The Hog Island Boa is a locale of Boa constrictor that is only found on two small islands in Honduras. These snakes were exported in large numbers in the 1980’s and 1990’s for the pet trade. This put the wild population on the brink of extinction.
Thankfully, due to conservation efforts these snakes have bounced back, and the wild population is growing in numbers. There are also a large number pure captive bred Hog Island Boas being produced in captivity which means there is no reason to purchase a wild caught specimen.
The Hog Island Boa is not widely recognised as a species in itself. It is currently listed as a specific locale or even sub-species of Common Boa. There are many differences between this ‘Island Variety’ Boa and its mainland counterpart. These differences are primarily in appearance and behaviour.
While many people are put off by the large size of an adult Boa Constrictor, the Hog Island Boa rarely exceeds 5 or 6 feet in length, making it a much more manageable snake to work with, especially for beginners.
Hog Island Boa Taxonomy
The Hog Island Boa is not considered a species in itself. It is classed as a locale or sub-species of Boa Constrictor Imperator. The BCI is a subspecies of Boa Constrictor, which also includes species such as the Red Tailed Boa and the Argentine Boa.
There is a strong argument for the Hog Island Boa to be considered an independent sub-species of Boa Constrictor instead of a locale of BCI. There are other arguments that the BCI should be considered an independent species to the Boa Constrictor, called the Boa Imperator instead of the Boa Constrictor Imperator.
This would allow the locales of BCI to be considered true sub-species of the newly classified species Boa Imperator. This is still open to debate and until further research is conducted, the Hog Island Boa will remain classified as a locale of BCI.
Description
The most obvious difference between the Hog Island Boa and its mainland relatives is size. Insular dwarfism is common in the animal kingdom. This is where island populations become smaller than their mainland relatives after generations of isolation. Many factors play a role in this such as availability of food and lack of predators.
While the average female boa constrictor reaches lengths of around 7 to 10 feet, a female Hog Island Boa will normally only grow to around 5 or 6 feet. This is seen throughout the animal kingdom. It is for this reason that we have animals such as the Dwarf Reticulated Python.
Another difference between this Boa and its mainland relatives is colouration. The Hog Island Boa has reduced black pigmentation. This is a genetic trait known as hypo-melanistic and results in a lighter coloured snake.
Another major difference is temperament. The Hog Island variety are known to be far more docile than the mainland Boa. Along with their smaller size, this makes them very appealing to keepers who want a Boa, but cant manage a large ‘aggressive’ snake.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Hog Island Boa is only found on the Hog Islands. This is a pair of Islands off the Coast of Honduras. The Islands that make up Hog Island are called Cayos Cochinos and Cayos Cochinos Menor.
The Hog Islands are situated about 30km off the coast of Honduras, close to the city of La Ceiba. They are situated within the Meso-American Barrier Reef, the second largest Coral Reef system in the world.
These tiny islands allowed the Boa Constrictor to develop different traits to its mainland counterpart, primarily size and colouration. Overtime, the Hog Island Boa stopped growing as large as the mainland Boa to the availability of food and lack of predators.
This ‘version’ of the Boa Constrictor is not found on the mainland. If they did make their way to Central America, breeding with the mainland species would quickly dilute the Hog Island traits out of the snake.
With very few people living on the islands, it consists mainly of untainted tropical jungle. While Boa Constrictors are ground Dwelling animals, the Hog Island Boa does spend a large amount of time climbing among low level branches and trees.
The two islands are covered in a mix of grassland and dense humid forests. The Hog Island Boa can be found in both these habitats. They can be found roaming around the grassland or among leaf litter on the forest floor. They will also climb on low lying branches of the densely packed forest.
Hog Island Boas as Pets
Hog Island Boas make great pets. If you are looking for a pet snake, love Boas but are put off by their large size and potentially aggressive nature, then a Hog Island Boa might be the snake for you.
These snakes do not grow as large as a typical Boa Constrictor, usually growing to between 4 and 6 feet. They are also renowned for being a docile species, that will rarely bite.
