Noob Boa Questions from a BP Guy

So I am a seasoned BP owner at this point and I am interested in getting a BCI or BCCI. Given where I live it seems only BCI is available.

I've got a good grasp on husbandry as far as space needed, temps, and humidity, feeding schedule. But I'd like to know more about behavior differences.

So if anyone you keep both boas and balls could you give me some differences if any?

Like, if you change something or the weather changes will they go off feed for months or are they steady eaters? My balls seem to be finicky that way.

Anything is appreciated.

every boa will have its own personality, but here is what I have found to be true with my boa vs. bp

Boas are steady eaters and readily take a variety of food items (rats, mice, etc) with very little hesitation.

Boas are not really head shy and will not retreat from contact the way a bp will. it can be a little unnerving until you get to trust your boa.

Boas are quite different when handled, and are much more grippy than bp's. boas are more likely to climb and seek high ground when handled.

Boas are also faster when motivated than bp's, so keep on your toes :)

I just got my first boa this morning, so I don't have too much to offer, but I've been told the feeding response in boas is different than BPs. I also think boas are better feeders than BPs.

From my experience this morning unboxing my boa, I can tell you a pissed off/stressed boa is going to go offensive instead of defensive like a BP.

I agree with the above. Rather than going off feed, mine will take whatever food is offered, then regurgitate it if something isn't right. He's not as shy, and he more or less jumps when he wants to go somewhere - think leaping from one branch to another.

The heat and humidity are the same, but my boa hardly uses his hide at all. He likes to sit in his tree.

The lack of headshyness threw me off at first...I was always afraid he was agressive...but that's just how he is.

I love my BP, but boas...they are *amazing*.

I have a Nicaraguan boa, so it's still BCI but they tend to be a little different from Columbians, but I find that with any boa they're a lot more active when handled, like instead of getting comfy and chilling like a ball, a boa will tend to want to explore you more.
Every animal is an individual, as was stated. A good example is my boa compared to my ball. Even though boas are reputed to be ferocious eaters, mine seems to be picky some times. And, on the contrary, even though ball pythons are reputed to be picky eaters, my big male has never refused a meal in his life. You just have to get to know the animal you're interested in.

Boas are much quicker, as was stated, so keep on your toes, but most tend to be fairly docile (emphasis on tend) docile when they've settled in. You just have to see them as individuals. Also, BCI are usually much easier to find than BCC, but they're becoming more and more popular, so you might be able to find one with some digging.

I think it varies with every boa too, as the above stated they tend to have much stronger feeding responses, they are much easier to switch to f/t, and they rarely refuse. I keep 4 bps and 1 boa, and my boa has yet to refuse a meal, but he also has bitten me much more often (he's still a baby...most of them grow out of that). He hasn't struck at me in a few weeks so I am kind of excited. My boa moves much slower and seems not as clumsy as my bps. He can climb on me for hours if I let him, and they are MUCH stronger than bps. I just love my boa though, I really do highly recommend them as long as you're careful to not expose them to your bp collection, which I'm sure you are aware of.

My boa is a bit of a freak apparently, I rarely EVER see him out...he lives in his hides and really only comes out if he's hungry, or if I wake him up to hold him. Once he's out though he's very active and curious..not lazy like my bps lol.

I had one ball python and then one boa (BCI). I'm glad I got the boa!

My baby boa was exceptionally mean and nasty. Most baby boas aren't like that, although it is common for them to be nippy. They grow out of it. With months of work I got him calmed down. Again that's not typical.

My boa, at over 2 years old now, has never refused food. The strikes have always been extremely strong, if not violent. He has never regurgitated.

Boa behavior is different from ball pythons in that they don't move as much. It seems that they are far more efficient, and just don't bother to move unless they have to. And when they do, it's very precise and often slow. They seem a bit more intimidating than ball pythons, although there really isn't much of a good reason for it.

Most boas that are taken care of and in good health calm down and eventually become friendly. Handling them is different, as sometimes they enter the panicy "I'm going to fall!" motions quickly. Once confident, they calm right down.

You might get an annoyance bite or an accidental smack to the face from the tail in such panic. I haven't been bitten by my boa in well over a year, and when I have been bit, it was either in the first few weeks where he was freaking out (not common) or when I did something dumb like bump his head hard.

