Boa personality that great?

I've been reading these forums like crazy since getting my first ball python recently. I've never read anyone saying they'd choose to keep their BP over their boa. I've read a lot of people saying how they love their boa's personality.

Why is this? What is their personality like, and what's the difference?

(Not that I can afford another snake or plan on getting a boa as a first time snake owner still, I'm just curious. :))

From my understanding, they have more personality. Ball pythons, pretty much stay curled up while boas love to move around and explore. They have great temperaments too.

Boas are very curious, but then again none of my BPs seem to act like BPs since they are also on the move a lot when I have them out. I truly believe my boas enjoying being out of their cages. They are much harder to put back because they don't want to go back. They also like to climb and aren't shy like BPs. Feeding responses are usually great with boas too. I love all of my snakes, but my favorite in my entire collection is my first boa, Candy. :)

I love my ball pythons and I love my hog island boa but for different reasons.

My balls are all very predictable (which I love) and easy to handle. I can stick my hand in any bin and know what they are going to do. Some like to sit while others want to explore. Some are pretty happy and want to visit with you, while others are hissy. They aren't very watchful about their surroundings until something scares them, then they ball up. They don't perch very well and are pretty clumsy. Balls aren't mindless by any means, and it differs from individual but they are a little dim in the intelligence department IMHO.

My hog island is also pretty predictable and easy to handle but you can't go rummaging around in her tank at least without you putting a firm hand on her to let her know you aren't food. We don't feed her in the tank but she is still very excitable. She is an angel once you get her out. Never had a problem with her around anyone. She can sit still and explore equally. You can put her on a chair and she will watch everyone who walks by. She reaches up for the shower curtain rod to sit while I am showering. She watches and observes, she knows where she is and who is there. She just seems smarter and more like a top predator.

I love them both and wouldn't give either away.

Agreed. I love my Ball, but when it comes to a snake you can REALLY interact with I'd say my boa wins. I've never seen a more literally in-your-face animal, and they're always very curious. Another thing is that my boa will chill around my neck while I watch TV or surf the web, but my Ball? Forget it, she's always trying to escape. :P

My boa comes out more simply because she seems to actually like it, not get spazzed out and curl up. xD

As others have said boas are just more exploratory and seem to like being out and about. Getting a big female back into her cage can really be a task! The best way I can put it is that they seem to be more of an interactive animal than a ball.

I had two ball pythons, and ended up selling both and now have 6 boas. Once I got my first boa its all I wanted to keep!

Yeah... Ball pythons are adorable, but they don't do as much. You can have them in your hands and they might just sit there. A boa isn't going to sit there. He will climb, move, be curious, whatever. My boa loves to reach out to whatever is nearest to her, even if it's like ten feet away which is hilarious--you'll see her stretch like 80 percent of her body straight horizontally in the air trying to get to a chair she wants to climb on. Lol, I love it.

Not to mention, you never really have trouble getting a boa to eat, so feeding time is never a pain!

I've owned BP's in the past and will never buy one again! Sorry but they are just so dang boring, ya there's all kinds of morphs now but still not happening!!:cool: I own 17 boas and the only python I would ever let into my house would be a lav albino super tiger SD retic, strictly as a pet lol. My boas love to come out and explore & interact and like others have stated aren't too big on going back into their enclosures. I feed all my boas in their cages and have only one aggressive boa, but he was psycho when I got him so that doesn't even count. I love not having to force feed a snake or not having to worry because my snake won't eat, not gonna happen with a boa unless it's sick or other living conditions are off. :D

To me I get the feeling that that my Boas are just a boatload smarter than Balls. I love my balls, but I swear my boa looks me in the eye. Mine wraps on my arm and does NOT want to go back ;) He also is great to have around when you have BPs as he handles any refused prey.

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Originally Posted by womsterr

To me I get the feeling that that my Boas are just a boatload smarter than Balls. I love my balls, but I swear my boa looks me in the eye. Mine wraps on my arm and does NOT want to go back ;) He also is great to have around when you have BPs as he handles any refused prey.

