Good Starter Snake?

Is a Boa a good starter snake? I was watching an episode of SnakeBytesTV and they suggested a Boa, but a friend of mine who has raised a copious amounts of snakes says they are not. What does everyone here say?

Size is a consideration with boas. Everyone I know who's had a Hogg island boa has nothing but good things to say about them and the snakes stay a manageable size. There are quite a few boa people here and I hope they'll chime in, just keep in mind some boas can get big enough to be considered 2 person snakes for safety reasons.

Edit: What are you looking for in a pet snake? Something handleable? something brightly colored? Low maintenance? Something that will be active during the day?

If you pay attention to what you are getting yourself into boas can be a perfectly good starter snake. As mentions Hog Island boas are amazing, well tempered and gorgeous. They stay a manageable size but the only down side is that there are not any pure Hog Island morphs. Nicaraguan boas stay relatively small, about four feet. They have a few morphs out there. I also have Columbian boas but they grow to a size that might be intimidating for a first time snake owner.

I love my boas. They eat great, never miss a meal. Easy to take care of and have great personalities. If someone wants a boa as a pet, there is a locality out there that will fit your needs. What are you looking for maybe I can help.

I can't speak on boas since I don't have one (yet) but I personally think a colubrid of some sort is a good starter snake especially if there are concerns over size (and possibly cost depending on what you want). I had some experience with snakes before but the first one I got totally on my own was a Hognose and I don't regret it. Before that I had been planning on a corn snake. They come in tons of different color and pattern morphs, many of which are very reasonably priced. I still don't have a corn personally but from what I hear they're basically very hardy, good eaters, and have good temperaments. Hogs I just love because of their funny personalities and interesting appearance :D But really, a lot of it comes down to what you want and what you can handle financially and space-wise.

my standard starter snake reply for some one thinking about a boa. Get A Dumerils Ground Boa Male. They get the hefty size without the length and are exteremly well behaved. I love mine! I like my corns and rtbs and balls but I LOVE my dums! Now that said there are prettier snakes out there and I have other boas that I prefer the look of but my dums are my favorite to handle. They are fairly slow growing and will take to f/t relatively easy.

As far as size goes I do not need a snake that will stay small forever, just one that starts out small so I can gradually get used to it. My friend has an albino corn snake and I handled it a lot and fell in love with it. I finally convinced my mom a couple weeks ago to let me get a snake. I was gonna get a corn, but ended up with a Ball Python. I owned him for about 3 days and ended up having to take him back. I felt so bad but even as a baby he was bigger than my friend's corn. Like I said I am just looking for a snake that will start off small. I did wanna try to get a unique starter snake, though, not the normal corn or milk. Money and space are not huge obstacles but I do know I don't want a Burmese or something that will get that big.

Get a hog nose sorry hit send early they stay smaller tho and they are cool snakes

Maybe a hognose or kenyan sand boa might be something to look into? With both species the adult male stays significantly smaller than the female, but even those don't grow too large. They both also have kind of unique 'looks' compared to a lot of other common pet snakes. I mentioned hogs before a little and why I like 'em personally, but kenyans are adorable too. I like the way they bury themselves and leave their little heads poking out. They do come in a couple different morphs, though I'm not familiar with many of them. Hognose do as well, but many of the morphs are on the pricey side right now.

Definitely gonna look into the Hogs and the Kenyan sands. Thanks guys!:)

An often forgotten boa, if you are set on boa, is the rosy boa. They'll stay on the smaller side - two to three feet. They tend to be easy keepers, feed well, and docile.

Rosy and Kenyans are both cool and easy to maintain.
If you are looking at a hatchling make sure you have a supplier for small pinky mice.

Let me tell you this, I have 4 types of boas, you can see them in my sig.

I personally think the dumerils is the most docile snake ever!! Even more so than my beeps. I have a friend whom also has one that's got good size to her and she's just as friendly as my baby!! I've seen and heard nothing but good about the Dumerils!!

That being said, a Hog Island is another good option, my girl is super friendly (once I get her out of the tub), she actually loves to come out and crawl around my hands and face and so on. She's never struck at me, but sometimes I feel like she's going to, I just use the flat hand method lol.

While I don't have any xp with all the other boas out there, I can at least say with confidence that you won't be disappointed with either one of these animals!!!


Ball Pythons
0.3 Normals (Coilette, Athena and Mary Jane)
1.0 Pastel (De Sol)
1.0 Spider (Zeus)
1.0 Mojave (Prometheus)

Boa Constrictors
0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Stella)
0.1 BCI (Kiyoko)
0.1 Dumerils Boa (Gloria)
0.1 Yellow Anaconda (Serenity)

My first boa was a Colombian female. I have never been sorry. She is a fabulous snake and I love her to death. I did get her as a small baby and "grew" with her. It is a very wise idea.