Boas are impressive snakes -- very muscular and extremely strong. They won't put up with the kind of innocent mistakes that a BP will put up with, at least, not for as long. With a BP you might get away with bumping its head a few times, but with a boa, that first time can get you tagged. As such you simply learn to think out handling them and move slower and with more planning, and in a different way.

BCI are easier to take care of and more tolerant of husbandry mistakes than BCC. I believe they are also smaller. Female BCI's are larger than male BCI's. I have read that BCI's have a better disposition / attitude than BCC's. BCI's seem to be the better beginner boa.

I have truly enjoyed my experience from raising a baby, and I strongly suggest it. Keep doing your research and when you feel confident, go for it. Get a baby. Expect it to be in anywhere from a bad to an extremely bad mood on arrival, but it will calm down.

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Originally Posted by Kinra

From my experience this morning unboxing my boa, I can tell you a pissed off/stressed boa is going to go offensive instead of defensive like a BP.

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Very true. When i got mine as a baby, he was in total rage mode once he got out of that bag. Very intimidating for such a tiny snake. And smart, I had a very tough time corralling him. Unlike a BP where I can just distract it with one hand and grab with the other, he kept track of both hands and effectively kept me away.

At one point he was lunging partially off the floor coming at me and my (very large) camera -- so you had a human being pushed back by one very upset little snake. Fun stuff.

Today he's 2+ years old and 4 feet long and still growing, and a real sweetheart.

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Originally Posted by fire-eyes

Very true. When i got mine as a baby, he was in total rage mode once he got out of that bag. Very intimidating for such a tiny snake. And smart, I had a very tough time corralling him. Unlike a BP where I can just distract it with one hand and grab with the other, he kept track of both hands and effectively kept me away.

At one point he was lunging partially off the floor coming at me and my (very large) camera -- so you had a human being pushed back by one very upset little snake. Fun stuff.

Today he's 2+ years old and 4 feet long and still growing, and a real sweetheart.

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I bet that was adorable.

For some reason the fiesty smart ones just melt me into a puddle.

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Originally Posted by LGray23

I really do highly recommend them as long as you're careful to not expose them to your bp collection, which I'm sure you are aware of.

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I am in the same position as the op - I am experienced with bps and am considering getting a boa. I had never heard this. Can you explain further what you mean?

I do know that snakes are more or less solitary animals and I have no intention of letting any of my snakes really interact with each other, but is even further seperation necessary between these 2 species? i.e. Can they be housed in the same room (again, seperate enclosures of course)?

Thanks in advance!

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

I am in the same position as the op - I am experienced with bps and am considering getting a boa. I had never heard this. Can you explain further what you mean?

I do know that snakes are more or less solitary animals and I have no intention of letting any of my snakes really interact with each other, but is even further seperation necessary between these 2 species? i.e. Can they be housed in the same room (again, seperate enclosures of course)?

Thanks in advance!

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I'm not sure if this is what LGray23 ment, but boas will eat pythons so you want to be careful with that. Also, boas can carry ibd without symptoms and while a boa has a slight chance of surviving as far as I know it's always deadly in pythons. After quarantine I don't see why they can't be kept in the same room.

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

I am in the same position as the op - I am experienced with bps and am considering getting a boa. I had never heard this. Can you explain further what you mean?

I do know that snakes are more or less solitary animals and I have no intention of letting any of my snakes really interact with each other, but is even further seperation necessary between these 2 species? i.e. Can they be housed in the same room (again, seperate enclosures of course)?

Thanks in advance!

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As was stated before, after quarantine there's no problem keeping them in the same room, etc. Obviously not in the same cage, as you said, but I've kept my boa in the same room as my BP (the cages are right next to each other, actually) for about two or three months now and there have been no problems.

However, something I do meticulously is make sure I don't "cross-contaminate" anyways. So I don't use the same bowl to heat up their rats, and I don't use the same tongs to feed the both of them, and I do a lot of hand washing. It might be a bit of overkill, but that's how I do it just as an extra safety net.

Boas are definitely more agressive feeders. The speed of stike and feeding response is truly impressive in any boa i have ever been around. They readily will take different type feeders and will often feed in shed if offered (not recommending. just saying). My albino female is a little over a year and about 4 1/2 feet. she amazes me every time i interact wity her.

