky or fuzzy mice due to them being ideal for their size, once they reach adulthood adult mice or fuzzy rats will be the ideal. (Of course all snakes can go differently, I just happen to be using the average known sizes.)

  The food should be the same size as the biggest/widest part of their body.

  Frozen thawed is the best for feeding since live does intend to fight back, and will harm your snake.

Housing and Enclosure

  Before fully setting up your enclosure, you should always begin with a 6 week quarantine period using paper towel as the substrate. This is so you know if your animal is healthy and, to make sure it has no medical issues.

   Setting up a rosy Boa’s enclosure will take a bit of time and money but it really is all worth it in the end.

    When purchasing an enclosure it is important to note the interior size within the enclosure, your rosy should be able to stretch out its body.

   As a general rule, the length of the tank should be doubled by the length of the snake, and since rosy’s tend to grow between 17-36 inches you should make sure you know the correct size enclosure before making a final purchase.

  Rosy’s can be kept in Glass enclosures, plastic tubs, wooden/homemade enclosures as long as it is not harmful to the snake.

Enclosure Setup

  When it comes to the setup of an enclosure, there should be a warm and cold side, each one having its own individual hide for your Rosy.

  A humid hide is also important, you can use anything like a rock or plastic hide for this; you can just line it with a substrate that can contain moisture such as cyprus mulch, or coconut husk. When choosing a substrate, I highly recommend aspen as it doesn’t hold too much humidity, it also holds tunnels well; this is ideal for your Rosy.

  Your enclosure should also include a shallow drinking bowl that is decently big enough for your snake to soak in when they need too, and make sure that it’s heavy enough so it does not get tipped over.

   You should place the water bowl on the cool side of the enclosure, this helps maintain the humidity.

  Rosy boa’s prefer to be housed alone, please do not try housing your animal with any other snakes.

Humidity

  Inside the enclosure the humidity should stay within 20-40 on average.

   With the use of a hygrometer you can accurately measure the humidity levels in real time. Digital should be used, as it is more accurate than any analog humidity gauge.

Heating and Lighting

   Heat is very critical to a Rosy and all snakes, you can monitor this with a digital thermometer inside the enclosure.

  The best way to provide heat is through a heat pad that is attached to a thermostat under 1/3 of the enclosure.

  The hottest area should be around 90-95 degrees, with the cooler end getting no lower than 70.

  Heating pads should be turned off at night, this helps resemble the cooler night time temperatures in the desert. If it happens to get too cold, you can use a Che (ceramic heat emitter) attached to a thermostat as well.

Shedding

  The shedding rate of a Rosy depends on a few main factors being,

- Age

- Feeding

- Humidity

- Housing

   During the first few months of a Rosy’s life, they may shed once per week, as they age that gap will increase to one shed every 30 to 60 days.

  Adult Rosy Boa’s over the age of 4 will shed only once, every three to six months on average.

  If your rosy is well fed and, the housing is correct then they will most likely shed within those time frames I have listed above. Always make sure you keep track of these things, I suggest a feeding calendar to track your snakes eating.

  If there are any other questions you may have then don’t hesitate to message me and I’ll be glad to answer any questions. :)