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Originally Posted by Physician&Snakes

I know a lot of people that started with Colombians and are still doing great. How big is the specimen right now? There is no set length for any species, haveing maintained a small breeding colony of 30 boas at my old job I can tell you now that size varies considerable among BCIs (Colombians), I have a male that has maxed out at around 6.5ft and my female might just be flirting with the 9ft mark right now, I have not measured her in a awhile. Care is pretty straight forward. Handeling is a mix, some will sit with you, but most are quite active. Hope that helps, if you want more advice on husbandry just let me know.

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I found a deal on Craig's list. Someone owns a 5-6 foot Colombian red tail boa that they want to get rid of. They have had it for 7 years. It comes with a 3 foot long cage. Debating on if I should do it? It's a good deal.

As long as the prey is feed appropriately that's all the snake needs. Along with quality rodent food I add fresh food as well.

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Research the columbian red tail boa and see if it is something you would be willing to take on. See how big it gets, what it eats (size wise etc) and what husbandry you need for it. Don't just go for it because it is a good deal without doing some good research first. There isn't a guide on what you should have for your first snake, everyone likes different things. If you think this is the snake for you then you could go for it. I like BP's as a personal preference but I wouldn't simply discard other breeds of snake for other people.

I do prefer going for the younger snakes as you grow and learn with them but there is no harm in going for an adult if you feel ready for that.

I found this on google where an owner said she would not recommend for a beginner as they are classed as medium to hard experience level:

"because of their size and care needs, I wouldn’t recommend them to people without at least some experience handling large reptiles, and I wouldn’t dream of recommending them to beginners. I have owned five of them"

And more info I found off the same person about Columbian red tail boas:

Size: Males average between 5-8 feet, females average between 7-10, though I have had females that have been 11-12 feet in length. Keep in mind that a snake that large is very awkward to handle, and can be fifty plus pounds. If you don’t have someone to help you handle the snake as it grows; I would suggest getting a male. It simply isn’t safe to handle any constrictor over eight feet long without another person around, no matter how docile your snake may be. Accidents can and do happen.

Feeding: Feed one appropriately sized rodent weekly. The general rule of thumb is to feed a prey item that is roughly the same in diameter as the widest part of your snake’s body. They have a massive feeding instinct, so it is often best to offer food on tongs. They are capable of taking rats from the time they are babies, and some of the larger females do best with rabbits. PLEASE remember that with rats in particular, it is imperative to feed pre-killed or at least stunned rodents to your snake. NEVER offer a life rat. Rats are very intelligent animals that will fight back; and are quite capable of seriously injuring or even killing your snake.

Temperament: They are generally docile, but must be handled regularly throughout its life in order to make it as friendly as it can possibly be. Babies can be nippy when young, but usually grow out of that stage with frequent handling. Most of them are quite mild mannered, and are one of the best tempered larger constrictors. Please remember that you’ll need someone to help you if you handle any snake longer than six to eight feet long. They seem prone to being moody at times, (particularly the females, for whatever reason) and while not all; some of them will randomly decide that they don’t like certain people for no good reason. For example, my eleven foot female, Bella, loves everyone and is an exceptionally friendly snake, however she absolutely loathes my best friend’s brother. She will lunge at him if he so much as walks by her cage, God forbid he get near her when she is being handled. He has learned to give her a wide berth.

Lifespan: If well cared for; they can live 20+ years in captivity.

Caging requirements: As adults; they need a minimum cage size of 10 square feet. I generally keep my females in cages that are eight feet long by two feet wide by two feet deep, and my males in cages that are six feet long by two feet wide by two feet deep. They do grow pretty quickly, so be prepared to purchase several different cages for them. They seem to do best in closed top, front opening cages that keep the humidity in. If that isn’t practical and you use a typical tank with screen lid set up, try covering most if not all of the top with a towel or something similar to keep the humidity from escaping.

Heating/Humidity: The temperature gradient in the cage should be maintained with a basking spot of 95-97 degrees with an ambient (background) temperature in the low 80’s. This can be achieved by under-tank heating pads, heat lamps, or ceramic heat emitters. They are medium-high humidity snakes that should be kept with a large water dish for drinking and soaking, and should have their cage misted every other day or so, or depending on the substrate you use, up to twice daily.

Substrate: While there are plenty of options out there (repti-bark, aspen, cypress, paper towels, etc) mine have done best when kept on Eco-Earth substrate by Zoo-med. It is compressed coconut dirt that holds humidity very well, doesn’t need to be misted often, seems resistant to mold, is relatively cheap, looks great, and my snakes have all been healthier and better hydrated since I’ve been using it.

Have a read through and see what you think, personally I would say not for your first snake but who am I to dictate your personal choices :)

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

Research the columbian red tail boa and see if it is something you would be willing to take on. See how big it gets, what it eats (size wise etc) and what husbandry you need for it. Don't just go for it because it is a good deal without doing some good research first. There isn't a guide on what you should have for your first snake, everyone likes different things. If you think this is the snake for you then you could go for it. I like BP's as a personal preference but I wouldn't simply discard other breeds of snake for other people.

I do prefer going for the younger snakes as you grow and learn with them but there is no harm in going for an adult if you feel ready for that.

I found this on google where an owner said she would not recommend for a beginner as they are classed as medium to hard experience level:

"because of their size and care needs, I wouldn’t recommend them to people without at least some experience handling large reptiles, and I wouldn’t dream of recommending them to beginners. I have owned five of them"

And more info I found off the same person about Columbian red tail boas:

Size: Males average between 5-8 feet, females average between 7-10, though I have had females that have been 11-12 feet in length. Keep in mind that a snake that large is very awkward to handle, and can be fifty plus pounds. If you don’t have someone to help you handle the snake as it grows; I would suggest getting a male. It simply isn’t safe to handle any constrictor over eight feet long without another person around, no matter how docile your snake may be. Accidents can and do happen.