They are defnitely different as far as movement and reaction to you. Boas seem to keep my attention when i am handling alot more than balls. They are both great though and if you can handle the size and care boas are a rewarding snake to keep.

Thank you Kinra and Alexandra! I appreciate your clarification! ;) That all makes sense now, lol....

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Originally Posted by Kinra

I'm not sure if this is what LGray23 ment, but boas will eat pythons so you want to be careful with that. Also, boas can carry ibd without symptoms and while a boa has a slight chance of surviving as far as I know it's always deadly in pythons. After quarantine I don't see why they can't be kept in the same room.

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It's still always fatal with boas, but they can be asymptomatic carriers for years. Pythons, on the other hand, will typically die within a month.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

So I am a seasoned BP owner at this point and I am interested in getting a BCI or BCCI. Given where I live it seems only BCI is available.

I've got a good grasp on husbandry as far as space needed, temps, and humidity, feeding schedule. But I'd like to know more about behavior differences.

So if anyone you keep both boas and balls could you give me some differences if any?

Like, if you change something or the weather changes will they go off feed for months or are they steady eaters? My balls seem to be finicky that way.

Anything is appreciated.

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In terms of Bci vs Bcc, I would definitely recommend a Bci for a first-time boa. Bcc, true redtails of locales such as Suriname, Peru, Guyana, Venezuela, and Brazil, are gorgeous snakes but are much less resilient than Bci, and some locales (such as Suriname Bcc) are prone to something commonly referred to as "Suri syndrome", which is basically chronic regurgitation. They're great snakes, but for a starter boa Bci or some other subspecies is usually the best option.

Though husbandry is fairly similar, boas are SO different from ball pythons! For one thing, they are much more calm and relaxed. My boas are rarely nervous or jumpy. Boas are very docile and super fun to hang out with, but young boas can also be very sassy; they won't think twice about giving you a good bite if they're unhappy! (It's actually pretty cute. :P)

Anywhere, anytime, and any season, boas are aggressive feeders. I've been keeping boas for several years now and I have yet to see either of mine refuse a meal. Actually, you should definitely take this into consideration when you're selecting a cage. If I have food, my boas will come flying out of their cages as soon as they're opened a crack. I find that tubs with top-opening lids are difficult when it comes to feeding larger boas.

The thing that always throws me off is their weight. Boas are much more solid than ball pythons; if you have a ball python and boa that are identical in length and girth, the boa will be a lot heavier.

And yes, IBD is something you should be completely paranoid about!!! Getting a new boa is always a scary thing. Buy from a reputable breeder and quarantine like crazy!! Boas have been known to be asymptomatic carriers for over a year, meaning that even if you quarantine for six months, you're still taking a risk. (And this isn't like risking the spread of mites or RI's, this is like risking the death of your entire collection.) I'm not saying you need to quarantine your boa for a year, but it is extremely important that you buy from a reputable breeder and familiarize yourself with the symptoms!

Anyways, good luck and have fun! Boas are absolutely the best pets all around! They have wonderful personalities, great feeding responses, and are really just perfect in every way!

Speaking of breeders...

Recommendations?

All of the web sites I have found so far are out of stock.

Thanks to everyone for responses.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Speaking of breeders...
Recommendations?

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My BCI is a salmon pastel male from JimiSnakes. He's got more than just those. Great snake, great buying experience. I don't know the status of babies available, but it's worth waiting.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Speaking of breeders...

Recommendations?

All of the web sites I have found so far are out of stock.

Thanks to everyone for responses.

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I found my boa on Kingsnake.com sold by Boots Hawks. He was great to work with. He held my boa for over a month while we waited for the weather to get better in my area and he kept in contact, at least once a week, with updates on her. I love my boa and am extremely happy with her. I know he has jungles, salmons and probably more hypo jungles. If I decide to get another boa he will be the first person I contact. I don't know if he has a web page.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Speaking of breeders...

Recommendations?

All of the web sites I have found so far are out of stock.

Thanks to everyone for responses.