As these snakes grow to a smaller adult size, they do not need as large of an enclosure as a typical Boa. This does not mean that they should be crammed into a smaller container as they are an active snake that needs plenty of space.
While renowned for being docile, a juvenile Boa, like any snake can be a bit snappy. This is normal with baby snakes and they will grow out of it with regular handling. You will need to build up a degree of trust with your snake if they are defensive when young.
Feeding a Hog Island Boa
Like most Boas, a Hog Island Boa will rarely refuse a meal. These snakes like to eat. You can feed smaller snake’s mice, but it is better to switch them to rats as soon as possible.
Rats are far more nutrient dense than mice which makes them a better meal for your snake. Some snakes will refuse to switch to rats if they are fed nothing but mice from an early age. While this isn’t as common in Boas, it is still best to avoid it from happening by starting out with rats.
Boas have a slower metabolism than many other species of snake so this should be considered when feeding the snake. It is best to choose a rodent that is slightly smaller than the girth of the snake, at its largest point.
Juvenile Boas can be fed one appropriately sized rodent every week. Again, the appropriate size is a rodent that is slightly smaller than the girth of the snake at its largest point. This feeding schedule will ensure that the previous meal is digested before it receives its next meal, reducing the likelihood of the snake refusing a meal.
You can continue to feed an Adult Boa weekly if you want. If doing so, make sure the size of the meal is on the smaller side. Alternatively, you can offer larger prey and only feed them every 10-14 days.
You will need to monitor your snake and adjust their feeding schedule if necessary. If the snake is getting fat, reduce the size of the meal or the frequency in which you feed it. If it is skinny, do the opposite.
Some Boas may go off their food in the winter. This isn’t always the case, but it is nothing to worry about. Just double check the health of the snake and the environment that they are living in. If everything is as it should be, there is no problem with this.
Simply continue to offer food every couple of weeks until the snake decides to start eating again. Once they go back on food, it’s like a flick of a switch and they suddenly have a ferocious appetite again.
Hog Island Boa Housing
One of the benefits of choosing a Hog Island Boa opposed to a mainland Boa is the snakes generally don’t grow as large. This has the added benefit that the snake can be housed in a smaller enclosure.
This statement does not mean that you should cram the snake into a small box. This is an active species that likes to roam around and even climb. Due to a lack of predators, wild Hog Island Boas are naturally bold and do not have that instinct to remain hidden all the time.
This makes them a great display animal as they will often be seen roaming around their enclosure instead of being curled up in a hide. You should include a bit of height in the enclosure with some climbing branches for your snake to utilise.
An average sized Hog Island Boa should be kept in an enclosure no smaller than 3ft x 2ft x 2ft. This is the minimum size you should choose. If you can offer them a larger enclosure, they will benefit from the additional space.
Larger females will require a larger enclosure while juveniles can be kept in smaller setups. Unlike many snakes, it is fine to keep a juvenile Boa in an adult sized enclosure.
While juveniles have some predators in the wild, such as birds, they tend to be ‘bolder’ than most snakes. You must ensure that they do have plenty of hiding places if they do feel threatened where they can go to feel secure.
Light and Heat
As the Hog Islands have a tropical environment, you will need to replicate this in captivity. This means that the snakes need heat and humidity. There are a number of ways you can achieve this.
These snakes do well with a hot spot of around 85F. The cool side of the enclosure can drop to around 75F but should not go much lower than this. Placing a climbing branch on the hot end of the enclosure will allow the snake to get closure to an overhead heat source if they require additional heat.
You should aim for a humidity level of around 60%. Place a hydrometer in the enclosure and mist the walls and substrate whenever appropriate. These snakes should not be kept wet. A large water bowl will also help increase humidity levels.
You can use a heat mat with an on/off thermostat. This will provide the snake with the right amount of belly heat. You should choose a mat that covers one third of the enclosure to allow for a thermal gradient.
There are complications to using a heat mat. Primarily, it is not recommended to place a heat mat inside the enclosure. This can cause thermal blocking in heavy bodied snakes.
