Should I get a Hogs Island Boa or a western hognose?

Hi, my name is Jimmy and I was wondering which one I should get? I know there completely different but I am having a hard time choosing. I just want other people's opinion. I know the general care and size of each but the price and where to find it is what im having a hard time with.

You're definitely going apples and oranges there. Will this be your first snake? If not, what do you have now? Or what have you had in the past?

Those are two completely different things and not really comparable at all. I would suggest looking of their care requirements as well as their general handlability and figure out which one personally sounds like fun to you because you as the keeper are going to get a wildly different experience from both.

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

You're definitely going apples and oranges there. Will this be your first snake? If not, what do you have now? Or what have you had in the past?

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no this will not be my first snake I have owned about three corn snakes and I at the moment on a king snake but I also have lots of experience with other reptiles including chameleons leopard geckos crested geckos bearded dragons and more I know I'm working with two completely different snakes in every shape and form I'm just talking about other people's personal experience

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Originally Posted by Lizardlicks

Those are two completely different things and not really comparable at all. I would suggest looking of their care requirements as well as their general handlability and figure out which one personally sounds like fun to you because you as the keeper are going to get a wildly different experience from both.

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I do know each of their General care and I am doing research on them right now but I personally like both of them and I just wanted to see some personal experience from other Keepers and their opinions

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Originally Posted by shadowjimmy107

no this will not be my first snake I have owned about three corn snakes and I at the moment on a king snake but I also have lots of experience with other reptiles including chameleons leopard geckos crested geckos bearded dragons and more I know I'm working with two completely different snakes in every shape and form I'm just talking about other people's personal experience

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I'd be much more inclined to go with a hognose for you based on your experience with cornsnakes. Out of curiosity how old are you? I'm sure I'll get chewed up for attaching a random number to it but I wouldn't want someone too young owning a boa. I'd want to say around 15 is probably a good age for something like that because hogs aren't too big, just rather girthy.

If you are looking for something drastically different and you want a bigger animal maybe a hog island boa would be a good fit.

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Originally Posted by kxr

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I'd be much more inclined to go with a hognose for you based on your experience with cornsnakes. Out of curiosity how old are you? I'm sure I'll get chewed up for attaching a random number to it but I wouldn't want someone too young owning a boa. I'd want to say around 15 is probably a good age for something like that because hogs aren't too big, just rather girthy.

If you are looking for something drastically different and you want a bigger animal maybe a hog island boa would be a good fit.

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Or maybe I should have made that more clear I am 14 years old and I'm doing research on the Hogs Island boa because Normal bcc's and bci's can get a little big for me sometimes my friend has a nine foot red tail boa constrictor and I was handling him and he was just a little bit much but my plan was since they aren't necessarily the fastest growing creatures I would get used to them as they grow but would you know good places to find each of these species

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Originally Posted by shadowjimmy107

Or maybe I should have made that more clear I am 14 years old and I'm doing research on the Hogs Island boa because Normal bcc's and bci's can get a little big for me sometimes my friend has a nine foot red tail boa constrictor and I was handling him and he was just a little bit much but my plan was since they aren't necessarily the fastest growing creatures I would get used to them as they grow but would you know good places to find each of these species

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I can't comment on exactly how fast they grow because I've honestly never kept a hog island boa but they aren't exactly slow growing as far as I know.

Maybe you should wait a few years and at that point you might find a boa more manageable. In my opinion if you don't want to wait you should get a hognose. I know Deborah on these forums breeds hognoses but that's the only person that comes to my mind. Her business is Stewart reptiles I believe


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Originally Posted by kxr

I can't comment on exactly how fast they grow because I've honestly never kept a hog island boa but they aren't exactly slow growing as far as I know.

Maybe you should wait a few years and at that point you might find a boa more manageable. In my opinion if you don't want to wait you should get a hognose. I know Deborah on these forums breeds hognoses but that's the only person that comes to my mind. Her business is Stewart reptiles I believe


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thank you very much I'll look into her businessthank you very much I'll look into her business and I'm fine with owning either of the snakes and maybe that's for the best because there is a baby in the house coming soon which I probably should have mentioned but like I said I'm fine with getting either of them and this snake probably isn't coming into the house until July August or October or something

I can't comment on Boas since I do not own or work with those, hognose however have it all cute face, personality and very manegeable size.

Their care is easy and they are forgiven when it comes to husbandry.

Now that being said there are things to consider.

One is the legality in the state where you live.

Two you have to keep in mind that while they are rear fanged, very mildly venemous and not prone to bite, a bite can occur and so can a reaction.





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While I like the hognose, I would get a boa over it. However, you have to factor in caging requirement, food size, max size, etc...

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I can't comment on Boas since I do not own or work with those, hognose however have it all cute face, personality and very manegeable size.

Their care is easy and they are forgiven when it comes to husbandry.

Now that being said there are things to consider.

One is the legality in the state where you live.

Two you have to keep in mind that while they are rear fanged, very mildly venemous and not prone to bite, a bite can occur and so can a reaction.

Thank you, yes I am aware of this. I will look into your hognose and see. I live in PA.







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Originally Posted by Neal

While I like the hognose, I would get a boa over it. However, you have to factor in caging requirement, food size, max size, etc...

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I know I have been narrowing that down to a preferable choice for a week now and I just wanted to see others opinions

I have a hog island boa and she is a solid 2 ft at almost a year old. A pure hog island is expected to stay around 5 ft long but I have heard most of what you find have been integrated with columbian blood lines causing them to grow larger. A hog island is considered to be a BCI along with columbians and central american/mexicans boas. I am hoping mine stays small but will not be surprised is she grows larger than 6 ft as I have heard of other keepers having larger specimens. On the other hand, a breeder of island boas told me that some of the original hog island boas that were shipped here to the states back in the 80's were quite large themselves so I dont know what to think when it comes to judging the purity of a hog island based on size alone. There is really no way of knowing by there pattern or color. My hog island boa does have some really dramatic color changes at times going from being pretty light to pretty dark. They have alot of pink and orange coloration to them too.These are true traits of a hog island boa I do know.