Girth

[yeahyeah]

I'd like to get a boa sometime in the future but I can't decide if I'd like to get a male or female. Sizewise I feel that adult males are a little smaller than what I am looking for, but at the same time, there are some monster females out there and that is not what I am looking for either. Ideally, I'd like a boa that is about 5 inches in girth, I'm not so worried about length. Are those monster females somewhat rare or pretty common? Is it a matter of how much you feed it? Maybe I should get a female of one of the smaller species? What do you think?

[ssjsmits]

There's numerous factors that aid in boa growth. Ssp. being a biggie. Feeding frequency, sex, cage temps, genetics all play a role as well. If you are "too" concerned on size, then maybe a boa isn't the best choice. But that's just my standpoint. When acquiring a snake, if you are concerned on it getting too big, then it's not the pet for you.
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Some of the Island ssp. of boa stay very small. A Cayos de los chochinos (Hog Island) might be a good choice for you, male or female.
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Best of luck.

[yeahyeah]

I'm not worried about the size as in I won't be able to handle it or will be scared of it. I just wouldn't choose to "put up with" a huge boa.

[JayBP]

I'm not worried about the size as in I won't be able to handle it or will be scared of it. I just wouldn't choose to "put up with" a huge boa.

So maybe you shouldn't get a boa when it has the potential to get bigger than what you're willing to "put up with".

[qiksilver]

So tempted to quote out parts and just put that's what she said...

anyway do some research, you'll find what you're looking for.

[yeahyeah]

Basically I just want to know if I should go with a male or a female of one of the smaller localities. Thanks.

[Mike Schultz]

Basically I just want to know if I should go with a male or a female of one of the smaller localities. Thanks.

Female nic's get like 6 feet long and they are fairly slender compared to other females

So if you want a decent sized snake you will still get one, but it's also safe to say you wont end up with a 9 foot monster