Looking to get a boa no sure what kind

I've had a ball python for about 2 years now. I've resisted the temptation to get another snake long enough. I want something a bit bigger, but I not quite as big as red tail. I'm thinking something that gets a max of 6-7 feet in length. I think maybe there are a few types of boas that would fit the bill.

I'm looking for something that is easy to feed and not picky like a BP, and temperament is important, I have young kids that like to hold and pet the BP and would want a boa that will tolerate people well. Complicated husbandry, I'm fine with that, I know some need high humidity, etc.

Any suggestions or advice is welcome.

I LOVE my dumerils boa and everyone else that has one loves them too. Husbandry almost identical to a BP, and dumerils have great temperaments. At first they can be finicky eaters. But now mine is an eating machine. She is my first boa and she's awesome, and they get to a decent, but not huge size.

I would pick up a male Colombian BCI: they get to be about 5-6' average (bigger, smaller individuals found), real tolerant of handling with most having good temperaments, easy to feed and take care of, and great display snakes too. I recommend at least a 4' cage for males and 6' for larger males/females. Here's my jungle morph male:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ps89b36808.jpg

The following have all been reported to have great demeaners. I feel quite a few people will concur.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa(BRB)
Dumerils Boa
Hogg Island Boa

Perhaps to a lesser extent a Carpet Python?


The only one I have any type of experience with is the BRB which was at an expo. It was a 2 year old 7' female which made me fully fall in love with them. All 4 of these are on my list of snakes I would like to get in parts of demeaner, look, length(averge 4-8ft), girth, attractiveness to me.

I would say Bolivian Boa BCA. They are thick but not long enough to scare people. Most of them will be quite tame. They have better tollerance to temperature and humidity than BCI or BCC. Eat like a pig and can feed once a month. My male Bolivian boa is puppy tame.

He is better than my female sunglow BCI, female ball python Russo BEL and male albino ball python.

BRB's can be a little nippy when young but settle down if handled carefully. Our adult female is right at 72".

I'm not sure how big a Children's Boa would get, other than being smaller than the BCC's and BCI's. I tried googling it and all I got was "is a Boa a good pet for a child?" responses.

Red-tailed Boa BCI local - good demeaner, widely available, forgiving for husbandry mistakes as long as they are corrected, max out around 7 ft on the largest side of the spectrum, enough morphs to keep the morph keeper please (Albino Kahl and Sharp, Hypo, Super Hypo (Also known as Super salmon, and other things), Motley, Jungle, etc. . .).

Dumeril's are awesome boas, very tame and strong feeders. Problem with them is you need to consider their size - lengths of 8-9 ft are common for properly kept girls, and I've seen males in this range as well. So them, as well as BCC locales, should be avoided.

There are many other boa sp. out there that have the same quirks as boas that people find attractive, that do not get as big. Nicaraguan, for instance, is a lot smaller locale typically maxing around 5' for females, and 3-4' for males. This is a great size range for people coming over from ball pythons and wanting something more active and larger. They are slightly harder to come by than BCI's / Dumerils / Hogg Island, but they can still be found if you look hard enough.

I highly recommend a male BCI or a male Dumerils. Either of these should stay around 6-7 ft at their max and both have superb temperaments and tolerate handling very well. Husbandry for either of these is quite basic - about the same as a BP.

A Hog Island male would be another good choice as would a Tarahumara Mountain boa. The T-mtn boas, even females, will usually max out at no more than 4-5 ft!

Some folks have found both BRBs and Nicaraquan BCIs to be fairly nippy, so I might steer clear of them.

One thing to keep in mind is that nearly any species of boa will likely get too large for young children. I assume that a parent would be present anytime one of your kids would want to interact with the snake, but even if you're there, most boas would be too large for a young child to hold by himself - you'd have to help him hang onto the snake. Just a friendly tip. :gj:

I definitely recommend a Dumeril's Boa. My male is like a puppy dog, and he's about 64" and 8 lbs right now at around 4 years old. Most males top out between 5 and 6 feet, but some get closer to 7 feet. Females tend to be a bit bigger, but rarely exceed 8 feet. Dumeril's get quite heavy, but they're very easy to handle.

There has been lots of good advice here.
Research the snakes that interest you most thoroughly.
If Tom Crutchfiild in Florida is still in reptiles he has some very uncommon snakes and could get you something that fits in with what you want in a pet.
He even had some tiny hispaniola ground boa's. They aren't even as big as a BP.

Thanks for the advice, some great stuff to go on here! I'm leaning towards a Dumerils at this point I think.

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Originally Posted by VooDooDoc

Thanks for the advice, some great stuff to go on here! I'm leaning towards a Dumerils at this point I think.

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Can't go wrong with a dumerils. :gj:

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Originally Posted by VooDooDoc

Thanks for the advice, some great stuff to go on here! I'm leaning towards a Dumerils at this point I think.

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Originally Posted by Trackstrong83

Can't go wrong with a dumerils. :gj:

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Agreed!! Excellent choice! :gj:

Dums are a very good choice,,, But,,,, listen to this from somebody who was JUST in the same shoes you are now.

Male OR female Colombian BCI.

