Need Some Advice About A Possible Trade

So I have a friend that owns a small family reptile store and he has a beautiful BCI for sale. It's young, not sure how young, but probably only a few months. He picked it up at the last show and thought it would sell quickly but his business has been really slow lately. It's a normal I think, but is light tan with lots of speckling and the most beautiful silver eyes. The saddles on the tail are a yellowish orange color. Overall, there looks like there might be some Hog Island influence, he's that light. Now, I say he, but I don't know. Neither he nor I was comfortable popping either. I'm hoping it's male however, as I don't really want another female right now.

So here's the part where the advice comes in. I don't have room for another boa at the moment. I only have a 10gal aquarium empty for now, and I can't put even a baby boa in that. I just moved my mojo up to the only empty 20L. However, I have a normal male that I've raised from a hatchling that is currently occupying another 20L. I love him to pieces, but he doesn't eat reliably and never has, and when he does he's a mouser. He has no place in my future breeding plans either. He was my second BP ever and I've had him for a few years now. So obviously I'm attached to the little guy. My friend has no problem selling BPs, but people tend to be more fearful of the boas. So I am considering trading my normal male for the little boa, but I'm not sure. Given the circumstances, what would you all do?

Keep the normal male I've raised from a baby? Or trade him for the gorgeous little boa that I could breed to my monster tail BCI in a few years if he does turn out to be male? And if not, he or she is still a gorgeous snake...and if female, that would be a killer deal. Thoughts?

Idk, thats tough. Im attached to my normal (i think female but could be male lol) and never plan to get rid of her but thats because she/he was my first snake. She's also a great eater though. I can see how him being a mouser is a pain. Since he was your second, not first, bp maybe there's not *as* much of an attachment? If you trust that your friend will find a good home for him then i say go for it and get the bci you want.

My first had to be put down after becoming septic with viral pneumonia. :( So no, I'm not nearly as attached to him as I was to her. But he was the one that got picked to fill her empty tank. So yeah, a certain amount of attachment. He's an annoying goober who refuses more than he eats, but I'd be concerned about him getting a good home. It's still a pet shop...you never know who's gonna end up with them. And he's sensitive. Lol. But it's a gorgeous and very sweet, healthy and eating baby BCI. So torn. *sigh*

Will you have room for at least a 4' viv within the next couple years, maybe sooner if this snake spurts (along with vivs for the dum and other BCI listed in your signature)? If the answer is yes, go for it. If the answer is no or maybe not, then I wouldn't.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Will you have room for at least a 4' viv within the next couple years, maybe sooner if this snake spurts (along with vivs for the dum and other BCI listed in your signature)? If the answer is yes, go for it. If the answer is no or maybe not, then I wouldn't.

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Yeah. The girls are getting 6'x2' Boaphiles within the next year or so. The Monster tail gets hers first though because she's growing much more quickly than the Dum. So I can just stick a 4x2 on top of those when he got up to size. Space isn't an issue as far as those are concerned because they are stackable. :) The tanks are just annoying space wise and currently that's what I have. I won't have them much longer though.

Sigh. That's a tough one. I also have a difficult eater and I've often thought about trading her or selling her. I can't do it - she was my first BP and the one that started it all for me and, because she's so sensitive, I would always worry about how she was being cared for and how she was doing if she left me.

However, I know how you feel about this boa. Been there, done that. My suggestion is simple. Get a tub at Walmart for $10. Slap a heat mat on the bottom for about $20, stick it on a hydrofarm t-stat for $30 and you're good to go for only $60. Each of my baby boas did just fine in a similar set up for their entire q/t period - and one did so for over 8 months. Perhaps you already have a spare heat mat or t-stat and you won't even spend that much. I put my tub on the nightstand in our spare bedroom (my quarantine room). It doesn't take up much space. And once he moves out of it, you have a nice q/t tub for the future! ;)

Where there's will there's a way!! :gj:

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Sigh. That's a tough one. I also have a difficult eater and I've often thought about trading her or selling her. I can't do it - she was my first BP and the one that started it all for me and, because she's so sensitive, I would always worry about how she was being cared for and how she was doing if she left me.

