Oddest Ball Python

Background info first:

We were having a rummage sale last month, and we had a few extra hamsters so we put them in the paper with our ad.

So every person that had kids I was trying to hustle the parents into getting a hamster for the kids. One lady happened to be in the vicinity and told me that her snake would love to eat them. I told her that I did have some mice or rats if she was looking for feeders.

Another woman became really interested about the mice and rats and asked why we have mice and rats. I told her we have snakes. Then she asked what kinds and I told her ball pythons and kenyan sand boas. She said that she had a classroom ball python that wasn't getting the attention it needed and was becoming quite grumpy. She asked if I would like to have it.

I told her sure and she said she would get back to us the next day. Well, I never heard anything back from her, then out of the blue she stops by today.

She asked me if I still wanted her snake, I said sure. So she goes back to her van digs in the back then hands me the knotted pillow case. My husband happend to be home for lunch and was eating inside. I asked her if she wanted her pillowcase back and she said no then abruptly jumped back into her van and drove off.

I walked back into the house and my husband asked me what I got, then I remind him of the woman at the rummage sale as I open the bag. I take a small peek and tell my husband . . . "Honey, this is NOT a ball python." I reach into the bag and pull out . . . .
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...z/DSCF6004.jpg

So we now own our very first Red-Tail Boa. We don't know the sex so we will be calling it a 'she'. She is 5 feet long and weighs in at 1130grams.

Anyone have any tips on what she needs? Or a way to sex her?

Any clues on her age, or morph, kind of red-tail?

Heck anything I really have no clue about red-tail boas.

lol that sure is one strange looking ball python!

I know, now I'm just trying to find all the info on them that I can.

:laughing: lol surprise surprise surprise .

Ha! I would love for someone to give me a ball python like that:banana:

LOL. Oops. Well.. it's good to broaden your horizons. I hope someone with tons of Redtail knowledge pops in here soon!

It's a central american boa and you should go here: www.boaddiction.com.

Put your pic on there and they'll tell you all you need to know.

Wow, its beautiful!

I like that odd ball! I miss taking care of my sons boa. Great snakes.:)

Yep, looks very central american. Good looking snake. I say you made out great.

That things 5 feet long??? Looks small... Thats what im worried about getting a boa for, if i got a big female but that for 5 feet doesnt look bad even if its not wide yet... (actually it made me think that I dont want to get a male if it will stay that small)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by I<3Dreamsicles

That things 5 feet long??? Looks small... Thats what im worried about getting a boa for, if i got a big female but that for 5 feet doesnt look bad even if its not wide yet... (actually it made me think that I dont want to get a male if it will stay that small)

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That boa is underweight and if you want a small boa get a male central american boa.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jere000

That boa is underweight and if you want a small boa get a male central american boa.

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Well I dont want a small one, but I dont want a giant one either.

ex: this i wouldnt mind (or a bit bigger) http://www.tukswittfarm.com/images/7ftBoa7.jpg

says 7ft female, but ive seen some giant boas online too.

like this: http://www.boa-constrictors.com/Bilder/BigBoa.jpg

i dont want one that gets THAT big lol.

Yes, when she was at the rummage sale, she told me it ate one mouse every 2-3 weeks. :O

"She" is definitely in need of some food!! My normal feeding day is this morning so I'm going to try and feed her today with the rest of my snakes. Hopefully she likes the taste of rats. :D

I<3Dreamsicles, most boas in captivity will probably never pass 7-8 foot, but they sometimes do. I have read an article before talking about when a boa gets to a certain size you can start limiting their food while still keeping them healthy and they will maintain their size and not grow anymore. I will try to find that and cite it in here if I can. Me personally, I dont care how big mine get, as long as they are healthy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DM1975

I<3Dreamsicles, most boas in captivity will probably never pass 7-8 foot, but they sometimes do. I have read an article before talking about when a boa gets to a certain size you can start limiting their food while still keeping them healthy and they will maintain their size and not grow anymore. I will try to find that and cite it in here if I can. Me personally, I dont care how big mine get, as long as they are healthy.

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Quote:

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Red tail boas will generally grow to an average length of 7 or 8 feet and can live to ages of 25 to 30 years in captivity. Your actual size will be directly proportional to the amount of feeding. For example, you could feed your boa a smaller sized rodent every two weeks, and the boa may never grow larger than 4 1/2 to 5 feet. On the other hand, if you were to feed aggressively, then your boa may achieve a size of 10 feet or longer. There have been reports of 12 foot boas weighing 80 pounds!

WARNING*** A note on power feeding. This is an unwise method used by some people to achieve rapid growth in their boas.

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-http://www.redtailboas.com/general_c...eral_care.html

I feel like I am busting this website out way too often...

There it is...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by I<3Dreamsicles

Well I dont want a small one, but I dont want a giant one either.

ex: this i wouldnt mind (or a bit bigger) http://www.tukswittfarm.com/images/7ftBoa7.jpg

says 7ft female, but ive seen some giant boas online too.

like this: http://www.boa-constrictors.com/Bilder/BigBoa.jpg

i dont want one that gets THAT big lol.

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that big one is amazing but it doesnt happen alot but if you get a boa know thats not impossible

Well come to find out what was a docile snake yesterday is a really aggressive snake today!!!

I read the story and the pic didn't work haha! What someone said earlier gave me an idea! Call him/her Oddball! haha

Picture didn't work for me either, but i'm curious to see the picture.

Here are a few pics, we didn't keep her because we couldn't calm her down at all. We gave her to a friend of ours that has experience with red tails and doesn't have small children.
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...z/DSCF6004.jpg
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...z/DSCF6021.jpg
http://i715.photobucket.com/albums/w...z/DSCF6038.jpg