Questions before getting a boa

[ev477]

I'm pretty sure I want to get a red tailed boa... I'm not sure on all the details about them and have heard some conflicting data.
What is the differences between a BCI and BCC? How would I be able to see the differences when purchasing?
How big are they supposed to get? a BCI smaller than BCC? doesn't matter? Is male vs. female the biggest difference?
I think I know the answer to this one already but would a 40 gallon tank be big enough for about a 3 foot boa? (assuming it's 36x18x.... )
How fast will they become full grown or what is their growth rate if you feed them weekly/proper sized prey? One year or several?

[AndrewGeibel]

It will take several years for a boa to become its adult size. Mine is somewhere around 4 feet long and about a year and a half old. A lot of the growth rate depends on genetics/feeding. A BCI is the best bet and you will most likely know if you see a BCC because its likely to be more expensive. BCC are less forgiving in their husbandry and if I understand correctly tend to maybe get a little larger. If you are worried about size go with a BCI male. As for the differences between BCI and BCC the saddles on the BCI look more like )( whereas on a BCC they typically look more like {}. I'm sure someone here with more experience can explain a little more.

[ncbloods]

The differences with BCC/BCI involve scale counts, saddle counts, and locality. Size has less to do with BCC/BCI and more to do with locality. As far as purchasing, as a general rule your regular red tails are usually BCIs, and your locality boas are BCCs. Females do get significantly larger than males. Like Andrew said, they are fairly slow growing snakes and take several years to mature. A 3x1.5 is fine for a 3' snake.

[starmom]

Were this me, I would list my questions in an email to Jimi (jimisnakes.com) or read his web site and also read Gus' site (riobravoreptiles.com) for locality (bcc) information.

[Thor26]

a RTB would do fine in a 40 for about a year then id move up to a 75 which will last about another year after that =]

[AndrewGeibel]

In all honesty I would go with a pvc type plastic enclosure rather than a tank. Something from boaphile, animal plastics, or many other manufacturers. They are much better at keeping in humidity as well as being much easier to clean. They can be expensive but you will thank yourself later. I have mine in a tub and will soon be moving to an animal plastics enclosure with radiant heat panel.

[Thor26]

if you have the money i totally agree but if you do go with a tank use an acryllic lid it helps humidity ALOT

[AndrewGeibel]

Very true. At the least cover most of the top with something ... My BP she just fine in a tank but my boa has issues shedding if the humidity is under 70% during a shed.

[ev477]

if you have the money i totally agree but if you do go with a tank use an acryllic lid it helps humidity ALOT

I think I am ending up getting a deal on a tank along with the snake, heat mats, and a light. I hope the thermostats and thermometers come with it, but if not it's still a good deal for the price I will be paying. What's the acrylic lid? where would I find one of those?

[AndrewGeibel]

I haven't actually seen acrylic lids for sale. You may need to get something like plexi glass and just cut it to the dimensions of the top of the cage. One thing to be aware of is that boa's are very strong and make sure that lid is very secure.