However, I know how you feel about this boa. Been there, done that. My suggestion is simple. Get a tub at Walmart for $10. Slap a heat mat on the bottom for about $20, stick it on a hydrofarm t-stat for $30 and you're good to go for only $60. Each of my baby boas did just fine in a similar set up for their entire q/t period - and one did so for over 8 months. Perhaps you already have a spare heat mat or t-stat and you won't even spend that much. I put my tub on the nightstand in our spare bedroom (my quarantine room). It doesn't take up much space. And once he moves out of it, you have a nice q/t tub for the future! ;)

Where there's will there's a way!! :gj:

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That's exactly what I'm worried about with the BP. He's so sensitive and I'm worried someone else won't take care of him as well as I have. I do have a spare heat mat, so I'd just need another hydrofarm and a tub. But while I can basically just trade him the BP for the boa (because he owns a pet store and charges outrageous prices for the snakes so they'd be about the same price and he wouldn't be losing money), I'd have to pay $80 at least for the baby boa if there was no trade. That's a little pricey for a normal...even a pretty one with an awesome personality. He's asking $100...which is why the little guy isn't selling. I dunno. :confusd: At those prices I may as well just wait for the show in March. But I do really like him...he ate while I was there and he's mite free and healthy. And beautiful. As I said, I'm very torn on the issue.

Thank you guys for the responses so far. My fiancé was no help in this department. She was just like, "they're your pets, do what you want". So bouncing these thoughts off her was pretty useless. Lol. Plus, she knows nothing about snakes, housing and pricing, so this is good. :gj:

Hello my name is tim im new to bp.net and i was reading your post. i was in ur postion a couple years back. i had over 20 snakes and a couple beardies. i was offered a tread for the first beardy i ever got for a beautiful adult female sunglow redtail and i thought about it for three months, and finally i came to a dission that is was gonna do it. its been 7 years since i didnt it and i still miss my beardy. i know hes not your first but it sounds like your very attached to him. i know im not giving you much help i guess what im tryin to say is no matter what u do think about it. if you really want the boa id talk to your friend and try to gat him to come down on the price. if he wont do that if you breed often offer him a trade with a new born. if you have any. this way ur not givin up something your attached to.

It really depends on how much you care for the ball. It's your decision in the end. My first BP I got as a gift in April of 03' and she was a tiny hatchling. She's a very picky eater but I could never get rid of my 10 year old girl no matter what. That's just how I feel about her. I like boas better than balls and I love my Surinam and my new Nics, but not like I do her.

Actually, $80 isn't really all that bad if you really like the snake and it's healthy. Sure, you can find a normal for less, but is it worth saving only about $40 and maybe not get the one you want? And if his color is exceptional, you might find the genetics will surprise you - he could be a pastel, which although isn't genetic, does lighten and brighten when combined with other morphs.

You can't always put a price on an animal - whether you're buying or selling. If you have a spare heat mat, a tub is negligible, and a hydrofarm t-stat will only run you about $30 off amazon. I'd keep the BP, but go ahead and get the boa. It's almost Christmas! Merry Christmas to you, lol! You deserve him. :gj:

I think the main issue holding you back (besides the attachment thing) seems to be whether this boa is male or female. Could you get someone to come in and check for you? It sounds like you'd want it a lot more if it turned out to be male, since he'd work in your breeding plan instead of being just "another good-looking snake".

Actually, you can sex the snake yourself non-invasively. Just palpate. This works best on boas so it isn't a common way of sexing BPs. All you do is, starting at the vent and pressing firmly (but not so firmly that you would hurt the snake), run the tip of your thumb toward the tail. If you feel a slight popping bump (like a mini-speedbump or "beads" just under the skin), that's the male's hemipenes. If you don't feel that, it's a girl. Do it several times until you get comfortable with it. It helps to try it on a known male so you can find what you're looking for. This is extremely accurate for boas under 4-ish feet. If you feel the pop, it IS a male. I have bought ALL of my boas based on this and each one is what they were deemed to be by palpation.

