Questions before getting a boa

I'm pretty sure I want to get a red tailed boa... I'm not sure on all the details about them and have heard some conflicting data.
What is the differences between a BCI and BCC? How would I be able to see the differences when purchasing?
How big are they supposed to get? a BCI smaller than BCC? doesn't matter? Is male vs. female the biggest difference?
I think I know the answer to this one already but would a 40 gallon tank be big enough for about a 3 foot boa? (assuming it's 36x18x.... )
How fast will they become full grown or what is their growth rate if you feed them weekly/proper sized prey? One year or several?

It will take several years for a boa to become its adult size. Mine is somewhere around 4 feet long and about a year and a half old. A lot of the growth rate depends on genetics/feeding. A BCI is the best bet and you will most likely know if you see a BCC because its likely to be more expensive. BCC are less forgiving in their husbandry and if I understand correctly tend to maybe get a little larger. If you are worried about size go with a BCI male. As for the differences between BCI and BCC the saddles on the BCI look more like )( whereas on a BCC they typically look more like {}. I'm sure someone here with more experience can explain a little more.

The differences with BCC/BCI involve scale counts, saddle counts, and locality. Size has less to do with BCC/BCI and more to do with locality. As far as purchasing, as a general rule your regular red tails are usually BCIs, and your locality boas are BCCs. Females do get significantly larger than males. Like Andrew said, they are fairly slow growing snakes and take several years to mature. A 3x1.5 is fine for a 3' snake.

Were this me, I would list my questions in an email to Jimi (jimisnakes.com) or read his web site and also read Gus' site (riobravoreptiles.com) for locality (bcc) information.

a RTB would do fine in a 40 for about a year then id move up to a 75 which will last about another year after that =]

In all honesty I would go with a pvc type plastic enclosure rather than a tank. Something from boaphile, animal plastics, or many other manufacturers. They are much better at keeping in humidity as well as being much easier to clean. They can be expensive but you will thank yourself later. I have mine in a tub and will soon be moving to an animal plastics enclosure with radiant heat panel.

if you have the money i totally agree but if you do go with a tank use an acryllic lid it helps humidity ALOT

Very true. At the least cover most of the top with something ... My BP she just fine in a tank but my boa has issues shedding if the humidity is under 70% during a shed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thor26

if you have the money i totally agree but if you do go with a tank use an acryllic lid it helps humidity ALOT

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I think I am ending up getting a deal on a tank along with the snake, heat mats, and a light. I hope the thermostats and thermometers come with it, but if not it's still a good deal for the price I will be paying. What's the acrylic lid? where would I find one of those?

I haven't actually seen acrylic lids for sale. You may need to get something like plexi glass and just cut it to the dimensions of the top of the cage. One thing to be aware of is that boa's are very strong and make sure that lid is very secure.

Be sure to check the Boa FAQs listed right here in Rivercity!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30882

All depends on the species you get.

Research the species you are interested in. as some boas can get larger than others, and some stay MUCH smaller.

There are quite a few locality Boas that stay quite small, even compared to ball pythons.

Some species to look at if you want small stuff * my main interests* and while i know youre interested in purely redtails from your post, some of these guys can be good additions too. :)

Caulker Cay Island Boas - BCI, Hog Island Boas - BCI, Sabogae Boa Constrictors - BCS, Crawl Cay Island Boas - BCI, Maize Island Boas - BCI, Tarahumara Boas ( Mexican Dwarf) - BCI.

And also, because i like these guys every time i see them, Brazilian Rainbow Boas, Viper Boas ( Candoia )

It also depends on what you want for ease of care. Some are harder than others. but the requirements can be met fairly easy even by the novice keeper IF they research first. If you want a boa that you can keep like a ball python, in my experience, Caulker Cay boas fit the bill quite well, i keep mine exactly like all the rest of my snakes, and they are thriving, and dont get large by any means.

When it comes to boas I'd always encourage you to buy from a reputable breeder. It's very sad to see some of the poor quality, unhealthy boas in a lot of pet stores. That last thing you need with your first boa is problems so consider the source you are buying from very carefully.

As well, with some boas the females tend to get considerably larger than the males. Depending on what you feel you can personally keep and handle at maturity, that may be a consideration for you.

The point made that these are very strong snakes is a good one. Whatever you choose for housing you need to make sure it's as escape proof as possible. These snakes are all muscle and being naturally inquisitive and active will test their enclosure a lot. You want to make sure that testing doesn't allow them to escape and also that your housing is smooth inside as they have a tendency to nose rub while checking out their enclosure.

As for the source that I'm buying, is someone looking to sell their boa, from the pictures it looks like BCI.

As for an escape proof enclosure, I was doing some looking and found a DIY for how to do an acrylic and screen lid combo. I plan on having it able to be locked as well... I just don't really trust people that much if it means I might lose my pet.

I think it's going to be good to give a new home to a snake, but I hope I'm not going to find it in horrible condition.

I feel like I should be keeping an eye out especially for:

1. Loose skin from under feeding
2. mites
3. shed pieces stuck especially around the tail and eyes
4. scratches from live prey

Anything else I'm missing?

You want to get as much info from this person as you can as far as how long they've had this boa, where they got it from, what it eats, how it eats, how often it eats, any medical issues it's ever had, it's gender and age (if known), general temperment, if it's used to being handled and so forth. Ask why they are rehoming it. Ask if it's ever been seen by a vet and if it has, why and the vet's name and phone number/address.

As far as overall health, have a good look at it's enclosure. That will tell you a lot about how healthy it's likely to be. Clean well tended enclosures tends to show a previous owner that cared. Filthy enclosures with old feces, sheds and urates laying around, a heat rock, that sort of thing tells a far different story.

Look the snake over from nose to tail tip. Most boas, at least the common boa aka Colombian boa are fairly square in shape compared to a ball python. You should expect the snake to be fit, strong and muscular, not skinny nor sloppy fat. It's skin should have no scars or the owner should be able to explain healed wounds to your satisfaction. The scales should be flat, not raised with no breaks, open wounds, discoloration or weeping. Check the belly and the vent area closely for any signs of wet or dry discharge.

The eyes should be clear without dents or retained caps. The mouth (yes open the mouth using a rubber spatula or the like) should be clean, no discharge, bubbling, wounds etc. with a clean glottis (the breathing tube). The nose should be clean of any discharge. Taken a moment and listen quietly to the snake breath. There should be no indication of popping, whistling, etc.

The snake should not have any external parasites like mites. Internal parasites may be present but you'd only find that out by having a vet do a fecal float for you. This is well worth the less than $30 it usually costs if there's any concern this snake wasn't well kept by the current owner.

If you keep other snakes you'll want to fully quarantine this incoming boa until you make sure it's absolutely healthy.