Thermal Blocking is where the temperature of the mat increases where the snake is lying. This happens for a number of reasons. If the thermostat probe is positioned away from this spot, it will not recognise the increase in temperature and the mat won’t turn off.
This can result in the temperatures rising to dangerous levels and your snake can get burnt. Snakes do not feel heat the same way people do and may not realise that they are getting burnt. For this reason, we recommend using overhead heat.
A Ceramic heater connected to a pulse proportional thermostat is our preferred method for heating a Boas enclosure. This method provides a high level of control over temperatures and as long as the ceramic bulb is enclosed in a guard, it significantly reduces the chance of the snake getting burnt.
As the primary habitat of these snakes is dense jungle, they likely get most of their heat from the ambient temperature in the air. They can then cool down in a shaded area among the trees.
This can be replicated in captivity by placing the ceramic heater at one end of the enclosure. As the snake moves away from the source of the heat, the temperature will decline.
Hog Island Boas do not need any special lighting in their enclosure such as UVA or UVB. They generally live in dense forests where the UV index is quite low, and snakes do not require this type of light to synthesise Vitamin D3.
If you do install lights in your enclosure, either for display or for live plants, make sure you turn them off at night. These Boas should be given a 12hr day/night cycle.
Hog Island Boa Substrate
These snakes do well on a wide variety of bedding. Keep in mind that humidity levels should be kept around 60%. The substrate you choose can help to maintain these levels of humidity.
Substrates that hold humidity well include Eco Earth, Cypress Mulch and Coconut Fibre. The substrate should be spot cleaned every time your snake defecates and completely changed out and cleaned every month or so, unless you have a bioactive setup.
Some people choose to keep these Boas on paper towel or newspaper. Functionally, this works fine but it isn’t visually appealing. If you use this substrate, it should be completely replaced when soiled.
Handling a Hog Island Boa
Hog Island Boas generally have a great temperament. These snakes have no natural predators in the wild (as adults). As a result, they have evolved to become docile and ‘trusting’.
Along with being a small Boa, this makes them great for handling. They generally love time outside of the enclosure to explore. They are a great alternative to someone who wants a Boa but is put off by the large size and sometimes ‘aggressive’ nature of a mainland Boa.
Like all snakes, there is a chance that babies will be a bit nippy. This is just a defensive instinct and they will grow out of it over time. Regular handling is important to show them that you are not a treat.
A nippy baby will usually calm down once out of its enclosure. If you are concerned about being bit, try removing the snake with a snake hook first. Once out of the enclosure, they generally calm down very quickly.
Hog Island Boa Breeding
You can breed Hog Island Boas the same way you would breed any other Boa Constrictor. They are relatively straight forward to breed providing a few basic steps are followed.
It is important to know the sex of your snakes before thinking about a breeding project. The most common methods for sexing snakes are probing and popping. These methods of sexing snakes should only be done by someone with experience. If done incorrectly, you can seriously injure the snake. Ask for assistance from an experienced breeder if you have never sexed a snake before.
You should put your Boa through a cooling cycle to stimulate breeding. During this time, night-time temperatures can be reduced to about 75F while daytime temperatures should remain at about 85F. You can continue to offer food throughout the cooling period as the snakes have access to heat during the day.
After about 3 weeks, the male can be introduced into the female’s enclosure. You should continue to introduce the mail into the female’s enclosure until you are sure that the female is carrying babies.
During ovulation, the female will become noticeably larger. After this point, you can stop introducing the male. Ovulation isn’t always observed so continue to introduce the male until you know that the job is done.
It takes around 4 months for the female to give birth. Boas give live birth as opposed to laying eggs. Baby Boas are born in an amniotic sack which they need to break through before they can take their first breath.
Do not disturb the female while she is giving birth. Wait until you are sure that she is finished before removing the babies. The female’s enclosure will need to be completely sanitised and the babies should be set up in individual enclosures.
Some people choose to house Hog Island Boa babies together until they go through their first shed. However, our opinion is that it is better to house them individually so each snake can be closely monitored.