Pictures of full grown male boas

I am contemplating getting a boa but as you probably have seen in my other posts I don't want anything too big that could take down a twenty pound dog or cat. I know the females can get big and fat. A lot of the pictures on the Internet are people showing off their big females. I just want to see what is typical size for a male red tail boa to get to.


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Billy, you are way too paranoid. Those big snakes you see being shown off are from folks power feeding and over feeding.

My 6 ft female BCI may be as big as the largest part of a baseball bat. When she squeezes or looking at photos she may look bigger. She is basically finished growing.

My point is, at this size even a jumbo rat is a stretch for her that I don't feel comfortable giving her. I just give her medium or large rats.

She might go for a pet guinea pig or small rabbit IF VERY HUNGRY and given the opportunity, but a dog or cat? No way!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...b32165116a.jpg

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Originally Posted by Reinz

Billy, you are way too paranoid. Those big snakes you see being shown off are from folks power feeding and over feeding.

My 6 ft female BCI may be as big as the largest part of a baseball bat. When she squeezes or looking at photos she may look bigger. She is basically finished growing.

My point is, at this size even a jumbo rat is a stretch for her that I don't feel comfortable giving her. I just give her medium or large rats.

She might go for a pet guinea pig or small rabbit IF VERY HUNGRY and given the opportunity, but a dog or cat? No way!

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...b32165116a.jpg

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This exactly.. If you feed them like you should for slow growth you will not end up with a giant dog eating snake....the movies and story's got into ur brain I have a 7 year old female that is maby 6 feet and like 8 pounds. And eats 1 large rat every two weeks. The largest one I seen was about 9 foot and 35 pounds but this particular femal was power fed like crazy this snake was so fat and lazy it never moved. This snake was very unhealthy and is due to have a shortened life span. My suggestion to you would be to get some hands on time with an adult if you can get a chance. Or talk to the breeder you are getting one from and ask them about the size of the parents.

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I love Surinam red tails, they seem to have a lot of contrast between the body and the tails.

I'm starting to think if I get a male that I might be ok.


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Originally Posted by Billy29

I love Surinam red tails, they seem to have a lot of contrast between the body and the tails.

I'm starting to think if I get a male that I might be ok.

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Note that the BCC's (Suri's and Guyana) are the biggest boa constrictors out there. We saw a 12' ten year old female at an expo and she was absolutely not a fat slug, she had been slow grown. She was also a sweetheart to handle. Sure, some individual males can potentially get up to 10 feet but it takes a very long time for them to grow that large.

I have a couple of four year old male BCI's, one Kahl albino and one hypo pastel. Neither were power fed. I'd say they're in the 6-7 foot range and they're both very handleable.

That ends the Surinam idea. I guess I'm going to stick with a imperator but have to find one that has the high contrast. Can anyone guide me in the right direction. A 5 to 7 foot snake doesn't sound too big to me.


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Originally Posted by Billy29

That ends the Surinam idea. I guess I'm going to stick with a imperator but have to find one that has the high contrast. Can anyone guide me in the right direction.

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There are many truly stunning BCI morphs and combos. It'll boil down to what you like, and what you can afford.

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...8290494ca3.jpg hypo motley het albino http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...6f09a41ab1.jpghypo het albino http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...f6513809f9.jpg

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Those are not full grown but just the pics I had available on this phone.

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I love hypos, they have such a clean look.

I have a sunglow and he is cream and orange with some pink.

I like dark grey boas with cream and red tails.


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Those are some cool looking morphs.


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First off, don't be put off by size. You grow with the snake, and usually once people feel confident they actually wish they had something a little larger. With boas, BCC or BCI the name of the game is feeding and husbandry when it comes to size. You can grow a nice long, lean, muscular boa by feeding properly. If you maintain temps on the higher end of the spectrum, you'll have a BC that digests faster and can eat another meal sooner. This is fine in the summer, but I use methods that mimmic seasonal changes now that my male is mature and drop the temps in the winter, and I provide a night drop as well year round. He is going close to 6 feet and will be 3 years old in 2 days.

As stated the Suriname and Guyana BCCs are some of the largest. Probably the biggest of all are the Iquitos, Peruvian BCC, really and of the Amazon Basin BCCs can get large. But the large, wild boa are far from fat. They can be 12 feet long and pure muscle.

Also note the largest boas are the ones that are the oldest. Keep a snake properly and it will thrive and live a long time. They don't stop growing, they just slow down a lot.

Gus Rentfro and Vincent Russo are excellent sources, and Vincent Russo wrote THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR

This is a male, Barranquilla, Colombian boa.

This is technically a BCI, but it has qualities of BCC boas. It is said the particular locality if what a natural cross between BCC and BCI would look like.


