Rainbow vs BCI

[D-.No]

Hello Again Boa Lovers!

I found a lovely Hypo Labyrinth Het Moonglow BCI for sale that is an absolute beauty! Better yet her mother (both parents) aren’t too massive (under 7 foot) which would be an ideal size for my future Boa. Originally I was planning on getting a male because I didn’t want to have to house a 12 foot snake or worry about any mid-size dog I will eventually get. Don’t worry I don’t plan on my reptiles having a social cohabitation with any fuzzy pets I’d own but stuff happens.

Before I pull the trigger on this LONG term commitment I wanted to ask you guys…

Who’s got a better temperament or more rewarding social/handable animal? The BCI or Rainbow?

I know both have the potential to be nippy when young but I want a snek that is a dream to handle and to always be a soothing element to my life.
Also a species holding it’s beauty and color/pattern integrity as it ages is important. Sounds shallow but my home is like an art installation project. Hell my whole world (including myself!) is like a color saturated performance art piece so my pets need to stay in theme so to speak. This is definitely strong trait when it comes to going with a Rainbow.

I absolutely love both of these animals but my BCI experience is positive and sadly I’ve witnessed how forgiving a BCI to husbandry mistakes and total neglect
So their hardiness is a plus!

In the past I’ve know several people who’ve come back from expos to quickly kill off their new BRB which has always kept the idea of fragility heavy on this decision to get my own.

Aesthetically and size I’m absolutely enamored with everything about Rainbows! Plus probably like a lot of you as a child I was Anaconda obsessed. So how frigging cool would it be to have a mini psychedelic Anaconda!

The more research I’m getting into I’m realizing I can handle the BRB husbandry and humidity needs. Just my only concern is getting the right sitter for them if I do any extended vacations down the road.

Considering I don’t have the opportunity to spend time with some adult examples of either species I need some advice. I probably would not need to bother the board if I could spend more one on one time with these lovelies.

So I appreciate any feedback. But right now I feel like I am putting the breaks on getting a new serpent since this will most certainly be my last snake/reptile unless my next significant other is an owner or enthusiast. Then I could be very well easily persuaded - lol

Thanks


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[Bogertophis]

I'd get a BCI in a heartbeat- I had one, a rescue, for many years. She was a snuggler-supreme. When they're young, just remember they're scared little babies- when you hold them in ways they feel SAFE (even if you need to cover them with a hand-towel for a while), they learn your scent & touch, & they learn that you ARE safe & don't bite. At least that's how mine was, & she was re-homed a number of times before she came to me as a yearling, because no one understood that or took any time with her, so she was a very determined BITER when she came to me. She was thought to be "aggressive" but what she really was, was scared to death of people. Funny how I never got even one bite from her, in ALL the years she was mine. BCI, all the way- good eaters, much easier care- & beautiful too. The way I look at it, BRBs ARE awesome, but I can always look at & admire pictures of BRBs, or those belonging to others- but I'd much rather live with a BCI.

[Malum Argenteum]

I've never kept B.c., but my Brazilian rainbows are rewarding though a bit of a handful. I really like their size; they're not a "large" snake, IMO, but have a decent presence.

Mine are great with limited handling, though not remotely cuddly. I wouldn't call their presence 'soothing' either -- they can be a bit high strung.

Temp and moisture needs are easy to achieve with some experience (like a BP kept well for some time) and quality housing -- PVC enclosure with RHP, decent thermostat. They would certainly be really easy to kill with a fish tank and a heat mat, which is what many expo animals are subjected to.

[dakski]

Hello Again Boa Lovers!

I found a lovely Hypo Labyrinth Het Moonglow BCI for sale that is an absolute beauty! Better yet her mother (both parents) aren’t too massive (under 7 foot) which would be an ideal size for my future Boa. Originally I was planning on getting a male because I didn’t want to have to house a 12 foot snake or worry about any mid-size dog I will eventually get. Don’t worry I don’t plan on my reptiles having a social cohabitation with any fuzzy pets I’d own but stuff happens.

1. You don't know how the parents were fed. How old are they? I have female BI on large rats now who is almost 7 years old and about 7.5 pounds and 6FT+. She will get bigger, and snakes grow their whole lives, but boas can and should be grown slowly. I got her at about 1 year old so she's been with my almost 6 years. Plenty of time for us to get know each other and for her to get a reasonably large size.

