Boa Suggestions?

I've got my little collection of ball pythons, and I love them to pieces.. but I've got the itch to get a boa. I've done a little research, and I'm curious about what kind of boa you guys would suggest. I'd prefer one that doesn't eat anything bigger than a medium rat. Housing and everything won't be an issue. I've got space and spare tubs/tanks to fit good sized snakes.

Dumeril's, Brazilian Rainbow, Hog Island, Sonoran, and Tarahumara all fit the bill.

One of my baby male ghost or hypo boas


The BronX BoA

I'd recommend a bci red tail. They do get a bit bigger than what you wanted (my biggest male only got to large rats). So, if you want a smaller boa, just get a male. They may get big but they are worth it. My boa's are my favorite animals I own or have ever owned (don't tell my ball pythons, lol). Hope I was of assistance. :D

I second the BCI red tail. I feed my 6ft girl med rats, usually 2, unless my BP doesn't eat then she would get 3. But that was really too much. But I now have an adult Carpet to go to.

Anyway the Boa is a lot of fun and not opposed to exercise if she overeats. :D


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Cool down with good afterburn!

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Any BCI, male or female is going to eventually outgrow a medium rat. But this will take 3+ years. And lets be honest, what is such a big difference between a medium and large rat? Dumerils boas can get big and girthy, Brazilian rainbows have an added humidity element that must be taken into account or they will perish. A male BCI when properly fed will tap out at 6 feet 'normally,' again after 3-4 years. Boas don't rocket up like burms or retics do. I love BCIs the best by far. Their usually docile temperament, when raised correctly, and multitudes of color morphs makes for a great animal to keep.

I have a Brazilian rainbow boa. They get to be around 6 feet from what I've read and are slightly thicker than a corn snake when full grown from what I've seen, so they won't need much more than. Babies are nippy little things (as with most snakes), but my 10 month old BRB is surprisingly docile. As far as handling she's somewhere between a corn snake and a ball python-she doesn't stay still like BPs usually do, but she's also not quite as ADHD as a corn snake. And after awhile she settles down even more and wraps around my wrist like a boa bracelet and will stay like that for quite a while. :P

I just got my first boa. A Brazilian Rainbow Boa. I've only had her two weeks but I think she's pretty awesome so far. She's very pissy in her tub and I'm still nervous about getting bitten but once she's out she seems okay. She just chills on my hand. She is so gorgeous, though. I wouldn't trade her for the world :)

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Originally Posted by hazzaram

I just got my first boa. A Brazilian Rainbow Boa. I've only had her two weeks but I think she's pretty awesome so far. She's very pissy in her tub and I'm still nervous about getting bitten but once she's out she seems okay. She just chills on my hand. She is so gorgeous, though. I wouldn't trade her for the world :)

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My Dumerils was pissy too and she'd strike lots when she was just a wee one. Especially at my husband, hahaha. Anything that made lots of sudden movements seemed to set her off. Now that she's older and mellowed out, she's a sweetheart and I love her to death!

But if you don't mind a bigger bodied snake, the Dums are amazing. I've heard from others too that they are awesome (provided that they are raised proper, like any animal, of course!!). I'm so so happy with my girl. But based off what I've read on boa sizes, I don't think you'll find an adult boa that will take a medium rat, those will probably be too small. Personally, I'm excited to see how big mine gets, I'll house her properly no matter what size she gets, but I'm hoping to switch her to f/t before she gets too big!!

BRBs are great, but it is important to understand that they have specific husbandry requirements above and beyond most boas that must be met. Especially as babies they require incredibly high humidity. This is an absolute must. If humidity dips too low for even a small amount of time they can dehydrate and die. If you live in an already humid area, and are committed to keeping the enclosure humid, it's not a big deal. But if you know that it's going to be a struggle to keep humidity up, I would choose a more forgiving animal husbandry wise. Also, keep in mind that high humidity enclosures require more cleaning and mold prevention.