Lyssa - new Tarahumara Boa

Getting my young son a corn snake back in Feb made me realize how much I missed having a boa. So, after more than a decade without one, I got a new boa in early June. She has a crazy loud hiss so we've named her Lyssa after the Greek Goddess. She's been all bark and no bite though. Despite sounding ferocious, she's super calm and curious once she's out of the cage.

Not the best pics just yet, but here are a few of my first set. She is 10 months old here.


Thanks to everyone who answered my questions on this forum. Special thanks to BCR229 who so generously sold me her last Tarahumara female from 2019 and answered dozens of my questions.


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Very nice indeed, she's should hopefully settle down for you, so funny when such a little thing hisses so loud

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She is just beautiful! I love the silvery sheen and warm copper/peach hues. I really love my Tarahumara, and like yours, they are so hissy that it's actually funny, but are real sweethearts once they're out.

Keep us updated, and I'd love to keep seeing pictures as she grows. I'd also love updates on her enclosure and any enclosure upgrades.

Glad to hear she's doing well for you. :D

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

She is just beautiful! I love the silvery sheen and warm copper/peach hues. I really love my Tarahumara, and like yours, they are so hissy that it's actually funny, but are real sweethearts once they're out.

Keep us updated, and I'd love to keep seeing pictures as she grows. I'd also love updates on her enclosure and any enclosure upgrades.

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I'll keep everyone updated. Her enclosure is basic right now, but her AP T12 mansion is due to arrive in mid-Aug. I toyed with the idea of dividing it, but I'll probably just let her have it all to herself as a forever home.

I actually have 2 T12s on order, so I get 1 other boa pick. I'm leaning towards a BCA.

Those T12s are beautiful, and look great for these guys, as I understand it isn't unusual for them to enjoy a bit of a climb. I'm also looking at a T12 as the final home for my Jungle Carpet Python, though for now a 3x2x2 is more than enough for him.

I've got my little ones (they're 9 months old) in 2' enclosures for now, but they'll bump up to 3x2x2 next year. We'll see what they ultimately need, but the T12 looks like a great option.

Some new outdoor pics to post below. I've read several threads on it, but when should I become concerned over a lack of pee/poop to clean? It's been 4 weeks and 2 feedings (6/14 & 6/28) without poop or even a small pile of urates. I know their metabolism is slow, but that seems extreme. She doesn't appear to have sausage butt in the pics below which were from yesterday. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

In other news, my cleaning lady of 6 years quit b/c she "can't even be in the same house with a snake".

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Great pics she looks awesome,

if she's on small prey items she may be using it all up, I wouldn't worry too much unless she is getting sausage butt, then a really great soak normally get things moving

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Here she is after a fresh shed and in a new enclosure. It took her two tries, but she ate her first mouse in here while hanging from the bamboo.

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Beautiful Boa

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Originally Posted by Lady mkrj58

Beautiful Boa

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Thanks! She's great outside her cage and growing fast. She's resisting me on being a display snake though. After giving her a fancy new 4x2x2, she's spending all of her time up on her shelf in the cool side hide. I'll make her come down to get her mouse, but she goes right back up after eating. Even when I put her back in after handling, she goes right back to her "safe spot". She's healthy so I guess it's fine, but wondering if there's more I can do to draw her out to use the rest of the enclosure?

My new BCA baby is the exact opposite, he wants to steal the show hanging out on his bamboo and stick in full display. The two of them are stacked in a fairly busy part of the house, but it doesn't seem to bother the BCA.

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Originally Posted by Nick_MD

Thanks! She's great outside her cage and growing fast. She's resisting me on being a display snake though. After giving her a fancy new 4x2x2, she's spending all of her time up on her shelf in the cool side hide. I'll make her come down to get her mouse, but she goes right back up after eating. Even when I put her back in after handling, she goes right back to her "safe spot". She's healthy so I guess it's fine, but wondering if there's more I can do to draw her out to use the rest of the enclosure?

My new BCA baby is the exact opposite, he wants to steal the show hanging out on his bamboo and stick in full display. The two of them are stacked in a fairly busy part of the house, but it doesn't seem to bother the BCA.

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Those Eye's

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She is very beautiful. I miss having a boa.


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After many months of not wanting to leave her shelf, she's now decided that she likes one of the ground hides and the cocoblox substrate. I accepted that she's quirky and once she decides she likes a spot, it'll be a long time before she changes her mind.

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She is beautiful! I've found my young Tarahumara to be funny in similar ways - they'll spend weeks lounging around out in the open, then decide that they want to spend weeks tucked into a hide or shady corner.

I've finally decided to just decorate their enclosures in a way that pleases me while offering them lots of perching and hiding options. So far it's working out well for all of us - though of course I wish I could always see them out and about!

I recently came across a nice, really big piece of cork bark that was so flat that I wasn't sure what to do with it. I decided to try it in Freda's enclosure for awhile (the female Tarahumara), but I assumed it would just be an occasional perch or something to rub against. Nope. She's decided that thing is her very favorite place. She's burrowed underneath it and likes to hang out with just her head sticking out:[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...reda_dec20.jpg[/IMG]

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Originally Posted by Caitlin

I've finally decided to just decorate their enclosures in a way that pleases me while offering them lots of perching and hiding options. So far it's working out well for all of us - though of course I wish I could always see them out and about!

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Sounds like a good call. I'd like to start working in more natural hides and more color in the fake plants like you've done.

Pangea has a great selection of colorful vines/plants. I like their stuff because I've found it to be well-made - no plant pieces falling off, and absolutely reptile-safe - no exposed wires or loops the snake can get stuck in.

For her ~2yo bday, she gets a sky box. Up to 527g, getting a large adult mouse every 14 days. Very chill snake.


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Very nice critter Nick!

Got her some outside time for ~3yo update.

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She's looking great! And enjoying a sun-bath- :D

Nearing the 4 year mark this Aug. Moving her closer to a 3 week feeding schedule on small rats. I'm thinking her back third is just a little chunky, but curious what you all think. She's up to ~1,200g.

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She's looking great!

Beautiful girl, and it's nice to see her enjoying the sun. To my eye she looks a wee bit chunky but maybe that's just me. My two are also coming up on 4 years old in July, so our snakes are really close in age. But mine are also on the small side even for dwarf boas - neither has quite hit the 3' mark yet. They're being fed at roughly 14-day intervals (with some variance depending on behavior and what their last meal was) and they are mainly on weaned rats or occasionally just a large mouse. So maybe I'm underfeeding, but I think/hope they look good?

This is Frida who had just asked to come out of her enclosure and is in the process of putting herself into her favorite activity area.

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Caitlin, your girl Frida looks good to me. I love her coloration. Is that just natural variety in the Tarahumaras or is something else contributing to that? My girl is so much darker brown (with some pinks the pics don't capture well).

I'm going to keep Lyssa on the small rats as they're the perfect size for her. I probably should have increased the feeding schedule when I graduated her rat size, but I'll keep her to 3 weeks and see if she trims up a bit. I feel she might be on the upper end of the dwarf spectrum as she's a bit heavier and thicker than I expected. Amuses me that she's the largest I have for now, but will eventually be the smallest.

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Originally Posted by Nick_MD

Caitlin, your girl Frida looks good to me. I love her coloration. Is that just natural variety in the Tarahumaras or is something else contributing to that? My girl is so much darker brown (with some pinks the pics don't capture well).

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My understanding is that this is just the natural variation in Tarahumara appearances - both of mine are very silvery with a lot of pink and peach tones along their sides, and I've seen their colors ranging from that all the way to the lovely mocha colors of your Lyssa. They're such great snakes and such a nice size for handling.