​2. What do you mean "stuff happens?" Snakes and dogs, cats, etc. generally shouldn't mix for both their sakes. What situation are you worried about? I ask not be difficult, but if you are worried about space, or type of dog, etc. and having them around the snakes, you might want to choose a smaller snakes that's easier to handle and keep away from your other pets. Even a male BI can be a handful at 6+ FT. They are stronger than you can imagine, even if they are generally cooperative.

Having said that, I have my dogs in the finished basement where I house my reptiles. They don't interact and the reptile area is fenced off. If the dogs are running around downstairs and I want to remove snakes from the reptile area, I generally leave the dogs upstairs.

Probably okay to have in the same room at times, but not okay to have them interact. Additionally, if you have a dog or puppy that can urinate near the snake(s) tank(s), that's a big no no. They can take that as a threat and react accordingly. I had a BP years ago and had her temporarily housed in a hallway on a stand. One of my dogs marked the stand and my BP went ballistic. She would strike at anything that walked by. When I realized what was going on, I moved her into a bedroom and never had an issue after.

Before I pull the trigger on this LONG term commitment I wanted to ask you guys…

Who’s got a better temperament or more rewarding social/handable animal? The BCI or Rainbow?

Good for you for viewing getting a snake as a long term commitment. See more comments below, but too many people do not think about how long they live, etc. Worse, many people do not give it much thought for a variety of reasons, including, "it's only a reptile."

​From what I know (I've only had BI and BC), BI's are going to be much more handleable.

I know both have the potential to be nippy when young but I want a snek that is a dream to handle and to always be a soothing element to my life.
Also a species holding it’s beauty and color/pattern integrity as it ages is important. Sounds shallow but my home is like an art installation project. Hell my whole world (including myself!) is like a color saturated performance art piece so my pets need to stay in theme so to speak. This is definitely strong trait when it comes to going with a Rainbow.

Not sure what to say about snakes as art (see above comment about peoples' motivation), but getting a good looking snake can be very cool for both you and for friends/family, etc. I find beautiful specimens often help people get over fear of snakes more easily. A lot of the color and pattern retention has to do with lineage/quality of the individual snake and type of morph. Rainbow boas are beautiful animals, but I do not think they are necessarily a great pet snake, especially given everything you say here.

​Snakes have different personalities. Generally BI's are very, very, chill. However, they do get big. Sounds like you haven't handled a 7-8FT boa but they are handful. Calm and docile and cooperative? Yes, generally. However, that depends on the individual animal, how often you handle, especially when young, and again, still a lot to handle even when an awesome snake. An adult boa is about the limit of what I would handle on my own. I wouldn't want anything bigger and rule of thumb is over 8ft, you need two people to handle and feed.

I absolutely love both of these animals but my BCI experience is positive and sadly I’ve witnessed how forgiving a BCI to husbandry mistakes and total neglect
So their hardiness is a plus!

In the past I’ve know several people who’ve come back from expos to quickly kill off their new BRB which has always kept the idea of fragility heavy on this decision to get my own.

BI's are intermediate+ snakes because of size, food response, needing a large enclosure, and needing higher temps and humidity than many "easy" species. I wouldn't call BI's forgiving relative to corn snakes and other North American colubrids, but in terms of hardiness, if you can keep a BP happy and healthy with good sheds, you can do the same with a BI, IMO. I wouldn't say the same for rainbow boas.

Having said that, it's nice to have a forgiving snake in the case of a vacation, emergency, etc. However, if you are worried about being able to care for a snake and meeting his/her requirements, maybe you shouldn't be considering a large constrictor right now. Neglect is bad for any animal, period, and will cause issues long-term, if not short-term, and husbandry mistakes happen to the best of us, but for how long and how damaging can vary. My point here is I wouldn't bank on boas being "forgiving" or "immune" to mistakes.

Aesthetically and size I’m absolutely enamored with everything about Rainbows! Plus probably like a lot of you as a child I was Anaconda obsessed. So how frigging cool would it be to have a mini psychedelic Anaconda!

The more research I’m getting into I’m realizing I can handle the BRB husbandry and humidity needs. Just my only concern is getting the right sitter for them if I do any extended vacations down the road.

Considering I don’t have the opportunity to spend time with some adult examples of either species I need some advice. I probably would not need to bother the board if I could spend more one on one time with these lovelies.

