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  • 10-09-2017, 12:30 PM
    dakski
    Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    We got our first Boa yesterday!

    She's a 2016 (so about 1 1/2 years old) Ivory Ghost BCI.

    She is incredibly docile and calm, and quite beautiful. We named her Behira because it means "light" and "clear" in Hebrew.

    She's a lighter morph and her eyes are bright blue-grey.

    Inserted is a picture I took of her as well as photos from the breeder. I will get more, and better photos up soon.

    We can't wait to watch her grow! We will update!

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psgpemplfx.jpg

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pscvu7zbly.jpg

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psrkjidoic.jpg
  • 10-09-2017, 01:03 PM
    ladywhipple02
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    she's beautiful... mind if I ask who you purchased her from?
  • 10-09-2017, 01:10 PM
    cletus
    Beautiful boa! Congrats!
  • 10-09-2017, 02:33 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    We got her from BoaKings, a small breeder in NY.

    We live in CT and wanted to meet the breeder and snake before purchase. He (Gil) was great and worked with us to make sure we got a docile animal. That was our top priority. She is a 2016, not a 2017, but was the temperament we wanted and we loved the morph. She is young enough we can still watch her grow, but old enough that she is pretty tough and sturdy.

    We had narrowed in down to 2 animals and settled on her. Being a smaller breeder, Gil really knew the animals personalities and was able to point us in the right direction.

    I really cannot say enough about how awesome she is and how helpful Boakings was.
  • 10-09-2017, 09:19 PM
    Tigerhawk
    She looks nice. You can't go wrong with Boa's .
  • 10-09-2017, 10:39 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quick update.

    Today was feeding day for the snakes and I decided to offer food to Behira as well. Worst case, if she didn't eat, and was still settling in, I'd try again in a few days.

    SHE ATE LIKE A CHAMP!

    I am very happy. She seems to be settling in nicely!
  • 10-24-2017, 11:00 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Behira has eaten 3 times and we have had her for 2 1/2 weeks now. We feed every 7 days right now, and have been giving about 50G weaned rats. She can take bigger, but I wanted to start her off small. She's 499G as of today (and about 3 feet), but is due to poop, so probably a little less. Either way, may start on 60-65G small rats soon. All frozen thawed.

    In the meantime, I can see her growing! She's getting bigger by the day.

    Here are some pics. I am blown away by the light and dark phases she goes through in a day.

    Just had a soak!

    [IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psxixqwu3o.jpg[/IMG]



    [IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...psihoqmmiw.jpg[/IMG]

    [IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...pswbtmsgog.jpg[/IMG]
  • 11-05-2017, 10:51 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quick update. Behira had her first shed with us today. She looks beautiful (pics coming soon, probably tomorrow).

    Until her "ideal setup" comes in a couple of weeks from boaphile, I have her in a tank that is good for humidity, not bad like a screen top, but not great either. So I have been misting and soaking her daily.

    She had a perfect shed! 2 eye caps and all in one piece. Awesome!
  • 11-06-2017, 04:55 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
  • 11-13-2017, 08:37 PM
    Codil7
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:
    Beautiful girl! I just recently got one of my own who appears to be roughly the same age. Looking forward to seeing both of ours grow and progress.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • 01-07-2018, 11:37 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Wanted to update a few things on Behira.

    First, pictures are below and she is now 720G, but is due for some massive waste. My guess is she about 650G. She was 464G when we got her at the beginning of October. She is also starting to go in blue, and will shed this week, so her colors aren't vibrant, but I wanted to show the size difference. I'll post more pics after her shed.

    Secondly, I wanted to mention that I am changing her feeding schedule. She began eating small rats (55-65G) last month (3 rats) and then ate a 75G +/- rat last feeding. She's growing fast, and has no trouble with those prey items, however, I have read that feeding weekly once they get to small rats isn't the best idea. I've read multiple places that feeding even appropriate size prey weekly to Boas when they get to small rats and/or are 2 years old (she's about 1 year and 8 months, give or take), can cause them to grow too fast and cause premature death. Power-feeding, can cause Boa's to die before the age of 6, instead of living a long 20+ year life.

    I want what's best for her, so I am going to every two weeks for feeding. Apparently, feeding small items every week doesn't always work, because they often won't eat prey too small for them. And BCI's metabolism is slow, so appropriate sized meals every two weeks until she gets bigger is the plan. Then I plan to switch her to every 3 weeks once she's eating XL and Jumbo rats and her growing has slowed.

    Any thoughts on this are welcomed, as I am new to BCI's.

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../3/small_2.jpg

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../3/3/small.jpg

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../3/small_3.jpg
  • 01-08-2018, 12:35 AM
    Sauzo
    My feeding schedule for all my boas is once every 7-10 days on mice. Once on weaned/small rats, every 2 weeks. Then when on medium rats, every 3 weeks. Then when on large rats, every 4 weeks. A boa wont need a jumbo rat until it is 7-8 ft or larger and by then you can feed little rabbits. If feeding rabbits, i would do every 6 weeks as they are much more dense.

    Also, my boas stay on mice until they are about 1.5 years old or older. I dont rush them and like to feed on the smaller side to begin with. It's way too easy to overfeed a boa and since they have such a slow metabolism, it's easy to overfeed them but takes a very long time to slim them back down. BCI are much more forgiving on overfeeding. BCC are not. They can develop regurgitation syndrome which will kill them.

    And your boa wont need jumbos for at least 5 years. My 5+ year old 6.5 ft girl is on large rats once a month and my almost 6 ft 4 year old sunglow girl is on mediums still but might be graduating to large rats soon. Heck, my almost 1.5 year old suriname BCC is on adult mice as well as my 1.5 year old Peruvian long tail BCL and my almost 2 year old salmon het sharp snowglow BCI. They all get mice every 2 weeks. Less is more when it comes to boas. Keep em lean and mean for a good long life.
  • 01-08-2018, 12:37 AM
    Sauzo
    Oh and you might notice how i say every 7-10 days for mice and then i say every 2 weeks for mice. This is because up to 1 year old i tend to feed every 7-10 days until they are on adult mice. Then i switch them to every 2 weeks and just stick to that schedule even with weaned/small rats.
  • 01-10-2018, 12:29 AM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Sauzo, thank you again. I really appreciate the input.

    Also, as mentioned, Behira is about to shed, so I have been soaking her.

    Last night she dropped a big old poop and urate right in her soaking container! Not pleasant for anyone, but she was due!

    She went from 720G a few days ago to 640G post MWD (Massive Waste Drop).

    Let's keep the Boa posts alive on well here! I love my BP, and BP's in general, but this is such a good site, it would be nice to see more Boa, and other reptile related, posts.
  • 01-10-2018, 02:58 AM
    Sauzo
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    Sauzo, thank you again. I really appreciate the input.

    Also, as mentioned, Behira is about to shed, so I have been soaking her.

    Last night she dropped a big old poop and urate right in her soaking container! Not pleasant for anyone, but she was due!

    She went from 720G a few days ago to 640G post MWD (Massive Waste Drop).

    Let's keep the Boa posts alive on well here! I love my BP, and BP's in general, but this is such a good site, it would be nice to see more Boa, and other reptile related, posts.

    Dont soak a boa that is in blue. The 'blue' is actually liquid between the new and old skin. Soaking them can remove that liquid/oils from them and really mess up their shed. A lot of people say you need to up humidity when in shed but that is only after they are out of blue and really, you shouldnt need to up humidity if the boa is correctly hydrated.

    I almost never up my humidity anymore for any of my boas and they all shed fine. Same with my retic and BP. I usually try to keep around 70% humidity but with winter, i have been rather lazy and let it drop to 60-65% and have yet to see a problem. Actually my snakes seem to not like really high humidity and will push to try and get out. I sometimes spike the humidity by misting the aspen pretty heavy but i usually only do that once or maybe twice a week and then let it dry out.

    And you want not pleasant.....imagine a 7 foot retic parking his bum over your bare foot and pissing on it lol. Caesar did that to me once and he also pooped on the floor once too. And a 7 foot retic can rip a small child sized poop easily haha.

    And yeah, i need to get some new pics of my boas up. Gina my suriname has really grown and filled out since i got her. I need to get some pics of her and some new pics of Louie my BCL who has grown like a weed since i got him. He was really shy for a few months but has since become bold and is out every night climbing all over or perching on the litter dam looking down and he has gotten big lol.
  • 01-10-2018, 05:43 AM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Great looking ghost there,it’s mad the difference in colour a boa can be from morning to night some times, Enjoy boas are great


    Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
  • 01-10-2018, 09:31 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by richardhind1972 View Post
    Great looking ghost there,it’s mad the difference in colour a boa can be from morning to night some times, Enjoy boas are great


    Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk

    Yeah, she has her dark and light phases. It's pretty cool.

    Really enjoying my first BCI, she's awesome.

    I will post pictures post shed.
  • 01-10-2018, 09:41 PM
    AbsoluteApril
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    I want what's best for her, so I am going to every two weeks for feeding. Apparently, feeding small items every week doesn't always work, because they often won't eat prey too small for them.

    I think everything's been covered so I'm just throwing my $0.02 in on this - boas will eat small prey without issue, if one of my snakes refuses their f/t weaned rat or adult mouse for whatever reason and my corns and king were already fed, I'll toss it to one of my 4' boas and they happily snack it up (it's also rather comical to see a 4' boa try to coil an adult mouse).
    :D
  • 01-10-2018, 11:31 PM
    Sauzo
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril View Post
    I think everything's been covered so I'm just throwing my $0.02 in on this - boas will eat small prey without issue, if one of my snakes refuses their f/t weaned rat or adult mouse for whatever reason and my corns and king were already fed, I'll toss it to one of my 4' boas and they happily snack it up (it's also rather comical to see a 4' boa try to coil an adult mouse).
    :D

    Haha yeah. I tossed Vicky a weaned rat back when Dottie was on those and refused it. Watching Vicky try to coil a weaned rat at about 5 feet long was hilarious.
  • 01-14-2018, 05:40 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
  • 01-14-2018, 07:11 PM
    Godzilla78
    Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post

    Nice! We need more photos of snakes chilling with their keepers. It makes it more emotional. [emoji1360]




    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • 01-24-2018, 09:57 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Just a quick photo. Behira is very photogenic. Now, if I got just get her to hold still when I want. LOL

    I know the focus is not great, but I liked the photo!

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...face_close.png
  • 01-24-2018, 10:53 PM
    svtvenom
    I love her eyes! I'm new to boas and I've never seen one with grey eyes like that.
  • 01-24-2018, 11:08 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by svtvenom View Post
    I love her eyes! I'm new to boas and I've never seen one with grey eyes like that.

    Her eyes blew me away. One of the reasons I picked an ivory ghost.

    Of course my BP is albino and has red eyes and my corn is hypo-lavender and has purple eyes!

    So Many different colors.
  • 01-24-2018, 11:20 PM
    svtvenom
    If I ever get another boa I might have to get an ivory ghost! lol
  • 01-27-2018, 02:48 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    I couldn't help it. I usually take Behira out in the evening, when she is often in her darker phase. Today, I took her out in the morning, and she was light as can be!

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

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...a_close_up.jpg
  • 01-27-2018, 03:36 PM
    richardhind1972
    Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Boas have such cool eyes , i love the two tone, I have one with just black eyes aswell tho


    Sent from my iPod touch using Tapatalk
  • 02-05-2018, 07:07 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Behira weighed in at 670G today after a big waste dump.

    She seems to be doing great and I am down to feeding a small rat every two weeks. I confirmed with the breeder that she was born in June 2016, so she is a little more than a 1 1/2 years old.

    Still tame as anything once out of the cage, although we had an incident yesterday when I went to pick her up. Let's just say she was not in the mood. I will be using a hook from now on to let her know I will be picking her up.

    I am very happy with her slow growth and in general, couldn't be happier with her.
  • 02-10-2018, 11:19 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Wanted to post a picture today and a quick update.

    Pretty sure after doing some research and from another post here https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Hook-Training, that my bite last weekend was a feeding response. Hers is strong and I misread the cues. I am now hook training and it's going great.

    She is still incredibly docile and inquisitive once out of her tank, but since she will be 7+ FT one day, I am being diligent with hook training.

    To be clear, I do not blame her, it was totally my fault. Afterwards, she let me pick her up, and was like, "sorry dad, thought you were food :(."

    Hook training makes all the sense in the world (she will be by far the biggest snake I have had - BP's and corns before her) and I still adore her.

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil..._at_camera.jpg
  • 02-10-2018, 11:32 PM
    CALM Pythons
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Love her Markings [emoji1362][emoji216]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • 02-10-2018, 11:45 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by CALM Pythons View Post
    Love her Markings [emoji1362][emoji216]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Yeah, me too! Subtle, but striking, if that makes sense?

    Her tail pattern is almost grayish purple and her tongue is blackish blue.