Having said that, I got my first Dumerils today after having Colombians for a long time. She is sooooo calm!! My goodness, she just hung out on my lap the whole 2 hour car ride home. Very curious and interactive, but very chill and easy to work with. I have to agree with H.0.F.R. and hypnotixdmp and recommend a Dumerils as a first boa/snake. They are wonderful animals and highly underrated.

A Hog Island is another great idea as is the Rosy Boa. Even a male Colombian can work out fine. None of these should exceed 6-7 ft (the Rosy won't exceed 4-ish ft) and are generally considered "safe" to handle on your own (I do say that loosely as there are extenuating circumstances that would affect that - so take that with a grain of salt).

May I ask why you had to "take back" your ball python? I am not being critical, just wondering if something was wrong? Are your parents ok with you having a larger snake?

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

My first boa was a Colombian female. I have never been sorry. She is a fabulous snake and I love her to death. I did get her as a small baby and "grew" with her. It is a very wise idea.

Having said that, I got my first Dumerils today after having Colombians for a long time. She is sooooo calm!! My goodness, she just hung out on my lap the whole 2 hour car ride home. Very curious and interactive, but very chill and easy to work with. I have to agree with H.0.F.R. and hypnotixdmp and recommend a Dumerils as a first boa/snake. They are wonderful animals and highly underrated.

A Hog Island is another great idea as is the Rosy Boa. Even a male Colombian can work out fine. None of these should exceed 6-7 ft (the Rosy won't exceed 4-ish ft) and are generally considered "safe" to handle on your own (I do say that loosely as there are extenuating circumstances that would affect that - so take that with a grain of salt).

May I ask why you had to "take back" your ball python? I am not being critical, just wondering if something was wrong? Are your parents ok with you having a larger snake?

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Honestly, his size intimidated me at the time. I was so used to my friend's little corn snake that I did not know how to act around him.

I'm not trying to be mean, but if a baby ball python's size intimidated you, you're not going to do much better with a boa. I would REALLY suggest you getting a very young male baby ball and raising it up. I have a feeling you would end up taking a boa back just as fast when he starting growing rapidly on you.

I dont know why you think boa would be a good idea when the size of a baby ball python scares you

Rough scaled boas stay relatively small, most smaller than a bp and are very easy to care for.

Your friends corn snake must be a baby as well if a baby ball intimidated you. I think that tells you right there what you should start with. Get a baby corn, raise it up, the stay thin but will get fairly long and if his corn didnt bother you then that really is a good place to start.

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Originally Posted by sameintheend

Honestly, his size intimidated me at the time. I was so used to my friend's little corn snake that I did not know how to act around him.

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Originally Posted by pigfat

I'm not trying to be mean, but if a baby ball python's size intimidated you, you're not going to do much better with a boa. I would REALLY suggest you getting a very young male baby ball and raising it up. I have a feeling you would end up taking a boa back just as fast when he starting growing rapidly on you.

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Originally Posted by threezero

I dont know why you think boa would be a good idea when the size of a baby ball python scares you

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I have to agree with what they said! Even a calm as dumerils are if a young bp intimidates you then a boa probably isn't a good starter snake for you. I would suggest spending more time with friends that have different snakes and handling them or at pet stores that will let you handle theirs. Please take your time and get comfortable with different types of snakes before making the decision to bring another on home. I'm not trying to be mean I just want you to have a good experience with having a pet reptile. They can be quite rewarding and challenging pets to own and care for. Imo if a young bp is intimidating to you then I'd say you aren't ready for any boa yet. I'd love to have a purple retic but I know I'm not ready for one. So I don't have it yet. You have to be 100% comfortable with some things before you can move on to the next. Good luck and hope to see pics of your new pet in the future. What ever it may be.

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Originally Posted by sameintheend

Honestly, his size intimidated me at the time. I was so used to my friend's little corn snake that I did not know how to act around him.

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Whoa nellie!!! A boa is going to get MUCH larger than any ball python. And they grow VERY rapidly. If this is the case, I can not recommend a BCI or Dumerils boa for you (or Hog Island either). Either one of these, even a male, is going to be a LOT of snake and is not the sort of snake someone should own if they are the least bit intimidated by size. While they stay on the small side where boas are concerned, they are still an impressive animal and very strong. I'd suggest you look at a Kenyan Sand boa or a Rosy boa if you have your heart set on a boa. Both of these generally do not exceed 2-4 feet. Get a male, which will stay around 2 ft or so (the females can approach 4ft).

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Originally Posted by pigfat

I'm not trying to be mean, but if a baby ball python's size intimidated you, you're not going to do much better with a boa. I would REALLY suggest you getting a very young male baby ball and raising it up. I have a feeling you would end up taking a boa back just as fast when he starting growing rapidly on you.