Feeding: Feed one appropriately sized rodent weekly. The general rule of thumb is to feed a prey item that is roughly the same in diameter as the widest part of your snake’s body. They have a massive feeding instinct, so it is often best to offer food on tongs. They are capable of taking rats from the time they are babies, and some of the larger females do best with rabbits. PLEASE remember that with rats in particular, it is imperative to feed pre-killed or at least stunned rodents to your snake. NEVER offer a life rat. Rats are very intelligent animals that will fight back; and are quite capable of seriously injuring or even killing your snake.

Temperament: They are generally docile, but must be handled regularly throughout its life in order to make it as friendly as it can possibly be. Babies can be nippy when young, but usually grow out of that stage with frequent handling. Most of them are quite mild mannered, and are one of the best tempered larger constrictors. Please remember that you’ll need someone to help you if you handle any snake longer than six to eight feet long. They seem prone to being moody at times, (particularly the females, for whatever reason) and while not all; some of them will randomly decide that they don’t like certain people for no good reason. For example, my eleven foot female, Bella, loves everyone and is an exceptionally friendly snake, however she absolutely loathes my best friend’s brother. She will lunge at him if he so much as walks by her cage, God forbid he get near her when she is being handled. He has learned to give her a wide berth.

Lifespan: If well cared for; they can live 20+ years in captivity.

Caging requirements: As adults; they need a minimum cage size of 10 square feet. I generally keep my females in cages that are eight feet long by two feet wide by two feet deep, and my males in cages that are six feet long by two feet wide by two feet deep. They do grow pretty quickly, so be prepared to purchase several different cages for them. They seem to do best in closed top, front opening cages that keep the humidity in. If that isn’t practical and you use a typical tank with screen lid set up, try covering most if not all of the top with a towel or something similar to keep the humidity from escaping.

Heating/Humidity: The temperature gradient in the cage should be maintained with a basking spot of 95-97 degrees with an ambient (background) temperature in the low 80’s. This can be achieved by under-tank heating pads, heat lamps, or ceramic heat emitters. They are medium-high humidity snakes that should be kept with a large water dish for drinking and soaking, and should have their cage misted every other day or so, or depending on the substrate you use, up to twice daily.

Substrate: While there are plenty of options out there (repti-bark, aspen, cypress, paper towels, etc) mine have done best when kept on Eco-Earth substrate by Zoo-med. It is compressed coconut dirt that holds humidity very well, doesn’t need to be misted often, seems resistant to mold, is relatively cheap, looks great, and my snakes have all been healthier and better hydrated since I’ve been using it.

Have a read through and see what you think, personally I would say not for your first snake but who am I to dictate your personal choices :)

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Lol, I would be very interested to know where this keeper got his stock, because I think those males have BCC blood in them. Also, with adult boas the general rule is feeding every other week...neonates and juveniles will take every week though; adults are fed less simply because while they may not be done putting on length, they are generally done putting on Bulk and feeding every other week helps prevent obesity. If the specimen is seven years old and around 6ft then I would be very surprised if he/she were to grow over a foot more, though it is possible. A 3ft long cage is pushing it on size as the minimum is 48''X18''. Eco earth is not mold resistant in my experience, even with moderately tropical species, it will work fine though if you add a small top layer of cypress mulch (natural pH inhibits fungal growth). I personally do not like any part of my boa cages hitting above 95F, my basking spots are a solid 90-92F with an ambient temps in the low to mid 80s. If we are going by the shear number of specimens that a hobbyists has cared for then in addition to my personal pair of specimens, I cared for 30 breeder boas and their yearly offspring for 7.5 years. If you're dedicated both species would be an excellent starter, if it were me though, I would probably get the ball...Browse http://shop.newenglandreptile.com/11...thon-under-400 for some great specimens under $400 shipped. Hope that helps.

Ball pythons are fairly easy, but they are sensitive to temps and enclosure set ups. That can be really frustrating to a new snake keeper. I always recommend Kenyan Sand Boas to new snake owners because they are incredibly easy to care for, and VERY hardly.

My sister holding a sand boa boquet :)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...oa/ksbs009.jpg

They are fun little snakes if you aren't quiet ready to dive into ball pythons. They are more like little worms than snakes when they are young.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...andBoas030.jpg

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Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Ball pythons are fairly easy, but they are sensitive to temps and enclosure set ups. That can be really frustrating to a new snake keeper. I always recommend Kenyan Sand Boas to new snake owners because they are incredibly easy to care for, and VERY hardly.

My sister holding a sand boa boquet :)
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...oa/ksbs009.jpg

They are fun little snakes if you aren't quiet ready to dive into ball pythons. They are more like little worms than snakes when they are young.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...andBoas030.jpg

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I second this as a more than viable option, I love my little anery sand boa.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-x...130521_761.jpg

I'm planning on going to repticon this weekend. Maybe I'll go and check some out there before I make my final decision

Sent from my HTCONE

It's a good idea to get a feel for each different type of snake! I think it'll really help you to decide what one is for you! Good luck and keep us updated! :D

I will, is there generally better deals at repticon?

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Originally Posted by kingkung

I will, is there generally better deals at repticon?

Sent from my HTCONE

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Hell yes. I got my beautiful Aru gtp for a straight $400, when I usually see them for about $500 shipped. Just do not take anything "too good", no $20 jungle jags.