    LOVE her eyes (gray and blue) and her temperament. We basically asked the breeder what his tamest snake (BCI) was. He sent us pictures of three snakes. We liked her the best. There was a hypo male who looked pretty cool too. But, we are incredibly happy with Behira.

    Was also considering a Sunglow or Sunglow Motley, but already having an Albino Spider BP, wanted something a little different.

    For those who are curious, Behira is a Ivory Ghost, 66% Het Moonglow. So, she is Hypo Anery.

    As indicated in this thread, she has light and dark phases, as do all BCI's. Her head can almost jet black or totally tan and her body can be dark tan to light tan.
  • 02-14-2018, 11:29 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    One picture Katie took of me and Behira. She doesn't seem so small until I see a picture of me holding her compared to adult female BCI's! Anyway, love her to death (both Katie and Behira) and can't wait to see her grow (Behira).

    She is only 1 1/2 or so and about 700G. BCI's grow slow, so it will be a while, but it's all good. Healthy snake over rushing her growth!

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...a_and_dave.jpg
  • 02-15-2018, 02:37 PM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    She looks a nice solid girl, great markings on her ,slow grown is much better anyway dakski,


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • 02-15-2018, 02:38 PM
    AbsoluteApril
    She's such a doll! So pretty
  • 02-16-2018, 11:46 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Okay, probably overdoing the new camera thing, but with such pretty animals, and Behira being such a gorgeous young lady, who could resist?

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

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...gue_326076.jpg

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...se_up_face.jpg
  • 02-17-2018, 04:21 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Thought I'd post in Behira's thread, a thread I started yesterday regarding how big Behira will get! Seemed appropriate to put here as well.

    https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...et-myself-into

    Thank you everyone for the thanks and support with Behira. She is my first BCI and I adore her, but also want to make sure I am continuing to do the correct things for her. I want a happy and healthy snake for a long time!

    I will continue to update as she grows, although maybe not so often! I still have new snake fever!
  • 02-17-2018, 04:38 PM
    ckuhn003
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Several months ago when I got my 1st BP, I had no interests in a BOA but I've gotten the itch pretty bad these last couple of weeks looking at your threads and the rest of the boa owners. I would never pull the trigger w/o a massive amount of research but Behira is stunning! I'll admit, I've been looking at Hog Island Boas but she his stunning. It seems like Boas are a little bit more social and better eaters then BPs which is very appealing right now. Congrats on a great find!
  • 02-17-2018, 09:49 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ckuhn003 View Post
    Several months ago when I got my 1st BP, I had no interests in a BOA but I've gotten the itch pretty bad these last couple of weeks looking at your threads and the rest of the boa owners. I would never pull the trigger w/o a massive amount of research but Behira is stunning! I'll admit, I've been looking at Hog Island Boas but she his stunning. It seems like Boas are a little bit more social and better eaters then BPs which is very appealing right now. Congrats on a great find!

    Thank you, I think Behira is stunning as well! Great contrast of coloration and markings on her, and her eyes are beautiful!

    Yes, BCI's (what most morphs are - but always check - BCC's need more humidity and grow slower but get bigger) will devour any food put in front of them, pretty much. Behira is more like my corn snake in terms of food response than my BP, for sure. The problem with Boa's is NOT overfeeding. It can be really bad for their health. Behira is 1 1/2 (roughly - June 16 baby), and I am already feeding small rats (but smaller than she can eat - 60G or so when she could eat 80G) every other week. She would happily eat weekly or more, but I do not want health issues later. Smaller meal every two weeks. Basically, the bigger the snake and the bigger the prey item, the longer between feedings. Adult BCI's can eat large/jumbo/colossal rats every 3-4 weeks (again depending on size of boa and prey relative to boa). Their metabolism is SLOW!

    A strong feeding response is awesome compared to a BP who, as you know, can fast or refuse food. I don't think you really need to worry about that with BCI's. However, long hemostats/tongs and being careful is a must!

    There are some amazing morphs of BCI's and many are not super expensive. Behira was about $500. However, there are many beautiful morphs for that or less. I love the Hypos as well, and they are closer to $200-300 or so, from what I have seen (from the same breeder I got Behira from and I like very much). I am partial to Sunglows as well, but already having an Albino BP, went in another direction.

    However, moving from a BP up to a BCI you have to consider a lot.

    1. Experience level - BCI's in particular are generally puppy dog tame, but they do get BIG, females in particular. I asked the breeder for the tamest BCI he had, male or female, and Behira was one of 3 finalists. We loved her coloration and markings and her eyes! A tame young BCI will likely be a tame adult with proper handling, husbandry, etc. They can be nippy when young, as can BP's, but tend to grow out of it.

    I think richardhind1972 has a BCI, Medusa, that took a while to calm down, LOL. However, I think that is rarer than it is common.

    2. Costs and ability to provide for: Food, heating, proper sized enclosure (BIG - especially if you have a female) that can maintain heat AND humidity, etc.

    3. Place in life and where you live and if you own, rent, or plan to move soon. Moving a 4FT BP isn't a huge deal and I imagine most landlords don't mind. However, a 7-8FT female BCI, in a 6 foot enclosure, that's asking a lot and is a big commitment.

    4. Spouse, partner, future partner, etc. It took Katie a while to get used to the reptiles and I do not think she is thrilled about how big Behira will be. Could you imagine her coming to my house, or hearing that I had a BIG snake, before she was comfortable with even Figment (my corn) or Shayna my BP.

    Not trying to preach, but I thought about all this when I got Behira. It is definitely a bigger commitment getting a large snake as opposed to a smaller one. I just want anyone considering a BCI to know what they should think about.

    Having said that, I think she is one the coolest animals I have ever had. She is calm, but inquisitive, and more active when being held than most BP's, but without being daunting when she is big. I really like her personality.

    Male BCI's are usually 4-6FT, maybe a little bigger, and have much less girth. They are probably a better foray into BCI's, as are some dwarf species (although I cannot speak to temperament or requirements for those), than doing what I did and get a female BCI as my first big snake!

    Again, not trying to turn anyone off, and I truly love Behira. However, it was a big decision for me. Now, I am committed. Katie is too :).
  • 02-17-2018, 10:30 PM
    ckuhn003
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    Thank you, I think Behira is stunning as well! Great contrast of coloration and markings on her, and her eyes are beautiful!

    Yes, BCI's (what most morphs are - but always check - BCC's need more humidity and grow slower but get bigger) will devour any food put in front of them, pretty much. Behira is more like my corn snake in terms of food response than my BP, for sure. The problem with Boa's is NOT overfeeding. It can be really bad for their health. Behira is 1 1/2 (roughly - June 16 baby), and I am already feeding small rats (but smaller than she can eat - 60G or so when she could eat 80G) every other week. She would happily eat weekly or more, but I do not want health issues later. Smaller meal every two weeks. Basically, the bigger the snake and the bigger the prey item, the longer between feedings. Adult BCI's can eat large/jumbo/colossal rats every 3-4 weeks (again depending on size of boa and prey relative to boa). Their metabolism is SLOW!

    A strong feeding response is awesome compared to a BP who, as you know, can fast or refuse food. I don't think you really need to worry about that with BCI's. However, long hemostats/tongs and being careful is a must!

    There are some amazing morphs of BCI's and many are not super expensive. Behira was about $500. However, there are many beautiful morphs for that or less. I love the Hypos as well, and they are closer to $200-300 or so, from what I have seen (from the same breeder I got Behira from and I like very much). I am partial to Sunglows as well, but already having an Albino BP, went in another direction.

    However, moving from a BP up to a BCI you have to consider a lot.

    1. Experience level - BCI's in particular are generally puppy dog tame, but they do get BIG, females in particular. I asked the breeder for the tamest BCI he had, male or female, and Behira was one of 3 finalists. We loved her coloration and markings and her eyes! A tame young BCI will likely be a tame adult with proper handling, husbandry, etc. They can be nippy when young, as can BP's, but tend to grow out of it.

    I think richardhind1972 has a BCI, Medusa, that took a while to calm down, LOL. However, I think that is rarer than it is common.

    2. Costs and ability to provide for: Food, heating, proper sized enclosure (BIG - especially if you have a female) that can maintain heat AND humidity, etc.

    3. Place in life and where you live and if you own, rent, or plan to move soon. Moving a 4FT BP isn't a huge deal and I imagine most landlords don't mind. However, a 7-8FT female BCI, in a 6 foot enclosure, that's asking a lot and is a big commitment.

    4. Spouse, partner, future partner, etc. It took Katie a while to get used to the reptiles and I do not think she is thrilled about how big Behira will be. Could you imagine her coming to my house, or hearing that I had a BIG snake, before she was comfortable with even Figment (my corn) or Shayna my BP.

