Boa morph, temporment, and size questions

[Tophergale]

I have 3 BCI and every one of them is extremely calm and easy to handle. I’ve kept ball pythons and a few Dumerils and I can honestly say BCI I feel the most comfortable with handling. I think it’s also important to just learn about your specific snake. Each one is different. Each one will have different tendencies. If you learn those, you’ll be extremely successful keeping whatever species of boa you decide to get. In my experience, (especially if you’re new to boas) hook train them. I feed all my boas in tub and I have never been mistaken for food. They truly are a wonderful animal and make such great pets. Send pics of what you decide to get!

[lew-e]

I would suggest seeing a full grown adult (particularly female) before deciding. I believe most people suggest having a second person with snakes over 8ft long and BCCs can exceed that more frequently than BCI.

For my first boa i went with a male south Brazilian BCA... They look very similar to a BCC, but don't get as large, and males stay leaner, so not as heavy. My BCA is the calmest snake I own and looks fantastic.

If the largest snake you have now is a BP, I would say go for a male BCI or BCA... They typically will get to about 6' and 15lbs (some can be heavier or longer). If you end up feeling comfortable with that snake, then go for a BCC. BCCs tend to be more expensive than BCI (except high end morphs) and they can be more finicky on husbandry and feeding issues.

This is the breeder I got mine from. These pics are actually his parents and the litter he was in. I can tell you that I have no regrets about adding a BCA to my collection and that mine has turned out to have a great personality and great looks / color too. This breeder is raising up stock to breed from, so he likely won't have BCAs available for another 2 years or so, but I believe he has a litter of jungles / sunglows now.

OMGosh those are gorgeous!


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[Moose84]

Hello all,
I am thinking about getting a Boa and I have a few questions about morphs.
Pretty sure I want a BCC, but am not sure if the morphs like arabesque, sunglow, anytheristics, motley, etc.... fall into this category or the BCI category.
People online have been saying that BCI Boas are a bit more aggressive than BCC. Is this true?
Finally, I live alone and was wondering if a 7-10 foot snake would be safe for one person to handle. I heard mixed opinions on this. Some people said that if some freak accident happened and the animal turns on me, I would be in big trouble. However, others said that is not true.
The main morph I am looking into is a Suriname BCC. Would this be a good choice for my first Boa? I have a python now that I've been taking care of for a year and a half, so I have some experience.
If anybody could help me out, I would appreciate it.
Thank you.

Handling a snake 7-10 alone is never really a great idea. They are VERY strong at that size and you could easily get choked out if the animal was around your neck. Not because the snake is trying to eat you just because it is trying to keep itself from falling. I NEVER recommend putting a snake around your neck however... Especially an animal of that size. Just asking for trouble.. I always make sure my wife or son is at least in the house when handling my large female. As far as temperament goes my 5 year old daughter and 11 year old son handle her and I have no worries as long as I am there. I wouldn't be terrible worried about a snake "turning on you..." If you are going to get bit it's going to be going into the enclosure and removing the animal more than likely. They are totally different from ball pythons.. Much more curious and not anywhere near as skiddish and head sensitive.

[MarkL1561]

Go with a male if you’re not sure about size. Check this video out for a good visual representation of sizes. This is for BI though not BC but should be similar. Boas are definitely my favorite snakes so far, can’t go wrong with a boa imo

https://youtu.be/tC5qv9Sz1n8


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[CloudtheBoa]

Just as an FYI to everyone, this thread was started in 2015...that was nearly 5 years ago now. Kinda late to be giving advice.


7'-10' isn't really a typical size for boa constrictors. I have an adult as small as 4' and my largest is 7'. 5'-7' is more average for a non-dwarf, with 8' not being common but also not unheard to. A 9'-10' boa is extremely rare, and I'd seriously doubt anyone's claim of a boa over 10'.


A 7'-10' boa doesn't pose that much danger to someone...especially if you practice basic critical thinking skills and don't let it wrap around your neck. The world isn't a HSUS incident report...5'-6' boas aren't knocking down fully grown 6'+ human beings, shredding their finger tips, and then disappearing into the night. Enough fear-mongering.


BCC did originate a few morphs, but those morphs were so heavily crossed in to BI that they're no longer pure. I've heard recently more albino BCC were found, so perhaps this breeding trial will work out, and we'll have some pure BCC morphs soon. Now, if only we could find pure BCC jungles. XD


Other boas also have morphs. Such as albino and motley in BCO, and hypermelanism in BIL. It's not limited to run of the mill "Colombian" boas, they're just the most prolific producers of morphs.

[MarkL1561]

Lmao didn’t notice this was from 2015. That’s kinda hilarious.


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