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  1. #1
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    Carpet Python vs Boa

    I recently passed on a carpet python rehoming, but it has me doing the research in case something like that comes up again. Browsing around in the Morelia forums I can see where several of you have both boas and carpet pythons. There's some commentary, but I didn't see a specific thread related to the key differences (or I may have missed it). What would you say are the main differences? I have boa experience, but none with pythons, not even a BP.

    Which sub-types could be kept in enclosures similar to boas? Something like 4x2x2 or 6x2x2 - not wanting to go as high as 8+.

    Are all sub-types equally good for handling?

    Max size and handling are most important for me over looks, but I do love the high yellow to black contrast on some of them I've seen here. Would love all 3 considerations in a display snake.

  2. #2
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
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    Carpet Python vs Boa

    Most any carpet shouldn’t ~need anything bigger than a 4x2 or 6x2. They’ll use as much space as you’ll give them though.
    Difference between carpets and boas? That’s honestly comparing apples to oranges. My boas are overall a bit more sedentary, but the carpets can be too. Some are more shy and secretive while others are out and about regularly.
    Bredli and Inland carpets are said to be among the most docile of all the subspecies. Though all animals are individuals and have their own personalities. All 4 of mine are very different and interesting to Interact with. I have three coastals and a jungle between the ages of 2-4yrs and love them all to pieces. They’re pretty sassy as babies, but all of mine calmed down well with regular gentle handling.
    Flashiness of display? Probably a jungle would be a good choice. 6’ is a good size adult and would do well in a 4x2x2. There’s a color and pattern option for just about everyone with Morelia species though. Coastals are probably the most variable and all three of mine are distinctly different even with two of them being the same locality.
    All but one of mine are tentatively in their forever homes of 4x30x18 unless they get absolutely massive. They’re very lean and slender snakes and don’t take up nearly the space that a 6-7’ boa will.
    To summarize, get yourself a carpet python. You won’t regret it.
    Morelia Mafia 4 Life


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    Last edited by jmcrook; 03-14-2022 at 12:41 PM.

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  4. #3
    BPnet Veteran Caitlin's Avatar
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    The Morelia are wonderful snakes and I'd recommend them to any keeper who enjoys snakes in general. jmcrook provided a great summary which I won't repeat. I'll just say that in my personal experience I find my Jungle Carpet Python to be more active and definitely more arboreal than my Boas. He's also more interactive and responsive to target training and behavioral enrichment. I swear I can almost see this snake thinking - it's hard to find the right words to describe them, but I find them a little 'intense'. Not in an 'omg this snake is bitey' way but they just notice everything, respond to everything, are curious about everything.

    As babies/hatchlings they hate everything and choose violence, lol. But they respond really well to gentle, consistent training and handling. Once they hit maybe a year old and develop a little more confidence, it's like a switch flips in their brain and they stop being so defensive. Husbandry-wise, they are tanks - easy to keep, great appetites. Temperament-wise, I love these snakes. If you ever have another chance to keep one, you won't regret it.

    A 4x2x2 would be great for a Jungle Carpet or an Irian Jaya/Papuan (which tends to be even smaller than the Jungle). The snake in my thumbnail is my Jungle Carpet Ziggy - he's almost always out and about or visibly basking.
    Last edited by Caitlin; 03-14-2022 at 01:04 PM.
    1.0 Jungle Carpet Python 'Ziggy'
    1.0 Bredl's Python 'Calcifer'
    0.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 'Mara'
    1.1 Tarahumara Mountain Boas 'Paco' and 'Frida'
    2.0 Dumeril's Boas 'Gyre' and 'Titan'
    1.0 Stimson's Python 'Jake'
    1.1 Children's Pythons 'Miso' and 'Ozzy'
    1.0 Anthill Python 'Cricket'
    1.0 Plains Hognose 'Peanut'
    1.1 Rough-scaled Sand Boas 'Rassi' and 'Kala'
    1.0 Ball Python (BEL) 'Sugar'
    1.0 Gray-banded Kingsnake 'Nacho'
    1.0 Green Tree Python (Aru) 'Jade'

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  6. #4
    BPnet Lifer Reinz's Avatar
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    It’s hard to put a finger on the difference between the two because as JMC said, they each have their own personalities. Rather than try for a generalization I just say for me that both Carpets and Boas are more challenging and fulfilling than BPs.

