Finally ready to get back into reptile keeping, BCI or BP?

[OatBoii]

Hello everyone! This is quite long- there is a TLDR at the bottom.

It has been a long time. Several years ago, I came to this website seeking help for my young, sick BCI. Unfortunately, he passed away from (likely) nuerological/IBD issues not long after I posted that thread, and I have not had a reptile since. For a long time, I just wasn't ready I think. His loss really hit me hard, and I wanted to avoid all things to do with any kind of reptiles, not even just snakes, for a long while.

Well, in that time, I have moved twice, matured some, and I'm finally only a year away from completing my degree. I'm running a small side business- although calling it a "business" is a strong word, as I'm really just monetizing a hobby of mine- and with the little extra cash that brings in per month, I am confident that I can afford the initial costs and set up of a snake once again, plus recurring or emergency costs.

There is a reptile convention happening in about a month and a half in my state. I am excited to attend, as it would be my first ever reptile convention, and this would give me the opportunity to talk to the breeders and inspect the snakes directly. I feel this will give me the best chance of getting a healthy snake this time around, from someone who is informed and invested in the health and safety of their reptiles, and who is aware of the temperaments and preferences of their animals. The last thing I want is a repeat of what happened to me with my previous snake.

My question is, though, whether or not I should stick with a BCI, or perhaps get a Ball Python instead? I will admit that I am partial to BCIs, especially the sunglow morph, as I think they're truly the most stunning snakes around. That being said, I also like ball pythons, especially butter/banana/bamboo morphs. Anything that is that gorgeous pale milky-beige brown, basically. I know their care is fairly similar, and I am confident that I could provide for either one. However, for at least one more year, I will be living in my current apartment, which is quite small. Once I graduate and can secure a full time job, the plan is to move to a larger, multi-bedroom apartment. For now though, the maximum amount of space I can give a snake is the top of a wooden dresser, measuring about 34"x20". Everywhere else is either taken, within easy reach of my very mischievous cat, or simply isnt wide enough/strong enough to support an enclosure.

I know that this is not big enough for the long run, and I fully intend to upgrade, but my hope is to find or purchase a front-opening terrarium between 24" and 30" long to put on top of this dresser. This would be the snake's home for 12-18 months, before I would move and upgrade the snake as needed for its size. Preferably, I would switch to a PVC at that point, and then repurpose the exo terra for another animal. However, it has been a long time since I last looked into the ideal standards for snakes, and I will admit I know quite little about the intricacies of the growth rates/activity levels of boas vs ball pythons. I know the basics- Boas tend to be a little huffier as babies, and will cruise around a bit more- but I also know that those are generalizations, and each snake will have individual activity/attitude preferences. Above all, I love beautiful, but calm, big snakes. I would never get something like an Emerald Tree Boa or a Kingsnake. Maybe a corn or a Kenyan sand boa, but even then, my heart really lies with the big ole' puppy snakes.

I am also aware of the problems with heat/humidity that face glass enclosures, but I would not like to use a plastic tote. For one, I would be quite concerned about my cat getting into it- he's a good sized lad, and though I love him, he is a troublemaker, and far too smart for his own good. Like, opening doors kind of smart. He is also very stubborn. For two, given that this will be my only snake for at least a year, I would to give it a quality terrarium, not a basic bin set up. Something that I would be okay setting up in the living room on a stand one day is also preferable, as I like to reuse things.

As a small aside, another thing I am considering is the future size of whatever snake I get. My main concern is the QoL of my pet in the meantime, but my partner of nearly 6 years does not like snakes. He tolerates them, but I highly doubt he would ever handle them, nor would he be willing to feed them unless absolutely necessary. This is fine by me- I always have plans laid out in case anything were to happen to me for my animals, as well as for their care if I will be gone for a length of time- and I 100% trust that he would find any reptile of mine a reputable rescue should the worst occur. But... I'm pretty sure he'd be a lot happier with a smaller, less "intimidating" ball python being in the house, compared to the much "scarier" looking BCI. At the end of the day, I know it is my choice to make and he will support either one, but his fear of large snakes does sway me slightly towards a BP, and strongly dissuade me from getting a female BCI. I am not big enough to handle a full grown 8'+ female BCI without his support, or at least back up. I have been around a ~6' male BCI before (part of an educational program), and while he was awe inspiring levels of awesome and strong, I was not particularly concerned or afraid of having to move him on or off of me. Granted, he was a real sweet heart. That big lad was what made me love BCIs.


