Difference between owning a boa and a python?

[Kinra]

I'm going to be getting my first boa soon (I'm going to assume she's a red tail since that's what she looks like http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.p...=154&de=823690). I have some experience with ball pythons and I'm a curious as to how different these two snakes are. I know there is the obvious size difference, but I want a larger snake. From the articles I've come across on care it seems like their heating and cage requirements are the same as ball pythons (by cage requirements I mean you want the perimeter to be 2 times the length of the snake, not that you can keep an 8 foot snake in a 30 gallon terrarium). It seems like both boas and ball pythons have similar docile temperaments (if handle regularly). So I guess what I'm really asking is are boas like very large ball pythons? I really just want to know what I can expect.

[Krynn]

I have never owned a boa (yet), but from my experience they seem to be alot more active and curious then most ball pythons. They can be aggressive as juveniles but they seem to mellow out pretty quick.

Im pretty sure husbandry is quite similar, but they do get a bit bigger. Depending on your feeding regiment, they might get 8-10 feet long! Most dont get this big, but be prepared to house a snake that big just in case.

[lk_holla]

While I'm sure others probably have other things to say about it, from my experience with boas I didn't really consider them to be like large ball pythons. Of course, every individual snake is different, and every breed has its own characteristics that need to be accounted for.

The two youngsters that I had were very active, liked to stick their heads where they didn't belong, and had a FEROCIOUS feeding response. While they were docile and fair mannered when handled, they sometimes had a little more spunk than even the burmese that I was fostering. I've had 3 bps and each one has been a polar opposite from the other, but I still don't think any of them were comparable to the RTBs that I had.

I do need to say that the RTBs that I fostered came from a pretty stressful environment, but I think that for their history they were very well mannered.

[purplemuffin]

I can't even describe how different my two are! The boa is so active and strong.. Even at her small size, when she wants to get somewhere I don't want her to, I have to fight for control! They do what they want, lol!

When I hold Nagini she is active, curious, and always wants to get in my face(I have seen her lift her entire body up to get to my face while holding on by the tiniest end of her body to my finger..she was almost entirely in the air!!) Maru just chills and smells the air. Much less wandering with balls, though of course they are curious too.

Also, get ready for a good feeding response I thought Maru was a good eater too, nothing is as ferocious as my boa!!

[Kinra]

I have never owned a boa (yet), but from my experience they seem to be alot more active and curious then most ball pythons. They can be aggressive as juveniles but they seem to mellow out pretty quick.

Im pretty sure husbandry is quite similar, but they do get a bit bigger. Depending on your feeding regiment, they might get 8-10 feet long! Most dont get this big, but be prepared to house a snake that big just in case.

Okay, I don't really have an experience with boas so I just wasn't sure what to expect. I know they can get huge and females tend to get larger. I'm hoping with moderate feeding she won't get much bigger than 6-7ft, but I have bad luck so I'm sure I'll end up with a 10 foot snake.

I'm glad to hear they are more active though. I have my ball pythons in a rack because it was easier on spacing, but I'm hoping my boa will make a great pet/"display" animal.

Thanks for your help. ^__^

[Slyther83]

Red tail boas are active while young but as they get bigger they will become much lazier. They grow relatively slowly. They are more susceptible to throwing up prey if it is too large, so be aware of that. They change colors a bit too, going from really light to dark, where their "freckles" really pop up. This happens for different reasons ranging from shed to time of day.

Great looking snake btw, it looks just like my hypo pastel. You should also check out Guyana/Suriname "true" red tails, they have some intense markings.

[Kinra]

I can't even describe how different my two are! The boa is so active and strong.. Even at her small size, when she wants to get somewhere I don't want her to, I have to fight for control! They do what they want, lol!

When I hold Nagini she is active, curious, and always wants to get in my face(I have seen her lift her entire body up to get to my face while holding on by the tiniest end of her body to my finger..she was almost entirely in the air!!) Maru just chills and smells the air. Much less wandering with balls, though of course they are curious too.

Also, get ready for a good feeding response I thought Maru was a good eater too, nothing is as ferocious as my boa!!

It sounds like my BPs are more like your boas. My BPs go every where when I hold them. I can't wait to try feeding a boa, though I'm having a hard time imaging anything more ferocious than Lily. She taken the tail off a f/t mouse by striking it so hard. I've had to start making sure I have it gripped by the butt not the tail with her.

Thanks for your help.

[purplemuffin]

Also, if you want a smaller snake that's a boa, why not a smaller locality? Like a central american boa!

[Kinra]

Also, if you want a smaller snake that's a boa, why not a smaller locality? Like a central american boa!

I don't mind have a larger snake, but thought of owning a 10 foot monster does scare me a little. I might look into a smaller locality since I haven't heard from the breeder since he responded to my initial inqury and his kingsnake ads seem to have vanished in the past few minutes. I'm not entirely sure I trust him at this point, but I am slightly paranoid. >_>

[SpartaDog]

No hun, you're totally justified in being paranoid when buying over the internet. I was too when I bought my ratsnake.

As for the difference, as everyone above said, boas are more active. I also think they're not as strictly nocturnal as pythons (but I could be wrong), and I think they like it a little bit warmer and more humid. Not by much. I think something like 10 degrees and 5 - 10%? But yeah.