Any recommendations?

Also like I said, if you are looking for morphs, BCI is the way to go. This is my girl I got from Ash Lopez at Black Forest Constrictors. A Redgroup/Burke Lipstick line sunglow poss super sunglow BCI female. A lot have already seen this photo as it is one of the ones Ash sent me. I haven't gotten a digital camera yet :( [IMG]http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/...psuyfzcw3z.jpg[/IMG]

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

Thanks alot Gio. You have been very helpful. I will definitely be doing alot of reading. Ive always wanted a boa so i will do my best to learn as much as i can about them before i get one. Beautiful boa you got there. What is he eating?

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Thanks,

This animal is being raised to be large, but conservatively. It is a male, but because I don't have a single female BC is the house the snake will never experience the pheromones released by a female in season for breeding. That alone is something that can help with the size of a male.

If you run your temps on the higher recommended end of the scale you can expect to see some additional growth as well.

I feed using a feast or famine schedule. During the early part of his life he was fed small rats weekly, then medium rats 10-14 days. I moved up to large rats and the quail equivalent and he usually goes about 20 days.

However I have gone beyond 30 days to clean him out, and dropped back to medium rats, and then I've fed him a few meals in shorter intervals.

Now I am at the top of his food potential for food, I'll use 1-1.5 pound bunnies, as well as large rats and quail mixed up in frequency. This year will probably be his last "big growth year".

This winter I'll follow a temp drop cycle along with decreased light. I'm expecting he'll not eat from November to April.


He will hit 3 years old June 27th.

Do they all stop eating at some point?

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

Do they all stop eating at some point?

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Not at all,

The seasonal changes will have a natural effect on the frequency but they don't stop eating for good.

If you look at where I said I drop the temps in the winter (a natural occurrence) the snake will eat less.

A young snake will probably feed year round for the first couple of years, and some keepers do not adjust temps, or daylight.

There are a host of other factors, and even with no human adjustments in husbandry, a boa will still feel what happens in the outside world to an extent.

If your focus is to have a large boa, start with a female, and look into one of the larger locality BCCs or even the Argentine boa constrictor.

Just my two cents, but to be specific, there aren't any true BCC morphs. BCC localities are such that their genetic lineages are traced to geographical locations with distinct characteristics. Any introduction of the common boa genetic morphologies are from breeding a BCC x BCI, and would not produce a 100% BCC bloodline anymore. Most BCC breeders cringe at the thought of "watering down" the pure BCC heritage line. IMO though I tend to like BCIs best anyways! But there isn't much that can compete with a full size Suri's tail.

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

Do they all stop eating at some point?

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BCIs are garbage disposals and will eat pretty much anything, anywhere, anytime. Also if you want a large BCC, go female and make sure the parents were large too. Like I said, Star Shaffer breeds BCC and she has some Suris that are only 6-7', even smaller than some of the BCIs. So if your goal is big, make sure it comes from big parents to up your chances....or just get a mainland retic or green anaconda :P

How much more difficult is bcc husbandry vs bci?

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

How much more difficult is bcc husbandry vs bci?

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Not much if you pay attention to husbandry closely. I personally would keep a Suriname BCC on mice for it's first year. Pay attention to seasonal changes and adjust your temps to coincide with the season. It is not normal or healthy for a BC to eat year round for the duration of its life. While the first year or 2 you could certainly be "regular," I'd highly recommend using the seasonal method that Vin Russo and Gus Rentfro lay out in their writings.

There is something very unique about the body shape of a lean, muscular BC.


If you are old enough, and responsible enough, I don't see any reason you couldn't care for a BCC.

One of the BCC species that does not suffer the same sensitivity issues that the Suri or Guyana boas are said to have, are the Peruvian boas.

These can also be the largest BCCs.

Thanks again Gio. I will be ordering THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR today.

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Originally Posted by Gerardo

Thanks again Gio. I will be ordering THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR today.

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Good for you! Great start to your research.

I think you will be thrilled with that book.

Also Legacy Reptiles has a wonderful breeding program. They have a lot of Gus Rentfro's old stock and a number of other localities from various high end BCC breeders plus what they do on their own.