By 
Boa Constrictors are the most commonly bred snakes, and for good reason. They tend to make excellent pets as they are docile, easy to handle, and have modest grooming requirements. They are also generally good feeders, usually taking thawed rodents with no problems.
However, some boas, particularly wild-caught specimens, can be problematic to wean into thawed prey. Having a snake that refuses to eat can be extremely frustrating, but there is generally no need to worry. If the boa is otherwise healthy, it can spend considerable time between meals.
If your snake refuses to eat, monitor its weight and follow these tips to help your boa feed quickly and easily.
1. Feed appropriately sized prey: All boa species can feed exclusively on captive rodents. The type and size of the prey depends entirely on the size of the snake. Newborns can start out with pinky (day-old) mice and the size of the prey should gradually increase as the snake grows. Small, medium and large mice should be followed by rats and even rabbits for larger boas. The key is to offer prey no larger than the snake’s circumference to avoid straining the boa’s digestive system.
2. Feed your boa at regular intervals: How often you offer prey will depend on the age and size of your boa. For most species, newborns should be fed weekly, while adults can be fed every fortnight, as it takes them longer to digest the heavier food. However, boas with slow metabolisms, such as emerald tree boas, only need to be fed every 21 days.
3. Safely Thaw Rodents – While pinkies and small mice can be safely thawed at room temperature, larger items will take longer, increasing the chance of bacterial growth. To safely thaw the prey, place it in the refrigerator overnight, sealed in a plastic tub. Before feeding, warm them slightly for 30 minutes under a lamp or near a radiator. Always make sure the prey is completely thawed and avoid using a microwave which will partially cook the prey.
4. First tempt your boa with thawed prey: If your boa won’t accept thawed prey on its own, try leaving it alone in the nursery overnight. Another trick is to try leaving the prey and snake in an unfurnished plastic tub for an hour. If none of these methods work, you should try to “tempt” the boa with the prey. Use a pair of long tweezers and hang the prey in front of the snake, or drop the rodent on the nursery floor and gently move it with a stick. With a little patience, this is usually enough for a boa to eat. 5. The ‘bait and switch’ method: If the above methods have failed, you can try using a freshly killed mouse. Hang it up with the tweezers and try to get the boa to hit. Once in feeding mode, you can switch to a thawed rodent.
6. Offer freshly slaughtered prey: If, after several attempts with the above methods, you really can’t get your boa to eat thawed rodents, try offering one that is freshly slaughtered. If your snake takes prey, try offering a thawed small rodent immediately afterward. Often times, once the boa is already in feeding mode, it will take the thaw, and once a boa has eaten a thawed rodent, it will take more in the future. If this fails at first, the next time you feed the snake, hold a thawed rodent against the half-swallowed fresh kill. This may be enough to trick the boa into eating both, and again, once they’ve thawed just one time, it’s easier to feed more in the future.
7. Offering live prey: only if all the above methods have failed, should you offer live prey. A live rodent has sharp claws and teeth and can seriously injure a snake. Never leave live prey with your boa for more than 15 minutes, and never unattended. Be vigilant and ready to kill the rodent quickly if necessary.
By following the above methods, you should be able to tempt almost any boa to eat and slowly wean it off on thawed food. Once thawed, try to keep them unless absolutely necessary.
In the rare cases where all of the above methods fail and a boa is losing weight, it may be necessary to force feed. This is a stressful and dangerous eating method that should only be attempted by experienced herpeto bodybuilders and is beyond the scope of this article. If you get to the stage where force-feeding is necessary, see your vet or find an experienced keeper through your local herpetology center. However, with patience and the methods outlined above, it is unlikely that you will ever have to resort to that.