Possible new (unexpected) friend?

[ShamelessAardvark]

So I was surfing Craigslist just for fun, when I came across an add for a Central American Boa who they say is about two and a half feet long and about three inches in girth. They want him and everything for $100, which I wouldn't say is a bad deal. I inquired about the snake, and I mentioned RTB's. They said he's not an RTB because there's no red on him, so I began to suspect that it might be an Anery. The only problem is, they bought him from a petstore, so neither of us have any idea of his genetic background. They say he's pretty healthy and eats regularly, and is very calm and docile. While I'm still trying to convince my parents, I'm still wondering, how do I set up a good tub for him? Unfortunately, the owners won't let me buy just the snake, they want everything sold with it, including his tank. I know he's going to outgrow it in a matter of months, so I wanted to ask about the tubs. Should it be a tall tub with climbing material? How do you guys keep your boas nice and humid? I read the care sheet, and there was a lot of useful info on there, but nothing about setting up tubs, lol. Any tips/help is greatly appreciated!

Oh, here is the Craigslist add. I'm pretty sure he's an Anery.
http://anchorage.craigslist.org/pet/2552483379.html

[Wh00h0069]

Central American boas are dwarf boas, and do not require a lot of room. Adult males generally stay around 3.5 feet and females 4.5 - 5 feet. I keep my adult males in 28 or 32 quart tubs and my adult females in 41 quart tubs. You could also keep them in tanks with the equivalent floor space. They need a heat range from 80 on the cool side to 90 on the hot side. Humidity should be around 40 - 50%.

[Rat160]

doesnt look anery to me. Looks like your standard red tail. I see red on his tail. Anerys tend to be black and grey. But im no pro.

[Evenstar]

That is a common columbian boa constrictor (BCI). He is not a true Red-Tail Boa (BCC). The true red-tail boas are unmistakable once you've seen one - their tails are blood red. This one is not an anery either. Anerythristic boas have reduced red pigment and will be all grey and black. There is red pigmentation on this boa's tail - he has normal coloration for a BCI.

Normal BCI's can be found on fauna classified and kingsnake for $30-40. While $100 is not necessarily a bad deal if you NEED the tank and all the equipment that goes with it, it is rather high if you don't. If that's the case, then you may want to think twice about this one. These boas are quite common and if you're just wanting a pet with no special genetics involved, you can find one quite easily for about $30.

There's nothing wrong with keeping your snake in a tank instead of a tub, if you want to use this particular set-up. Humidity might be an issue, but there are ways around that. And you might not have to get a bigger tank as soon as you think. A boa this size will be quite comfortable in that size tank for about another year, then you'll have to upgrade. This deal might be a good way to go about it now and slowly purchase your tub and supplies for that once he is closer to outgrowing the tank.

BUT I have to admit that I'd dubious about this being a male central american boa. Simply because most people selling on craig's list are simply not that well informed (I'm just making a generalization - please no one take offense!). And are you SURE this is a male? If the person selling it is 100% sure and is 100% honest, ok. If this is a male BCI, you're looking at an adult of 6-7 feet. But he turns out to be a she, then she could be 9 feet or more! Are you prepared for that? I would wonder about locality and sex coming from an ad off craig's list. Most reputable and knowledgable sellers are going to use fauna or kingsnake.

Just my 2 cents and food for thought......

[DellaF]

You could always make an offer if your really interested.

[ShamelessAardvark]

That is a common columbian boa constrictor (BCI). He is not a true Red-Tail Boa (BCC). The true red-tail boas are unmistakable once you've seen one - their tails are blood red. This one is not an anery either. Anerythristic boas have reduced red pigment and will be all grey and black. There is red pigmentation on this boa's tail - he has normal coloration for a BCI.

Normal BCI's can be found on fauna classified and kingsnake for $30-40. While $100 is not necessarily a bad deal if you NEED the tank and all the equipment that goes with it, it is rather high if you don't. If that's the case, then you may want to think twice about this one. These boas are quite common and if you're just wanting a pet with no special genetics involved, you can find one quite easily for about $30.

