Constricter As First Snake?

So I like Red Tail Boas and have heard they are good first snakes.(I have never owned a snake) but I don't know how to convince mom this scary noodle would not kill me or her. :confuzd:

There are many types of redtails, some max out around 4/5 ft and some closer to 10.
So the type you get will go a long way as to how you convince her. If you get a boa that can reach 10-12 ft it may be a harder sell.

Start by educating her, she has to know that they are not slimy or dangerous (most people think they're slimy), I bet she know's nothing about snakes. I used to be terrified of tarantulas but the more i learned about them the less iffy i was about them,And now i want one. Good luck.

Baby boas take many years to grow into their adult size, and males rarely get over seven feet with some of the "dwarf" localities topping out at four feet.

If your mom is worried about escapes many reptile enclosures come with locks as an option, so you can ensure the snake stays inside, and to prevent unauthorized access.

If you can fancy a Boa I say go for I :)

A lovely hatchling Albino boa would be a great display snake as well . Get a very young one and your confidence will grow along with it . As someone mentioned males rarely top 7' and be seen many around 6' but that's years away of course .

I've been lucky enough to get a Dwarf SunGlow male not too long ago and he should top out at around just 4' !!!

He's very calm and friendly before anyone puts the scares on you :)http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2017...d6050ddc1b.jpg

Where would I buy a dwarf boa in the US?

That Sunglow Boa is so handsome! Are they just called Dwarf Boas? I think a smaller 4-6 foot Boa would be easier to sell to her and the lock on the enclosure would probably help! With smaller snakes she said they would escape and crawl down my throat at night :confusd: She was also worried a snake could kill our cats...Even though they don't come in my room(Which is where the snake would be)

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Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Where would I buy a dwarf boa in the US?

That Sunglow Boa is so handsome! Are they just called Dwarf Boas? I think a smaller 4-6 foot Boa would be easier to sell to her and the lock on the enclosure would probably help! With smaller snakes she said they would escape and crawl down my throat at night :confusd: She was also worried a snake could kill our cats...Even though they don't come in my room(Which is where the snake would be)

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To be honest I'd take your mum to the local reptile store and get her to hold a couple of Royal / Ball pythons for a few minutes - she will quickly realise that snakes can be beautiful looking , lovely and friendly and pleasant to hold .... ring them first to check they let people hold them of course ..


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Compared to mammals, snakes are pretty dumb. But they aren't dumb enough to crawl into someone's mouth. And most snakes are in more danger from a cat than a cat is from a snake. If you have a cat, a lock on the snake cage is highly recommended, to protect the snake.

Boa constrictors are great snakes, and one of my favorites! They are as mellow as snakes come, if raised from a baby.

The Hogg Island and Crawl Cay boa constrictors are the dwarf versions of the common boa constrictor (AKA redtail boa, Colombian boa, Honduran boa, Central American boa, etc). Many of the boa constrictors found in Central America are relatively small, though, compared to the lowland boa constrictors from Colombia. The real dwarf boas are small burrowing snakes than you have probably never heard of.

Many pet stores sell boa constrictors, but you are more likely to get a Hogg Island or crossbred Hogg Island/mainland boa or albino boa constrictor at a reptile swap meet. They are held in many cities across the country. Schedules can be found on line.

Vincent Russo wrote a good book about boa constrictors (Complete Boa Constrictor: A Comprehensive Guide to the Care, Breeding, and Geographic Races). It's available from Amazon, but it is rather costly. You may want to try borrowing it through your library's Interlibrary Loan system instead of buying it.

Boa's are great. Just as mentioned above get a baby, and grow together. I have several that are puppy dogs. If you get a baby you will not notice how big it is. As he grows.I took one of my Boa's to the barber shop with me the other day. Every one was amazed at how big it has gotten. I hadn't noticed how big he's gotten. It's a long story but they saw it when he was a month old . Now he's three, and he's a laid back couch potato. I do my version of nature show at the barber shop from time to time by request. You can't go wrong with Boa's.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BallPythonWannaBe

Where would I buy a dwarf boa in the US?

That Sunglow Boa is so handsome! Are they just called Dwarf Boas? I think a smaller 4-6 foot Boa would be easier to sell to her and the lock on the enclosure would probably help! With smaller snakes she said they would escape and crawl down my throat at night :confusd: She was also worried a snake could kill our cats...Even though they don't come in my room(Which is where the snake would be)

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You can always go for pearl island boas. These get less than 5~6 feet.

Lol crawling down a throat sounds like something out of a horror movie! They're not dumb like bugs.

I do think it's a good idea to bring her along with you when you go to a reptile show/expo. Look up ones in your area and check it out! And have her hold some ball pythons. She will see how harmless they are.

We are actually going to one in November :)

Before educating your family members you need to educate yourself. Boa Constrictors have many different species and sub species. It is NOT a guarantee that males will be smaller than females. Males without females in the same home will not recognize pheromones given off by females that trigger breeding cues and they are capable of getting large. My male is pushing 7 feet and is growing again this summer at 5 years old. I feed him extremely conservatively.

