first boa! red tail

Hey guys' I just got my first red tailed boa and second snake, have one ball python right now. Wish me luck she is gorgeous pics to come.

Congrats! :D

Congrats!! My 2nd snake was a boa too. I am sooo happy with her! They are amazing animals! :gj:

Congrats ,boas are awesome snakes

My girl friend is super pissed because I kind of fibbed about how big they get. I am not to worried about the size but I read this site http://www.anapsid.org/boa.html that site goes on to say that are pretty aggressive as well, and it scared me a bit. I am committed to keeping this snake but did I make a mistake?

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Originally Posted by cehmz

My girl friend is super pissed because I kind of fibbed about how big they get. I am not to worried about the size but I read this site http://www.anapsid.org/boa.html that site goes on to say that are pretty aggressive as well, and it scared me a bit. I am committed to keeping this snake but did I make a mistake?

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I wouldn't take stock in that site (nicest way to say how I feel about that person). Boas can become super tame and trustworthy. If yours seems to be aggressive or defensive just work with it calmly and regularly and it will get used to handling.

Congrats on your new addition :).

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Originally Posted by jsmorphs2

I wouldn't take stock in that site (nicest way to say how I feel about that person). Boas can become super tame and trustworthy. If yours seems to be aggressive or defensive just work with it calmly and regularly and it will get used to handling.

Congrats on your new addition :).

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+1 on not taking stock in that site:rolleyes:
Boas rock:gj:

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Originally Posted by jsmorphs2

I wouldn't take stock in that site (nicest way to say how I feel about that person). Boas can become super tame and trustworthy. If yours seems to be aggressive or defensive just work with it calmly and regularly and it will get used to handling.

Congrats on your new addition :).

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Thanks you for reassuring me. It made also concerned about size, I mean I knew they got big but that site makes them sound unmanageble and that all are going to be ten feet. This is my second snake. My girl friend is concerned it will kill her cats when large enough, please reassure us!

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Originally Posted by cehmz

My girl friend is concerned it will kill her cats when large enough, please reassure us!

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lol no offense, but I kinda laughed at this....

Honestly I have three indoor rabbits, animals that would be much more likely of prep for a very, very large boa (most boas are perfectly fine on large rats all their life) and I don't worry about them becoming possible prey when my two current boas grow up because I practice responsible snake keeping. As long as your boa is kept in a secure enclosure it's whole life and is fed the appropriate sized prey regularly I don't see how it will magically get out and kill her cats. I doubt a cat will even be seen as a prey item to a well fed huge boa as is :)

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

lol no offense, but I kinda laughed at this....

Honestly I have three indoor rabbits, animals that would be much more likely of prep for a very, very large boa (most boas are perfectly fine on large rats all their life) and I don't worry about them becoming possible prey when my two current boas grow up because I practice responsible snake keeping. As long as your boa is kept in a secure enclosure it's whole life and is fed the appropriate sized prey regularly I don't see how it will magically get out and kill her cats. I doubt a cat will even be seen as a prey item to a well fed huge boa as is :)

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:P Yeah I know it is a bit silly. Maybe if I show her this she won't be so worried.

Guys I know I should let my new snake settle in right now as I just got her yesterday but I have not handled her at all even when buying her and putting her in the cage. Is it ok if I take her out for just a few minutes today just to hold her for once?

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Originally Posted by cehmz

:P Yeah I know it is a bit silly. Maybe if I show her this she won't be so worried.

Guys I know I should let my new snake settle in right now as I just got her yesterday but I have not handled her at all even when buying her and putting her in the cage. Is it ok if I take her out for just a few minutes today just to hold her for once?

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Confession, I had to laugh at that too. :P I have 2 cats and 2 sugar gliders (small furry critters with big eyes that run and jump and glide in tree branches and whose #1 enemy in the wild would be a snake!). While I would never take the snakes out while my suggies were out playing, I have no worries whatsoever of my boa harming them or my cats.

Many captive snakes tend to kind of imprint on a particular prey item and it can take a bit of work to switch them to something different when they don't recognize it as food. Use common sense and your kitties should be fine!

Not all boas are super big. Is yours for sure a female? If so, she will get a bit larger, but if it's a male, you're probably looking at more like 6-7-ish feet or so. Also, if you keep your boa on rats for it's lifetime, it probably won't get quite as big as it might if you put her on rabbits. Rabbits tend to spark a major growth spurt and they will really start to pack on the size if they eat rabbits.

And lastly, boas are NOT ball pythons. Many boas seem to truely enjoy handling. I handled mine from day one and she ate for me no trouble on the 3rd day we had her. Just be gentle and sensitive to her stress level and maybe keep it to only a few minutes at a time til her first meal with you, then handle away! :gj:

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Confession, I had to laugh at that too. :P I have 2 cats and 2 sugar gliders (small furry critters with big eyes that run and jump and glide in tree branches and whose #1 enemy in the wild would be a snake!). While I would never take the snakes out while my suggies were out playing, I have no worries whatsoever of my boa harming them or my cats.