    I have 3 Coastals, 2 Jungles, 2 Boas, an Olive, and a BP. The Boas and Carpets are all mature at 9- 15 years old, thus they are big.
    One of my Boas is “big boned” and 8 feet. He can be very head strong and difficult to control with all of his muscle mass. Even though my Carpets are 7-8 feet they are still manageable even when they don’t want to cooperate.

    It seems to me that most everyone on this forum that made the leap to Carpets have felt very positive about their decision. I can only think of one person where he took the Carpet back. I really don’t think that you will regret it. The toughest thing about Carpets is choosing WHICH one.

    Best of luck
    The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.

    1.2 Coastal Carpet Pythons
    Mack The Knife, 2013
    Lizzy, 2010
    Etta, 2013
    1.1 Jungle Carpet Pythons
    Esmarelda , 2014
    Sundance, 2012
    2.0 Common BI Boas, Punch, 2005; Butch, age?
    0.1 Normal Ball Python, Elvira, 2001
    0.1 Olive (Aussie) Python, Olivia, 2017

    Please excuse the spelling in my posts. Auto-Correct is my worst enema.

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  8. #5
    BPnet Senior Member jmcrook's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet Python vs Boa

    Quote Originally Posted by Reinz View Post
    It’s hard to put a finger on the difference between the two because as JMC said, they each have their own personalities. Rather than try for a generalization I just say for me that both Carpets and Boas are more challenging and fulfilling than BPs.

    I have 3 Coastals, 2 Jungles, 2 Boas, an Olive, and a BP. The Boas and Carpets are all mature at 9- 15 years old, thus they are big.
    One of my Boas is “big boned” and 8 feet. He can be very head strong and difficult to control with all of his muscle mass. Even though my Carpets are 7-8 feet they are still manageable even when they don’t want to cooperate.

    It seems to me that most everyone on this forum that made the leap to Carpets have felt very positive about their decision. I can only think of one person where he took the Carpet back. I really don’t think that you will regret it. The toughest thing about Carpets is choosing WHICH one.

    Best of luck
    Great to see you post here, Reinz! Hope you and your awesome gang of critters are doing well!


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  10. #6
    BPnet Lifer Reinz's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet Python vs Boa

    Quote Originally Posted by jmcrook View Post
    Great to see you post here, Reinz! Hope you and your awesome gang of critters are doing well!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Thank you. I was just looking at some of y'alls gorgeous snakes! My have they grown since I was last here.
    The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.

    1.2 Coastal Carpet Pythons
    Mack The Knife, 2013
    Lizzy, 2010
    Etta, 2013
    1.1 Jungle Carpet Pythons
    Esmarelda , 2014
    Sundance, 2012
    2.0 Common BI Boas, Punch, 2005; Butch, age?
    0.1 Normal Ball Python, Elvira, 2001
    0.1 Olive (Aussie) Python, Olivia, 2017

    Please excuse the spelling in my posts. Auto-Correct is my worst enema.

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  12. #7
    BPnet Lifer Albert Clark's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet Python vs Boa

    Yep! A growing snake is, for the most part a thriving snake. Thanks to everyone for the information.
    Stay in peace and not pieces.

  13. #8
    BPnet Lifer dakski's Avatar
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    Re: Carpet Python vs Boa

    I have three boas and one carpet python (as well as 5 other reptiles - a BP, two corns, a Blue Tongue Skink, and a Leopard Gecko).

    I would say the differences are activity level when handling, display animal vs. not as much, and behavior as a younger snake.

    Activity wise, my CP, Yafe, is generally much more active when handling. He likes to roam and move. Not wiggly like some colubrids can be, and he can definitely support himself better than a colubrid, but likes to move. My boas explore a little, but are more deliberate and slower moving - generally. Both are "easy" to handle in the sense they do not fight me much and "go with the flow." Yafe is about 6FT +/- and although strong, only ways about 3 pounds (he's an IJ/Darwin hybrid - so the two smallest CP species). He's manageable. He's also a little head shy, and can spook himself a little at times, like a BP, but not to the point of being bitey or anything.

    My boas are all docile, but they are very strong and thick bodied. My males less so (2 males), but still much stronger and bigger per foot than Yafe. Behira, my female BI, weighs 2X Yafe's weight, or even a little more, and is about his length, maybe even a little shorter at this point.

