new to boa's.

[deadsmiley]

i have had 3 ball pythons for a while now. i just bought a baby boa saturday. ive read a good amount of info on this site and others. is there anything that anyone can think of that i should probably know? dont hold back because you feel like i probably know what it is from care sheets. id like some insight from people with first hand experience. thanks.

[jason221]

Only advice I can offer is to be prepared to take care of a snake that will get potentially much larger than a ball python. Some people "hook train" their larger snakes–that is, every time they open the cage to handle the snake, they lightly rub a snake hook against the snake's body so that it knows it is being handled and not being fed; whenever they feed the snake, they don't use the hook at all. The snake will get used to the routine and eventually learn that being touched by the hook means there's no food.

[Vypyrz]

Only advice I can offer is to be prepared to take care of a snake that will get potentially much larger than a ball python. Some people "hook train" their larger snakes–that is, every time they open the cage to handle the snake, they lightly rub a snake hook against the snake's body so that it knows it is being handled and not being fed; whenever they feed the snake, they don't use the hook at all. The snake will get used to the routine and eventually learn that being touched by the hook means there's no food.

That's a good point. Even though my BCI's are 1 yr olds I use a hook every time I get them out. I figured it was better to get them into the routine while they are young. Plus it gives you a chance to develope your hooking skills while they are still too small to put up much of a fight. There is definitely a technique to it.
Once your boa gets fully settled in you will notice the huge personality difference. Boas are alot more curious and will come to investigate when you are messing around in their enclosures, and they don't ball up. They also like to perch so don't be suprised if you see them out during the day hanging out on top of the hides or branches. About the only time mine use their hides consistently is for 2-3 days after eating or when they go into shed.
There is one thing that is pretty much the same between boas and bp's. You can't get just one...

[jason221]

Oh, and be prepared for some pretty massive poop to clean up once your boa is larger!

[David802]

I noticed a much stronger feed response. My new rtb was out cruising the cage as soon as I walked in the room and struck with in seconds of dropping the rat in.

[David802]

I noticed a much stronger feed response. My new rtb was out cruising the cage as soon as I walked in the room and struck with in seconds of dropping the rat in.

[Carlene16]

Trust me you will enjoy your boa They are the BEST!
I have way more bp's than boa's but my red tail girl is definitely my favorite of the bunch!

I have actually not hooked trained my girl, she is 1.5 years old. She doesn't have a very strong feeding response, rather I just leave a f/t rat in her enclosure and she eats it maybe an hour-two hours later. So whenever I pick her up she acts like a little angel.

I agree with the massive poo. When I first got her it wasn't very bad but now it's like a huge dog got into my boa's cage and pooped!

Well enjoy your boa I can't say anything bad about them!

[CoolioTiffany]

I definitely noticed a huge difference in feeding responses between BCIs and BPs when I had my BCI.

He never ever ever EVER missed a meal. He always thought he was eating, always. His bites hurt too when he thinks he's eating. Hook training is definitely something to consider when working with boas as they get larger.

[Mikkwa]

Thought I'd give you a little info' on humidity. RTBs usually like a mid range of humidity, depending on your substrate it's not too hard to please them. I use cypress mulch in natural settings, so it does a good job of holding humidity without staying wet or saturated. Mine all have fantastic feeding responses & think food is involved any time they see me, so the bump or hook method to let them know it is "play time" is a very good idea. All mine are totally laid back in attitude & a shear pleasure to interact with. And the poo will also be found in the water bowl sometimes with some of mine, others just wherever they feel like it. Good luck & hope you enjoy your new addiction!