Need Opinions and or Advice...

[Shadows Valkyrie]

I am a snake lover. Currently I own 1 ball python. I WILL own more in the future! I like balls because of their size and their temperment. They are just cool snakes.

The local pet store (very small town) had 2 red tails dumped off on them. I go in there and handle them frequently to keep the "tame" because the owner isn't overly fond of snakes. The one is an 8 ft, the other around 3 feet. The bigger one can be intimidating to me at times because of her size (and mine...I'm pretty small) but I adore her. I try to hold her as often as she'll let me. There's been a few times she has struck at me. Thankfully I have good reflexes! But I haven't given up. I still hold her and I still really like her.

The smaller one I am just in love with and I think the feeling is mutual. Anytime someone else does hold her she stretches out as far as she can, reaching towards me. Everyone has commented on how she seems to love me.

I really want to bring her home however I know how big she'll get. I don't want to be one of those people that gets a small cute lil' snake then gets rid of it when it gets older & bigger. I also don't want to own a pet that I need supervision to hold.

So I guess I have a few questions and concerns.

One, is it "safe" for a woman my size (115lbs, 5' 5") to handle a full grown red tailed boa alone and with out a "spotter"? I know she can't eat me. LOL. That's not what I'm questioning. I'm more after the power behind the constriction. If she really wanted to hold on tight would I alone be able to get her off of me?

Two, if I raise her and hold her frequently and do everything the way I am supposed to will she perhaps be as docile as a BP?

I know all snakes are different, they all have individual personalities/temperments. She seems very calm and relaxed thus far and I've been working with her for months.

I really do like her and I really do want her. I've just never owned a snake that can get so big.

Opinions? Thoughts? Any Red Tailed owners out there that can tell me a bit about them?

[Alexandra V]

I knwo what you mean, it's weird to hold a boa for the first time after only having experience with bps.

However, I have confidence that you will be able to get used to handling her as she grows, so by the time she's big you'll know what to do with her.

And there's no reason why she couldn't be as tame as a ball with proper handling!

[Shadows Valkyrie]

I knwo what you mean, it's weird to hold a boa for the first time after only having experience with bps.

However, I have confidence that you will be able to get used to handling her as she grows, so by the time she's big you'll know what to do with her.

And there's no reason why she couldn't be as tame as a ball with proper handling!

I do very well with the big one that is 8ft long. I'm pretty sure she weighs close to 40lbs. I haven't weighed her yet just an estimation from carrying her around. However, I don't own her. I just go in and feed her and take her out when she tolerates it. LOL. With not owning her I have the option to say eh, not today. She can be moody at times and that's when I back off. With not being overly familiar with her I play it safe more often than not.

The little one doesn't intimidate me at all. There has been a few times that I have opted to leave her be because I knew that she was either due to eat or just acting moody when I reach in the cage. But that's simply universal precaution. No one with half a brain is going to continue to poke at a pissy snake!

I guess my concerns are what I said before. One day it'll be a BIG snake. I love big snakes but I have never owned one. I like to handle them and hold them whenever I get an opportunity to. I'm just worried that when it does get full grown I could be over powered by it if it ever did decide to squeeze that bejeebies out of me.

I'm so torn! I really do want her but as I said before I don't want to be one of those people...

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it!

Hopefully I get some responses from Red Tailed owners....

...on a side note, I'll be on my own with her as my husband doesn't really care for snakes. He thinks I'm nuts. LOL

[SeanL]

I have several Red Tails myself and actually they were my first love/passion before I got into BPs.

Red Tail in my opinion are just as tame as BPs, just way more active. All mine are very docile, especially the one's I've raised as babies. At times I can tell they don't want to come out so I leave them be. You're a very smart woman and just from your post I can already tell you know what not to do.

Are you certain of the sex of the small one? If it's a male it will stay significantly smaller than the female. All my males usually max out at 5 and 1/2 feet to 6 feet, although I've had a 7 footer before.

All in all I believe they are gorgeous animals (I particularly like their heads better than BPs) and have had NO horrible incidents other than the occasional strike if they seem to be moody.

[JLC]

I moved the thread to the red tail forum...better chance of getting advice from RTB owners that way.

Are you sure the smaller one is female? If it's a male, it may stay smaller in the long run than if it were female. Of course, there's never any guarantees on that.

Wish I knew how to help you. I understand your concerns. For those reasons, I'll probably never own a burm or retic...but I do feel confident enough to own an RTB or two someday, even if I'm solo in the snake room. But that's just me. No one can translate that confidence to someone else. Hopefully some of those with lots of hands-on experience with these beauties will have more helpful words!

[Shadows Valkyrie]

I honestly have no idea what the sex of the snake is. I have just gotten in the habit of referring to it as "she". My mistake for implying that I know

I was up at the store today and took some pics of her/him. I think "she's" beautiful! "She" has a lot of blushing head to tail and also sheen spots that appear rainbow colored.

Thanks for moving the thread! I'm so used to posting in the BP section that I didn't even think about it when I started the thread. *duh*!

[lusciousdragon]

I too have been wondering this myself. I have been wanting to get a redtail but am worried about once he would get bigger if I would be able to keep in control of him. I am a 140 pound female, 5'7" and a weakling. I do have a big strong husband though whom I know would be fine with a larger snake than the BPs.

[Wh00h0069]

If it is a male, you would have no problem handling it at full growth. A female, on the other hand, can get quite large and strong. It would be a good idea to have someone around when handling an adult female, just in case. The nice thing about boas, though, is they are usually very docile, so your chance of them turning on your are slim.

Hope this helps.

[Crazy4Herps]

One, is it "safe" for a woman my size (115lbs, 5' 5") to handle a full grown red tailed boa alone and with out a "spotter"? I know she can't eat me. LOL. That's not what I'm questioning. I'm more after the power behind the constriction. If she really wanted to hold on tight would I alone be able to get her off of me?

It is generally a bad idea to handle any snake that is longer than you are tall without someone else around. Boas make the sweetest pets (my boas are my absolute favorites!), but they are incredibly strong, as I'm sure you have noticed from handling these. Accidents happen; do not underestimate them!

Two, if I raise her and hold her frequently and do everything the way I am supposed to will she perhaps be as docile as a BP?

Absolutely. Younger boas tend to be a little nippy, but if you raise her well, she will be a sweetheart by the time she is fully grown. I love my ball pythons to death, but I honestly enjoy handling my boas more; they are every bit as sweet (once they get past the nippy phase, if they go through a nippy phase at all, which some don't) as ball pythons, but not as nervous. In my experience, they are much calmer and more inquisitive than bp's.

Opinions? Thoughts? Any Red Tailed owners out there that can tell me a bit about them?

Boas are absolutely amazing! I've got two girls, a 2-year-old common Colombian "red tail" (not actually red tail boas, it's a common misconception) and a 6-month-old Peruvian longtail. As far as pet snakes go, I think they are the best; great feeding responses, total sweethearts (if handled regularly, etc), big (but not too big), beautiful, and they have the funniest personalities! That said, big boas have potential to be extremely dangerous, and (even with my 2-year-old who is still relatively small) I would never take the hazards of owning boas lightly.

Really, it's your call. That is a beautiful boa, and it sounds like you two really clicked... but if it is in fact a female, you could end up with a pretty darned big boa in the future, and handling a big female by yourself is definitely a hazard, no matter how docile she may be. Accidents DO happen.