Hypo/Super offered to me (trade)...

I put up a "for trade" ad on Fauna, to see if I could get rid of an old piece of electronic equipment. Only offer so far has been for a Salmon (he also has hypo Salmons) boa, and I honestly have NO clue about boas! The item I'm offering is a TiVo with lifetime subscription, which had a value of over $400 new - but that was quite a while ago, so I valued it around $100-200.

Two questions... does this sound like a fair trade (assuming we go straight-trade), and would this be a good snake for someone like me? I have 7 ball pythons, a leopard gecko & a corn snake, and plenty of room for another snake. Of course it would be in quarantine for a while, and then I'd find space with the rest of my collection. Any responses, suggestions, input, etc would be much appreciated... I have limited time to decide, since I'm also listing the TiVo on eBay for $100 (no bids yet, but 7 watchers with 1 day remaining). Thinking a BCI is worth more than $100, especially in the long-run. Right?? :oops:

P.S. I just emailed him back saying I was possibly interested, and would love to see the pictures (offered in his response)... I'll share the pics when I get them!

Oops - I just re-read the email, and it's just a hypo or super hypo... no salmon, unless that's the same thing? :confuzd:

Salmon is another line of Hypomelanism. It is the same thing.

I say its a good deal if the hypo is a good one.

Ah-ha... thanks! :D So, do you think this might be a good deal? A little worried now after reading that thread about IBD, but still thinking about it.

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Originally Posted by DarkComeSoon

I say its a good deal if the hypo is a good one.

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Thanks for the reply... he's sending me pictures today, so I'll try to post them later.

Show us pictures :D

As said before, if it's a good Hypo then it would be worth about what you are valuing your TiVo at!

Thanks for the input! The guy emailed me today (Tues) and said he took pictures, but they came out really crappy... so he wanted to take some outside tomorrow, and will send me those copies. I'll definitely post them when he does, since I really don't know the difference between a good & bad hypo. :oops: I have been looking at tons of pictures, though, and really love the ones like this: http://www.for-goodness-snakes.com/i..._n_EBVhypo.JPG

Now a few questions, if you don't mind...
- How big do they really get? I've heard anything between 5-10+ feet, but wasn't sure about the average size in captivity. I'll probably take a male since they tend to be smaller, and figure that's best until I have more experience (can always get an adult girl if/when I decide to breed).
- Is there really a high risk of IBD with boas? Somebody on another thread said the hypos are Columbian boas, so the risk is lower... and of course I'll do a quarantine, but they said that won't help specifically with IBD.
- Would a super hypo be worth more than a regular hypo? Just thinking long-term on that, in case I decide to breed. I think both varieties are beautiful, but it would be stupid to pass up a more valuable animal.
- He said they're also possible het for albino... that's not a question, just thought I'd throw it in. :D

- 6 feet is the average for males
- Not sure but plenty of people house boas and pythons in the same room with no problem I also keep my colombian BCI in the same room as my ball python.
- Of course

Thanks! And yeah, I know that last question was a stupid one... but considering I didn't realize salmon & hypo were the same thing, figured it didn't hurt to ask. :P

I know you already researched the housing requirements, etc. Are you ready for a big snake? My boas are super tame but are large enough to do what they want---maybe I'm the tame one. LOL

For a first boa, I'd recommend a male. I keep my boas in 4x2x1 cages from the boaphile(Jeff Ronne). Later I'd like to keep them in bigger/taller cages because I know they like to climb. So, there cages take up alot more room than BP cages. Food cost a little more also.

All things considered: boas are beautiful and make great pet snakes!

To my knowledge, it's hard to tell the difference between a super hypo and a hypo. That's why you see possible super hypos listed alot on kingsnake. The sellers/owners can't tell the difference unless they breed them.

They get BIG! Even a six foot male is on the large side. Their size has to be considered! I have yearling females that are already in the five foot range. A large female will be 8 foot plus! Possibly over 10 feet!

Size IS a factor when you are talking about boas. Here's my question: are you planning on breeding? If so, you may want to take a look around and decide if you have the room for a bunch of snakes that can get anywhere from 4ft to 8ft long (10 footers happen, but not often... and if it was a female, you could make some awesome money off of it for breeding purposes lol)? Because if you breed, you may not be able to sell all the babies right away... and some of these guys grow FAST!

Another consideration is being able to feed snakes that size. If you only have the one as a pet, it's going to be a lot cheaper than trying to feed a group of them.

With that said, if you're just getting one as a pet, a boa is a great snake. Sure, they can get big... but, if they're handled well, they can become just as puppy dog tame as the best of BPs. Plus, they have a curious side that most BPs don't exhibit... boas get into EVERYTHING. They want to know what everything is, does, was, will be... lol. They're really a ton of fun. (A side note, ask about temperament if you're hesitant... boas CAN be a little more temperamental than BPs, and hypos seem to---this is ALL in my experience and opinion---have a little bit more of an attitude. They adjust well to handling, but I'd ask if you're even the slightest bit worried).

Something I didn't see explained in any of the above threads is this: a super hypo, when bred to a regular boa, will produce ALL hypos. That's why they're supers, and worth quite a bit more than regular hypos (hypos are codom and when bred to a normal will produce 50% normals, 50% hypos). If you breed a super hypo to say an anery, you will get all hypos het for ghost. It's a valuable animal we're talking about, especially if it's proven. I, for one, would love to see pics!