You can see in the pictures that he is very lean.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_2586.jpg

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_2578.jpg

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/IMG_2587.jpg


Just when you think 6 feet is huge, you see them curled up and they look small again.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...a/DSC01525.jpg



There is sexual size dimorphism in boa constrictors and it favors the females. However, a male BC without any female BCs in the house experiences no pheromonal cues from a female to breed, and if you are just raising you male BC as a non-breeding pet, it could attain a large size.

I suspect my BC will maybe get close 6.5 to 7 feet long.

This last picture was about a year ago to the day.

http://i772.photobucket.com/albums/y...DSC01297-1.jpg

So do you think he is topped out?


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Originally Posted by Billy29

So do you think he is topped out?


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Nope, not yet, I feel he will probably grow to 6.5 or 7 feet like I stated above. The size comes on very slowly after they hit maturity though.

I imagine this summer season he'll hit 6 feet or maybe a bit more. He is starting to thicken up more now.

The key is at this age you need to watch the lower, or tail portion of the snake. Boas carry fat down by the tail and if you are not in tune with the snake's body shape, age and feeding frequency you could end up over feeding.

The key is length, but keeping the leanness as the animal grows. That is if you want a decent sized, healthy BC.

A healthy boa should have a raised up, laterally compressed or "loaf shaped" body. Round BCs are headed down the wrong road.

Anyhow, I'm keeping an eye on my guy as I want him big, but not at the expense of health. I plan on seeing this snake for 25+ more years if I do things properly.

Here is another thing to think about. I have a coastal carpet python that is longer than that boa. It's about a year younger and the girth of a garden hose or just a tad more. The "big factor" is not all tied up in length. It's the combination of the two.

Prepare the best you can, like you are doing now. Ask questions, look at your long term situation and find some snakes you like.

I doubt many folks buy a BC when it's young and feel intimidated after raising it for a few years. You get so used to it, and honestly it is very exciting to see them grow.

Snakes don't do an awful lot. They eat, which is a very interesting, and to me, a fun interaction, and they shed and grow. Occasionally you will see them out and about, more-so if you feed them properly.

Get something that you really want and enjoy it.

You bring up some good points. I am in no means intimidated by a big snake. I just want to be a responsible pet owner and get something I won't have to rehome in ten years when I feel there may be a safety concern for my other pets. I feel my ball python won't get big enough to do much of anything but a boa is going to have a few feet on him.


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Originally Posted by Billy29

You bring up some good points. I am in no means intimidated by a big snake. I just want to be a responsible pet owner and get something I won't have to rehome in ten years when I feel there may be a safety concern for my other pets. I feel my ball python won't get big enough to do much of anything but a boa is going to have a few feet on him.


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You will be fine. the true giant boas are quite rare, and if you are responsible and feed properly in captivity, you probably will not see anything over 8 feet long. An 8 foot long female BC is plenty of snake without being something crazy like a retic that suddenly ends up 13+ feet long and busier than you expected.

You'll do well because you are concerned enough to care on the front end.

I'm going to look out for a nice imperator that has some good coloring.

Which subspecies has the nicest looking tails ?


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Originally Posted by Billy29

I'm going to look out for a nice imperator that has some good coloring.

Which subspecies has the nicest looking tails ?


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Tails are a crapshoot with BCI, and even with some BCC. I was going to say the locality I have, (Barranquilla) for BCI but my fella didn't keep his tail.

Really, the Suriname boas that are bred selectively are going to have that trait, though there are others that do, Suris carry it more consistently.

You could look into some morphs and see if there are any that catch your eye, but if you prefer "mother nature colors" then look for something that you find attractive and go from there.

Yeah I'm looking. The Surinams are the prettiest to me but the males do get kind of big. I'm trying to stay in the 6 foot range full grown. I still haven't ruled out the rainbow boa either.


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Originally Posted by Billy29

Yeah I'm looking. The Surinams are the prettiest to me but the males do get kind of big. I'm trying to stay in the 6 foot range full grown. I still haven't ruled out the rainbow boa either.


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The difference between 6 and 7 feet is not much. A male Pokigron Suriname would be just fine for you. Most recommend feeding them mice through the first year to avoid any regurgitation issues.

If you go to the Cutting Edge Herp website, you can read up on locality BCs. Vin Russo explain size pretty well, and there are some options there to check out. Belem, Brazil BCC is another "true red tail" to look at.

Thanks, you have been so much help.