TLDR; With being able to only have maximum 30" minimum 24" of space (lengthwise) for 12-18 months of its juvenile stage, would it be better to get a Ball Python over a Boa? I intend to upgrade to larger after moving, but I worry about a BCI quickly outgrowing and becoming cramped in a 24-30". Would I be sacrificing the QoL of a juvenile boa vs a ball python in such an enclosure?

[jmcrook]

Boa 100%. I’ve got 6 of various species and love every one of them. Most any boa should be fine up to a year and a half/two years old in a 30” enclosure/tub. Could look into some locality dwarf boas that will stay smaller if end size is of any concern. Tarahumara mountain boas are about the size of a BP full grown and will grow slowly if fed properly. I’ve have a pair that are 6 months old and barely 70 grams and 18-24” tops. They’re super fun and have tons of space in 11qt tubs currently, though I may bump them up to 23qt tubs soon (reptile basics rack).

[Bogertophis]

Sorry about the very sad & sudden loss of your BCI in the past, but glad you're still thinking about a pet snake. I do think a male BCI may outgrow that space, especially if the time stretches to 18 months, plus the ultimate size & more outgoing personality of a BCI might be more intimidating to your partner, though hopefully he'll grow more comfortable with your choice when you start with a hatchling?

Between those 2, I prefer BCI to BPs- I've had both- my rescued female BCI got over 7.5' (nearly 8')- she was always sweet but a lot to handle for one person. And it's not about what anyone else likes anyway- it's up to you. But there's more choices than just those 2 that might suit you- have you ever considered a c/b Australian spotted or children's python? They stay small (3.5'-4.5' as adults) are easy to feed & much more outgoing than BPs. I've had a spotted python for about 15 years now- she's a wonderful pet. And Homebody regularly posts about his Children's python, & a few other members here also keep members of the Antaresia family, if you care to search some threads: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/foru...eneral-Pythons
You could always add a larger snake later, but consider that sometimes future plans don't always cooperate with your exact timeline. You might also look into dwarf boas that stay smaller.

Another thing, about going to & buying from expos- find out ahead of time what vendors will be there & research them for reputation- that's very important. Also, realize that anything contagious (mites or illnesses) can also be shared at expos, depending on how careful the vendors are. So pay close attention & don't assume you can trust everyone.

[OatBoii]

Thank you, Bogertophis and jmcrook.

Foremost, I am hoping to find a reptile at the con also for the ease of not having to worry about shipping. The list of vendors have already been released, and several are members of morphmarket, which is nice to see. However, I will definitely continue to research the vendors there, and see what I can find. I will also make sure to look out for illnesses or mites, like you said.

I had not considered dwarf locality boas or children's pythons, as I kind of am assuming that my con wont attract anyone breeding those. This is a local state reptile con, not anything super big or exciting. It will be only one day, from 7 to 4. However, I did see after a quick look that at least one of the vendors has carpet pythons listed as something they work with, so maybe! But I would be surprised to find anything like a dwarf locality here. From my research, I'm not sure theres even going to be a lot of boas here. A few people list them as something they work with, but they have no snakes actually listed right now, so I'm not sure.

That said, since snakes live so long, if I dont find something I love, I wont be getting anything from the show. So I'm 100% open to suggestions about species/breeders!

[Bogertophis]

I do wish the BCI I had for many years had been a dwarf boa- but she was a homeless snake that all her previous owners feared & hated- she was a feisty yearling biter- actually she was just scared half to death of everyone after changing hands so many times- but anyway, I took her in & fixed that, lol. Not wanting such a large snake, my intention to calm her down & rehome her only went as far as calming her down- she was adorable & never did bite me- not that she didn't want to at first. I just didn't let her- & in a few months she learned she had nothing to fear, & she no longer felt like biting me.

You mentioned liking the "big ol' puppy snakes" so the Aussie pythons might not be quite big enough to fill that order, but mine does like warmth & being held- they're just not real big or chunky.

You've got the right idea- to hold out for something you'll be really happy with for a long time. Shows are fun & tempting but shipping is pretty safe, as long as it's not in the dead of winter (responsible sources won't ship then anyway).