Thank you so much for all the good info... :)

To answer your questions about size, I already have a 5-footer who weighs over 2000g, so 6ft doesn't sound all that big. :D Anything above that does seem a little intimidating, but I thought BPs were HUGE before I got one... my original plan was to get a corn, rosy boa or milksnake, until I fell in love with a baby ball. Now they seem like a small snake to me, which is probably how I'd feel about the boas eventually. How much heavier/thicker are they compared to an adult BP? And what does a full-grown boa eat - one large rat or more?

For now this would just be a pet, since I recently started breeding my first BP (anything) clutch, and don't even know if I'll make that a regular thing. So I'd likely take this boa intending to make it a pet, go with the male for the smaller size, and then see what happens... if two years from now I'm completely in love with my boa, and the BP breeding, maybe then I'll think about the points mentioned above. Still waiting on the pics (he'll be sending them later today), but I'll be sure to post them when they arrive. :gj:

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

It's a valuable animal we're talking about, especially if it's proven. I, for one, would love to see pics!

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Oh, I forgot to say he has babies from a 2009 clutch. ;) But I'm anxious to see the pictures too!! Here's what he emailed last night, followed by the two original emails (parts of them)...

"The pictures didn't turn out very well . I am going to take them again tomorrow out side in the day light . Sorry for the delay."

"Hi, Are you interested in 09 Hypo or super Hypo poss het Albino. I think I have 2 supers and 3 hypos left." (to which I responded, do you mean leopard geckos or snakes? :D)

"Hi, Sorry. It was stupid of me not to say. I saw Boas on your list ,so I must have thought you had ESP and would know thats what I ment. Any way they are Boas. Hypo and Super Hypo Boas. Let me know if you are interested and I can get some pictures. Thank You"

I don't know this guy from Adam, but figure it's a no-lose situation... considering this TiVo has been gathering dust in the closet. ;) Should I still request that he ship first, and if so, do I ship after receiving the snake or after getting shipping confirmation?

Since he's shipping a live animal, I would request that he send first. If he refuses and wants you to send first, ask for lots of references and talk to those references about his rep before doing so.

My six foot female boa is pretty thick, especially in the tail region, but pythons get quite a bit, well, pudgy-er :P Boas tend to keep their boxy shape even into adulthood, unless they are overweight.

Here's a couple pics of my six foot female for a size reference:

Trying to squeeze through the cat toy
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...2/000_0900.jpg

With a 3ft female BP I had at the time
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c2...2/000_0784.jpg

Cool, thanks! I have that exact cat toy, so it's a good point-of-reference for me... also helped to see her next to the BP. :gj:

Any time someone offers you a trade, a trade you did not initiate, they ship first.

At least in my book.

This year I've had a couple of people try to get me to ship first or on the same day and I NEVER do. Too many have been too nice in the past and gotten ripped off.

Male boas can and do get well over 6 ft. I've had 10 footers, more than a few and have personally seen a couple over 12. They are fantastic pets but do not plan on them maxing out at a comfortable size. They may. They may not.

First off, salmon and hypo are the same thing. It is a co-dom mutation, so has a super form which is the super salmon or super hypo. I have one and love it. Their colors are amazing, and they are so much more active than a ball python. All of my boas are docile and do not mind to be handled. It sounds to me like a fair trade. Also, males stay a lot smaller than females, so you may want to get a male to start out with.

Hi, I don't have much info but from reading everything it sems like a steal of deal to me. I have a baby redtail of my own, I absolutely fell in love with him. I picked up a male for the size also but I'm prepared for him to get larger just incase. Anyway good luck with everything and I'm looking forward to the pics. I can post some too if requested. :)

Thanks guys, and I'd love to see your baby Ashton! :) Still no pictures, but I'm hoping he sends them tomorrow... otherwise I'll assume he's flaking on the deal. :cool:

One more question (for now, LOL)... what size tub would you recommend for the baby boa? I have a few extras laying around - 15qt, 28qt and 41qt. Obviously the latter would be too large, but I'm not sure which of the others would be best.

i dont use tubs. i use the glass tanks but i know everyone is saying that they r bad but i use them and ive never had any problems. i have a couple display tanks from freedom breeders in turlock, ca. that i use and love them but with anything i guess its all about preference.

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

One more question (for now, LOL)... what size tub would you recommend for the baby boa? I have a few extras laying around - 15qt, 28qt and 41qt. Obviously the latter would be too large, but I'm not sure which of the others would be best.

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How big is the 28qt.

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Originally Posted by Ashton

i dont use tubs. i use the glass tanks but i know everyone is saying that they r bad but i use them and ive never had any problems. i have a couple display tanks from freedom breeders in turlock, ca. that i use and love them but with anything i guess its all about preference.

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I only use tubs now, since my BPs all live in a rack together... and tubs are SOOO much easier than glass tanks! Once I switched over I never looked back, and will only use tanks for "display animals" from now on. :gj: But like you said, it's all personal preference.

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Originally Posted by DarkComeSoon

How big is the 28qt.

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Um, 28 quarts? :weirdface I'm seriously not sure how to answer that, since I'm horrible at converting measurements - LOL.

It's a long/low Sterilite tub, just like this one: http://media.mydoitbest.com/imagereq...=C&newsize=600
According to that retailer, it measures at 23" L. x 16-1/4" W. x 6" H.

I say use the 28qt tub, and still no pictures??