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Dave Colling! (http://rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com/homepage.htm) I got my Bci from him. He's a great guy and his boas are top notch! :gj:

I have a ball python and 2 RTB, one male and one female. The rtb are fairly new to me, but big difference when compared to the ball...personality wise.
The ball is shy when you first take him out and if he's shedding, you won't see him out until the shedding is complete (my corn is the same.)
Boas are not shy at all, ate three days before the shed. Had her out two days before she shed...very calm, no problems being handled...then i noticed her eyes were a milky bluish colour. She shed perfect yesterday (both boas shed yesterday.)
Love my ball, boas are just different...then again, so is the corn and the bull...love them all

I took the plunge just today with Special K Reptiles ( http://www.specialkreptiles.com/ ). Tim was fabulous to work with! I highly recommend them. And they had many babies of various colors/genetics available.

Well, I am not looking for anything fancy. Just a plain ole BCI. I want a baby too. The Petland (the only chain here I respect) in town has like 20 babies right now for $70 each. So I may get one from them if I can't find a good breeder online.

So far the places I've seen either have nothing, have only older snakes, or have only morphs.

Conventions are always fun! We got our little boa at a local expo. She was the price of a normal but is technically a possible low-expression jungle(one of the annoying ones that doesn't show the wonky pattern, but shows the color, spear pattern, and still passes on the trait itself) which was pretty sweet :)

I have one bp and one boa. They are so different. When I want to let someone handle a snake who is still afraid of them, they of course hold the ball python, since all he does is just chill, maybe move around a little out of curiosity. The boa is just so curious and wants to LICK YOUR FACE, which is frightening to people afraid of snakes, lol!


Nagini(the boa) is..intimidating compared to Maru. Even for her size! It's impressive how STRONG she is. She almost slipped out of my hand once and grabbed on so tight by just the tip of her tail and pulled herself up and I could just feel how tense and powerful her muscles were. And yeah, feeding is always an adventure. She is one of those snakes that would never stop eating if I let her! And she has a habit of turning her mice/rats into sort of.. uhh...rodent..goo. Via explosion. :O I think she enjoys making us clean up the mess. But I love her anyway!

There really is a huge difference in boas and balls! They are just so SMART.. It's awesome. And fun to hold, they feel so different. I love my maru, but I love holding nagini more.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Well, I am not looking for anything fancy. Just a plain ole BCI. I want a baby too. The Petland (the only chain here I respect) in town has like 20 babies right now for $70 each. So I may get one from them if I can't find a good breeder online.

So far the places I've seen either have nothing, have only older snakes, or have only morphs.

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It is true that there are good chains out there (though I've never been to a Petland), but I still shy away from any place that can't tell me exactly where they get all of their babies from. Even if the chain is reputable, the breeders the chain buys from may not be. I'm usually not opposed to buying snakes from good pet stores, except when it comes to boas (the whole IBD thing again, not knowing the boa's history, etc).

Most breeders don't advertise their available normal neos (I don't know why, I think they'd get more business if they did), but the truth is in every litter of morphs, they get a ton of normal babies in addition to whatever morphs, and all breeders have a plethora of normal babies, it just takes an email to find out about them.

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Originally Posted by Crazy4Herps

It is true that there are good chains out there (though I've never been to a Petland), but I still shy away from any place that can't tell me exactly where they get all of their babies from. Even if the chain is reputable, the breeders the chain buys from may not be. I'm usually not opposed to buying snakes from good pet stores, except when it comes to boas (the whole IBD thing again, not knowing the boa's history, etc).

Most breeders don't advertise their available normal neos (I don't know why, I think they'd get more business if they did), but the truth is in every litter of morphs, they get a ton of normal babies in addition to whatever morphs, and all breeders have a plethora of normal babies, it just takes an email to find out about them.

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Yeeeah.... Considering that darn ibd thing, I would have to agree with this. I do believe that ibd is somewhat blown out of proportion now and isn't something to be necessarily paranoid about, but it does pay to be careful - very careful - when buying boas. Even if you only have 1 other snake, it would be tragic if it died because your boa brought something into the house. There's another thread regarding this in this same forum you might want to check out, but basically, if you're going to buy a boa, get a baby (babies don't incubate the virus nearly as long) and buy from a reputable breeder only. Just my .02....

Incidentally, Tim at Special K had some very nice "normal" babies for about $30-40. I don't intend to "push" a particular breeder. I am sure there are other great breeders here who have some good babies available. But since I just worked with Tim myself, I happened to take note of some other things he had. Might be worth checking with him....