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Originally Posted by H.o.F.R

I have to agree with what they said! Even a calm as dumerils are if a young bp intimidates you then a boa probably isn't a good starter snake for you. I would suggest spending more time with friends that have different snakes and handling them or at pet stores that will let you handle theirs. Please take your time and get comfortable with different types of snakes before making the decision to bring another on home. I'm not trying to be mean I just want you to have a good experience with having a pet reptile. They can be quite rewarding and challenging pets to own and care for. Imo if a young bp is intimidating to you then I'd say you aren't ready for any boa yet. I'd love to have a purple retic but I know I'm not ready for one. So I don't have it yet. You have to be 100% comfortable with some things before you can move on to the next. Good luck and hope to see pics of your new pet in the future. What ever it may be.

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I'm not trying to be mean either. We are only trying to help you! But please be responsible and recognize your limitations! If you were intimidated by a ball python, you are not ready for a boa. Try something smaller and if you find you truly enjoy it and feel more comfortable with it's size, then you may be ready for a boa sometime in the future. But I don't think that time is now. I'm not thinking about the snake here - I'm thinking about YOU. It is no fun to have an animal that you are uncomfortable with. You found that out with your ball. Don't make the same mistake twice. :gj:

Yeah, I wouldn't start out with a boa if the size of a ball python intimidated you. I thought I was just about ready for a boa too, until I actually saw a bunch of adults in person and realized it might be better to hold off for awhile and see how I do with what I have now. There's no shame in knowing your limits. Maybe a baby male hognose, kenyan, or rosy boa might be better.

Thanks for the advice. I do need to clarify that I have gotten much more used to different snakes now. At the time I was just getting into them. Now this doesn't mean I am rushing into getting a bigger snake now. I just didn't want it to seem like I the day after I returned my ball that I suddenly wanted a big snake again. I am still gonna follow your advice and look into a smaller snake for now.

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Originally Posted by sameintheend

Thanks for the advice. I do need to clarify that I have gotten much more used to different snakes now. At the time I was just getting into them. Now this doesn't mean I am rushing into getting a bigger snake now. I just didn't want it to seem like I the day after I returned my ball that I suddenly wanted a big snake again. I am still gonna follow your advice and look into a smaller snake for now.

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That's wonderful and a wise choice!! If you are interested in the Rosy boas or Kenyan sand boas, I don't think you'll be sorry. They have huge personalities packed in smaller packages! And they're quite easy to care for. Once you're used to working with them, you might try a male Dumerils eventually. Patience is a virtue and you have plenty of time! :gj:

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

That's wonderful and a wise choice!! If you are interested in the Rosy boas or Kenyan sand boas, I don't think you'll be sorry. They have huge personalities packed in smaller packages! And they're quite easy to care for. Once you're used to working with them, you might try a male Dumerils eventually. Patience is a virtue and you have plenty of time! :gj:

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I started looking at a bunch of different corn morphs and now I am considering a caramel morph. I was gonna order it from BHB reptiles, but ordering snakes online seems odd to me. Won't they be angry by the time they get here?

We got a Kenyan Sand Boa for our first snake. My kids are 4 and 6 and I needed something smaller and easy to handle. Our little guy has a great personality! The kids hold him all the time! He's small enough that he doesn't overwhelm them (they've never been around snakes before) but big enough that they can handle him.

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Originally Posted by sameintheend

I started looking at a bunch of different corn morphs and now I am considering a caramel morph. I was gonna order it from BHB reptiles, but ordering snakes online seems odd to me. Won't they be angry by the time they get here?

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No, it should be fine. They will stress a bit and might be fairly unsettled when you unpack them, but not generally "angry". There are a few species that might be, LoL, but corns are more chill than most. I think this is a good choice for you. Corns are hardy and they get to be a decent size without getting too big. They are active and don't stress out with handling. Just need to post some pictures when it arrives!

"Boa" is a general term for snakes in the "Boidae" family. There are MANY species of boas (including boa constrictors, which I assume you're asking about) that any intelligent person would have no problem raising to healthy adulthood and beyond, PROVIDED YOU PUT IN:

- some time reading
- some spending on necessary equipment and husbandry needs
- some hard work in preparation and regular tasks for keeping your snake healthy

There are other species that are more bulletproof regarding lapses in care, but I am not one to suggest that you buy a snake with the intent of having those lapses.

"Boa" is a general term for snakes in the "Boidae" family. There are MANY species of boas (including boa constrictors, which I assume you're asking about) that any intelligent person would have no problem raising to healthy adulthood and beyond, PROVIDED YOU PUT IN:

- some time reading
- some spending on necessary equipment and husbandry needs
- some hard work in preparation and regular tasks for keeping your snake healthy

There are other species that are more bulletproof regarding lapses in care, but I am not one to suggest that you buy a snake with the intent of having those lapses. Get the snake you want and are excited about, and do what needs to be done to keep it healthy and happy!

I appreciate all the help but unfortunately it is for naught now. My mom has decided I can not have a snake in her house and seeing as I am unemployed at the moment I definitely can't get my own place right now.:(