Best Dwarf Boa imperator locality

I was wondering which is the best dwarf boa imperator locality in terms of their temperament based on personal experiences.

The specific localities I am looking at are the following -

- Tarahumara Mt. Boas
- Sonoran Boas

- Tamaulipas Boas

- Corn Island Boas
- Caulker Cay Boas

- Crawl Cay Boas

- Cancun Boas

I highly recommend checking out the "Brian Boas" Youtube channel for this! He keeps Tarahumaras, both of the Cay localities, and Corn Islands, and has done specific videos on those first three localities. The Corn Island boas don't have their own specific video yet, but they frequently appear in others. Based on what I heard in these videos, Corn Island boas are much more active than other boas, and almost colubrid-like in their behavior. If you're looking for a chill shoulder pet, this isn't the locality for you. The Cay localities are semi-arboreal and appreciate the opportunity to climb in their enclosure, but otherwise seem to have your typical boa temperament. Tarahumaras (and other Mexican localities) can be a bit hissy as babies, but ultimately mellow out as adults.

I personally own a Sonoran and found her to be very docile and inquisitive. She hasn't hissed or snapped at me since she was four months old! She's mellow when she's out and is content to either sit with me or poke around a little bit. She was also very cooperative when I needed to treat a rub on her nose -- once she found a good place to lay her head down, she let me clean her nose without flinching away or making a fuss. Most Sonorans will be a bit hissier than her as babies -- and they can hiss quite loudly, from what I understand -- but most ultimately mellow out with a bit of maturity and frequent, gentle handling. They're highly underrated boas, in my opinion. If you're interested, I can point you in the direction of a couple of good breeders.

I've kept corn Islands, Nicaraguan and I've got a leopard, who's mum was pure sonoran,
All have been great, the odd hiss when little but never a bite, the corn was much more active than the Nicaraguan, all was great feeders as are most boas and all inquisitive too

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I only have Tarahumaras. The adults are fine, no different than any other boa imperator. The litter from last year is 9 months old now and all are still defensive and hissy, but they only strike if provoked. They are definitely improving but it takes patience and gentle handling.

It's really too bad because from a husbandry standpoint they're easier than ball pythons as they can handle a wider temperature and humidity range, but their temperaments will scare off people who are new to owning reptiles.

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Originally Posted by WrongPython

I highly recommend checking out the "Brian Boas" Youtube channel for this!

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Here's one of Brian's excellent videos that may help address your question - "Boa Behavior and Temperament by Locality":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FUw1g3a3v4&t=361s

Additional note: I am no expert on Tarahumara, as I am a new owner, but I'll agree with bcr229 that these little Boas, while very vocal and hissy as babies, seem to be really gentle. Both of mine are just 8 months old. They hiss up a storm when I am getting them out of their enclosures, but as soon as they are out they seem quite content to sit quietly in my hands or slowly explore. I think they will be real sweethearts once they get past their scared baby stage. And honestly, the hissing is funny and not scary since they are such little guys.

I have seen some of the youtube videos from "Brian's Boas", specifically the dwarf localities. I definitely tend to agree with him on the temperament of Hog Island Boas, at least based on my ppersonal experiences with my pair of Hog Island Boas. As the pair I have been wonderfully chill snakes from the first day I got them.

I am especially interested in the Mexican localities as I presently have a small reptile room, so I like the smaller size. And I also love the looks of the Tarahumaras, and Sonorans. Also is it true that are they currently both classified as Boa Sigma, instead of Boa imperator?

As for the activity of Corn Island boas - I tend to doubt they would be more active than my SD retics.

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Originally Posted by Krj2501

I am especially interested in the Mexican localities as I presently have a small reptile room, so I like the smaller size. And I also love the looks of the Tarahumaras, and Sonorans. Also is it true that are they currently both classified as Boa Sigma, instead of Boa imperator?

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I've read a few places that they are now "boa sigma" but haven't seen an official cite.

If housing space is at a premium then Tarahumaras are the way to go. My males never outgrew 32-qt tubs. It doesn't mean you can't give them more space and they'll stress out over it like ball pythons do either, if you want to go with display enclosures they'll be good in that sort of setup also.

I have a pair of crawl cay boas and I absolutely love them. They both have amazing temperaments and have never been nippy. My male is a VERY finicky eater but I think he's an exception to the rule when it comes to boas. I'd like to get more dwarf locales but they're not super easy to find. Maybe I can get ahold of a pair of tarahumaras from bcr if she breeds them (hint hint):D

Yes, Sonorans and Tarahumaras are considered Boa sigma now, at least by some. Here's the citation for the academic paper that proposed the B. sigma classification:

Card, D.C., Schield, D.R., Adams, R.H., Corbin, A.B., Perry, B.W., Andrew, A.L., Pasquesi, G.I.M., Smith, E.N., Jezkova, T., Boback, S.M., Booth, W. & Castoe, T.A. Phylogeographic and population genetic analyses reveal multiple species of Boa and independent origins of insular dwarfism. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 102, 104-116

I agree with bcr229. The Tarahumaras are the way to go if space is at a premium. They shouldn't need anything more than a 4'x2'x2' if you want to go the PVC enclosure route. Sonorans will have a foot over Tarahumaras on average, though they're still fairly small as far as boas go. The largest females I personally know of are about five and a half feet and fairly old. You could keep a Sonoran in a 4'x2'x2' as well, though I'd argue that females would appreciate a little extra space. There's a non-zero chance I may upgrade my female from her 4'x2'x2' in the future.

