Constricter As First Snake?

[BallPythonWannaBe]

We are actually going to one in November

[Gio]

Before educating your family members you need to educate yourself. Boa Constrictors have many different species and sub species. It is NOT a guarantee that males will be smaller than females. Males without females in the same home will not recognize pheromones given off by females that trigger breeding cues and they are capable of getting large. My male is pushing 7 feet and is growing again this summer at 5 years old. I feed him extremely conservatively.

Any boa fed beyond its "natural limits" will grow quickly and attain a large size but that doesn't mean it will live a long healthy life.

I think a boa constrictor can be a wonderful pet, but I worry more about the commitment of such a young owner. Are your folks prepared to take the snake if and when your life changes and you become disinterested? Maybe you won't ever have that loss of interest, but I've seen more than a handful of people go "all out" and suddenly have the need to place their once beloved pet because of school, a girlfriend, a move, a job, the list goes on.

Snakes are an easy keep, but they are still animals that require care and dedication. Actually long term they far exceed mammals in the length of time you will need to care for them.

I don't want to discourage you, but you MUST know all the ins and outs. Good job coming here and asking questions. I like that.

You should read as much as possible on snakes and narrow down the specifics for the "constrictor" you seek.

Read this if it is a boa constrictor you want.
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Boa-.../dp/B01K3JVC04


Tell us a little about yourself, your home situation, and the caging plans you are thinking of. Again this is long term and I have to say from experience these reptiles can be expensive when you tally up the equipment involved in keeping a snake plus the expense of the snake.

You can easily show your folks videos of snake handling, feeding and caging by visiting YouTube.

Take your age now and add 20 or more years and that's your pet.

Take it seriously, prepare for the long haul, and have fun.

[L.West]

Back when my boys were teenagers they asked me to take them to a reptile show. At that time I never even considered owning any reptile let alone a snake. I enjoyed the show so much and decided to get my own snake. That's been over 10 years ago and I still own snakes. My kids are more into lizards. Reptile shows are an excellent source to introduce non-reptile people to the wonders of it all.

Best of luck to you.

[AbsoluteApril]

I think you might have an easier time getting your mom to allow you to start with a Pituophis snake (like the bull snakes you are interested in) or a ball python over a boa.
As mentioned, we don't have 'dwarf' boas here in the US, those are in the UK apparently but we do have the localities that tend to stay on the smaller size. They aren't cheap but one of the smaller localities of Bi (BCi) is the Tarahumara Boa.
Good luck with whatever you decide on!

[artgecko]

I agree with Gio on this one... You really need to sit back and consider where you plan on being in 5-10 years and if what you want to be doing will allow you to have a snake at that point. If you are planning on going off to college or moving for a job, etc. This is important because no dorms that I know of and many apartments will not allow snakes or any reptiles as pets. The bigger the snake, sometimes the harder it will be to get a landlord to agree to it. I didn't get reptiles until I was out of school and living in an apartment where I checked with management. I didn't get a lot of reptiles until I owned my own home. It can be extremely hard to rehome these snakes if you need to, especially adult boas that are not morphs, so you have to consider that you won't be able to "get rid" of the snake quickly / easily if you need to move or go off to school.

Another consideration is caging, equipment, heating, etc. I own 3 boas. One is still small enough to live in a tub / rack, but the others have graduated to Animal Plastics caging. As a minimum, most boas will need a 4'x2' pvc enclosure.. One that is 15" - 18" or taller, with climbing shelves or branches is a plus as they will use the space. My last cage, with shipping (sliding glass locking doors, lighting, and heat tape included) ran me around $400. On top of that, you will need a thermostat. A basic one like a hydrofarm can be had for $50, but a nicer model with more safety features runs closer to $125 and us (a great brand is herpstat, I own a herpstat 2 and 4 and they are great).

You must also consider feeding costs / schedule and possible vet bills. I feed and encourage you to consider feeding frozen thawed rodents. It is safer for the snake and most snakes will take f/t. You do have to purchase it ahead of time and I usually get ~6 months worth at a time from an online vendor. You can also buy them from vendors at shows, but I would avoid purchasing from pet stores.

I have just recently had to take my Central American Motley boa to the vet for a mouth abscess and it was VERY hard to find a vet that would see him and knew what they were doing. We ended up having to travel 45 minutes away and are doing so multiple times for treatment. You may want to see if there are any vets that will specifically see snakes for medical issues (not just wellness exams) in your city.

All that said, my boas are my favorite snakes.. Very laid back. But I agree with others, you will have to find a smaller locality and get a male and feed on a correct schedule. My Central American motley is about 3 years old now and is just over 1 pound..about 4' long and the girth of a broom stick. He will probably gain another foot or so in his life, but he will stay a lot smaller than my other two boas, a BCA and regular BCI. I would definitely look into a Central American (CA) Nicaraguan, or an island locality (hog island, corn island, etc.) or Mexican boa (Sonoran or Tarahumara). None of these are available in pet stores usually and need ot be purchased from a good breeder who knows lineage, as you don't want to buy a common boa "mutt" , etc. as it may exceed the sizes of the smaller localities.

Going to a reptile show is a good first step, but before you go, go to cutting edge herp and legacy reptiles websites and look at pictures of the different localities and read about their sizes, etc. Make sure you can ID them on sight compared to "normal" BCI, etc.