[Homebody]

With being able to only have maximum 30" minimum 24" of space (lengthwise) for 12-18 months of its juvenile stage, would it be better to get a Ball Python over a Boa? I intend to upgrade to larger after moving, but I worry about a BCI quickly outgrowing and becoming cramped in a 24-30". Would I be sacrificing the QoL of a juvenile boa vs a ball python in such an enclosure?

Yes. You would be sacrificing the quality of life for either a ball python or a boa if you put them in a 24 x 18 x 18 Exoterra. Those enclosures are lousy at retaining the heat and humidity those species require.

The way I see it, you could compromise and get a small, temperature/humidity tolerant species that you are able to house now, or wait 12 -18 months and get the snake of your dreams. I'd wait. While your waiting, shop around. Morph Market has a dizzying array of species and morphs. If you decide you want a boa, daksi and Caitlin from this forum recommended in your previous thread some breeders they had purchased from personally. I'd start my search there.

[Caitlin]

I've kept both and would recommend a boa over a royal python. If you can, look up the vendors that will be at the reptile show (the show website should have a list posted). You could reach out in advance and see if any of them have some of the smaller boas or perhaps the smaller Australian pythons (more on that below). My Tarahumara Mountain boas are both barely 3' long at almost five years of age. Even if they have a big growth spurt, they aren't going to be over 4'. There are also many beautiful central american boas that reach an average size of 5'-6' at maturity. They are very sweet snakes, but I've found that temperament is really about how you work with them.

As a couple of folks here have mentioned, you might also consider the smaller Australian pythons (the Antaresia). I have four of them and just adore them - they are intelligent, curious, and super responsive to enrichment activities.

The advantage to the dwarf boas and the Antaresia pythons is that you can provide them with a very nice enclosure without having to worry about dealing with an 8' PVC. Both of my Tarahumara will be upgraded to 4' enclosures this year but honestly I think they'd continue to do very nicely in their current 3x2x2. The two Children's pythons are being upgraded to 3' enclosures; the Stimson's to a 4', and the smallest Antaresia - an Anthill python - will continue in his 30"x18"18" because he's just a little guy even though he has the heart of a big carpet python, lol.

[OatBoii]

Thank you to all who responded! I greatly appreciate it.

The consensus about the enclosure size seems to be a bit mixed. I am pretty attached to a BCI/python (thank you for all the other python options!), so I have to ask, if the problem is primarily heat/humidity, would a tote just... be better? I have listed my reservations about them, but after doing some cruising around the threads here, I think I could make one that would satisfy both my safety concerns, and my partner and I's "I dont want something that looks temporary or bad" concerns.No matter where I put it, it will be visible to guests, unless I shoved it into the closet (which I would not want to do for a litany of reasons, even if it fit).

I think at first when I mentioned that 24" is the minimum I would purchase, I didn't emphasize enough that I would be aiming to get the largest tank (maybe tub?) That fits my available space. If the problem remains that something like a 30x12 or a 30x18, tank or tub, just won't last long enough for a BCI/BP until I move, I'm willing to accept that.

If that's the case, I'll probably spend some time looking into other species, like KSBs or the earlier mentioned pythons. A dwarf locality would be awesome, but like I said, I think it would be difficult for me to find, and there is a not a lot even on morphmarket within a price range that does not make me hurt a little. I do like corns/hogs, but they would not be my first choice after a BCI/BP.

Thank you again for all the replies! I'm really looking forward to going to the con, whether I get anything or not, and whatever snake friend might be in my future. I've got time to decide and deliberate, after all.

[Bogertophis]

Keep in mind that not finding the snakes you're most interested in may also have something to do with the current time of year, relative to when most snakes are hatched & born. Last year's offspring are mostly sold by now, so it's a seller's market for whatever remains. You might do better to wait, or to research & then put a deposit on what you decide on from a reliable breeder. And for sure, take your time. If nothing else, seeing & researching more animals (& sources) in person may help you decide...or may send you in a new direction.

[OatBoii]

Oh, that's a really good point! I didnt think of that. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I had completely forgotten that most snakes are not going to be breeding and hatching until well into summer. Would it be a good idea then to perhaps ask vendors about breeding plans at the expo?