And yeah, the Corn Island boas definitely won't be as active as your SD retics! They will be considerably more active than the Hog Islands, though. If you're looking for a more relaxed, shoulder pet-type of boa, they may not be what you're looking for. They are beautiful, though.

Anyone have experience with the Caulker Cay Boas? Not that I see any available, but are they essentially like the Crawl Cay with a slightly different pattern and color?

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Originally Posted by Nick_MD

Anyone have experience with the Caulker Cay Boas? Not that I see any available, but are they essentially like the Crawl Cay with a slightly different pattern and color?

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As far as I know their husbandry requirements are pretty much the same. I think (I could be wrong) they get about the same size as well. The only differences that I could see is the locality difference and the caulker cay boas have a darker more cryptic patter. They're both beautiful boas.

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The Tarahumaras are the way to go if space is at a premium. They shouldn't need anything more than a 4'x2'x2' if you want to go the PVC enclosure route.

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Well - Space is definitely at a premium - since my reptile room was originally meant to be a small bedroom(~8'x8).

The 4'x2'x2' PVC cage size is also interesting as that the minimum adult size cage, often stated for SD retics as well. But then it is also possible to keep them(pure SD retics) in rack systems as well - but larger females need tubs which are designed for larger Boa imperators. Granted the PVC cages are better in terms of room for the snakes and looks for the owner. But those advantages may be often out weighted by their cost and the amount of space they take up.

Given that I already have 2 species(50% dwarf burms, SD retics) which will eventually get to be a quite large (7-9') - I think I need Boas which will stay smaller than my Hog Islands (less than 6'). Localities which can be kept similar to Ball pythons - in 32-52 quart tubs, or maybe even in tubs as large as 58-66 quart(20"x40"x7").

My adult Tarahumara females have plenty of room in Hefty 52-qt underbed storage tubs.

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Originally Posted by Krj2501

The 4'x2'x2' PVC cage size is also interesting as that the minimum adult size cage, often stated for SD retics as well. But then it is also possible to keep them(pure SD retics) in rack systems as well - but larger females need tubs which are designed for larger Boa imperators. Granted the PVC cages are better in terms of room for the snakes and looks for the owner. But those advantages may be often out weighted by their cost and the amount of space they take up.

Given that I already have 2 species(50% dwarf burms, SD retics) which will eventually get to be a quite large (7-9') - I think I need Boas which will stay smaller than my Hog Islands (less than 6'). Localities which can be kept similar to Ball pythons - in 32-52 quart tubs, or maybe even in tubs as large as 58-66 quart(20"x40"x7").

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I'm of the philosophy that the length of the enclosure should equal or exceed the length of the snake, so my minimum enclosure sizes are larger than most. I consider this rule a hard minimum for active snakes such as retics and colubrids. Yes, larger cages are more expensive, take up more room, and can sometimes be trickier to set up and dial in. The opportunity for exercise and enrichment that comes with more space is better for snakes in the long run, though -- and by long run, I mean the full 20-30+ year lifespan of many snakes. What you decide to do is ultimately up to you. If you decide to build up towards large enclosures over the long term, great! If you prefer tubs, try to give your snakes the largest tubs possible and as many opportunities for exercise and enrichment as you can give them.

While - I agree that a cage or tub with the length + width equal to or greater than the snake's total length is ideal. However - it may not always be possible to do. In such cases - it is good to have a climbing tree for those snakes to get some additional exercise & enrichment.

Another thing I am considering for my larger snakes as they get closer to being an adult - is possible building a DIY PVC cage. As I can likely save at least $ 60-80 per cage(not including shipping).

Late to the thread, but I recommend getting in touch with Tommy Carpenter at TC Reptiles.

He specializes in Locale Boas and I think breeds most or all of the species you listed.

Tommy is a great guy and very passionate. He will be happy to talk shop with you.

I bought Feliz, my dwarf Venezuelan Red Tail/BC from him and it was a great experience all around. Feliz is awesome and I really liked working with Tommy. I've stayed in touch with him and referred others to him as well. He was actually a big help when I had some questions with Behira my female Ghost BI who was shedding very frequently.

Really I cannot say enough about him.

The only 'dwarf' Boa I have personally worked with is the Hog Island Boa. These snakes generally have a great temperament, are good feeders and don't grow as large as the mainland variety.

