Redtail boa wont eat

Question
My boa is a rescue.  My question is for some reason he has been refuseing his food.  Do they slow down it the colder time of the year? I have had him for about 8 months now.  This the 1st time he won't eat.  How long can they go before eating or getting sick?

Carol

Answer
Depending on the size of the snake, he can go a long time without food. A good rule of thumb is 1 month per foot of snake (so if you have a 4' snake, given that there are no underlying issues, he could go 4 months without eating and survive). This is not healthy for the snake and can lead susceptibility to other infection etc... The do tend to slow down in the winter. Pull up a care sheet and double check your husbandry. If all is correct and the snake goes too long without eating (to be on the safe side, let's go with 2 weeks per foot of snake), then take him to a vet.