Costa Rican Boa

[Jakob]

Ok, its been a while since i posted. i moved from texas to costa rica and have been enjoying it immensely! in the process, i had to sell/give away three Normal Balls before i left texas.

now that i am here living in costa rica, i am thoroughly missing my ball pythons. i havent spoken to anyone who knows about getting ahold of a ball pythons, but Boas are highly common. not for pets though. the laws here are very strict on owning wildlife. i have to go through quite a bit paperwork and problems to LEGALLY own my Boa. to me, this is ridiculous.

while i was in Pavones, i asked one of the local boys where i could get a Boa. he told me that he had one living around his house and he would be right back. for fear that he would be rough when he caught it, i asked if i could go, but he acted as if he was uncomfortable. the people here live in very 'humble' accommodations and i guess he was possibly embarrassed. so, he comes back with the snake, and i give him 15,000 colones (30 dollars) for his troubles. you cant imagine how happy he was.

here are some photos of the Boa and please let me know what type you think he is. he has grown a little bit since these pictures.






he has been fairly calm for being a wild caught Boa. i have been bitten now once. never have i suffered a strike or bite from any of my ball pythons. but, this bite from the boa was my fault. he was hanging out on my neck and started to explore a bit. he ended up slithering up on top of my head and when he lost balance, the tip of his tail went inside my left nostril. my wife is watching me and laughing and i am laughing because its tickling. as he/she fell, it secured a tight grip around my face. i was laughing through my nose trying not to open my mouth and was producing alot of hot air that was hitting my boa in its face. i noticed that the boa coiled back as if it was going to strike my face and i quickly put my hand up to grab it. i got tagged on my pinky. it took probably two solid weeks for the cut to heal.



i have gotten the boa out several times since the bite and had no problems.

are there any suggestions i need to hear about keeping a wild caught Boa?

thanks guys!

[blackcrystal22]

It looks like a RTB to me easily. The tail is more brown though.. I'm not sure if that is a trait more common with wild boas.

Considering you mentioned that he has grown I would assume he's eating well, yes? Does he show any sign of breathing issues, weird poop, ext.

It could be a good idea to get him to the vet for a check-up, but if he seems pretty healthy than thats completely up to you.

How big is he? Weight or length would be fine.

[edie]

"the laws here are very strict on owning wildlife. i have to go through quite a bit paperwork and problems to LEGALLY own my Boa. to me, this is ridiculous"

I don't think there is anything ridiculous about that - in a lot of places it is illegal to own the native wildlife (just like it is in America - there are plenty of wild animals here that cannot just be kept as a pet) and some places just have different laws regarding what can be kept. Have you done the paperwork for this boa?

[Jakob]

whoa edie, its ok dear. if you re-read my post, i didnt say that strict wildlife laws are ridiculous. i said, going through paperwork and other problems to own a BOA was ridiculous. absolutely, if some guy/girl happens to want to own a Fer de Lance, this being illegal is actually a good thing. but Boas and Balls are wonderful pets for the right people.

no, i have not and will not be going through the legal system here in costa rica to legally own a Boa. i have become friends with an exotic breeder here in costa rica and he has to show that he has a herpetologist on a monthly payroll that shows up and makes inspections. this is for 1 boa or 100. this, along with the paperwork is a major hassle for him. he said that if he had one of his babies die, he would have to freeze it and prove that it wasnt sold and it was, IN FACT dead.

please also keep in mind that i live in a third world country. my friend chooses to go through the legal process here so he can sell with ease to the costa rican public. in a country that is the main hub for cocaine coming out of columbia (since costa rica is a de-militarized country) the last thing they are focusing on is Boa-Control.

black crystal: i dont have a scale to weigh my Boa here. i would say he is around 3 feet 11 inches.

it doesnt appear that he has any respiratory issues at all. even when i hold his nose close to my ear. his tongue when it comes out is split...not together (i cant remember why i was told to check for that). he had one sign of battle damage from the last mouse/rat he ate before he was in my possession and that has almost cleared up perfectly after three sheddings.

the poop and urates seem normal to me. you could see his spine when i first got him, but now his is healthy. so yes, he is eating well.

i think as far as vet check ups, i might take him to whomever my friend takes his to.

please refresh my memory. a wild caught snake is more susceptible to having mites/parasites yes?

[blackcrystal22]

whoa edie, its ok dear. if you re-read my post, i didnt say that strict wildlife laws are ridiculous. i said, going through paperwork and other problems to own a BOA was ridiculous. absolutely, if some guy/girl happens to want to own a Fer de Lance, this being illegal is actually a good thing. but Boas and Balls are wonderful pets for the right people.

no, i have not and will not be going through the legal system here in costa rica to legally own a Boa. i have become friends with an exotic breeder here in costa rica and he has to show that he has a herpetologist on a monthly payroll that shows up and makes inspections. this is for 1 boa or 100. this, along with the paperwork is a major hassle for him. he said that if he had one of his babies die, he would have to freeze it and prove that it wasnt sold and it was, IN FACT dead.

please also keep in mind that i live in a third world country. my friend chooses to go through the legal process here so he can sell with ease to the costa rican public. in a country that is the main hub for cocaine coming out of columbia (since costa rica is a de-militarized country) the last thing they are focusing on is Boa-Control.

black crystal: i dont have a scale to weigh my Boa here. i would say he is around 3 feet 11 inches.

it doesnt appear that he has any respiratory issues at all. even when i hold his nose close to my ear. his tongue when it comes out is split...not together (i cant remember why i was told to check for that). he had one sign of battle damage from the last mouse/rat he ate before he was in my possession and that has almost cleared up perfectly after three sheddings.

the poop and urates seem normal to me. you could see his spine when i first got him, but now his is healthy. so yes, he is eating well.

i think as far as vet check ups, i might take him to whomever my friend takes his to.

please refresh my memory. a wild caught snake is more susceptible to having mites/parasites yes?

Not necessarily more susceptible, any snake could get them the same, but they are more likely because in the wild there are a lot more parasitic dangers than in captivity. :]

[Jakob]

i was really hoping to have more responses. or hear from people that have also kept a wild caught Boa.

but, of course, thank you edie and blackcrystal for your input.

[qiksilver]

you wouldn't have snake mites on a CA Bci, ticks sure. And there's always the chance of endoparasites.
So long as care requirements are met, and the animal is eating and drinking it shouldn't be a problem.

[Jakob]

qiksilver, ticks should only have been on the exterior correct? (nothing that burrows or anything crazy like that?) i know the question sounds ridiculous, but you guys are the ones that know more than me.

and out of curiosity, why would the CA BCI be mite-less?

[Dcommander]

Because there are no mites in Costa Rica!
Check your pm's!!!

[Jakob]

maybe this shot will give you guys a better visual of his/her size. what would you guess the age might be? 18 months or less?



both of these photos were taken last night.