red tail boa

[sg1trogdor]

i want to hear the opinions of fellow ball python owners. i want to get a
RTB (red tail boa) what are some pros or cons to it in your opinions.

[bearhart]

My co-worker had one (or family had one). He liked it but it sounded like it was a bit "bitey". But, more importantly, it got so big they had to find it a new owner. According to him they can get really big!

[hardball]

I am also planning on getting a boa. I have a thread over in the boa section you should probably read. Basically research which species stay smaller and buy a baby that you can bring up and learn its temperament and feel comfortable with it before it gets bigger. So far after the research I have done I am leaning toward a Colombian boa.

Link: my rtb thread

edit: Pros: a more outgoing snake that isnt going to stay in its hide all day and able to handle daily. From what I have read they can be as docile as a BP (of course this depends on species and the particular snake).
Cons: they can get big. There are a lot of different boa species that have been bred together making knowing the background of your snake hard to tell and predict. Possibly more bitey.

[Sausage]

Yep, RTBs can potentially get big, but that's something you need to be ready for before buying one. It'd be a good idea to find someone locally with a full grown one that you could go see/hold. That way you'd get a good idea of their size.

I'm also looking into getting one... right after a GTP.

[bearhart]

We had a boa in the household when I was a kid. I do not know what kind it was but I seem to remember it was colored more along the lines of a normal BP - nothing fancy like a red tail. But, I used to play with it when I was but a wee little tike. It only lost its temper twice: Once I tried to "introduce" it to the dog. It promptly struck the dogs nose. The second was a time that I tried to forcibly unwrap it from the leg of a peice of furniture. It only hissed at me then and it didn't hold a grudge either.

There are a number of size-limited pythons to choose from too. I was at the store I got Snakey from the other day and they had a carpet python out. It was definately a cool snake.

They have some boas in there that I would bet ended up there because the owners didn't want them any more. They are just massive - 5 inches thick with a head that would fill your palm nicely. They just don't appeal to me at that size for some reason.

[frankykeno]

Personally I adore boa's, specifically the colombians. For me the list would look like this...

Pros:
- realitively easy keepers
- not terribly prey specific
- generally a very good prey response without a tendency for refusals
- not as easily stressed as ball pythons
- responsive to correct and appropriate handling
- laid back temperment (for a snake)

Cons:
- too available in pet stores so often not a "quality" snake so best to get from a good breeder
- females can get large so confirmed gender is important to some owners
- larger snakes need larger enclosures
- very strong at maturity so appropriate and safe handling is a must
- very long strike range so smart feeding methods need to be learned
- able to carry diseases that kill BP's so health history must be known at purchase (impossible in a pet store purchase)

I think a colombian boa makes a wonderful pet snake if one does the research you should always do and is prepared for it's size at maturity. These aren't giants by any means but if you don't respect the sheer power and strength of a mature colombian boa, especially the bigger females, well you're ten kinds of a fool.

[MeMe]

I have an RTB and he is great!

He is pretty chill most of the time.

Mine is about 9' so he is fairly strong.

He is in a pretty big tank and I have to practically climb in it t get it clean and he never even bothers me.

He has only struck once and that is because Jeff had him around his neck and Sara (now 14 then 6) went to tap Jeff on the shoulder and Prince was just peeking over his shoulder and she tapped the him on the nose and he struck. He was just warning her as he only scraped her hand. Then, I didn't know much about RTB's...he was a rescue...and so I took her to the hospital and they just put some bandages on it and cleaned it. Of course she really did not need bandages but she was 6 so you know....

But I love my RTB and I am considering getting another! Maybe a female...

[darkangel]

I have a baby RTB. He is so curious about his environment and me, much more outgoing than my BP, will eat ANYTHING you offer him everytime, and he's absolutely gorgeous. The only problems I have had with him is being hissed and struck at when he is in shed. He is EXTREMELY tempermental in shed, and the only time I have been tagged is when I put my hand in his tub while he was in blue. Other than that he is docile and a joy to have.

[JimiSnakes]

Great, curious, and handleable pets. If you get a male, it shouldn't ever see 7 feet (Meme- are you sure you have a 9ft male? wowza!). My breeder females are only 6-7 feet long and 20 lbs or so. The biggest girl I have is maybe 9 feet and 28 lbs, but she is an exception due to someone, old owner, putting her on rabbits.

Here is a few pics of kids handling baby boas with no problems:





Here is my 6ft Salmon Female trying to hug the barber!



Boas are amazing! You will never regret it, as long as you get one from a reputable breeder that has handled it often. Most of the time, babies come in "fiesty" due to lack of attention. They soon will get out of that stage though, if that does happen.

Good luck!

[MeMe]

The only problems I have had with him is being hissed and struck at when he is in shed. He is EXTREMELY tempermental in shed

Prince is the same in shed.

I usually just don't mess with him if I don't have to but about a month or so ago I put a rat in there with him and realized at the last minute he was in blue and he hissed so loud it scared me! He just didn't want that rat in there! It took us 30 minutes to get that danng janx out of there!

Another thing I can remember is he hates for someone to touch his tail!