love for questions.

Hello RTB Lovers,
i am new to snakes really
i love RTB they are just beautiful snakes all on their own, even if they are just normal. their face is gorgeous and them in general gahhhhh
anyways
i am just sad because i am never going to grow over 5'.....i would love to own a RTB though.... my question being, how would i go about trying to own one being my height ahah
i was thinking about a nicaraguan boa since they are the smallest. or even how long do you honestly think i should own a snake before i get one or even if i should ever own one.
i know they have the potential to grow huge and i should never handle a full grown on my own. but, what if i never marry and am going to be alone forever? then can i never handle my snake when he grows?
ahah i am just throwing things out there.
also, what size cage/tub should a full grown be in?
does it have to be glass? can i make a screen cage?

(i like to make things...)

thank you!

Post your babies too please...^_^

anyone?

Maybe try a hogg island boa?

I'm sure you would be fine with handling as long as you have a friend around or something in case something goes wrong. I've heard of lemon juice as well in case something goes wrong.

I wouldn't reccomend a screen cage either as that will be hard to keep humidity and temps on spot.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by deftones2015

Maybe try a hogg island boa?

I'm sure you would be fine with handling as long as you have a friend around or something in case something goes wrong. I've heard of lemon juice as well in case something goes wrong.

I wouldn't reccomend a screen cage either as that will be hard to keep humidity and temps on spot.

---

true on the screen cage, but what size tub should i get for full grown? or would that really depend on how big the individual snake grows?
and don't hoggs grow a little more then nic? also males are smaller too right?

Hoggs grow around 6ft long from what I have read on them. Normally males are smaller than females. As for enclosure I have found a post that says "The rule here is “the bigger, the better.” Ideally, you should provide an enclosure at least 6’L X 2’W X 2’H, but many keep them in 4'L X 2'W X 2'H with out issues. The idea is to provide your animal with enough room to stretch out..." Personally red tails get a little large for me. I have a blood python and they get pretty large but mostly fat. Hoggs Islands look nice and I've read they don't get too big. It's up to you though. :)

:) anyone else have input?

The smaller boas come from:
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaraqua
Mexico: Tamaulipas, Tarahumara
and the insular islands:
Hogg Island
Caulker Cay
Crawl Cay
Corn Island
Most from the above locations will stay in the 5-7ft range, with the males being smaller and more slender, unless you over feed them...

I was told today, and read online that bolivian red tail boas rarely exceed 6 ft in length. Maybe that would be your best bet? It's a red tail and it should stay a decent size for you to handle?

Boas are excellent pets!! I am a complete boa nut! They are gorgeous snakes with such interesting personalities, great feeding responses, and the whole deal. However, boas are extremely powerful animals and should be respected for their capabilities. I personally believe boas to be very safe pets, but there are some basic guidelines that all boa owners must adhere to in respecting the potential of these snakes. Most importantly, never handle a boa (or any snake for that matter) that is longer than you are tall without a second person present, at very least in the house. Accidents happen.

In your situation, I would recommend a male boa of a dwarf locality.

As for caging, screen caging simply doesn't work for most snakes. Glass is an option, but is a huge hassle (especially with large glass tanks) and is difficult to maintain. Acrylic or wood custom cages are typically the best for boas, such as those sold by Animal Plastics and Boaphile. But if you like to build things, many snake-keepers build their own custom cages. A good rule of thumb for cage size is to provide about two square feet of cage space for every foot of snake (in length). For example, a 5x2ft cage would be appropriate for a 5ft snake. But keep in mind, young boas can feel insecure in large cages, and do best in relatively cozy spaces, whereas adult boas appreciate plenty of space.