Any boa fed beyond its "natural limits" will grow quickly and attain a large size but that doesn't mean it will live a long healthy life.

I think a boa constrictor can be a wonderful pet, but I worry more about the commitment of such a young owner. Are your folks prepared to take the snake if and when your life changes and you become disinterested? Maybe you won't ever have that loss of interest, but I've seen more than a handful of people go "all out" and suddenly have the need to place their once beloved pet because of school, a girlfriend, a move, a job, the list goes on.

Snakes are an easy keep, but they are still animals that require care and dedication. Actually long term they far exceed mammals in the length of time you will need to care for them.

I don't want to discourage you, but you MUST know all the ins and outs. Good job coming here and asking questions. I like that.

You should read as much as possible on snakes and narrow down the specifics for the "constrictor" you seek.

Read this if it is a boa constrictor you want.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Boa-.../dp/B01K3JVC04


Tell us a little about yourself, your home situation, and the caging plans you are thinking of. Again this is long term and I have to say from experience these reptiles can be expensive when you tally up the equipment involved in keeping a snake plus the expense of the snake.

You can easily show your folks videos of snake handling, feeding and caging by visiting YouTube.

Take your age now and add 20 or more years and that's your pet.

Take it seriously, prepare for the long haul, and have fun.

Back when my boys were teenagers they asked me to take them to a reptile show. At that time I never even considered owning any reptile let alone a snake. I enjoyed the show so much and decided to get my own snake. That's been over 10 years ago and I still own snakes. My kids are more into lizards. Reptile shows are an excellent source to introduce non-reptile people to the wonders of it all.

Best of luck to you.

I think you might have an easier time getting your mom to allow you to start with a Pituophis snake (like the bull snakes you are interested in) or a ball python over a boa.
As mentioned, we don't have 'dwarf' boas here in the US, those are in the UK apparently but we do have the localities that tend to stay on the smaller size. They aren't cheap but one of the smaller localities of Bi (BCi) is the Tarahumara Boa.
Good luck with whatever you decide on!

I agree with Gio on this one... You really need to sit back and consider where you plan on being in 5-10 years and if what you want to be doing will allow you to have a snake at that point. If you are planning on going off to college or moving for a job, etc. This is important because no dorms that I know of and many apartments will not allow snakes or any reptiles as pets. The bigger the snake, sometimes the harder it will be to get a landlord to agree to it. I didn't get reptiles until I was out of school and living in an apartment where I checked with management. I didn't get a lot of reptiles until I owned my own home. It can be extremely hard to rehome these snakes if you need to, especially adult boas that are not morphs, so you have to consider that you won't be able to "get rid" of the snake quickly / easily if you need to move or go off to school.

Another consideration is caging, equipment, heating, etc. I own 3 boas. One is still small enough to live in a tub / rack, but the others have graduated to Animal Plastics caging. As a minimum, most boas will need a 4'x2' pvc enclosure.. One that is 15" - 18" or taller, with climbing shelves or branches is a plus as they will use the space. My last cage, with shipping (sliding glass locking doors, lighting, and heat tape included) ran me around $400. On top of that, you will need a thermostat. A basic one like a hydrofarm can be had for $50, but a nicer model with more safety features runs closer to $125 and us (a great brand is herpstat, I own a herpstat 2 and 4 and they are great).

You must also consider feeding costs / schedule and possible vet bills. I feed and encourage you to consider feeding frozen thawed rodents. It is safer for the snake and most snakes will take f/t. You do have to purchase it ahead of time and I usually get ~6 months worth at a time from an online vendor. You can also buy them from vendors at shows, but I would avoid purchasing from pet stores.

I have just recently had to take my Central American Motley boa to the vet for a mouth abscess and it was VERY hard to find a vet that would see him and knew what they were doing. We ended up having to travel 45 minutes away and are doing so multiple times for treatment. You may want to see if there are any vets that will specifically see snakes for medical issues (not just wellness exams) in your city.

All that said, my boas are my favorite snakes.. Very laid back. But I agree with others, you will have to find a smaller locality and get a male and feed on a correct schedule. My Central American motley is about 3 years old now and is just over 1 pound..about 4' long and the girth of a broom stick. He will probably gain another foot or so in his life, but he will stay a lot smaller than my other two boas, a BCA and regular BCI. I would definitely look into a Central American (CA) Nicaraguan, or an island locality (hog island, corn island, etc.) or Mexican boa (Sonoran or Tarahumara). None of these are available in pet stores usually and need ot be purchased from a good breeder who knows lineage, as you don't want to buy a common boa "mutt" , etc. as it may exceed the sizes of the smaller localities.

Going to a reptile show is a good first step, but before you go, go to cutting edge herp and legacy reptiles websites and look at pictures of the different localities and read about their sizes, etc. Make sure you can ID them on sight compared to "normal" BCI, etc.