Here's why and this is no knock on the Dumerils boa because it was on my short list and I'd still like one. Dumerils "ground" boa. Great snake but somewhat similar to the Royal in terms of terrestrial habits. Again, I'm just suggesting a bigger switch from the Royal.

You will have a semi arboreal snake with a BCI, NO feeding issues, and get this,,,,,, after you have one, at least in my case you'll feel something large, like a female BCI isn't going to be that large at all because they are such great snakes.

Actually I've seen some VERY thick Dumerils boas that I love. Again not slamming the Dums, just offering up a snake with a bit different habits. The Carpet python isn't a bad choice either. Balls, Bloods and Dums sort of all have very similar habits as far as being mostly ground dwelling in character.

I'm hoping, really hoping my male Barranquilla Colombian BCI ends up in the 7 foot range and not the 5-6 area. After making the jump, you just kind of realize boas are NOT monsters and even at a big size like an 8 foot female you won't be feeling like you have a 20 foot retic.

So,

Dumerils: great size especially the females. One of the most beautiful natural patterns of any boa IMO. Laid back. Some can be picky eaters. They are more arboreal than say their cousin the Madagascar ground boa (also beautiful) but still they are not a huge change from the Royal IMO as far as display and general activity level. Although I think a lot less scared of the world LOL!

BCI boa: has a beautiful pattern, active, semi arboreal, feeds like a shark. Very docile and curious when you take them out. You may have trouble putting it back. Hardy animal and easy to maintain. TONS of morphs. Great size big and thick but not enormous. Good to great display animal.

I don't have a ton of info on the Carpet Python other than they are beautiful, possibly one of the prettiest snakes going. They are active and pretty arboreal. Probably a better display animal than the BCI. Can be a bit snappy.
Carpets along with the Dumerils are on my list of "maybe someday" snakes.

Really if you chat with enough people and look at threads that ask "If you could only have one snake what would you keep?" The ones I've read have a bunch of whack jobs like myself talking about their boa constrictors.

Hey, this is just me blabbing about my choice and passing along my thoughts. The Dumerils crowd can surely come up with a whole host of reasons to go that route.

I say step up,, get a nice, boa and let it get big. Most, never go past 8-9 feet.

Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Dums are a very good choice,,, But,,,, listen to this from somebody who was JUST in the same shoes you are now.

Male OR female Colombian BCI.

Here's why and this is no knock on the Dumerils boa because it was on my short list and I'd still like one. Dumerils "ground" boa. Great snake but somewhat similar to the Royal in terms of terrestrial habits. Again, I'm just suggesting a bigger switch from the Royal.

You will have a semi arboreal snake with a BCI, NO feeding issues, and get this,,,,,, after you have one, at least in my case you'll feel something large, like a female BCI isn't going to be that large at all because they are such great snakes.

Actually I've seen some VERY thick Dumerils boas that I love. Again not slamming the Dums, just offering up a snake with a bit different habits. The Carpet python isn't a bad choice either. Balls, Bloods and Dums sort of all have very similar habits as far as being mostly ground dwelling in character.

I'm hoping, really hoping my male Barranquilla Colombian BCI ends up in the 7 foot range and not the 5-6 area. After making the jump, you just kind of realize boas are NOT monsters and even at a big size like an 8 foot female you won't be feeling like you have a 20 foot retic.

So,

Dumerils: great size especially the females. One of the most beautiful natural patterns of any boa IMO. Laid back. Some can be picky eaters. They are more arboreal than say their cousin the Madagascar ground boa (also beautiful) but still they are not a huge change from the Royal IMO as far as display and general activity level. Although I think a lot less scared of the world LOL!

BCI boa: has a beautiful pattern, active, semi arboreal, feeds like a shark. Very docile and curious when you take them out. You may have trouble putting it back. Hardy animal and easy to maintain. TONS of morphs. Great size big and thick but not enormous. Good to great display animal.

I don't have a ton of info on the Carpet Python other than they are beautiful, possibly one of the prettiest snakes going. They are active and pretty arboreal. Probably a better display animal than the BCI. Can be a bit snappy.
Carpets along with the Dumerils are on my list of "maybe someday" snakes.

Really if you chat with enough people and look at threads that ask "If you could only have one snake what would you keep?" The ones I've read have a bunch of whack jobs like myself talking about their boa constrictors.

Hey, this is just me blabbing about my choice and passing along my thoughts. The Dumerils crowd can surely come up with a whole host of reasons to go that route.

I say step up,, get a nice, boa and let it get big. Most, never go past 8-9 feet.

Good luck.

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I agree 100%! This is what I did, and I absolutely adore my BCI! I doubt you can go wrong either way, but if you want to mix it up even more from a ball, BCI is the way to go!

My vote would also be for a bci. Love mine. They have the most curious personalities. Here is my two.

Female Coral Albino
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/15/uqy2epym.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/15/ymy6ujy3.jpg

Male Hypo
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/15/y2ysyhet.jpg

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/06/15/dapydu8e.jpg

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Originally Posted by brobertson

I agree 100%! This is what I did, and I absolutely adore my BCI! I doubt you can go wrong either way, but if you want to mix it up even more from a ball, BCI is the way to go!

