got my first boa!

I went to a show today determined to pick up a snake. its my first one, but ive been reading for about 6 months about them. i was looking for a small locality boa or a ball python. i ended up finding a costa rican dwarf boa!(het albino) hes about 4 months old. little guy. my temps are 91-92 degrees belly temp with 50% humidity and 79* ambient. ive got 2 identical hides and some leaves to take up the empty space in the 20L. the guy i bought him from said he will max out at 4 feet or so... welp tell me what ya think i should change and here are some pics!
also he was being fed live hoppers, should i try to go straight for f/t? his head is so tiny i dont see how he could eat a hopper lol.
http://i40.tinypic.com/im2fmh.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/2u5vu4i.jpg
http://i43.tinypic.com/am4bup.jpg
http://i44.tinypic.com/9a7iti.jpg

im being told on another forum that this is closer to a nicaraguan boa, not a costa rican. anybody concur?

Coasta Rican boas look like Nics so really just call him what the person you bought him from said.Also since he is het albino he has to be mixed with mainland Bci which means he won't max ouut at around 4 feet he will probably hit around 6 feet.

the guy i bought him from said he "thinks" hes het albino. but from what ive been told now and seen that was probably a lie as well. thanks for the input. i really hope hes not a cross

well the f/t fuzzy was a success! only thing was, he licked it repeatedly up and down its body and bit it a few times real soft. when he finally took it he just kinda opened he mouth and swallowed it. no strikes or anything. seemed almost gentle:miffed: but nevertheless we had success!
one last thing... on top of the substrate is 85-87 degrees, and the surface right at the uth is 91. he isnt burrowing, so should i bump it up? im nervous that he will burn himself if he does decide to burrow. any tips? thanks guys(and gals)
http://i39.tinypic.com/15qxawi.jpg

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Originally Posted by ls1goat04

im being told on another forum that this is closer to a nicaraguan boa, not a costa rican. anybody concur?

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from first hand experience, dont jump the gun and listen to what other users have to say about your purchase. its best to contact the seller and ask them yourself. i went the route you're going (when i was told that the boa i bought was underfed, not pastel etc etc..), and i made a thread questioning my boa and the seller, because of some bored online user had something negative to say.

i was told my animal was this and that and wasnt this. and i made a big mistake by doubting the breeders credibility. so its best to just email or call the seller and ask them about your purchase. dont let someone make you feel uneasy because they "think" what you have doesnt look like the standard for that species. best of luck to you, by the way nice pick up and my boa turned out to be what the seller sold it to me as which is a pastel het coral albino boa for $75 at that. :gj:

thanks for the advice SGB. im going to get ahold of him and get some answers. my snake cant be het albino and 100% costa rican from what ive read. gotta get it figured out

Nice pick up! I didn't think f/t would be a problem.

thanks- has anyone else have a snake who doesnt strike? im just curious how often it occurs. it was on live hoppers before but it didnt even constrict the f/t. just thought it was wierd!

Nice boa, can't help you on the identification but if he says it "might be het 100% albino" then he's lying. Either it is or it isn't and he will know.

My boa's feeding response has gone "gentile". Think she knows they f/t don't put up a fight. She use to have a fierce response. Oh well, wife thinks it's cute.

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Originally Posted by ls1goat04

thanks for the advice SGB. im going to get ahold of him and get some answers. my snake cant be het albino and 100% costa rican from what ive read. gotta get it figured out

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if possible check to see if this seller has a website or even better you say, you bought the boa at an expo? what i did was just use common sense. if you're buying an animal from an expo i'd assume that the seller wouldn't lie to you about his animals being as though you have all those individuals who are selling as well with their level of expertise selling in the vicinity of the individual you made the purchase from, so if hes selling you a 100% het albino boa and stating that its a costa rican boa, which you state cant be het for albino then i'm more than sure someone at that show will call the seller out on their labeling of that animal in particular and question them. especially if theyre a reputable breeder, i dont think they'll put their name and credibility on the line for one animal.. take a look at my personal experience.

here's the link where i posted pics of my pickup at a local expo, then had someone tell me what i bought wasnt even what the animals container states that it is http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ght=mateo+expo

and with receiving the news that i may have been ripped off from some online user, i went and made a thread questioning the sellers credibility (which was a bad thing on my part) http://www.redtailboa.net/forums/boa...hlight=scammed

if Jeff Ronne Sr. aka "The Boaphile" says i have a pastel boa, then thats what i have, being as though he's the guy who defined what a pastel boa is.

ALWAYS go to the seller with Immediate problems or questions, Its the proper and courteous thing to do..:gj: Many snakes will just slither up to the feed item and start eating..In the wild they will eat dead prey, BUT do not assume it will always occurr like this,when you least suspect it it'll do otherwise and maybe taste a finger..:snake:

interesting points everyone. i appreciate it. i got him from the all animal expo in wheaton IL. show was a little slow, most breeders said they are awaiting for babies! ill be talking to him in 2 weeks at the next show.

Congrats on the pickup and good luck tracking down his heritage! Both my boas are strikers, but I've never seen my ball strike before.