Not a bother at all. We are here to help.

So I appreciate any feedback. But right now I feel like I am putting the breaks on getting a new serpent since this will most certainly be my last snake/reptile unless my next significant other is an owner or enthusiast. Then I could be very well easily persuaded - lol

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'd go male BI. Columbian Boas, who make up most morphs, are now Boa Imperator (BI) and true red tails are now Boa Constrictor (BC). They are no longer called BCI and BCC, respectively.

If you are worried about size, male BI's, if fed reasonably, will be fairly easy for one person to handle. Female's too, but most will be much bigger than males. I've never heard of a 12ft BI, to be clear. If fed properly, maybe 8FT +/- with a few outliers.

I wouldn't get a female BI if I were you. I'd get a male, or get a dwarf/smaller species. I say this based on what you say above.

I also wouldn't get a rainbow boa. BI's may be bigger, but they are generally very chill when not being fed.

Please see additional responses above in BLUE.

P.S. I am not encouraging you not to get a Boa of either type. However, I am very frank in my responses. I've kept snakes for over 30 years and have 3 boas (BI and BC) and a carpet python (for large constrictors - I also have a BP and two corn snakes). I got my first boa 6 years ago. My boas are more forgiving than my CP, but otherwise, are pretty reliant on me maintaining their environment properly. Boas are very hardy, but not bullet proof. Additionally, they are a lot of snake.

I've seen and heard of too many people who invest in a boa, or other large constrictor, and end up being upset about the adult size, scared of the animal, afraid to feed it, etc. They either get rid of it or it suffers in their care, or both.

Looking at what you say above and that I think you are new to reptiles and have one younger BP, I would tread lightly here. Not sure you should jump into a BI without meeting some adults and handling them, etc. I also would want to see some boas (BI/BC) feeding, especially striking at prey. They have a strong food response and hit hard, noticeably when larger.

Again, size and food response are largely why they are intermediate+ snakes to keep.

Having said that, you will have time (they grow slow) to get to know your boa and that's helpful. I also think they are amazing animals to keep. Overall, my boas are my favorite species to have. Beautiful, docile, and rewarding. They are also garbage disposals and almost never miss a meal.

Anyway, any more questions, I am happy to help. Either post or feel free to PM me anytime.

[Caitlin]

I can't possibly improve on the excellent feedback you have gotten so far. I'll just chime in with my personal experience.

I don't have BCI at the moment but had them when I was growing up. I currently have two Boa Sigma (Tarahumara Mountain Boas), which are dwarf locality Boas whose temperament I've found to be very similar to the BCI I had in the past, and two Dumeril's Boas which again are not BCI though similar size and temperament-wise.

I also have a four year old Brazilian Rainbow Boa that I've had since she was just a few weeks old.

The BRB, once I nailed her humidity requirements (meaning at least 85% as an adult and 95% or higher as a hatchling) has been just as easy to keep as my Boas. Great appetite from day one, was never nippy as a baby and has never been nippy as an adult - but I use very specific and very gradual habituation methods with my snakes so they tend to be pretty serene overall.

The BRB is also exquisitely beautiful - she has a deep blue/purple iridescence and her colors and pattern take my breath away. When I see her, that is. She is happiest living her life as a beautiful earthworm and prefers to stay under her deep substrate most of the time. She'll sometimes be out and about late at night, or will VERY occasionally do some cryptic basking (throwing just a coil out) under her UVB lamp. She is quite gentle but it's also clear to me that she is a snake that prefers not to interact with me and would generally rather not be handled. That's fine. I love her and am content to leave her to her own devices even thought that means I almost never see her.

All of the other Boas I have had, including my current crew, have been far more confident and outgoing. Both Tarahumara regularly 'ask' to come out of their enclosures, and spend time on activity stations or in screened portable pet playpens that I use for enrichment. The Dumeril's live up to their label as the 'lap dogs' of snakes and if you ever wanted a snake that's into 'Netflix and chill', I'd recommend a Dumeril's and/or most BCI/Boa Sigma.

I very frequently encounter new keepers who have understandably become enchanted by the beauty of a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and who want one as a pet. I have to say that I just don't recommend them as an 'only' snake, and especially not for someone who wants an interactive snake that may even be interested in engaging with their human.