Many captive snakes tend to kind of imprint on a particular prey item and it can take a bit of work to switch them to something different when they don't recognize it as food. Use common sense and your kitties should be fine!

Not all boas are super big. Is yours for sure a female? If so, she will get a bit larger, but if it's a male, you're probably looking at more like 6-7-ish feet or so. Also, if you keep your boa on rats for it's lifetime, it probably won't get quite as big as it might if you put her on rabbits. Rabbits tend to spark a major growth spurt and they will really start to pack on the size if they eat rabbits.

And lastly, boas are NOT ball pythons. Many boas seem to truely enjoy handling. I handled mine from day one and she ate for me no trouble on the 3rd day we had her. Just be gentle and sensitive to her stress level and maybe keep it to only a few minutes at a time til her first meal with you, then handle away! :gj:

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Yay! I'm going to go get her out now, I'll take some pics. Since you are being so awesome about answering my questions I have one more for you! I do not want to pay 20 dollars for a branch of wood at a pet store so I was thinking for something her to climb and make it look more natural to find some branches outside and boil them(one side then the other if they are to big for the pot). Is this ok to do, any risks or advice?

Cats, dogs, monkeys, rug rats, and boyfriends or girlfriends aren't Boa food. Rodents are and probably birds, rabbits, guinea pigs.

And here she is my first time handling, just a few minutes ago.

http://i.imgur.com/qr7UU.jpg





http://i.imgur.com/4lv8l.jpg

She's very pretty. Lil boas can sometimes be defensive because they're so small that everything intimidates them. Don't let that bother you and just keep up with short handling sessions.

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Originally Posted by waltah!

She's very pretty. Lil boas can sometimes be defensive because they're so small that everything intimidates them. Don't let that bother you and just keep up with short handling sessions.

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Thank you, she hasnt acted aggressive at all so far and I just pick her up gently from the tank. I just added the found branch I got outside that I completely boiled so she has something to climb on if she wants and I am going for a sort of natural look. Hope thats ok to put in that branch, let me know if not and I'll remove it right away.

Thanks guys.

Awww.... She's really pretty! Congrats on your first boa - I adore mine and am totally happy I have her. They are really neat snakes.

The branch should be fine. I would've baked it in the oven for 20min or so rather than boiled it, but I think boiling works ok. I do know that you just want to make sure it dries out well so mold doesn't start. I am also not 100% positive that boiling will take care of any parasites deep inside the wood. I have heard that baking at 300 for 20min is the only way to be sure. But on the other hand, it seems like it would be ok. So I dunno... :confuzd: Maybe someone else will chime in on that one???

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Awww.... She's really pretty! Congrats on your first boa - I adore mine and am totally happy I have her. They are really neat snakes.

The branch should be fine. I would've baked it in the oven for 20min or so rather than boiled it, but I think boiling works ok. I do know that you just want to make sure it dries out well so mold doesn't start. I am also not 100% positive that boiling will take care of any parasites deep inside the wood. I have heard that baking at 300 for 20min is the only way to be sure. But on the other hand, it seems like it would be ok. So I dunno... :confuzd: Maybe someone else will chime in on that one???

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If she will stop climbing on it(I think she really likes it!) I will take it out and bake it to be safe, better safe then sorry. I just checked on her again, I have to be careful my gf is sleeping in there. Shelby is hanging out on top of the branch like a boss looking cozy. I feel like I would stress her or annoy her to take her off of the branch right now to bake it so I'm hoping just boiling it was ok for tonight and maybe tomorrow till after I get out of work.

She is a beautiful little boa. I have a few different bp's and 3 boa's right now. I will tell you this. If I could only have one or the other I would get rid of my bp's in a heart beat and keep the boa's. They are just so much more interesting than my bp's are.

They do seem to need a bit more handling than my bp's to keep them calm, but this isn't really a problem. I love the boa's so much that I seem to take them out every day....lol

Cutie boa: love her peppering!

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Originally Posted by dragonboy4578

She is a beautiful little boa. I have a few different bp's and 3 boa's right now. I will tell you this. If I could only have one or the other I would get rid of my bp's in a heart beat and keep the boa's. They are just so much more interesting than my bp's are.

They do seem to need a bit more handling than my bp's to keep them calm, but this isn't really a problem. I love the boa's so much that I seem to take them out every day....lol

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Thats what I've already been feeling, granted I only own a bp other then this boa. She just seems more intelligent and fascinating. An good to hear on they enjoy lots of handling because so do I. Thanks for chiming in.

Also thank you to those of you who said she was a pretty girl, I think so too :)

So I had some experts from redtailboa . net chat look at the pictures I have of her and they said she is not a true rtb but actually a BCI.

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Originally Posted by cehmz

So I had some experts from redtailboa . net chat look at the pictures I have of her and they said she is not a true rtb but actually a BCI.

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That is correct. She is a BCI which is not a "true" red tail. However, they are of the same family. A true red tail is a BCC (BCI = b.c.imperator and BCC = b.c.constrictor). Once you see a true red tail BCC, they are unmistakable. There is nothing wrong with yours being a BCI though. In fact, considering your earlier concerns, you are lucky she is. She'll stay a bit smaller than the average BCC which grow to be veerryy impressive animals and, generally speaking, the BCI's have a nicer temperament.