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As a side note it is always funny how what we think of as "big" changes with how long we are in the reptile world, or what species you work with. When I was a kid I thought a full grown corn snake was large. Then when I started breeding, a full grown female BCI felt huge. Now anything less of a 10 foot burm feels small. Point is, if you are dedicated to working with these animals, and want to interact with them, you will get used to it. If fed appropriately, even suriname red tail females will grow much slower than what you think. They aren't like retics, burms or any giant species. Essentially they grow along with your increased abilities to handle them.

I'm inquiring about a pokigron Surinam as we speak. I know it's all relative. I am comfortable with having a chunky female ball python around and a male boa just might not be that much bigger of a snake and just a little longer.

Just don't want a 30 to 50 lb slug that is eying my dog and cat lol.


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I understand your hesitation. And it's smart to consider all aspects of owning a large reptile. keep in mind that the Internet tends to consolidate polarized examples of most things. For every picture of an over fed female bcc that looks like a giant, there are 10,000 healthy sized and properly grown snakes. My breeder BCI males spend the vast majority of their life in a 41 qt sterilite tub. That's not very big at all.

Yeah I think I'm being paranoid of it getting too big.


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Well its normal to be a little hesitant, and its always good to do your research and make sure that you are ready for a boa. But honestly, yes you are being paranoid, but a lot of people are with their first large reptile. I think you will be shocked at how 'slow' these guys actually grow. With so much media hype about burmese pythons in the everglades, and the Lacey act, it definitely can be a bit overwhelming before you get the snake. Make sure to purchase your animal from a knowledgable and reputable breeder who stands behind their animals, both temperament and health wise. Research enclosure types and get the best possible for your budget. There are many different options, depending on how much you want to spend. You do not have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to provide a proper enclosure.

With regards to your dogs safety, I think that the boa will be vastly more afraid of the dogs, than the other way around. Just be smart, and make sure to be vigilant if the snake is out of the enclosure while the dogs are in the room. I have two labs that sit and watch my boas while they are out.

Boas make wonderful pets when cared for properly. If fed and handled consistently they have the potential to be incredibly tame, with generally gentle dispositions. Of course there are the bad apples that have issues with aggression, but 'most of the time' that is the result of improper handling and husbandry at a young age. Pick a boa and enjoy the process of watching him grow. Guaranteed you won't regret it.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

As a side note it is always funny how what we think of as "big" changes with how long we are in the reptile world, or what species you work with. When I was a kid I thought a full grown corn snake was large. Then when I started breeding, a full grown female BCI felt huge. Now anything less of a 10 foot burm feels small. Point is, if you are dedicated to working with these animals, and want to interact with them, you will get used to it. If fed appropriately, even suriname red tail females will grow much slower than what you think. They aren't like retics, burms or any giant species. Essentially they grow along with your increased abilities to handle them.

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Right on Josh!

I think if I could do everything all over again, I'd have gone with a female version of what I have now or a Peruvian BCC, and then do the same coastal carpet and probably a male dwarf retic or a female SD.

I started off thinking 6 feet was HUGE, now I'm hoping my coastal breaks 10 feet and my boa hits 7.

If I could place my son's royal and get a Suri female or a SD retic, I'd do it but he is not going to dump his royal.

Billy I'm almost in the same boat you are, so thank you for making this thread and thank everyone else for providing so much great insight.

I mean I'm only just about to get my first BP, and afterward maybe I'll get a corn snake, but I've always been fascinated by how beautiful the boas are, so much so that I've contemplated getting one in a few years once I have gained enough experience. The size of BCC's has always intimidated me though, and I've been apprehensive about eventually getting a true BCC to the point of maybe considering only a BCI male. However this thread is really informative and made me feel better about them overall, so hopefully in a few years I too can appreciate the wonders that are boas. They are truly beautiful snakes and I've heard they have much more developed personalities than BPs. I hope one day I can have one of my own!

Don't think you are settling with the BP, mine is awesome and you can't beat some of the color morphs. They also can be quite impressive because they are a thicker bodied snake. My ball python is the friendliest snake I ever had and he is very inquisitive when I take him out. I consider him the perfect pet snake.

The more I read the more I'm thinking of getting the Pokigron Surinam or the North Brazilian. North Brazilian stays smaller but I'm thinking the Surinam with normal feeding won't be a monster. We will see, I'm getting a male either way.

Tomorrow I'm building a 32 quart five tub rack. I can get melamine boards that are the perfect size and can build this rack for under 75 dollars. So that means a couple more ball pythons and a baby boa. Once the boa grows out of the tub I will buy a proper cage for him.


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Originally Posted by PocketPirate

Billy I'm almost in the same boat you are, so thank you for making this thread and thank everyone else for providing so much great insight.