    Not trying to preach, but I thought about all this when I got Behira. It is definitely a bigger commitment getting a large snake as opposed to a smaller one. I just want anyone considering a BCI to know what they should think about.

    Having said that, I think she is one the coolest animals I have ever had. She is calm, but inquisitive, and more active when being held than most BP's, but without being daunting when she is big. I really like her personality.

    Male BCI's are usually 4-6FT, maybe a little bigger, and have much less girth. They are probably a better foray into BCI's, as are some dwarf species (although I cannot speak to temperament or requirements for those), than doing what I did and get a female BCI as my first big snake!

    Again, not trying to turn anyone off, and I truly love Behira. However, it was a big decision for me. Now, I am committed. Katie is too :).

    A lot of great info. Definitely book marking this thread once I'm ready (if ever) to pull the trigger. I was quite surprised when I was able to talk my wife into allowing a BP in the house and I honestly think she's become to like him. A larger BOA might take a little bit more convincing and I'd probably go w/ a male to limit the size. I have an AP-10 on the way and if all works out, I could potentially see another one stacked for a Boa. I'll probably do a little more exploring once the next Repticon comes around. Always appreciate the informative writeups you provide. Us beginners rely on the experience and wealth of knowledge people like you provide. I don't think I know of another snake owner so I'm kind of limited on gaining info ;)
  • 02-18-2018, 12:23 AM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ckuhn003 View Post
    A lot of great info. Definitely book marking this thread once I'm ready (if ever) to pull the trigger. I was quite surprised when I was able to talk my wife into allowing a BP in the house and I honestly think she's become to like him. A larger BOA might take a little bit more convincing and I'd probably go w/ a male to limit the size. I have an AP-10 on the way and if all works out, I could potentially see another one stacked for a Boa. I'll probably do a little more exploring once the next Repticon comes around. Always appreciate the informative writeups you provide. Us beginners rely on the experience and wealth of knowledge people like you provide. I don't think I know of another snake owner so I'm kind of limited on gaining info ;)

    Thank you Ckuhn003; I really appreciate the compliment(s) and I am glad this thread is helpful to you! Also really touched that you find my posts informative!

    A male makes a lot of sense, especially if you are stacking T10's. Those are 4'X2' and 15 inches high, correct? I would say that would be great for a BP, if not a little bigger than necessary (of course I have a BP in a 6X2' and it works great, so not judging at all). It would probably be just right for a male BCI up to 6FT or so (which, if fed properly, and check with the breeder that the parents are not huge, etc.), which is very reasonable. I personally think a T10 is too small for an adult female BCI, but others' may chime in and say it's ok.

    I get convincing your wife though. For what it is worth, I told Katie we should get a male and that it wouldn't be much larger than Shayna. She was not in favor of getting another animal, period, certainly not a big snake.

    So, I "compromised," and said what about a male BCI? She said, "okay," reluctantly. Then we saw the pictures of what the breeder we particularly liked had. She really liked Behira as she had the best temperament to feeding response ratio, and was totally tame. She really liked Behira. I said, "are you sure"? "Females get a lot bigger." She said, "do what you want."

    I pick my battles, but give Katie a lot of credit here for going along with me on this particular ride. She was especially not happy a couple weeks ago when I got that feeding response bite. She did pull the, "I said I didn't want another animal," card, but as noted in my thread on the bite, was happily holding Behira again within a week. She also apologized for using that card and heard me out, and let me explain hook training, etc.

    In any event, I would definitely go to some shows like you say, and hold some BCI's and see different morphs. First, BCI's feel different than BP's in terms of skin feel, the way they move, and strength. They are deceivingly strong. At 3+ FT I think Behira is as strong as Shayna at 4FT (and 2X the weight), or at least flexes her muscles more :).

    I had never held a BCI before meeting Behira's breeder at a show. I did a lot of research after, and worked with him to make an informed decision.

    However, I never really paid attention to how big they got until after I thought about and had Behira. Probably a good idea to check out some adults, if possible. At least look at some pictures or videos online. They are more snake than a BP for sure!

    I would hate for your wife to regret the decision in 5 years!

    I have that fear with Katie a little, but she is watching her grow, and I think it will be fine.

    I really didn't even realize how big 6X2' tanks are until I got mine and set them up! Right now Behira looks so small in there, but not forever!

