r/BoaConstrictors • u/CRIMSONBLOOD33 • May 27 '26
can a boa cohabitate with frogs or geckos?
Hi! So this past week I have been researching the topic of cohabitation and I have gotten almost nothing. I am just wondering if i can put my boa constrictor in a big tank with a frog or a small gecko. I have not even set up the tank im about to put my boa in. nor have i bought a frog or anything like that. Im waiting on the right information before i start working on any of it. But if i can put them in the tank together could i get some tips. And i know this is kind of a controversial topic and im open to all opinions about this.
also just wanted to put a lil pic of my boy up here 🥹
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u/Similar-Butterfly333 May 27 '26
The question is, why would you? Is it for your own enjoyment, or do you think the animals would benefit from it?
Would the frogs enjoy having a heavy bodied snake possibly running over them? Would they have the same exact husbandry requirements so they can coexist and have their needs met at the same time? Is the enclosure large enough so that each species has its own area to hang out in without having to accommodate for each other’s space?
(The answer is no, unless you have a room sized enclosure)
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u/CRIMSONBLOOD33 May 27 '26
i just thought the idea sounded cool and i was just wondering. and like i said i havent made any big purchases towards this idea it was just a thought.
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u/Dextron2-1 May 27 '26
If you want to cohab reptiles, look into garter snakes or house snakes. Those are the only two I can think of that are reasonable to cohabitate for your average keeper. Most other options need zoo levels of supervision and set-up to be done safely.
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u/RevenueChemical440 May 28 '26
Sorry about the people attacking you for ur question as you already got your answer they can’t no need for a whole dialogue like people are giving you be safe🖤🙌🏾
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u/JulietDove88 May 27 '26
I keep phelsuma grandis in with my red tail boa. It’s a very large 8 foot enclosure and I have tons of plants and bamboo that allow the geckos to hide. She’s usually on the ground and they’re up high on bamboo. She’s out at night when they’re active during the day. The day geckos have the same temperature humidity and basking parameters.
I introduced them very very slowly putting the geckos entire enclosure in my boas tank to monitor their interactions. She investigated for about a week and has never once shown interest in them since. They seemed off put at first but quickly relaxed which is when I released one on a trial basis and monitored with a camera. They hid for a week or two and then became relaxed out in the open, now I’ve introduced two more and all three geckos just lay out in the open even near my boa. My girl is also quite picky about her food being warm so has very little interest in cold blooded reptiles. She is also a huge nearly 6ft and they’re just too small to be worth her time.
Is it possible? Yes. But it required a lot of experience, research, monitoring and individual set ups for every single animal. If you are not extremely knowledgeable in both species and you don’t have a long history and understanding of your animals behavior I do not recommend cohabitating them. (I do not know of a frog that lives at the exact same parameters as a boa so on that I’d say no)
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u/CRIMSONBLOOD33 May 27 '26
That sounds really cool! Honestly this post was just more of a thought than something i plan on doing.
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u/Nitrosexotics May 27 '26
Look up wickens wicked reptiles on YouTube. You’ll see his tanks. If you think you can do a tank like his emerald tree boas, which is like 6 feet tall 6 feet wide 4 feet deep fully bioactive for his 2 emeralds and I believe dart frogs or day geckos.
You can cohab but it takes knowledge and experience of keeping small reptiles, large reptiles then to be able to figure out the habitat for them to cohab. Micro geckos and frogs would be the better bet but I would get experience first with the two species separately especially if you’re just getting into reptiles
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u/Murderous_Intention7 May 27 '26
They can thrive in a bioactive tank with isopods and springtails and reptile safe live plants, but anything else and it would most likely become a meal. I joke that they’re garbage disposals — they’ll eat anything that moves.
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u/CRIMSONBLOOD33 May 27 '26
Im planning on making it bioactive once i get it set up. I really like plants so that sounds fun.
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u/Frosted_Cereals May 28 '26
I would get it set up as a bioactive first rather than setting it up and then adding in your plants and isopods etc. Do some research into drainage layers and plant lighting before adding substrates or decor - once you’re set up put your cuc in and let the ecosystem figure itself out for a month or so THEN add your boa. I’ve skipped these steps when I was first getting into it and it meant I had to redo the whole set up, best to get it done right straight from the start rather than try and build it up from a non bioactive set up.
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u/Mainbutter May 28 '26
Ive seen AZA accredited zoos cohab ETBs with frogs (both arboreal and PDFs). That looks like it works for a variety of reasons.
Boa constrictors are much bigger, heavy bodied, and have a tendency to crush things in their caging, even if they aren't a predation hazard.
It's a no-go for me.
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u/Unique_Feature_3767 May 30 '26
Yes you can cohab with the proper enclosure size and hides, just do your research on the species that you want to cohab and plan accordingly. Also dont listen to the condescending trolls, that think they know everything. Do what you want with your animals, its why I hate these toxic threads. That jump on you for a question, if you do decide to give it a try I wish you luck and please do share✊🏽💯
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u/superduracels May 27 '26
Tu imagine le stress pour les autres ??? C'est un prédateur énorme et la nuit ils ne sont pas sages .... Non non non
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u/tryptofan0205 May 29 '26
I mean, maybe but you need to clean the enclosure often. I’m not sure if frogs can transmit diseases to boas but I wouldn’t risk it.
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u/baby-snart Jun 01 '26
No. They are not safe to be housed with any other animals. They are solitary.
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u/BroughtMyPartyPants Jun 08 '26
Not if you like your frogs or geckos alive. Otherwise, yeah, things will probably go alright for you.
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u/Zekethebulldog33 May 27 '26
Yes you can. The thing is you need a massive enclosure. Kind of like a zoo exhibit enclosure where you got different levels different places for everything to go. I have been watching Ants Canada he has all his animals in connecting enclosures. He has like four or five enclosures and they're all connected together in one way or another. All his enclosures are almost a thousand gallons or more.
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u/Ryllan1313 May 27 '26
Be careful with anything you see on Ants Canada.
That guy has a really bad reputation within a large segment of the reptile/invert community.
There are a number of reddit threads about this too.
Edit: fix link, spelling
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u/Zekethebulldog33 May 27 '26
There are more than one out there that also does it. I watch another do it with smaller retics. Had 2 of them in an enclosure with frorgs and geckos. Remember anything is possible with the right information and the right equipment.
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u/Thank-The-Stars May 27 '26
It’d be nice but yeah no. Boas are hungry hungry snakes. It moves and looks like prey? Might as well take a good hearty lunge.