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I do have to agree with Gio and brobertson on this. My very first boa was, get this, a BCI female. And yes, she's getting quite. :D

But she was the perfect first boa for me. I adore her! She has the most wonderful personality ever and, despite her size, she is extremely easy to handle - and I'm a pretty small woman but she's still easy for me to work with by myself. BCIs are just all-around awesome snakes.

I had no clue what I wanted. I knew it was between a Dum, BCI, or BRB (kind of like you!!), but I didn't know which. I went to an expo and talked to lots of people and handled all 3 species. I almost bough a juvenile female Dum, but then found that female BCI - a baby from a WONDERFUL breeder who spent a LOT of time answering questions, was very knowledgeable, and never once made me feel insignificant or dumb. Part of the experience was buying from a good person. I got this baby because of him. The guy with the Dum was barely able to tell me what sex she was and didn't know anything else about her and promptly started chatting with his buddy when I started asking questions. I put her back. I have NEVER been sorry with my BCI girl.

Now having said that, I do now have a Dumerils. And this one is fantastic! I can see why these guys make such GOOD first boas. This is a great species and highly underrated. They are very calm and great to handle. They do get fairly heavy though and don't really stay as small as some folks think. But Gio is right - don't worry too much about size. None of these boas get huge and their nice temperaments make them a joy to handle.

If you do decide on the Dum, you won't be sorry!! But you'd thoroughly enjoy a BCI too! :gj:

My intended 1st boa was supposed to be either a Brazilian or a Peruvian Rainbow.
Instead I wound up acquiring a Peruvian Long Tail as my introduction to boa's.
She won't get too large and, is every bit as active and interactive as my Irian Jaya CP.
On the down side there is not a ton of info easily available on this subspecies as some other more common snakes that also fit your requirements.
Another plus for me is both the I-J and the Long Tail get better looking as they age.

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Originally Posted by Raven01

My intended 1st boa was supposed to be either a Brazilian or a Peruvian Rainbow.
Instead I wound up acquiring a Peruvian Long Tail as my introduction to boa's.
She won't get too large and, is every bit as active and interactive as my Irian Jaya CP.
On the down side there is not a ton of info easily available on this subspecies as some other more common snakes that also fit your requirements.
Another plus for me is both the I-J and the Long Tail get better looking as they age.

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Speaking of underrated, I think the longs tails are supreme boas. What is lacking a bit in info is made up for with some other info about the husbandry. They can handle the cooler temps and are quite hardy.

I'd like to learn more about the long tails. Raven01 might be the "drum beater" for these guys. I don't hear enough about them, but I agree it's another boa to look into!

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Originally Posted by Raven01

My intended 1st boa was supposed to be either a Brazilian or a Peruvian Rainbow.
Instead I wound up acquiring a Peruvian Long Tail as my introduction to boa's.
She won't get too large and, is every bit as active and interactive as my Irian Jaya CP.
On the down side there is not a ton of info easily available on this subspecies as some other more common snakes that also fit your requirements.
Another plus for me is both the I-J and the Long Tail get better looking as they age.

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Originally Posted by Gio

Speaking of underrated, I think the longs tails are supreme boas. What is lacking a bit in info is made up for with some other info about the husbandry. They can handle the cooler temps and are quite hardy.

I'd like to learn more about the long tails. Raven01 might be the "drum beater" for these guys. I don't hear enough about them, but I agree it's another boa to look into!

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Very true!! I think many of the subspecies are overlooked. I have a 1.1 pair of Argentine boas (BCO) and they are among my favorites! There's not that much info out there on these guys either, but there should be. I wouldn't recommend BCO as a first boa though. They can grow to be giants - females regularly exceed 10ft and males often get close to that. Plus their attitudes can be quite intimidating.

BUT the Peruvian Long-tailed boas are amazing animals and tend to be a smaller and more docile subspecies. The only problem I see would actually be FINDING one....... :D

A lot of love the BCI, now I can't decide. Well looks like Repticon is going to be going on in Raleigh at the end of next month, maybe I'll try my luck there and see if I can handle them and decide in person. Thanks everyone for all the helpful information.

Good call on handling some in person.

There is no bad snake in the mix, and every one of them has good qualities. My main point was to give you something that would differ from a Royal python by quite a bit. BCI boas fit the bill very well and are great on the husbandry front.

You very well could enjoy carpet pythons, and really, if I had the option, I'd look into a male dwarf or male/female super dwarf reticulated python. They are very active and arboreal as well. I just haven't had enough time to research size and such with the retics. There is NO WAY I'd be prepared to deal with 10 feet or more of snake like that. I could handle a 9 foot BCI which is considered huge for a BCI, but I'm familiar with their feeding responses and general docile tide.

Before you even handle them, read up on the various species and see how they interact in the wild and in captivity. If I read more in depth about Royal pythons (really in depth) I would have probably chosen something a little less shy and certainly more driven to eat the whole year without going on hunger strikes.

On the other side of that the Royal gave me the confidence to step up to another type of snake.

You'll make the right choice. Good Luck!