    I also know very few, if any reptile, people. I rely on breeders, this site, reading a ton, a little trial and error, youtube, etc. I take most of youtube and some of what I read with a grain of salt though. Many more people seem to rely on me to answer reptile questions than the other way around. However, I am still not afraid to ask questions!

    Keep asking questions and exploring your interests!

    Good luck and let me know if I can be of any more help.
  • 02-18-2018, 02:09 AM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Nice to see people taking on the responsibility and really thinking about the boas long term .as you have already said boas are deffinetly a lot stronger than ball pythons ,
    Your right my img is pretty much an exception and she’s really chilled out now but most of mine like yours have been pretty much sweet as since I had them, When i bred mine last year I made sure I handled the babies regular to make sure they was nice and chilled for there new owners to be,

    Remember there are lots of pure locality dwarf boas that pretty much never exceed 5ft just as nice as any morph


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  • 02-18-2018, 08:12 AM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by richardhind1972 View Post
    Nice to see people taking on the responsibility and really thinking about the boas long term .as you have already said boas are deffinetly a lot stronger than ball pythons ,
    Your right my img is pretty much an exception and she’s really chilled out now but most of mine like yours have been pretty much sweet as since I had them, When i bred mine last year I made sure I handled the babies regular to make sure they was nice and chilled for there new owners to be,

    Remember there are lots of pure locality dwarf boas that pretty much never exceed 5ft just as nice as any morph


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Thank you.

    I am glad I waited until this level of experience, age, and maturity, to get my first BCI. The same way I am glad I didn't get my supercar until I was old enough and mature enough not to kill myself, or go to jail :)!

    Sometimes people forget, or don't realize, that there is a lot of responsibility in caring for animals, and reptiles in particular. They live a long time, can get large, and require us to provide everything for them! We have to control their environment safely as well as feed, clean, etc.

    It can be very rewarding and enjoyable, but it's not all fun and games.

    Do they have locality dwarf boas in different morphs as well, or do they just have different coloration depending on the locality? I've only seen a few dwarf Boa's and they were very young.
  • 02-18-2018, 10:39 AM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Yes there’s a fair few paint jobs now in the locality,some are still true locality too,all the bloods come from the El Salvador boas and there really small and the leopards are from the sonorion which are also small ,and there are some absolutely amazing leopards about now,even the Incas in the Nicaraguan boas are cool and most under 5ft and the t+ in the nics are really nice, my sunglow is from a 3rd generation down size project and the male is 5 and only just 3ft so worth a look if people are worried about the overall size


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  • 02-18-2018, 11:23 AM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
  • 02-18-2018, 12:54 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    WOW! Striking animals! They look awesome!

    Thank you for posting this!
  • 02-18-2018, 05:16 PM
    Jus1More
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    WOW! Striking animals! They look awesome!

    Thank you for posting this!

    Vin Russo produces some of the most amazing looking Sonoran/Leopards. I wish I could visit a expo he sells at... I would definitely buy a baby from him!
  • 02-18-2018, 06:26 PM
    richardhind1972
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    The projects he works on are just amazing arnt they, my corn islands parents where vin Russo imports


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  • 02-19-2018, 11:30 PM
    dakski
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Okay, I admit, having way too much fun with my new camera. Loving the Macro lens! See below and my thread on Frank the BTS (you can see the the detail on his tongue!).

    The first picture is just Behira chilling on the chair downstairs. The others are close ups of her beautiful face with the macro lens and one of her scales. You can see the iridescence. I hope they look okay on the forum; I had to make them small. The originals you can zoom way in!

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

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

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

    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...s_close_up.jpg
  • 02-19-2018, 11:48 PM
    c0r3yr0s3
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    She's beautiful. Nice picture quality too. My only camera is my phone and it doesn't come close to capturing the true beauty of anything, especially snakes
  • 02-20-2018, 05:05 AM
    Zincubus
    Re: Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dakski View Post
    Okay, I admit, having way too much fun with my new camera. Loving the Macro lens! See below and my thread on Frank the BTS (you can see the the detail on his tongue!).

    The first picture is just Behira chilling on the chair downstairs. The others are close ups of her beautiful face with the macro lens and one of her scales. You can see the iridescence. I hope they look okay on the forum; I had to make them small. The originals you can zoom way in!

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

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

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

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

    That's a beautiful Boa !!

    Maybe take a series or photos over a BLACK background to enhance the colours even more ..


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