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Origin: The island of Puerto Rico
Length: 1.8 to 2.7 meters
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
The Puerto Rican rainbow boa is also called the yellow tree boa. Contrary to its name, it is not very yellow. Its body is actually more brownish-yellow with a dark mottled pattern. The snake's snout is dark. The body is covered with a pearlescent layer that creates an iridescent glow. Hence the name rainbow boa.
Care
Experience: Average snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey.
Feeding adults: Every 14 days.
Feeding young: Every 7 days
Water dish: Yes
Water changes: 3 times a week
Food
The Puerto Rican rainbow boa is a true predator and has been observed in the wild catching bats out of the air. In captivity, this behavior is negligible compared to recreation, and a diet of rodents can be offered. These rodents can be offered live or dead. However, for convenience, it is recommended to offer dead prey. This is more practical, and live prey can sometimes injure the snake. We recommend offering the food animals with feeding tongs and feeding your snake outside its enclosure. This has the advantage of not associating your hand with food.
If you do choose to offer live food, you must supervise feeding. If you keep the Puerto Rican rainbow boa with other snakes, you will need to separate them before feeding, as they can easily injure each other during feeding.
Water
This boa, like other boas, is a true water lover. Besides drinking, they also bathe in it. Therefore, the water dish must be large enough for the snake to bathe its entire body. This bathing can cause the water to become dirty, so it's not a problem to change the water more than three times a week.
Cleaning
To prevent disease and bacterial buildup, the enclosure must be kept clean. This can be done weekly, and it's also wise to thoroughly clean and disinfect the enclosure a few times a year. This prevents bacterial buildup. When cleaning, be sure to also clean climbing branches and raised areas, as these are where the Puerto Rican rainbow boa will spend most of its time.
Handling
To feed the Puerto Rican rainbow boa and clean its enclosure, your snake will need to be handled. This must be done properly to ensure both the snake and you are safe. Handle the snake with a snake hook or lift it with both hands. Don't hang your snake around your neck, as it will clamp down on your neck if it falls. There are also some other important things to keep in mind when handling a Puerto Rican rainbow boa. First, make sure your snake understands that you are handling it and move calmly while handling it. Also, make sure your hands are washed and free of food odors. Finally, don't handle your snake while it is shedding, and don't handle it in the dark.
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Housing
Minimum enclosure size for one snake: 100 x 50 x 100 cm
Daytime temperature (warm): maximum 35°C
Daytime temperature (cool): 27-32°C
Nighttime temperature: 22-25°C
Daylight hours: 12 hours
Humidity: 60%-85%
Bedding: Bark or peat litter
Equipment
The Puerto Rican rainbow boa lives wild in the jungles of Puerto Rico, but is often found in large groups. This should be taken into account in the enclosure. The jungle can be recreated by providing the snake with several climbing branches. A larger enclosure can be simulated by providing dark and damp hiding places. This can be in the form of a flowerpot with moss, but artificial burrows are also available. Finally, like other rainbow boas, they need to be able to bathe. To achieve this, they need a water bowl large enough for the snake to lie down in with its entire body.
There are a few additional things to consider regarding the enclosure. Puerto Rican rainbow boas, for example, are quite adept at escaping, and it's important to ensure they can't simply open the door. You can do this by placing a lock on the enclosure. Ventilation is also necessary to keep the air fresh, and it's recommended to position the enclosure out of direct sunlight and as vibration-free as possible.
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Kosten en Aankoop
Wetgeving: De Puerto Ricaan regenboog boa valt onder CITES I, dit houdt in dat er geen eerste generatie of wild gevangen exemplaren verkocht mogen worden. Exemplaren die tweede generatie over meer zijn mogen wel verkocht worden. Voor het bezit van zulke exemplaren heb je CITES- of overdrachtspapieren nodig. Deze hoor je bij de aankoop te krijgen.
Eenmalige kosten: Hieronder vallen de kosten voor het verblijf, verlichting, verwarming, waterbak en decoratie. Dit kan bij elkaar een paar honderd euro kosten tot een paar duizend euro. Het uiteindelijke bedrag ligt aan de kwaliteit en grootte van de producten.
Vaste kosten: Onder vaste kosten vallen de kosten voor het voer, dit is per jaar enkele
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