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Hahaha thats an interesting concept...I think I just found my new motto:

"every ball python owner should have at least one boa around; to ensure there are no leftovers after feeding day!"

different strokes for different folks. there both awesome snakes

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Originally Posted by BallsUnlimited

different strokes for different folks. there both awesome snakes

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x2 :gj: I love both my girls, both for different reasons! :D

I love both, but I do think I get more attached to boas. Although I do have some seriously bass-ackward critters! My Normal BP girl is curious as anything, NEVER balls up, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't understand the concept of fear lol. I'm pet-sitting an adult male normal BP who will actually come up to the front of his tub and beg for attention, the only time I've ever seen him ball up was the first day I picked him up from my friend's house. Both of them are PIGS. The girl refuses to eat mice, but pounds rats like nobody's business.

On the other hand, I have my baby coral Red tail. She's content to curl around my hand or arm and just sit for hours. She is the absolute daintiest eater I have, some days she doesn't even strike, just nicely grabs the rat and casually coils around it. Aside from the time I tried to feed my female BP a mouse, the boa has given me more trouble at feeding time than the BPs, if only because she's so slow to decide whether she wants to eat it or not, but if its just laying on the ground she ignores it (she's also scared of live, so I can't just put a rat pink in with her).

But yeah, even in opposite-land, I tend to find boas a bit more interactive and endearing, though I wouldnt give up my BP for anything.

Boas are more intelligent, more interactive, less fussy and just plain more interesting. You'll notice I do have a few kinds of Milks and Kings, another interesting, food responsive, curious snake.

I think the main difference is shyness.
My boa is not shy, nor is he head shy. If I'm in his cage he's right up there sniffing my hands, while my BP pretty much heads in the other direction.
Also when handling, a boa wants to climb and grip, while a BP wants to head for the ground as fast as possible. The boa is likely to find a comfy position and just hang out, while the BP will continue to try to get away.
That's my experience anyway.

i love my boa. shes super curious, always crawling around and checking stuff out instead of just looking for a hide. shes super friendly too, although she looks mean lol. but she'll just sit in my hand for a few and then start to explore, and any time i try to put her down whether its on the floor or in her cage, she always curls around my fingers and does anything she can to not be set down. and if shes on the floor i just have to put my hand next to her and she crawls right up my arm instead of running away like my bp. she just seems to love being handled and cant get enough of it. she seems really smart too, i fed her with the mouse in my hand once, and she struck my fingers instead but she immediatly released instead of coiling up like a feeding response bite. idk if she knew she made a mistake or if she thought i was stealing her mouse or what, but she seemed to be completly aware of what she was doing instead of running purely on instinct. i can even grab her out of her cage when my hand reaks like mouse, she'll smell me but she realizes that im not the mouse. i strongly suggest you get one some day when you can, theyre great snakes (at least mine is)

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Originally Posted by cmack91

i can even grab her out of her cage when my hand reaks like mouse, she'll smell me but she realizes that im not the mouse.

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You could come and try that with any of my boas, I guarantee your hand won't like it. lol

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Originally Posted by TheWinWizard

You could come and try that with any of my boas, I guarantee your hand won't like it. lol

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Agreed, my boa doesn't care what it is on feeding day; if it moves it's food. She even tagged and coiled my pants that were outside her tank one time.

I have housed both ball pythons and boas.... And i have to say that i sold all of my bp to change them for boas! Only down side in my opinion is that size difference between boas and bp is too big! And smaller localities are not as colourful as colombians... Other than that im a big boa person!

I've been keeping ball pythons for years, and just got my first boa a few days ago in a trade.

He has the sweetest personality, I have to say it's not overrated at all.

He's curious and active, but content to slowly explore my neck/arms/desk, or just wrap up on my arm and hang out. He's mellow like a ball python but curious like a corn snake. A perfect combination IMO.

:gj:

Love my boa and balls. When I open my boas enclosure she will come on out like she is saying "hello there" I love it. My balls look at me like "oh no not her again":)

I've actually met quite a few ball python breeds that have stopped working with boas because they're just too much snake, and quite a few boa owners that are actually SCARED of their snakes. When you get a nippy, grumpy boa, it's actually quite unpleasant. A nippy, grumpy ball python is a bit annoying at worst.

Most of my ball pythons are happy to explore and be handled after you've given them a few minutes to wake up. They're just slower.