...and here are my babies. :)

Zalma my 2-year-old Colombian boa. One of my favorite snakes I have ever owned, I LOVE this girl!
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...a/DSC01935.jpg
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...a/DSC01945.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5045/...8e5f3b1b05.jpg
Zalma by Mad Snake Keeper, on Flickr

And Ebonee the 6-month-old Peruvian longtail boa. I absolutely adore this subspecies, and I'm super excited to see how Ebs turns out when she's older!
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...e/DSC02491.jpg
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/k...e/DSC02493.jpg

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vypyrz

The smaller boas come from:
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaraqua
Mexico: Tamaulipas, Tarahumara
and the insular islands:
Hogg Island
Caulker Cay
Crawl Cay
Corn Island
Most from the above locations will stay in the 5-7ft range, with the males being smaller and more slender, unless you over feed them...

---

nah, if i do get one, they will never be a breeder. just a lovely pet for a long time. so i shall go for a male. they are cheaper too. so sad in the snake world, not to much love for males.

Crazy4Herps: Your babies are very pretty! and what RTB have dwarfs ins them? will the breeder just tell me that they had extremely small parents? and still get a snake from the above places mentioned?

and thank you for the ideas!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkeye714

Crazy4Herps: Your babies are very pretty! and what RTB have dwarfs ins them? will the breeder just tell me that they had extremely small parents? and still get a snake from the above places mentioned?

and thank you for the ideas!

---

Thanks. :)

Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, Hogg Islands, and other Bci locales listed above as well as Bca (Bolivian boas) and Bcl (Peruvian longtail boas) all count as dwarfs; they stay much smaller than Colombian Bci and most Bcc locales.

I have owned bcc bci and many dwarf localities. I would not reccomend any DWARF LOCALITIES! the reason is attitude. I have n ever been bit by my BCI or BCCs, however all the small localities are really pissy and irritable. if its safety your worried about go with BCI or BCC.:snake:
P.S. from experience BCI's arent that big my av. female is 7 ft. long and my av. male is about 6 ft. long

Hope this helps,
Jeremy Browning:snake::snake::snake::snake::snake::snake:

Hereis Brimstone. Mexican locale bci, 6-7 yrs, about 5.5 ft

http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/HPIM2365.jpg

http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/HPIM2331.jpg

http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/HPIM2330.jpg

Though this shot is blurry it really did catch his color
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...s/HPIM2327.jpg

Here is another pic so you can see size compared to me. 5'11" 180 lbs
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...HPIM2158-1.jpg

You can use a Iris VE 175 for life
http://irisusainc.com/p-680-ve-175w.aspx

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by minguss

Here is another pic so you can see size compared to me. 5'11" 180 lbs
http://i463.photobucket.com/albums/q...HPIM2158-1.jpg

You can use a Iris VE 175 for life
http://irisusainc.com/p-680-ve-175w.aspx

---

yeah, i do realize it will take awhile to actually grow huge but i am never growing anymore haha.
very pretty animal though!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pinkeye714

nah, if i do get one, they will never be a breeder. just a lovely pet for a long time. so i shall go for a male. they are cheaper too. so sad in the snake world, not to much love for males.

---

There's logic behind that. Most people who are buying morphs are buying to breed. And the higher-end the morph, the higher the price. So it makes sense to get a normal or het female and the cheaper male for the morphs to breed to her. Plus, on a simpler note, females make babies, babies make money, therefore females are more valuable.

Also, handling a boa of any size is doable, as long as you're smart about it. I'm 4'11" and getting a boa in about a month, and once it breaks 6 ft, I won't handle it alone. That being said, I believe Tarahumara Mountain boas are the smallest of the dwarves, but I'm not sure.

If I were you, I would either go with a male Colombian or a male of female dwarf boa. A Nic wouldn't be a bad idea. I have quite a few Nics. The males are about the size of a male ball python and the females are around the size of a female ball. They can get a little longer, but they do not get very thick around.

About the attitude, some have it and some don't. I have a couple that like to strike, but most are very docile.

You can keep the dwarfs in tubs. My males are in 32 quart tubs, and my females in 41 quarts. Another option is a PVC cage. Three or four foot would be good for a female and three for a male.

Colombian males will need a four foot cage.