Island pythons and boas

A curious mind would like to know: how many people around here are keeping insular pythons and boas (Candoia, Savu pythons, Chilabothrus, etc.)?

The Pacific island pythons and boas have always interested me, and I've done a fair bit of fun-time reading into them. I'm curious as to whether any people around here actually keep them and what your experiences might have been. They don't seem to be particularly popular in the hobby -- a dietary preference for lizards and such may have something to do with it -- so you don't hear or see much about them. It sounds like most species aren't being bred in captivity, either.

Part of me is tempted to leave space in the snake room for one or more in the future, once my snake husbandry is up to snuff. They sound like they may be fun species to keep in a naturalistic setup provided you can get them established.

I have Savu pythons. They are fun, very active, easy to keep. Think of them as a corn snake in a python body.

Very nice!

Have to admit, Savus are one of the island species that tempt me the most. It's a shame that so few people are breeding them and that they're generally not available or accessible. The few I've seen for sale are typically four-figure pairs...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

I have Savu pythons. They are fun, very active, easy to keep. Think of them as a corn snake in a python body.

---

May I assume that you don't house them together? -I was shocked to see Reptiles magazine* say: "A 40-gallon terrarium will easily house a pair of adults." :confusd:

*https://www.reptilesmagazine.com/listings/snake-species/savu-python/

They do seem like a wonderful & uncommon option that remains a nice pet size. I hope you produce some c/b offspring one of these years. :snake:

They are only together for breeding. I paired them last year but they were still a bit young - the female was 5, the male 6. I'm hoping for better results this year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bcr229

They are only together for breeding. I paired them last year but they were still a bit young - the female was 5, the male 6. I'm hoping for better results this year.

---

That's what I figured, & good luck this time around! :gj:

I've been drooling over people's viper and solomon island ground boas lately, they seem to be more popular now and with success being bred and switched to rodents. I have no access to lizard feeders here or even live feeders of any sort without breeding my own so I steer clear of anything more difficult or specialized.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GoingPostal

I've been drooling over people's viper and solomon island ground boas lately, they seem to be more popular now and with success being bred and switched to rodents. I have no access to lizard feeders here or even live feeders of any sort without breeding my own so I steer clear of anything more difficult or specialized.

---

I've admired viper boas for a while too. I'm glad some people are finally working with them.

Gary Schiavino, a breeder I trust (I got my Rough-scaled Sand Boas from him, and he's been fantastic to deal with) breeds Savu Pythons. I've been tempted by them for a few years now, as I definitely have a thing for the smaller pythons. But I really am content with my current group of snakes and want to just focus on giving them the best possible enclosures and husbandry. Still, those Savus are fantastic little pythons.

I have Tarahumara Boas, which (to my mind at least) are similar in that even though they aren't island snakes, their natural habitat isolates them in much the same way an island does. It's really fascinating to learn about these species that have developed within their own unique niches.

I admin a couple of beginner snake groups on Facebook and have noticed a disturbing trend in the last few months of total beginners buying neonate Solomon Island Boas and then having no idea how to feed them properly. I've been seeing disturbing photos of skinny babies with worried owners posting about how they won't eat mice (nope, they want lizards). It's really frustrating, and I would love to see some of the more experienced folks here take on some of these little beauties, as I am tired of seeing them starve to death in the FB groups. Yes. I'm bitter about it.

Viper boas caught my attention recently (as in, I flat out learned they existed) and their small size for a boa is tempting. But of all things, the name is what gets to me. All I can think of is the CONSTANT headache of having to explain to people that the snake isn't venomous just because the word "viper" is involved and that it really does look like one to the average Joe. :sigh2: