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Brazilian rainbow boas are a personal favourite snake species of mine with their beautiful iridescent ‘rainbow’ shine. Although they are not very difficult to keep I definitely wouldn’t recommend them for beginners due to their humidity requirements and large size. There are 9 recognised sub-species of rainbow boa and the care is very similar for all of them; however I am going to focus this care sheet on the most commonly kept Brazilian rainbow boa - Epicrates cenchria cenchria

HOUSING

Brazilian rainbow boas (often referred to as BRBs for short) can reach 7 feet as adults, although males tend to be a little smaller than this. They are quite slender for boas and are not considered to require more than one person to handle them safely. They do however need a large vivarium to live in. A floor space of 8 square feet is ideal, and if height is provided they will make use of this as they are semi-arboreal. A floor space of about 2 square feet is more appropriate for babies, and plastic RUB style (Really Useful Box) housing is ideal and affordable in this case. As with most snakes, rainbow boas are strong and can fit through surprisingly small gaps so the vivarium must be escape proof.

In the wild Brazilian rainbow boas inhabit humid tropical forests of South America, and also require high humidity in captivity. This is especially important for younger BRBs, where the humidity should not drop below 85%. Adults will do fine with a humidity of 70% or above; however I believe it is important to mimic the natural surroundings as closely as possible and try to keep all my BRBs as close to 90% humidity as I can. Wooden vivariums are generally not suitable for such humid environments as the wood will eventually rot. If the vivarium is made of melamine faced chipboard (conti board e.g. vivexotics vivariums) they can be made reasonably waterproof by using aquarium sealant all along the joins, and on any exposed face - but don't expect them to last more than a couple years. Glass vivariums/aquariums are suitable for holding humidity but not very suitable for holding heat and can be very expensive for the size required for adults. If using an all-glass enclosure insulating the walls with a coco-fibre or cork background will help immensely. The high humidity requirements of BRBs can also be looked at as an opportunity; the juveniles are well suited to a vivarium will live plants and a bio-active substrate, which can be a real joy to maintain. I won’t go into how to construct a bio-active vivarium on this care sheet, but if you would like to give it a go feel free to email me for more information.

Substrates ideal for BRBs include Eco-earth™, orchid bark, and Cyprus mulch. Hydrolecca can be used beneath these substrates to keep the humidity up. As with all snakes newspaper and kitchen roll are cheap substrates which are easy to change, however they won’t hold humidity and certainly aren’t pleasing to the eye.
Brazilian rainbow boas are semi-arboreal and will climb on branches if they are provided. Plants, cork tubes and branches all make for a nice looking vivarium and an interesting surrounding for your Brazilian rainbow boa. As a minimum, a hiding place should be provided at the warm end and the cool end. A water bowl that is large enough for the BRB to soak in is required, especially if the humidity of the vivarium isn’t very high. Cat litter trays make practical cheap water baths, even if they aren’t very attractive. Nearly every care sheet for every reptile says that water should be changed daily. If you have only a few snakes, and have the time to do this, then great. I know a lot of people who keep reptiles, and I can tell you for a fact that none of them change the water in the bowls every day. I don't. So I'm not going to be hypocritical and write here that it must be done every day. However once every 4 days really is an absolute MINIMUM, and if their are faeces in the water it must be changed immediately.

HEATING

It is especially important to get the heating just right for BRBs as they are not as tolerant of incorrect temperatures as other species such as corn snakes. Ideally, there should be a temperature gradient of 21C at the cool end of the viv, to 30C at the warm end. For young BRBs kept in plastic box style housing this is best achieved using a heat mat connected to a thermostat, placed underneath the tub so that about 1/3 of the floor space is on the mat. As I've stressed with my other care sheets, a thermostat really is a must as heat mats can reach dangerous temperatures otherwise. For adult BRBs heat mats can still be used, but due to a risk of thermal blocking (where a heavy bodied snake sits directly on a mat causing it to overheat in those areas, despite being on a thermostat) a ceramic heater is more appropiate. Ceramic heaters must also be connected up to a thermostat, (pulse proportional type is most appropiate) and must be guarded by a wire cage to ensure the BRB can't directly touch the bulb. As a rough guide, in a 4 foot long vivarium, I find 100W ceramic bulbs suitable. I reccomend having a digital thermometer at both the cool end, and the warmest spot in the vivarium, to double check your temperatures. Don't simply rely on the thermostat being correct. Light bulbs really do not make suitable heating devices for BRBs or any other snake, as they cannot be properly regulated.

