Questions from a RTB newbie

I'm considering purchasing a baby boa. The snake in question is a male, and is advertised as a "common boa". Question #1: Does this label indicate a particular species of RTB, or should I ask the seller for more details?

Question #2: I was told this snake will require a 4-6 foot cage as an adult. I currently own a Boaphile cage for my ball python, and if I purchase this boa I will probably order another for the new snake. WWYD: Is it probable that a 4 foot cage will be sufficient for the life of the snake? Or would it be better to order a cage with an expandable end option (and possibly start with a 3 foot cage for now)? How long would a 3 foot cage house an 08 boa before I would need to expand?

Thanks for your input!

A common boa is a Columbian Bci.
As for housing, many people keep male Bci's in 4 foot cages for their lifetime.
For my Bci's they have outgrown their 3 foot cage after 1.5 years :)

When it comes to boas I would insist on confirmation that it is indeed a male since the females can be considerably larger. Our 16+ year old female BCI is almost 9 feet in length and certainly would not fit in some caging options that would be perfectly wonderful for a male her age. Boas are wonderful snakes btw the way and generally grow into beautiful adults if handled correctly as babies. Just mind their longer strike range and remember that most boas are aggressive feeders that enjoy their mealtime. :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

...Just mind their longer strike range and remember that most boas are aggressive feeders that enjoy their mealtime. :)

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:rofl: So very true!!! :rofl:

Thanks very much for your responses! DH and I haven't decided for sure if we are going to take the plunge yet, but I appreciate the information. :snake:

Awww, take the plunge!! And, look on the net at pictures to see what type of Bci really catches your eye.

Boas are very cool snakes and a lot of fun to care for! I would recommend looking at http://www.jimisnakes.com. He is an excellent breeder of healthy and beautiful boas and a great source of info :gj:

Thanks for the link! I am still not sure what we are going to do. The snake we are looking at is an albino (GORGEOUS) but the price tag is really giving me pause at the moment. We'll see what we decide.

Okay, we decided to go for it! Here he is:

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z.../AlbinoBoa.jpg

Congrats!! He's a beauty! I've been waiting for the room so I can take the plunge....have fun with your new boy! ^_^

Beautiful snake. I would go with the cage you can add sections too. My general rule is the cages perimeter equals twice the snakes lenght. Remember boas like to climb.

Many different boas, even red tails come from different areas. Being an albino this shouldn't matter much.

Beautiful snake! Congrats!

What an awesome fella!!! :banana:
Congrats on your new adventure... Boas are really great snakes to keep :D
Have you named him yet??

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Originally Posted by starmom

What an awesome fella!!! :banana:
Congrats on your new adventure... Boas are really great snakes to keep :D
Have you named him yet??

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No he doesn't have a name yet. Still working on that! So far he seems like a very sweet boy. It is very hard to resist the urge to handle him - we're trying to leave him be until he's eaten for us. Thanks for your reply!

Oh my gosh- I have never known a boa not to eat!!!! :D
Mine nearly jump out of their cages to get to the prey! L-o-n-g strike range and great feeding responses. I'm sure you'll have no problems with your fella!!

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Originally Posted by NinaCaliente

Okay, we decided to go for it! Here he is:

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z.../AlbinoBoa.jpg

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looks great!

i'd take that plunge!;)

Thanks! His new name is "Henry" - kind of a long story! ;)

Oh he's gorgeous! So spill - what's the story behind the name LOL.

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Originally Posted by NinaCaliente

Thanks! His new name is "Henry" - kind of a long story! ;)

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I LOVE that name!!!! It was in the running for one of my kids-- but I was out-voted (darn!!) And the story....???

just give him time alone with the rodent. mine didnt want to eat at first either... i was freakin out over it.

but over time ive learned that for some reason my bci actually "plays" with it for a while... she will strike then just chill and look around for like 10 mins then eat.

The VERY abbreviated version of the name story is that he is our eighth snake, so he is "Henry the Eighth".

We tried to feed him last night, but he did not eat. :( I think maybe we were too aggressive with the mouse, as he struck at it and hissed. Maybe he was scared of it? After that we left him alone with the mouse for a few hours, but he didn't eat it. How do you typically offer food to your baby boas? He was eating live mouse hoppers before; we offered him F/T. How long would you wait before offering again?

We haven't handled him at all for the week we've had him, with one exception - I accidently dumped his water dish in the cage several days ago and had to empty the whole thing out to change out the wet substrate. We've also had some trouble keeping temps stable in this particular cage, so maybe that's a factor as well. I think we've got it stabilized now. Warm side is 88-90, cool side is about 79-80. Does that sound correct? I've been a bit confuzzled about what his temps should be. It seems like every boa care sheet I read has slightly different numbers on temps. Humidity is staying round around 50%.

He'd also had a bit of aspen stuck in his mouth - you could see just a tiny bit of it poking out between his lips sometimes. We brushed it out last night after we gave up on him eating, but I wonder if that might've been causing some sort of discomfort that made him not want to eat. :confused:

His refusal to eat is making me nervous!! I've had adult snakes skip a meal here and there, but I have never had to deal with a baby who completely refused before. Makes me want to rush him straight to the vet in a panic, but I know I need to just calm down and keep trying before I freak out too much.

talk about a gorgeous boa :D

Beautiful boa. I would love an albino ... Just give him some time and I am sure he will eat. I know my boa loves to eat anything ... including me!

Huh- a boa who didn't eat... that is a novelty around my house!! ;)
I'm sure that Henry will be fine.
Have you tried a little rat pup or weanling rat (depending on the size of the rats and the snake size...)? Mice just really won't do it for a boa; they'll outgrow that prey in no time flat!

I haven't tried rat pups yet, but that's a good idea. Thanks!