Rainbow or Hog Island?

[shadowsnakes]

After keeping ball pythons for several years, and loving them very much, I am looking at getting a boa strictly for pet purposes (i.e. no breeding, shows, etc). I prefer a medium-ish snake since I have a bad leg and mobility can be an issue. Anything over 10" would be a concern. For this reason I settled on either rainbow or hog island. I am looking for input from owners here on the forum.

What is the temprament of adult rainbow and hog island boas? I read they can be very snippy especially when hungry.

Do they take multiple rats well, versus a single rabbit? I see some owners feed chickens but this doesn't seem to be common?

Is there major concern about transmitting IBD from boas to balls and vice versa? Should I keep the enclosures on opposite sides of the home to minimize risk?

Which is your preference, rainbow or hog island and why?

[aldebono]

I have a Hog Island female. She is our princess. She is around 5.5 ft and 4 years old. She may eventually pass 6 ft, but even then she would be extremely manageable as far as handling.

Large rats are the perfect size for her and she is not on a feeding schedule but is fed about every 2 to 3 weeks. I don't see her outgrowing rats at any point. Boas have more of a tendency to get fat because they will readily eat at any opportunity.

Personality wise, she is fantastic, she has always been a very sweet girl and a dream to handle. She is hook trained, meaning when I want to get her out, I rub her gently with the hook to let her know it's not feeding time. She is much more intelligent than the balls, the way she watches everything going on around her. I have her in a vision cage where she does like to bask under the light and is visible most of the time.

So my preference would have to be Hog. But, I am a little biased.

[skittles24]

Plus what he said^. My male is around 3 1/2 feet right now and absolutely wonderful. When I first got him he was a little hissy but never struck or anything. I keep him in a ap t8 cage and he seems to love it. As for rainbow boas, I have one as well but not even close to an adult. She is about 3 feet long and still feeding on small mice but she has always been very easy to handle as well.
They are both beautiful snakes and tons of fun to work with. I'll be buying one more of each in the future.haha

[Evenstar]

After keeping ball pythons for several years, and loving them very much, I am looking at getting a boa strictly for pet purposes (i.e. no breeding, shows, etc). I prefer a medium-ish snake since I have a bad leg and mobility can be an issue. Anything over 10" would be a concern. For this reason I settled on either rainbow or hog island. I am looking for input from owners here on the forum.

What is the temprament of adult rainbow and hog island boas? I read they can be very snippy especially when hungry. Any boa can be nippy when hungry. Generally, if you get one that is pleasant as a baby and you continue with gentle handling, they will be great as adults.

Do they take multiple rats well, versus a single rabbit? I see some owners feed chickens but this doesn't seem to be common? Absolutely! Even adult Colombian boas do very nicely on multiple rats. Rainbows are more arboreal so they have a more slender body than BCI so they should really never be on rabbits. Rats and/or chicks/quail are good for them for life. And Hogs do well with this too.

Is there major concern about transmitting IBD from boas to balls and vice versa? Should I keep the enclosures on opposite sides of the home to minimize risk? Yes there is. Quarantine is an absolute MUST. Minimum of 90 days in a completely separate room. But after that, you can house boas and balls in the same room.

Which is your preference, rainbow or hog island and why? Of the two, I would choose a Hog Island. Rainbows are generally not recommended for beginner boa keepers because they are much more sensitive to humidity requirements. Hogs are almost bullet proof.

[shadowsnakes]

Thank you all for you input. I have flipped this decision around for a few months but I am leaning toward Hog Island. I love boas but their size always intimidated me. This could be a perfect addition!

[Evenstar]

Thank you all for you input. I have flipped this decision around for a few months but I am leaning toward Hog Island. I love boas but their size always intimidated me. This could be a perfect addition!

Keep in mind that Hogs are still BCI. They do tend to stay smaller than Colombians, but there are some out there that get quite large. Stick with a male and you should have a snake that will stay under 6 feet as an adult.

If you REALLY want a boa that stays small, look into Tarahumara Mountain boas. While still BCI, these are truly a small locality with adults rarely exceeding 4 feet - even females.

I have 29 snakes and 18 of them are boas. I am not a big person. Even my big females are a joy and easy to handle. I just make sure that someone else is home when I'm messing with them, but I've never had cause to worry.

Not trying to confuse the issue, but you should be aware that Hogs can sometimes get big.

[shadowsnakes]

Keep in mind that Hogs are still BCI. They do tend to stay smaller than Colombians, but there are some out there that get quite large. Stick with a male and you should have a snake that will stay under 6 feet as an adult.

If you REALLY want a boa that stays small, look into Tarahumara Mountain boas. While still BCI, these are truly a small locality with adults rarely exceeding 4 feet - even females.

I have 29 snakes and 18 of them are boas. I am not a big person. Even my big females are a joy and easy to handle. I just make sure that someone else is home when I'm messing with them, but I've never had cause to worry.

Not trying to confuse the issue, but you should be aware that Hogs can sometimes get big.

I haven't heard of Tarahumara Mountain boas and will look into them. For me it isn't the length that is concerning but weight often associated with it. I have handled large aggressive snakes but moving them around can be very difficult with only one working leg! A boa larger than a BP but smaller than a typical BCI is ideal, and Hog Island seems to fall in that range. Thanks for your input!

[DooLittle]

You could always just go with a male BCI too. They typically stay reasonable size. And I adore mine. He is not full grown yet, but my 10 year old daughter can easily manage him by herself. Boas have awesome personalities too!

[shadowsnakes]

Now I can't wait to get a boa. I want to put him/her in a vivarium set in the living room. Instead of getting a static peice of art I'll have a living environment with a wonderful example of the reptile world.

[bcr229]

I have a pair of adult Brazilian Rainbow boas as well as one that's about two years old now. I also have a few BCI's.

The BRB's are slender boas and while they top out around six feet, they stay thinner than the BCI's. Males are even thinner than females if weight is an issue. At six feet my BCI female was much thicker than either BRB, and she wasn't at all fat.

As was pointed out BRB's are a bit more difficult to keep due to their humidity needs - an appropriate enclosure is required. Once set up though I've found all 3 of mine are a joy to keep. They are not at all nippy, are more inclined to just hang on you rather than try to escape/hide when handled, and they are intensely curious. Oh, they also like investigating long hair.