LIGHTING

BRBs don't require any specialist UVB lighting. Low wattage (e.g. 10W) fluorescent strip lights make ideal lighting for viewing your snake during the day, but if the vivarium is placed in a well let room this isn't necessary. In the wild BRBs are nocturnal and often become active an hour or so after sunset - one you turn the lights off in the tank this is when you are most likely to see your BRB come out for a drink and an explore.

FEEDING

BRBs are a slender boa, and I feel that many kept in captivity are unhealthily overweight as it seems to be a mind set in the reptile community that heavier is always better. This is not true at all, and snakes who are powerfed to grow quickly or overweight snakes will not live as long. For baby BRBs I reccomend feeding a defrosted rat pink or small rat pup every 7 days. A general rule of thumb is that any 'lump' from the prey should not be visible 48 hours after feeding, otherwise the item is too large. If however you can't see any sign of the food at all immediately after feeding the item may be too small. For adult BRBs I reccomend feeding every 7-14 days depending on the size of the prey being offered - for example a large rat weaner every 7 days, or a small-medium rat every 14 days. Every snake is different so it is impossible to say a BRB of 'X' age should weigh 'Y' kg. Some breeders have reported getting their females to weigh over 3kg before breeding - personally I think this is overweight as BRBs never reach that weight in the wild. BRBs are generally not fussy feeders and will readily accept most food items, although adult males can go off their food during the breeding season and this is nothing to worry about. Like all snakes, BRBs can also regurgitate their prey. This should be taken seriously, and the cause of the regurgitation dealt with. Usually, regurgitation occurs when husbandry is incorrect, especially temperatures being too low, or when the prey size was too large. Handling your snake within 48 hours of it eating can also cause regurgitation. If your BRB regurgitates, check the conditions in the vivarium are ideal, and leave in peace for at least 2 weeks before offering food again. It is often a good idea to offer something smaller the next time, even if the regurgitated prey was an ideal size. If regurgitation continues seek veterinary attention.

Where to feed is another matter than it mostly down to personal choice. I feed all of my snakes in shoeboxes or cardboard boxes which has many advantages. Firstly, there is no loose substrate that could be ingested accidentally like when feeding in the tank, and secondly, your BRB won't learn to associate the doors opening and your hand going in to the tank with feeding and this inevitably means you are less likely to get bitten when changing water / cleaning / getting your snake out.

SHEDDING

The frequency of shedding depends mostly on age in BRBs. Baby BRBs can shed every few weeks as they are growing, whereas some adults may only shed a few times a year. About a week or so before a snake sheds it will go 'blue' where it will look dull coloured and have cloudy eyes. This 'blue' look clears after a few days and then within the next few days the snake will shed. Once the snake has shed check the shed skin to see if it is complete, looking especially for the tail tip and eye caps. If your BRB sheds in many little pieces this is a sign that the humdity is not high enough - as discussed earlier BRBs require high humidity but this is especially important when shedding so misting the tank more often when you notice you BRB is 'blue' can remedy the problem. Shedding much more often than expected could be a sign of mites or skin conditions.

HANDLING

My views on handling BRBs is probably biased, because I have been blessed with such friendly placid snakes! However baby BRBs are notorious for being nippy for several months of their lives, and some keepers report defensive behaviour in BRBs in adults too. With consistent, gentle handling most BRBs should calm down in a few weeks. I try to hande my snakes at least every couple weeks - but I don't reccomend getting your BRB out everytime your friend/sister/neighbour/milkman comes round - snakes do not 'like' to come out of their tanks and get passed from person to person. To handle your BRB lift it gently, your hands approaching from the side and hold one hand about 1/3 down its body, and the other 2/3 down. Keep handling sessions short, 5 - 10 minutes is plenty. Nervous snakes may try to strike at you - this is understandable defensive behaviour. Try to ignore this; it will only encourage these habits if you put the snake back every time he gets aggressive. Wearing gloves can help if you are nervous about being bitten and can help make you less jumpy but remember BRBs are not venemous, and bites are normally more startling than sore. Handling snakes over a bed or sofa is a good idea; it is nice & soft if they fall or you panic and drop them.