Avg & Max Male Pokigron Suri or BCC

[Nick_MD]

I read a few older threads about the Pokigron Suri where it was said they stay smaller than the average BCC. How much smaller? What would the expected average and absolute maximum be?

As for BCC, I've seen many sites quoting sizes up to 10 feet or higher, but the consensus seems to be the average is somewhere closer to 7 feet for a male, not overfed or grown to breed. Is that accurate?

Would it be reasonable to start a male, either a Pokigron or a BCC, in an Animal Plastics T10 (4x2) for a couple years and then upgrade to a T25 (6x2.5)? Is it reasonable to believe that it would never outgrow a T25 unless somehow I got a 1% beast?



Thanks!

[bns]

I have yet to see a raised in captivity Suriname BCC exceed 10 feet. I've seen several wild caught exceed 10...

While it is impossible to file all Pokigron boas into a size window I can tell you about a pair I have. They are from different parents and were raised provided with long winters...I don't feed adults during winter here for several months when not breeding. The female is a 14yo and about 7 feet. The male is a 9yo, right at 6 feet and less than half the mass of the female. For only being a foot shorter he looks very small next to her while performing manly duties during his winter visitation.

Neither of these boas has defensively taken a shot at me but both will bite anything that moves when prey scent is in the air. One exception to that: the female is a complete monster when I take the babies out of the cage...seriously, I do not look forward to that interaction. Thankfully as soon as the babies are gone she is right back to her old self as if you flipped a switch. The male is a little shy and mostly low light or nocturnal mover. He will come to an open door to investigate movement but not with the same confidence as his fearless girlfriend.

These two and their young have never been ill, had a regurge or offered any trouble -and that seems the norm from all I've heard about Pokigron boas. They do require a little bump up in the humidity if they happen to shed in winter here (MN...very dry in winter). All Suriname/Guyana boas should be fed mice the first year and these are no exception.

Me personally, I would keep a male Pokigron in a 6x2 and raised properly I would fully expect him not to outgrow that size enclosure. The key is raised properly. Your comment of 'grown to breed' likely means something different to locality boa keepers... Rapidly grown boas (especially Suriname/Guyana boas) do not make good breeders. I don't care for the term 'slow grown' either. The best way to raise a boa is by observation, provide seasonality and alter the amount of daylight to coincide with those seasons. Feed more in summer and less in the winter and as they get older less and less feeding in winter.

[Gio]

I have yet to see a raised in captivity Suriname BCC exceed 10 feet. I've seen several wild caught exceed 10...

While it is impossible to file all Pokigron boas into a size window I can tell you about a pair I have. They are from different parents and were raised provided with long winters...I don't feed adults during winter here for several months when not breeding. The female is a 14yo and about 7 feet. The male is a 9yo, right at 6 feet and less than half the mass of the female. For only being a foot shorter he looks very small next to her while performing manly duties during his winter visitation.

Neither of these boas has defensively taken a shot at me but both will bite anything that moves when prey scent is in the air. One exception to that: the female is a complete monster when I take the babies out of the cage...seriously, I do not look forward to that interaction. Thankfully as soon as the babies are gone she is right back to her old self as if you flipped a switch. The male is a little shy and mostly low light or nocturnal mover. He will come to an open door to investigate movement but not with the same confidence as his fearless girlfriend.

These two and their young have never been ill, had a regurge or offered any trouble -and that seems the norm from all I've heard about Pokigron boas. They do require a little bump up in the humidity if they happen to shed in winter here (MN...very dry in winter). All Suriname/Guyana boas should be fed mice the first year and these are no exception.

Me personally, I would keep a male Pokigron in a 6x2 and raised properly I would fully expect him not to outgrow that size enclosure. The key is raised properly. Your comment of 'grown to breed' likely means something different to locality boa keepers... Rapidly grown boas (especially Suriname/Guyana boas) do not make good breeders. I don't care for the term 'slow grown' either. The best way to raise a boa is by observation, provide seasonality and alter the amount of daylight to coincide with those seasons. Feed more in summer and less in the winter and as they get older less and less feeding in winter.

Very well said sir! I only differ here when it comes to the BOLD highlights in the quote regarding the interaction with your female.
I look forward to that moment if it comes!

I believe the OP may be thinking of a written description about the Poki boas from the Stockl website. If I recall correctly, they refer to one of their lines as a "Super Pokigron" and state it is a dwarf BC (BCC).

I know little about that line and feel it is probably the genetics of the parent boas.

I do know Gus Rentfro and Vin Russo agree that the largest boas in the wild are also the oldest boas.

The Poki is considered by many to be the pinnacle of the BC (BCC) boas.

I can't disagree, I've never seen one I haven't found attractive.

I do remember a discussion with Gus Rentfro about sexual dimorphism in boas. I asked if my Male Barranquilla, Colombian produced by him could attain the same size as a female.

He felt it was possible if the boa was raised as a "pet" without breeding intentions. The fact I don't have a single female boa here to give off any breeding cues or pheromonal signals was a big part of his answer.

I think a 7 foot boa is a very nice sized animal be it female or male.

[GoingPostal]

My Suri male is about 7 years old and six feet. Under ten pounds. Those cages sizes should be absolutely fine for a male.

[Nick_MD]

Thanks folks! Sounds like it wouldn't be too dissimilar from my Dumerils Boa, except perhaps a little bigger. In 10 years, she almost never missed a meal. She was incredibly docile until she smelled food and then she went nuts until she found the rat. The only time she ever tagged me was a light tap that barely broke skin when she was less than 1 year old and I was moving her from the feeding tank (sounds like conventional wisdom has changed to feed in their enclosure so I'll change that). She also never got really heavy bodied like many of the Dumerils that I frequently see in pics. Then again, she may have been a he and I had a fairly conservative feeding schedule.

I wasn't referring to a dwarf mention, rather that some of the threads here said things like the Pokigron is "a little smaller than a BCC".

My "grown to breed" comment simply meant that I had no desire to quickly bulk it up or get it to a required breeding size at maturity. This snake would not be intended for breeding. Optimally, I'd like gorgeous boa, Suri or Guyana perhaps, that could be handled frequently, displayed in a living area, and hopefully wouldn't get ridiculously large.