There is a lot of debate over the genetic purity of these snakes in captivity as they are commonly bred to 'mainland' Boas. All I would say is if you can see the parents and they are both good examples of a Hog Island Boa then that is good enough for me. This is provided that you are looking for a pet and lineage tracing isn't as important.

Are the dwarf Boas any more arboreal than BCC or BCI? Do they spend more time perched or about the same?

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The only 'dwarf' Boa I have personally worked with is the

Hog Island Boa

. These snakes generally have a great temperament, are good feeders and don't grow as large as the mainland variety.

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Based on my limited personal experiences with my pair - I tend to agree with you. Although I also agree that Hog Island Boas are better called a "semi-dwarf" than an actual "dwarf". Since exceptionally large females are known to exceed 6.5 feet/2 meters in length.

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Are the dwarf Boas any more arboreal than BCC or BCI?

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I am not sure they could be considered as more arboreal - as even adult mainland imperators or constrictors can often found in trees in the wild. But based on wild reports, the dwarf and semi-dwarf localities do seem to be at least "as arboreal" as mainland imperators & constrictors.

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Originally Posted by Krj2501

I am not sure they could be considered as more arboreal - as even adult mainland imperators or constrictors can often found in trees in the wild. But based on wild reports, the dwarf and semi-dwarf localities do seem to be at least "as arboreal" as mainland imperators & constrictors.

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Right. Was wondering if their smaller size led to more climbing and perching than say a heavier bodied adult BCC/BCI.

Well - there are some localities of "dwarf" & "semi-dwarf" Boas tend to have a slimmer, leaner more colubrid like build when compared to the larger, heavy bodied imperators & constrictors. Which is usually thought to mean that they would likely lead a more arboreal lifestyle. As most snakes with that type of build tend to be either semi-arboreal or arboreal species.

Okay I am wondering if a 36"x24"x12" PVC cage would be okay for an adult female Sonoran Boa or other similar size localites. Or would it better to with a 48"x24"x12" PVC cage?

Also would the addition 5 inches in height(over a 7" tall tub) be of any real use for a small semi-arboreal Boa?

The 48"x24"x12" PVC cage would be more appropriate and a bit easier to work with, in my opinion. Since a female Sonoran could (and quite possibly would) reach around 5' by their mid- to late-teens, a 36" enclosure would be too small. Try to give whatever new boa you get as much space as you can afford (space-wise) to stretch out their lungs and get some exercise. I think you'll find the long-term health benefits are worth it.

Establishing a thermal gradient is also easier in a 48"x24" than a 36"x24". The additional 5" of height over a tub isn't much extra climbing room, but it at least provides the boas a few extra inches of height to haul themselves up to perch on things. They won't have this extra climbing room on the warm side if you decide to go with an RHP, though. If you happen to have the space for an 18" high or even a 24" high enclosure, I'd highly recommend getting one of those instead. The extra height makes it easier to reach in and clean (for you) and provides more room to climb and build muscle tone (for the boa). Given a basking shelf, appropriate RHP, and a good IR thermometer, establishing a good thermal gradient in these taller enclosures isn't as hard as you'd think. Just food for thought. :)

Well - the maximum size cage I can get out a single of 8'x4' sheet of PVC is about 48" x 24" x 14-15". That also works to allow me to keep up to 5 cages and yet take up about 8 sq. feet. Any taller cages will require at least 1.5 sheets of PVC, and also mean I would be able keep fewer cages in the same space.

Also is the RHP the best option for heating a PVC cage under 15" tall? Or would heat tape(controlled by thermostat) covered by a tile or a thinner piece of PVC be another good option?

A radiant heat panel will work well in a 14-15" high enclosure.

I have been also looking at DIY RHPs made of either heat mats or heat cable and trying to decide if they are really a good more affordable option to regular RHP .

Also does anyone have experience with the Tamaulipas Cloud Forest Boas of northeastern Mexico?

Here is some basic information I have found so far on the Tamaulipas Cloud Forest Boa.

- Found in the Tamaulipas region of northeastern Mexico, usually in the "Cloud Forests" between 800-1,100 meters (2,600-3,600 feet).
- They seem to average about 4 feet (1.22 meters), and max out at about 4.9 feet (1.5 meters).
- Their personality and care seems to be fairly similar to the Tarahumara Boas - at least based on the limited Information I've found.

Okay - I am definitely thinking getting into the Mexican Boas - so either the Tarahumara, Sonoran, or Tamaulipas. I actually like the looks of all three localities. But when size and personalities are added in the calculations my top pick is the Tarahumara Boa. With the Tamaulipas Cloud Forest Boa coming in as my second choice, and the Sonoran as my third choice.

Any of these Boas sound like a wonderful choice! It'll just be a matter of finding a good breeder with youngsters available; I know some of these litters sell incredibly fast. Fingers crossed that you get the snake you want, and I will definitely be looking forward to updates and photos.

My Tarahumara are still hissy little drama queens when first approached, quickly settling into being sweethearts once out of their enclosures. I think you'd have a wonderful time working with one of them.