It's kind of hard to tell from the pics, but she looks to be a common columbian or central american boa constrictor. She's not hypomelanistic or she'd be more pink/peach in overall coloration and she's not an anerythristic either or she'd be more grey and black with none of the rust on her tail. She is normal coloration for a common BCI. That in no way detracts from her beauty! She is very nicely patterned and her coloration is lovely - she'll continue to change as she grows and she'll just get nicer! :gj:

Here is a pic of my baby boa. She is also a BCI and she's hypomelanistic...
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/.../newboa009.jpg

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

That is correct. She is a BCI which is not a "true" red tail. However, they are of the same family. A true red tail is a BCC (BCI = b.c.imperator and BCC = b.c.constrictor). Once you see a true red tail BCC, they are unmistakable. There is nothing wrong with yours being a BCI though. In fact, considering your earlier concerns, you are lucky she is. She'll stay a bit smaller than the average BCC which grow to be veerryy impressive animals and, generally speaking, the BCI's have a nicer temperament.

It's kind of hard to tell from the pics, but she looks to be a common columbian or central american boa constrictor. She's not hypomelanistic or she'd be more pink/peach in overall coloration and she's not an anerythristic either or she'd be more grey and black with none of the rust on her tail. She is normal coloration for a common BCI. That in no way detracts from her beauty! She is very nicely patterned and her coloration is lovely - she'll continue to change as she grows and she'll just get nicer! :gj:

Here is a pic of my baby boa. She is also a BCI and she's hypomelanistic...
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/.../newboa009.jpg

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Thank you so much for that detailed response. Do you think I paid to much for her at $100 dollars? She seems to be in good health and mite free and came from the only reptile specialist in or around the city I live in.

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Originally Posted by cehmz

Thank you so much for that detailed response. Do you think I paid to much for her at $100 dollars? She seems to be in good health and mite free and came from the only reptile specialist in or around the city I live in.

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No, not necessarily. If you're happy with her and she's healthy, that makes her worth every penny. It's true that you can probably find a normal BCI for less, but you might have to worry about shipping or traveling to get it which would add to the overall cost.

BTW, even though she seems healthy, I assume you are practising proper quarantine proceedures and keeping her and everything she comes in contact with seperate from your current BP? Boas can carry ibd which is rapidly fatal to pythons. A minimum of 60 day (and many might recommend a 90 day) quarantine is a must. Just thought of it so I thought I'd mention it....

Incidentally, I agree with Morgan (dragonboy). I love Ella, my BP, and I have no plans for her to ever go anywhere, but I do believe she may well be my last BP. Peaches, my boa, is amazingly interactive and intelligent. And she always eats! ....which is kinda important and is one thing that drives me nuts with Ella, much as I love her....

I don't think I've ever had a boa miss a meal. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

No, not necessarily. If you're happy with her and she's healthy, that makes her worth every penny. It's true that you can probably find a normal BCI for less, but you might have to worry about shipping or traveling to get it which would add to the overall cost.

BTW, even though she seems healthy, I assume you are practising proper quarantine proceedures and keeping her and everything she comes in contact with seperate from your current BP? Boas can carry ibd which is rapidly fatal to pythons. A minimum of 60 day (and many might recommend a 90 day) quarantine is a must. Just thought of it so I thought I'd mention it....

Incidentally, I agree with Morgan (dragonboy). I love Ella, my BP, and I have no plans for her to


ever go anywhere, but I do believe she may well be my last BP. Peaches, my boa, is amazingly interactive and intelligent. And she always eats! ....which is kinda important and is one thing that drives me nuts with Ella, much as I love her....

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Yes I have them seperated and use seperate things, hand sanitizer etc. I can't keep them in different rooms in my current apt but they are about 10ft apart.

Nice looking little boa. Welcome to the Boaddiction. I've only got 1 BP as well, and in my opinion boas are more addicting. I've got 4 of them :D

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Originally Posted by cehmz

http://i.imgur.com/qr7UU.jpg

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She looks great!

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Nice looking little boa. Welcome to the Boaddiction. I've only got 1 BP as well, and in my opinion boas are more addicting. I've got 4 of them :D

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Yes, there is definitely something addicting about them, but their bigger size makes it hard to keep too many of them. For space reasons, I have to limit myself to just three RTBs. I guess that's probably a good thing.....

Nice little Boa you have. I enjoy my little Boa so much. She seems to really like being held. When I switch on the light at night she is ready to get out of her enclosure. She is in shed right now I can tell she doesn't what to be bothered. Can't wait til it's over cause I'm having Boa dts :)

Thanks for all the replies. I'll post some new half way decent pics in a bit. I'm at work so it may be a minute.

http://i.imgur.com/NuaMl.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/shoV8.jpg

COngrats! I also hope to make a Boa my second snake! Cant wait to see pictures!!!:D

wow! you literally beat me by a minute! so gorgeous!