Can a male and female red tailed boa live together and still breed?

Question

Or should they live apart until breeding? I have a 8 mo male and want to get a female. I would like to keep them together. Is this possible and then breed them too?

Answer 1

can you put them together yes...there is some risk though.  one snake could eat the other snake, especially if there is a big size difference in them.  i house two ball pythons together (have for 2 years now) and have never had a problem.  i have also housed 2 blood pythons together as well as 4 amazon tree boas. (unfortunately had to rehome the bloods and ATB's when we moved cross country).  

yes the snakes will still breed together if they are housed together a few things you need to be careful of though if you house them together.

1 make sure that they don't breed when the female is too young (if they are the same age it shouldn't (not won't but shouldn't) be a problem because the male won't be producing sperm plugs until he is old enough to breed

2 always offer the snakes food on the same day in feeding tubs...to make feeding tubs get plastic boxex, large enough for your snake to fit in it comfortably.  get the short boxes…the box should be about the height to go under a bed.  drill several small holes along the sides at the top for airflow.  put the snake in and then put his food in.  after your snake has eaten give him about 20 minutes or so to get the food down and then put him back up in his house.  MAKE sure that the snakes are out of feeding mode before you put them up.  after you take them out of their feeding tubs if you feed live wipe the snakes down with damp lukewarm towels before putting them up.

like i said yes they will breed if you house them together...the bloods and the ATB's mated even without cooling them and all that stuff.  i tried not to breed them so i didn't go through the cooling and going off feed and all that stuff but the snakes had different plans.

good luck!

Answer 2

You might want to contact your local zoo about this.  Ask to speak to a herpetologist (a snake expert).  From what I know about snakes, they seem to be somewhat solitary creatures thus not given to pairing up except when mating time rolls around.  Do get some advice from an expert on this one.  You wouldn't want to lay out a lot of cash for a second snake only to have it eaten but the one you already have.  Yes, snakes do eat other snakes.