Are you the new owner of a boa constrictor or considering bringing one into your home?
Do you want to learn more about optimizing your boa constrictor’s enclosure?
If you’ve been researching the proper environment to house a boa constrictor, you’re likely asking yourself how to keep a boa constrictor humid.
To sustain the recommended 50-70% humidity in your boa constrictor’s habitat, pay attention to the humidity levels and adjust as needed utilizing tools such as water bowls, substrate changes, and misting. Maintaining optimal humidity is essential to keep your boa constrictor happy and healthy.
Continue reading if you are interested in learning more about the importance of humidity and how to achieve the ideal balance.
Table of Contents
Why Do Boa Constrictors Need To Be Humid?
The most common boa constrictors species are found in Mexico, Central America, and regions in northern South America.
They mostly prefer to live in tropical rainforests.
These climates are well-known for their humidity almost year-round.
Other boa constrictors are found in countries even further south, such as Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil.
When creating an artificial environment for our boas, we want to ensure we mimic their natural habitat as closely as possible.
If your boa’s environment is not humid enough, it is at risk for dehydration and will find it harder to shed its skin.
These issues are easily preventable.
How Do I Know If The Enclosure Is Humid Enough?
You should measure the humidity of your boa’s enclosure with a device called a hygrometer.
These are useful to keep in both the room holding the snake as well as the enclosure itself.
Look for these on Amazon, I like this particular one.
- Accurate measure temperature and humidity in vivariums, hatchers, brooders, propagators, etc
- Digital display and easy to read on clear LCD screen, two modes of mounting the suction cup make you can put the thermo-hygrometer on the front or side glass of terrariums as your request.
- Easy to install: suction cup can be adsorbed firmly on the side or back of the terrarium
Paying attention to your snake’s behavior will also give you clues.
As alluded to earlier, boas require optimal humidity to help shed their skin.
Specific shedding issues could suggest a problem, such as incomplete shedding or multiple broken fragments of a shed.
Common places where the skin is left behind are the tips of the tail or the eye caps.
Be careful when removing these pieces of shed manually.
Boas enjoy taking a dip in their water bowl now and then, but if you notice your boa is spending a lot of time in its water bowl, the environment may not be humid enough.
Your boa is taking a soak because there’s not enough moisture in the air to help with the process.
It is particularly important to pay attention to the humidity level during winter or if you live in a traditionally dry environment, as this may require a more active role in adjusting your boa’s humidity levels.
How To Keep A Boa Constrictor Humid
If you’re noticing the humidity isn’t as high as you’d like, you have a few options to increase it.
One option is to increase the humidity of the room itself with a regular household humidifier.
If you would rather control the humidity of the enclosure, you have several options.
First, you could place a large water bowl in the enclosure.
The larger the bowl, the more humidity you’ll get.
Make sure to place this bowl in a warm area but avoid the areas directly below the heat lamp as they are usually too hot.
If your snake defecates in it, make sure you clean and disinfect it thoroughly.
Consider covering the cage top above the water bowl with a waterproof material to prevent the water from evaporating out of the enclosure.
Another option is to have areas with damper bedding.
The dry substrate can sometimes soak moisture from the air.
Instead, use orchid bark or moss to create small zones of humidity.
However, damp bedding is more time-consuming to clean, as it can harbor bacteria or mold if not properly maintained.
The next option is to frequently mist inside the enclosure, manually or automatically.
For manual misting, use any spray bottle you have lying around at home and fill with water.
If you’d rather automate this process, several foggers are on the market, like this one.
- ćHeavy Litersć2.5 liters ultrasonic humidifier silently infuses reptile Terrarium with clean moisturized air, provide your beloved pets a clean, crisp and odorless air moist environment. The massive capacity allows for 2 days of working time in low moist.
- ćPerfect for Reptile/AmphibianćIncluding bearded dragon, gecko, snake (ball python, boa, etc.), turtle, tortoise, iguana, lizard, chameleon, water dragon, rhinoceros beetle, frog, red-eared slider, toad or hermit crab, which requiring a humid environment.
- ćSafe&Quiet to UsećDry-run protection shuts off the device automatically to keep security when the tank is empty. The premium silent mister has a very low misting sound, providing a comfortable and quiet environment for your reptiles and amphibians.
Make sure the size of the fogger you purchase is appropriate for the size of your cage.
You may also want to check out signs of dehydration in boas.
How Can I Decrease The Humidity If It’s Too High?
Allowing the enclosure to become too humid isn’t ideal either.
Too much humidity can lead to scale rot, which is an infection of the belly’s scales.
Untreated scale rot can lead to death in certain circumstances.
While transient increases in humidity likely won’t affect your boa, avoid letting the humidity rise above 70% for long periods.
If you notice this, there are a few changes you should make.
Decrease the water bowl’s size, or move it from the warm end of the cage to the cool end.
Expose more of the mesh on top to allow more water to escape.
If your snake is enclosed in a plastic cage, drill a few holes into it.
Alternative options include switching from a heat lamp to a heat mat, getting a dehumidifier for the room, and changing the substrate.
Conclusion
We can’t overestimate the importance of knowing how to keep a boa constrictor humid.
Maintaining a proper level of humidity in your boa constrictor’s environment is extremely important.
It ensures your pet is adequately hydrated, eases the shedding process, and avoids potentially fatal infections.
Luckily, the task is relatively straight-forward once you understand the basics.
As long as you make sure the humidity is around 60% and monitor your snake for any signs of dehydration or shedding issues, you shouldn’t encounter many problems.
Even if you do, making adjustments is relatively easy and inexpensive.
Hopefully, this guide provided all the knowledge and tips you need to keep your snake happy and humid.
