Wanting to get a BCI pretty soon

I'm getting into a much larger place soon and I want to get a larger snake to display and also one that is more interactive than a BP. Don't get me wrong, I love BPs and am for sure getting at least 3-4 morphs soon too but as a pet I hear BCIs are much better since they don't sit in their hides all day. What I would like to do is get a nice inexpensive female that is het for something(probably albino) in case I ever DO want to breed them but she'll be a pet first and foremost.

I've read the care sheets, housing requirements and all that and am confident I won't have any problems caring for one and I definitely want to raise one up from a hatchling. I love the way BCIs look and if everything I keep hearing is true I'm sure I'd enjoy having one immensly. I just want to make sure I'm not looking at this through rose colored glasses or anything. Plus it would be really cool when someone comes over to pull a 9 foot girl out of her tank and be like "here's my little girl!". Would not want a 17 ft. retic or burm though lol...

Well since you have a ball python, I too have confidence in you. My boa is still a little guy, but I haven't had much difference husbandry wise (although my husbandry basics might be higher than others)...serisouly the only real difference between the two is the boa likes to be handled more often.

I would def. recommend JimiSnakes, I know there are many other breeders out there, but his service and feedback is realllllly good and from what I have seen and judging from my snake he def has the cleanest boas (without the peppering).

My advice is just do it...get paypal ready do it and don't look back.

Well we do have a 9 foot female BCI in the house and we do love having her. :) Granted we adopted her as an adult but she was so well cared for and socialized that she's a dream to handle. You do have to be smart though with a snake that powerful. You forget for one minute that this is a creature of pure muscle and instinct, you can get schooled. Just remember to respect what she is and what she isn't.

We have Tequila housed in a custom enclosure we created from a solid walled interior closet in our livingroom. It allows her over 6 x 3.5 of floor space and 9 vertical feet of climbing height. She has a natural barked tree in there to assist her in climbing to her basking shelf which is just over 5 feet off the floor. However, she can reach that shelf without using her tree. It's pretty amazing to watch a snake that large basically stand on her tail, then do a chin up that would make a marine jealous.

Best advice, get your female from a great breeder especially if you are investing in a het (Jimi would be my first pick too). Get her young and raise her right. Socialize but don't over stress. Plan for her future so she won't end up another big snake without a home. Jamie Glass was kind enough to take Tequila in when she became in need and then fostered her for years until we adopted her from him but a lot of these bigger snakes are VERY hard to place at maturity.

I've heard good things about Jimi too. I dunno I might not even get a het since the bulk of my investment is going to be in BP morphs. Still, I'll probably get one from him with all the great feedback I keep hearing.

I love my BPs immensley, but my BCI is a lot more fun, lol!:P I just love him, he is almost a year old and is showing a distinct personality already. He is very curious and attentive, and very deliberate with his actions. And they are just gorgeous! Even the normals! I can't wait for the little guy to get bigger. I definantly suggest starting out with a hatchling. They grow like weeds and it is very rewarding to see them get steadily bigger and bigger.:gj:

Not to hijack your thread but heck, I love boas. Some pictures to tempt you. :)

My hubby, Mike, and a rescue named Rauri (now renamed Sonja and living in Texas).....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...heldbymike.jpg

She sure loved hockey!.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...I/GameisOn.jpg

My teenage kids with Tequila, the 9 foot female....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...quilaFeb09.jpg

My son with a determined Rauri. She was trying to get from his body into our Christmas tree LOL
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...auriMoving.jpg

How can you not love a Boa face (Deigo a snake we boarded last year)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2.../DiegoFace.jpg

Tequila climbing her tree up to her basking platform....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...bingAug082.jpg

Oh I like this bed! For size reference, that's a 9 foot snake on a king size bed. :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...zeBedAug08.jpg

Tequila hanging out with my best friend Sherrie (who has never handled a large snake but was totally into it). For size reference that couch is about 8 feet end to end.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...rrieMay081.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Not to hijack your thread but heck, I love boas. Some pictures to tempt you. :)