There's nothing wrong with keeping your snake in a tank instead of a tub, if you want to use this particular set-up. Humidity might be an issue, but there are ways around that. And you might not have to get a bigger tank as soon as you think. A boa this size will be quite comfortable in that size tank for about another year, then you'll have to upgrade. This deal might be a good way to go about it now and slowly purchase your tub and supplies for that once he is closer to outgrowing the tank.

BUT I have to admit that I'd dubious about this being a male central american boa. Simply because most people selling on craig's list are simply not that well informed (I'm just making a generalization - please no one take offense!). And are you SURE this is a male? If the person selling it is 100% sure and is 100% honest, ok. If this is a male BCI, you're looking at an adult of 6-7 feet. But he turns out to be a she, then she could be 9 feet or more! Are you prepared for that? I would wonder about locality and sex coming from an ad off craig's list. Most reputable and knowledgable sellers are going to use fauna or kingsnake.

Just my 2 cents and food for thought......

Yeah, I was thinking it was a BCI. As for the price, I was thinking the same thing myself. I have two vacant tanks right now, but they're reserved for future projects. I tried talking to them about lowering the price to $40 for just the snake, and they were saying they wanted to get back some of what they spent, which is understandable. Kind of. You'd think if they had the opportunity to sell the snake, they'd sell the tank and everything else separate? But oh well. I would like to have it for the experience, though I'm not intending to breed boas, and the breeding of the ball pythons will be a few years from now, when I don't have to go through parents, hah.
I was thinking of putting it in a tub right off the bat because it just seems so much easier. Cosmetics are nice and all, but I'm not trying to impress anyone, you know? And, tubs are pretty cheap, which is always a plus.
I completely agree with your thoughts on Craigslist, though. Most of the posts I find on there just give me a bad vibe, doubly so if there are repeated spelling and grammatical errors. The owners told me that the manager of the petstore they bought him from (another thing that gave me a bad vibe) sexed the snake and said it was male, but you're right, there's certainly no way to know for sure, and I'm definitely going to be in over my head (with the parents especially) if I bought it and it turned out to be female. But I feel I could handle a 6-7 footer.

But you know, after thinking about it over night, I don't think I'll buy him. Perhaps sometime in the future, then. c:


Thanks everyone for the advice!

[Evenstar]

Yeah, I was thinking it was a BCI. As for the price, I was thinking the same thing myself. I have two vacant tanks right now, but they're reserved for future projects. I tried talking to them about lowering the price to $40 for just the snake, and they were saying they wanted to get back some of what they spent, which is understandable. Kind of. You'd think if they had the opportunity to sell the snake, they'd sell the tank and everything else separate? But oh well. I would like to have it for the experience, though I'm not intending to breed boas, and the breeding of the ball pythons will be a few years from now, when I don't have to go through parents, hah.
I was thinking of putting it in a tub right off the bat because it just seems so much easier. Cosmetics are nice and all, but I'm not trying to impress anyone, you know? And, tubs are pretty cheap, which is always a plus.
I completely agree with your thoughts on Craigslist, though. Most of the posts I find on there just give me a bad vibe, doubly so if there are repeated spelling and grammatical errors. The owners told me that the manager of the petstore they bought him from (another thing that gave me a bad vibe) sexed the snake and said it was male, but you're right, there's certainly no way to know for sure, and I'm definitely going to be in over my head (with the parents especially) if I bought it and it turned out to be female. But I feel I could handle a 6-7 footer.

But you know, after thinking about it over night, I don't think I'll buy him. Perhaps sometime in the future, then. c:


Thanks everyone for the advice!

Sounds reasonable to me. Good for you! If you really want a boa, you'll have no trouble finding one that's just right for you whenever you're ready. Check out fauna or kingsnake next time you're really looking. You never know, you might find one with better markings, a cool morph, or something with some nice genetics for the future!

[Vypyrz]

I know he's going to outgrow it in a matter of months, so I wanted to ask about the tubs. Should it be a tall tub with climbing material? How do you guys keep your boas nice and humid? I read the care sheet, and there was a lot of useful info on there, but nothing about setting up tubs, lol. Any tips/help is greatly appreciated!

Here are some photos of my Costa Rican Boa's 95 quart tub. It has 2 hides, water bowl, a stick and a plastic aquarium rock for perching. My next project is to add some PVC pipe perches for him to climb on.