hi there, surinam boa info. please.

Hi everyone!

im new to this site and am intending on puting some pics of my female ball python up soon. Shes about 6 months old and allready 2" long and about 275g. Anyways iv got the bug and i want to expand my collection! I have started research into surinam boas as they look amazing and seem to be a good second snake to get. Im looking for a larger snake, not as big as a burm though!

My questions are, does anyone own one and what experiences have you had with them? Also what is there temprament like and is it beter to get a cb baby or a slightly older snake? (definatley cb though). My ball python is amazingly calm and has not even attempted to bite me. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help! :)

Hey.. welcome to bp.net!

I own 3 surinam red tails. In comparison to the more common colombian red tail, these guys tend to get a bit bigger (some top 12' and 100lbs.. be forewarned!) and are a bit more high strung than colombians. Of my 3 two of them are fairly nervous snakes, but don't normally bite, but my biggest girl (over 7' and 20lbs) does bite on occasion.

I would definitely recommend getting a baby.. make sure it is from a reputable breeder and is well started. Very young surinames if raised improperly may refuse food, or get into the deadly habit of regurgitation (which is why it is very important to only feed once per week, and feed a small food item.. never handle the snake within 48 hours of feeding)

This is my big girl Ophelia.

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...8/DSCN1356.JPG

Young adult male Rowan

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...july06hsml.jpg

And an old picture of Julinar
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...inarmay06b.JPG

I hope this helps.

If the possibility of having a 12' snake is a little much for you(I know it is for me right now) then you could look into colombians. An adult male colombian will probably not grow much more than 8' if fed appropriately. You could even look into a hog island boa. The females stay in the 6' area. Theres even more types of boas than I've listed so don't limit your possibilities to just one. Research 'em all and choose one that you will like the best.

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Originally Posted by rx7eaven

Hi everyone!

im new to this site and am intending on puting some pics of my female ball python up soon. Shes about 6 months old and allready 2" long and about 275g. Anyways iv got the bug and i want to expand my collection! I have started research into surinam boas as they look amazing and seem to be a good second snake to get. Im looking for a larger snake, not as big as a burm though!

My questions are, does anyone own one and what experiences have you had with them? Also what is there temprament like and is it beter to get a cb baby or a slightly older snake? (definatley cb though). My ball python is amazingly calm and has not even attempted to bite me. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your help! :)

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thats just what i did. i wanted to expand and get a bigger snake, so i got a colombian. Surinames are super beautiful, but they also get bigger, and i would say stick with a Colombian. BUT its up to you. They are great snakes.

I have a yearling female Surinam and I love her to bits. She was a problem child with a regurge, then mites and then RI...but she's very sweet. She has two modes: spaz (especially coming out of and going back into her cage) and comotose (she's a great lap snake when she calms down), but she's never tried to bite either of us.

I don't have any super recent pictures of her, but here are a few older ones:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...cargrumpy2.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...menhungry2.jpg

i adore my boas... but it is important to remember that boas can carry IBD so a long term quarantine is necc when you bring them into your home. make sure you have another room to keep them in!

my male hog island boa is a sweetheart but definitely a handful. my surinam rtb is a little cutie and she's not nearly as naughty as my hog. :P

Carmen is, as I said, a year old, 40" and @600g - and VERY strong already.

It is good to remember that a 12' suriname is pretty UNcommon, but will happen. Most I've seen only hit around 8-9 for females and are fully mature and around 6 years old now. My friend breeds guyunans and surinames (pretty much the same thing) and his oldest female is 8 years old and is barely 30 lbs and around 9' or so. If you feed it too much, which is unhealthy for them, they will get larger. Most boas in captivity are obese and overfed. If you feed it right it should never get that large. Most Surinames caught in the wild are never over 6-7 feet long. The older they get, the less often they need to be fed. My adults only get fed once a month and they are ALL healthy and active, well-muscled snakes. I've seen more colombians over ten feet than surinames. What is more important to remember than the size is that a BCC are much more intolerant to husbandry errors and can be a little more aggresive than a Colombian can be. This is what I would think more upon when deciding wether to get a Colombian or a Suriname. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by jim020cricket

It is good to remember that a 12' suriname is pretty UNcommon, but will happen. Most I've seen only hit around 8-9 for females and are fully mature and around 6 years old now. My friend breeds guyunans and surinames (pretty much the same thing) and his oldest female is 8 years old and is barely 30 lbs and around 9' or so. If you feed it too much, which is unhealthy for them, they will get larger. Most boas in captivity are obese and overfed. If you feed it right it should never get that large. Most Surinames caught in the wild are never over 6-7 feet long. The older they get, the less often they need to be fed. My adults only get fed once a month and they are ALL healthy and active, well-muscled snakes. I've seen more colombians over ten feet than surinames. What is more important to remember than the size is that a BCC are much more intolerant to husbandry errors and can be a little more aggresive than a Colombian can be. This is what I would think more upon when deciding wether to get a Colombian or a Suriname. Good luck!

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Great post Jimi, Couldn't have said it better myself. Most any B.c.Ssp. that is over 9' and 40 lbs(Just a bit of an average) has been over fed at some point in its life.

cool, thanks for all your help guys and girls. I think im still gona go for a surinam but will carry on researching to be sure. Think my main problem is gona be finding one with a nice temprament. il keep you posted on what boa a go for as and when.

once again, thanks for your help. This sight is an invaluable resource and i have learnt alot from it.