I mean I'm only just about to get my first BP, and afterward maybe I'll get a corn snake, but I've always been fascinated by how beautiful the boas are, so much so that I've contemplated getting one in a few years once I have gained enough experience. The size of BCC's has always intimidated me though, and I've been apprehensive about eventually getting a true BCC to the point of maybe considering only a BCI male. However this thread is really informative and made me feel better about them overall, so hopefully in a few years I too can appreciate the wonders that are boas. They are truly beautiful snakes and I've heard they have much more developed personalities than BPs. I hope one day I can have one of my own!

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I agree that ball pythons are amazing animals. But it's interesting how people consider them to be a starter snake over a boa. While their size stays smaller, IMO they are much trickier to house and feed as a first time herper. BPs are notoriously picky eaters and get stressed out on a whim, sometimes from ridiculously small things. On the other hand boas are voracious feeders, and are much hardier when it comes to caging and husbandry. If you can accommodate the size, boas are great as a first snake.

I think the whole thing with Ball pythons is that they can be somewhat personable (as much as a snake can get) they really don't bite and don't get huge. We have to face it that Boas get big and the average mom and dad is not going to want that big of a snake in their son's or daughters bedrooms. As far as eating goes that has more to do with wild caught specimens although if a captive bred BP is not being kept right they won't eat.


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Originally Posted by Billy29

I think the whole thing with Ball pythons is that they can be somewhat personable (as much as a snake can get) they really don't bite and don't get huge. We have to face it that Boas get big and the average mom and dad is not going to want that big of a snake in their son's or daughters bedrooms. As far as eating goes that has more to do with wild caught specimens although if a captive bred BP is not being kept right they won't eat.


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You are going to have to look hard for a wild caught bp right now. And they are know to be very picky eaters even in captive breed. With the perfact husbandry. The will often fast and not eat for months on end. Yes your bp might be eating good for you but get a collection of 20 or more and 9 times out of 10 one of them is going to refuse a meal. I had time were i would only pull out 5 or 6 rats at a time because half were on strike with the longest being 7 months. Were as all of my boas have never skiped a meal. So to say there not picky eaters is false

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What I don't get is if the snake is on a hunger strike is it that big of a deal. They generally start eating again after a couple of months. If the BP doesn't eat his dinner give it to the next snake. I guess it's a good excuse to have a few snakes. [emoji6]


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Originally Posted by Billy29

What I don't get is if the snake is on a hunger strike is it that big of a deal. They generally start eating again after a couple of months. If the BP doesn't eat his dinner give it to the next snake. I guess it's a good excuse to have a few snakes. [emoji6]


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Good excuse to get a Boa! :)

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...747837dc5a.jpg

http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...e2fcb151af.jpg

Its not that big of a deal with bigger ones but when u get one less than 100g not eating for months its a different story. Thats were my boas carpets and retics come into play they are my garbage disposals and take any left overs.

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That's what I'm thinking.


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I only started considering getting a BP after I had a boa. That way rats won't go to waste since Cy will eat anything!

If you get a BP spend the money to get a cool color morph, it is worth it. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/06...064747197e.jpg

My Pastel Banana.


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Oh totally. I'm getting a BEL :)

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Originally Posted by Billy29

I think the whole thing with Ball pythons is that they can be somewhat personable (as much as a snake can get) they really don't bite and don't get huge. We have to face it that Boas get big and the average mom and dad is not going to want that big of a snake in their son's or daughters bedrooms. As far as eating goes that has more to do with wild caught specimens although if a captive bred BP is not being kept right they won't eat.


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Check out the BP dedicated portion of this site. I would venture to say that at least 1/3 of the new posts everyday have to do with ball pythons not eating. These are all captive bred. They are incredibly unpredictable in their eating.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Check out the BP dedicated portion of this site. I would venture to say that at least 1/3 of the new posts everyday have to do with ball pythons not eating. These are all captive bred. They are incredibly unpredictable in their eating.

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This. It's why I have boas and king snakes, they are happy to eat any leftovers so I don't waste feeders.

Yep love the boa feeding response.

maybe it's just my experience but I feel like boas are much cleaner than BPs. My boas usually defecate in a single spot and rarely slither through it. When I had BPs I felt like their tubs were always a nightmare after pooping.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Yep love the boa feeding response.

maybe it's just my experience but I feel like boas are much cleaner than BPs. My boas usually defecate in a single spot and rarely slither through it. When I had BPs I felt like their tubs were always a nightmare after pooping.

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I would have to agree 3 out 4 of my boas go in thier water bowl and the other always dose it behind her hide. Its kidda nice dumping the poop in the toilet and cleaning just the bowl. My corn snake seams the worse about painting the tank.... then agian he is old and bilnd I belive. Ball would land in the middle


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