Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI

[dakski]

Hahah.....I'm not worried about handling it. It's the thought of entertaining the conversation w/ my wife when I tell her I'm going to get my 2nd snake which is "slightly" bigger then our BP

Katie was nervous about getting a big snake too. However, two thoughts.

1. If you do go big, start small! Get a baby or juvenile (1 year old or so tops) and let your wife watch him/her grow up. Boas take a long time to reach adult size. 4-6 years easy if fed properly (less is more). If I had brought home a 7FT female, Katie would have killed me. Behira was 1 year and 4 months old when we got her. Established, but still small ((in addition to being a Ghost (hypo angry) she's 66% het moonglow, so the breeder was thinking of keeping her and making moonglows before he decided to sell her). She was about 440G. She's already over 960G 8 1/2 months later and still growing fast. However, Katie has gotten to know her and appreciate her. She was even Katie's favorite snake (she loves her personality; BCI's can be very curious, but also very docile and predictable). However, she is in love with Solana now, the 2 month old and 8G Scaleless Sunglow (Red Factor) Motley corn she got me for our anniversary last week. She adores her! We fight over holding her!

Point is, it's not like Katie's going to wake up one day to a monster. She will watch Behira grow into a gentle giant.

I will say the conversation about keeping the small dogs away from Behira when she's bigger was a tough one, but she even accepted that, after some time. .

2. Go for an animal you really and truly want. For me, I started out wanting a male BCI because they are smaller, but I loved the BCI temperament. Then, I realized this is my one shot at a large snake and decided to get the combo of best temperament, best looking, and best eater. I think we did pretty well with Behira. Did I want a 16 pound+ snake to begin with? No, but I have fallen in love with Behira and have no regrets. She is my favorite snake now. I think she's amazing both with temperament and interaction as well as beauty. I have zero regrets.

If you get something you really love and your wife really loves (Katie picked Behira out once I narrowed it down to 4 possibilities from a small local breeder who knew his snakes and their personalities well) you will have a great experience regardless. Katie was included in the process and truly enjoys interacting with Behira more than any of the other snakes. Also, getting an animal you really love will help you stay committed and caring for that animal for its life (20-30 years for a boa).

I would hate for you to compromise and not the get animal you truly want. Then you will have regrets (and maybe even resentment towards your wife) and might not have a snake that lasts his/her lifetime. Further, how much room do you have for more animals? I am at my limit now, so I choose Behira and Solana very carefully. I got exactly what I wanted with no compromises or impulse purchases. Now, I feel my collection is awesome and complete and I couldn't be happier.

Just my two cents, but as much as it is my hobby, Katie does dabble and enjoy the animals greatly (even if she doesn't always admit it ).

Regardless of what you choose, know we are all here to help!