My hubby, Mike, and a rescue named Rauri (now renamed Sonja and living in Texas).....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...heldbymike.jpg

She sure loved hockey!.....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...I/GameisOn.jpg

My teenage kids with Tequila, the 9 foot female....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...quilaFeb09.jpg

My son with a determined Rauri. She was trying to get from his body into our Christmas tree LOL
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...auriMoving.jpg

How can you not love a Boa face (Deigo a snake we boarded last year)....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2.../DiegoFace.jpg

Tequila climbing her tree up to her basking platform....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...bingAug082.jpg

Oh I like this bed! For size reference, that's a 9 foot snake on a king size bed. :)
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...zeBedAug08.jpg

Tequila hanging out with my best friend Sherrie (who has never handled a large snake but was totally into it). For size reference that couch is about 8 feet end to end.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...rrieMay081.jpg

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I hate you so hard right now...




































But in a good way! :D

HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

Seriously though, as much as I love our ball pythons and am totally dedicated to our breeding plans for them - well the house would be empty feeling without a boa or two in it. They really do make wonderful companion type snakes if you understand them and if you handle them with respect, consistency and firm guidance (never let a boa be in charge LOL).

Too bad you didn't live close though. I'm always looking for somebody to come crawl into Tequila's huge home and muck out her Great Dane size feces. :rofl:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Not to hijack your thread but heck, I love boas. Some pictures to tempt you. :)

My hubby, Mike, and a rescue named Rauri (now renamed Sonja and living in Texas).....
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...heldbymike.jpg

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Nice pics...can't wait for mine to get there few more years :)

Ok one last question and I know this is noob. In the event that I don't get into base housing I DO have a 20L tank that will shoehorn into a location in where I am now so I'm just wondering if that would be ok for a year or is that just wishful thinking for a boa?

I will NOT do anything to compromise the health of an animal just because I couldn't wait for a year, if it came down to it I'd wait rather than get one now and not have room when the animal needed it, this is why I ask. And no, there is no question that I'll be moving in a year, that is set in stone because that's when I get out of the Air Force.

That'll be fine for a year.

Ok good so if I get hosed then I can just buy one in the summer and the 20L will be good till may/june the year after provided it is a baby when I get it. Hey, when are you expecting your litters to drop anyway?

No one has mentioned a price range. whats to be expected for a red tail.

i didnt pay much at all for mine.

Speaking of which, i need some pointes for breaking of her eat my face habit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JeffJ

No one has mentioned a price range. whats to be expected for a red tail.

i didnt pay much at all for mine.

Speaking of which, i need some pointes for breaking of her eat my face habit.

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$200-400 will get you awesome looking boas and since the OP is into balls it will seem like a steal.

I have never had a bitter, but my guess is keep handling her and don't put her on a routine, like feeding wise (let me word that better) feed on a regular basis yes, but dont put him/her on the couch every time before feeding, if you do then put him on the couch even when not feeding. They seem to be more calm when the can't expect anything.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mricyfire

$200-400 will get you awesome looking boas and since the OP is into balls it will seem like a steal.

I have never had a bitter, but my guess is keep handling her and don't put her on a routine, like feeding wise (let me word that better) feed on a regular basis yes, but dont put him/her on the couch every time before feeding, if you do then put him on the couch even when not feeding. They seem to be more calm when the can't expect anything.

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i got mine for $50 from a friend at a local pet shop. i told him a few weeks back to get me something unique and surprise me. i posted pictures in the general forum.

is $50 good for a female that looks like this? http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=87029

Yeah really, compared to BP prices even double co-dom boas are friggin cheap... I've been eying that super salmon on Jimi's site actually... So actually I might just pony up and get a really nice female instead of just a het. Or maybe a morph het for albino... Hell, maybe just a straight albino lol. I like them alot more than I do albino Balls. Probably because of the tails...