    My boas are more sedentary and hide more. Additionally, they like to strike the doors of their enclosures when they expect/hope for food. I have the front of my boa's tanks covered with cloth so they don't hurt themselves striking. Again, docile, and tap training works wonders (I recommend for both CP's and Boas because of food drive and propensity for damage at size). Yafe is a total display animal. He spends a lot of time hanging in his perches and even if on the ground doesn't use his hides too much. He's often visible and moving around. He loves to "hunt" and night and can be seen roaming his tank.

    Yafe has always been a love, but many carpets are defensive when young. Much less true of boas in my experience, and from what I've heard, tend to grow out of it quicker if they are.

    Both are wonderful snakes and a CP is a great progression.
    Last edited by dakski; 03-15-2022 at 05:30 AM.

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  15. #9
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    Thanks for the info everyone!

  16. #10
    BPnet Royalty Gio's Avatar
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    This is one of my favorite subjects!

    I'll start by saying, most folks always end up with at least 2 snakes, so keep that in mind. I won't pretend I'm an expert when it comes to boas and pythons but I have had the opportunity to have kept both carpets and boas.

    The answer I like to give when asked; "which one?" is BOTH. Space it out by 6 months or a year, then add the next one.

    Boas are dense, most, even the island boas have dense muscle for their length. As described above, carpets tend to be lighter and more "graceful" even when they are a foot or 2 longer.

    That said, my Bredli and other Bredli I've handled tend to have a similar, boa like density. Bredli are generally heavier than the other carpets, and according to Nick Mutton are only exceeded in size by the largest coastal localities. JM and I both have the Brisbane locale, which is said to be the area of the largest coastals. Neither of us have a giant at this point in time.

    My late and beloved coastal mix was 8 feet long and not as heavy as my 6+ maybe 7' boa.



    She was starting to get heavier but didn't have the concrete heaviness of the boa.

    This is a male, Barranquilla, Colombian boa. He'll hit 10 years old this June.




    This is a male Bredli at around the 4 year mark.



    These guys may be one of the easiest of the carpets to keep IMO. They handle cooler night temps and only require a water bowl for humidity. They are a desert species so there really isn't a humidity requirement. I'd say these are the hardiest of the carpets and are forgiving of keeper mistakes within reason.

    This is a Brisbane, locality coastal, note the gloves. She's been a bit tough to deal with, but she has calmed with size. I had some issues with the Bredli at the start as well, however he grew out of it as most carpets tend to do.




    I find both the boas and carpets fantastic to keep. For myself and some of my friends here, the two species cover all of the bases.

    Boas fill the "thick and impressive" bill. You will have a satisfying experience handling a nice, heavy boa. I always have to say, "in general", so, in general, boas are one of the most docile handling snakes you'll find.
    My boa is very busy at certain times of the year. I allow all the snakes here, Royal, Bredli, Coastal and Boa to have climbing opportunities.

    The Royal is the least active and the least arboreal by far.

    The Bredli is the most arboreal snake I've ever owned, the 2nd most was a male retic here that needed to be re-homed as he and I were not a good match.

    My first coastal which was a mix was less arboreal than I expected for a carpet.

    The boa climbs and perches and he's far from boring. You can't go wrong with a boa!

    The carpets both climb and are very visible.

    The carpets, especially when older are fun to handle. I've always felt the Aussie snakes tend to have personalities. I can't explain it, but once they are acclimated and confident they almost seem to enjoy interaction.

    Boas seem more indifferent, this could be an individual thing or more general, I don't know.

    In the cage and out, my boa is more calculating and deliberate. His movements seem thought out and planned. I find the carpets I've had and had here are a little more free spirited.

    The carpets tend to glide when being handled and the boa is more grippy.

    Honestly I find a lot of similarities between the two species, a lot more than differences.

    As far as looks, you be the judge!

    JM has a Pink Line Argie that looks like a toy because the coloring is so mind blowing.

    I love my locality boa and pretty much every locality boa when it comes to coloring and patterns.

    That said the carpets here are not morphs and they look spectacular.

    Is there a bottom line? Not really.

    Both species are pretty hardy, both are more arboreal than people think, both boas and carpets handle well, keeping requirements are similar and so are caging requirements.
    I would expect a 6 plus foot boa like mine to be OK in a 4' cage but 30" of depth is the minimum. I like cages that are at least 2' tall. I have one that is only 20" and wish I had another 4" for it.

    Unless you wind up with a recored sized boa, coastal or Bredli you won't need more than a 6 foot cage.

    Here's what things look like here.


    I hope this helps. I really want to go on, but I have some things to do here.

    If you have specific questions please ask here again.

    Cheers.

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