Here's a nice video explaining the process.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJ3bB2Wds0

Yes, it does depend almost entirely on it being a male. The little boa had a really long skinny tail, which is what made me think it might be a male. I will definitely try that palpation method though! That's fantastic! Thanks Kali! :)

If it's a male, I may very well make the trade. And if it comes down to that and I can't let my normal go, I'll offer him $60 and see if he bites. I know he only paid $50 and has only had the snake a week or two. So he'd still be making money on it since it has only eaten once or twice. I'm going in Friday night to pick up rat pups for my little mojo, so of the little one is still there I will try palpating and if male, go from there.

Thanks guys! I'll keep you updated on what happens. :D

Sounds good! I think $60 is reasonable - but be prepared to ****er a little.

Do keep us posted - I'm anxious to hear how the palpating works for you! Do you know anyone who has a known male young boa you can practise with?? Either way, it really isn't hard. I hope it turns out to be male for you! :gj:

Well, I went and checked the snake out again. There was definitely no "speed bump" when I palpated the snake, so possibly a young female. I could have been wrong, but even so...while I was there I checked out the pastel BCI in the next cage who was laying in her water bowl and low and behold! Mites! Yikes!! :O

If she had them, no doubt so did the little boa I liked so much. :( Oh well. Obviously not meant to be. I told my friend about the mites and as you can imagine he was not happy. When I left he was cleaning out all the cages and spraying them down with mite spray.

I'm thinking I might pick up a baby baby at the next show that has been sexed by someone who knows how to do so. We'll see. And maybe someone will let me palpate a known male so I can tell the difference more confidently in the future. :)

Thanks for all the help though!

Sorry to hear it didnt work out for you WP! :/

Sorry to hear also - but please share pics if you do pick up a wee won at the next show :)

Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. If you buy a baby, I would make sure the breeder palpates to sex their animals. This is totally safe and non-invasive. Probing and popping isn't exactly dangerous if you know what you're doing, but especially with boas, palpating is safer - and since it's so accurate, there's no reason a breeder should use another method. Have them show you how it's done! :gj:

I don't fear mites like I used to. I just give every new arrival a spray down of Reptile Spray. This is amazing stuff and I highly recommend you get some to have on hand. It is way safer than PAM - you can spray it directly on the snake - and every bit as effective.

I bought a baby sunglow at Tinley Park in October. Checked her out the next morning and, egad, mites! I was SO upset!! Immediately ran down to the show and grabbed a can of PAM. But tinkered around for awhile and ended up speaking with Rich at Reptile Basics. He showed me Reptile Spray. Told me to just spray the baby down in the sink making sure she was completely covered, then wipe down her travel tub thoroughly. I took it back up to the room, gave the baby a thorough spray-down and had instant dead mites. Wiped down her tub and put fresh paper towels in. Vola!! No more mites period. Problem solved. Instantly and safely. ;)

Hope you find your dream boa!

Quick update on my boa search:

I am going to the Orlando Repticon next weekend and am going to be keeping an eye out for my dream baby boa boy. I'm not dead set on picking one up, but if I find one that catches my eye and steals my heart, he will be coming home with me. :P

So my question is this: What size tub should I get for him? I've never actually kept a snake in a tub as of yet, except for one week when a friend wanted to leave the normal female she got from me at my house while they sprayed for bugs at hers. Anyway, for a baby boa...what size tub would be best? Also, given that I can't add supplemental heat, would 75 degree temps at night be too low for a baby? My monster tail prefers it below 80, evidenced by her squishing herself against the glass when it's 80-82 in there. But I wasn't sure about a baby?

Also, I've already ordered another hydrofarm just in case, and it will be here Monday. :rolleyes:

Any advice on keeping one in a tub is welcome. And I will definitely post pics if I end up finding one. :) No worries.