Only thing I'm worried about is having my BP in a 10G again but seriously...she NEVER comes out of her hides and she is only 220g.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottyDsntKnow

Ok good so if I get hosed then I can just buy one in the summer and the 20L will be good till may/june the year after provided it is a baby when I get it. Hey, when are you expecting your litters to drop anyway?

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The first is due sometime in April and then they range into June/July.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ScottyDsntKnow

Yeah really, compared to BP prices even double co-dom boas are friggin cheap... I've been eying that super salmon on Jimi's site actually... So actually I might just pony up and get a really nice female instead of just a het. Or maybe a morph het for albino... Hell, maybe just a straight albino lol. I like them alot more than I do albino Balls. Probably because of the tails...

Only thing I'm worried about is having my BP in a 10G again but seriously...she NEVER comes out of her hides and she is only 220g.

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If you were closer I would give you one of my tanks...I am moving to tubs because they are just easier o maintain and my snakes are usually out and about with supervision so the fancy cage phase has drifted, but you can get a bigger plastic rubbermaid from walmart for 5$ until you can afford to get a bigger tank.

Nah, the boa I get is going in the 20L for a year(or till she gets too big) and the BP is going to go into a tub. No more room for any other tanks except the 10G I have next to the 20L and I'm not going to put my BP in the 10G. I put her hides in there to check and there was all of 4" of space between them... It IS tempting me to get a gecko sitting there all empty though... Thanks for your offer though, I really do appreciate it.

I've come up with a pretty innovative solution for the living space I'm in now actually. I can clear out a deep shelf that is just being used for books my wife and I dont ever read and slide a 31qt tub right in there for the BP. Woot problem solved.

Jimi- I will keep an eye on your website and be in contact when I see new babies available.

Sorry to DP but the edit time ran out...

This is my current 20L setup right now. Those temps hold consistently and the humidity stays 50-60% at all times because I foiled the top. The lamp has to be in there because its colder in the room during winter but it has a IR bulb and will come out when the weather warms up and I don't need it anymore. Just wanted to make sure I could leave it pretty much as is for a boa. Obviously I will clean it out and disinfect it when I put the current BP resident in her tub.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f1...tank_final.jpg

I do have a few flex branches I pulled out since my BP never used them that I could put back in and I'm not sure if I want to keep the hides since I know boas are arboreal and don't use them so much. From what I've searched I see a ton of differing opinions on this. I know Jimi posted somewhere that he doesn't use them and he obviously knows what he is doing so I'm inclined to go with that opinion. It WOULD offer more space for the fauna...

Again, I really appreciate all the responses and I'm sorry for the noob posts. I just don't want to start off all wrong like I did when I first got my BP and hadn't owned any reptiles before.

i still offer my boa hides on each side.... she hasnt used them yet but there is room to offer them so i do.

she likes the stick. what i woudlnt do is reuse anything from your bp cage just incase
and quarintine her as boa's are known carriers of IBD. its nasty stuff if you pass it on via handling or cross contamination other ways.

Don't re-use anything even if I hit it with the standard super watered down bleach?

I think most people tend to re-use things when it's safe and they can. Coming from a healthy, lone bp I would say there probably would not be an issue with proper cleaning. I would not do the reverse with a new boa though. I would not re-use things from a new boa cage in a bp cage later.
That's a killer looking setup btw! Most of mine are slumming it in racks and tubs.

Lol thanks for the compliment. Silly BP wont' even make use of all the stuff I have in there so she's going in a tub on a shelf. I doubt she'll mind, she is NEVER out of her hides except to get a drink of water or to shed or to move from one hide to the other...

Now I just have to figure out what to do with the empty 10G... I wonder how noisy Pacman Frogs are...

Ohhh an Albino Pacman is on my personal want list. If I remember my research right the males are the noisy ones.

Yeah I did some research too and I think I'll hold off on a frog till I get an actual house where I can have an actual reptile(and amphibian) room. That way if I get something noisy I'm not stuck with it where I sleep lol.

Welp, I got in touch with Jimi and am going to be on the lookout for when his litter of Pastels drops. So the timeline looks like I will be getting one in late June sometime. I am le_excited!