Colombian Rainbow Boa Care Sheet

The Columbian Rainbow Boa is a beautiful species of Boidae. featuring the same iridescent sheen as the rest of the rainbow boas from South America. They are semi-arboreal, so they will spend time up in trees as well as on the ground as they hunt at night for prey. Rainbow Boas exhibit metachrosis, where their colour will change from day to night, where most of the bottom part of their pattern will grow lighter, almost to a point of silver.

Columbian rainbow boas require a wooden vivarium as their enclosure. This is because wood is an excellent insulator of heat and so a wooden vivarium will make it easier to control the crucial temperatures required inside the habitat. Other enclosures such as glass terrariums are far too efficient at releasing heat. The wooden vivarium should have good ventilation to allow air flow in and out of the enclosure.

The boa's vivarium should be at least 1200mm (48") in length and 450mm (18'') in height. There are 2 main reasons for this; firstly Columbian rainbow boas are not small reptiles and can easily grow to 4-5ft in length. They require a proportionate amount of space to live happily. Secondly, the vivarium needs to have a sufficient length to allow for the creation of a temperature gradient. The enclosure needs to be warm at one end, but have enough distance for the temperature to drop at the cool end.

Columbian rainbow boas require a warm basking area but a near constant air temperature. The ambient air temperature is maintained at around 88°F by using a ceramic night bulb. These radiate heat but produce no light. This bulb should be protected with a bulb guard and controlled by a good quality thermostat. This temperature can remain constant day and night. Temperatures should be monitored daily using a thermometer.

To light the enclosure we would use LED bulbs that do not radiate much heat or light. These can be on for 10-12 hours a day but should be turned off at night to ensure the snake gets a good day/night cycle.

Columbian Rainbow Boas do not require UVB to use the calcium in their diet like other reptiles, but it is still a beneficial addition to the enclosure. The snake would naturally be exposed to UV from sunlight in the wild, and as we are trying to emulate nature in our enclosures, we recommend providing some UVB.

A 2-5% T5 UVB tube or a more powerful but smaller unit should be sufficient. The UV tube should be mounted to the ceiling at the back of the enclosure to provide a light gradient running parallel to the temperature gradient. There will be times when the snake will want less or no UVB, so partial and full hiding spots should be placed all along the width of the enclosure.

Columbian rainbow boas should be kept on a slightly moist substrate to increase the humidity inside the vivarium. Whilst many substrates are available we have found bark chips to be a great substrate which absorbs some moisture and that is what we keep our Columbian rainbow boas on. It is also very easy to clean.

Columbian rainbow boas are arboreal snakes so they do like to climb on top of things to survey their surroundings. The vivarium should be decorated with various pieces of wood to enable them to do this.

The boas vivarium can be decorated with artificial plants for a more natural look. A hiding spot at each end of the enclosure will allow the snake to move freely and thermoregulate without feeling insecure.

As babies, Columbian rainbow boas should be fed weekly on defrosted pinky mice, as the snake grows the food size should be increased. Adult boas can be fed once every two weeks as they can become overweight if fed weekly.

A water bowl large enough for the snake to get in to should be used providing it does not raise the vivarium humidity too much.

If you keep a male and female together, they may breed. You do not need to do anything to encourage this, providing they are healthy and the conditions are good, it will happen naturally. You need to consider whether you want this to happen. What will you do with the babies?

A gravid female should have access to a nesting box to help her with the livebirth. We would usually use a large plastic container containing soft moss like sphagnum moss. Once the babies have been born we would advise taking them from the enclosure and introducing them to a separate enclosure. It should be set up exactly like the parents but a bit more humid.

Columbian Rainbow Boas, as with most pets, require a clean environment to thrive. We recommend a spot clean as often as possible (every day) and a full clean every 4 weeks or so. If you are keeping the snake in a bioactive enclosure, you can spot clean and monitor the enclosure. It may still be a good item to change out the bedding a few times per year

When cleaning the enclosure, you should remove your animal, all decorations, and all of the bedding. Once the enclosure is clear, you can spray it all over with a reptile-friendly disinfectant. These usually work very quickly and only need to be left for around 30 seconds. Instructions can normally be found on the disinfectant packaging. Once the disinfectant has done its work, it can be wiped away from the surfaces with a paper towel. In some cases, you might want to repeat this process a second time to ensure that the enclosure is thoroughly cleaned.

Your decorations can be cleaned in a similar method, simply spray them down with the disinfectant and rinse thoroughly with water before drying them off and putting them back into the enclosure. We recommend this process be done during the daytime to make sure that the snake will be going back to a warm vivarium for at least an hour before the basking lamps are turned off for the night.