ball vs boa

[JORYLEE76]

My wife and I are looking at getting a snake. we started out wanting a Ball Python. Yesterday at the pet store she saw a baby boa and no thinks she might want one of them instead. can anyone tell me what the differences are? everything from care taking, feeding, growth, living envoirment, and so on. the whole 9 yards.

Thank you for you help.

JoryLee

[BigLu]

I just got my first ball python. actually my first 5 but have had boas for years now. Boas are really nice especially if you want a nice sized snake to throw over your shoulders and show off, but me personally am in love with the ball pythons. there are so many distinct variations of the species that just keep emerging as time comes, and yea there are many diff. boa morphs but i personally dont see much variation among them.

[llovelace]

to the site. Fist off boas grow larger than ball pythons, imo if you don't have experience with snakes go with the ball python.

[nitroball]

to the site. Fist off boas grow larger than ball pythons, imo if you don't have experience with snakes go with the ball python.

Ditto!

[Jamie-n-Heith]

My wife and I are looking at getting a snake. we started out wanting a Ball Python. Yesterday at the pet store she saw a baby boa and no thinks she might want one of them instead. can anyone tell me what the differences are? everything from care taking, feeding, growth, living envoirment, and so on. the whole 9 yards.

Thank you for you help.

JoryLee

I always check out the boas when ever we are at the reptile store and I find them so beautiful but I am kinda wary of how big they can get so I am sticking with the BP's for now.

[frankykeno]

Welcome to BPNet.

The first bit of advice I'd share with you is to enjoy the snakes at the pet store but consider purchasing direct from a quality breeder either at a reptile show or online. There are some good pet stores out there but a lot sell snakes in poor health, with mites, unsexed, not feeding and so forth. We see a lot of new owners here at BPNet struggling with those snakes and it's awfully tough for a first snake experience. Just something to consider.

My family keeps both ball pythons and boa constrictors (the most commonly seen in pet store type - Colombian boa aka Colombian red tail aka common boa - pet stores call them a lot of names). We love them both. However for a first snake I'd probably go with a ball python. Boas can get a lot bigger so making sure of the gender of your snake is important as the females can get quite a good size. Boas also tend to have a stronger, longer strike range. However, boas are also better able to handle the stress of human handling than most ball pythons (this is a generalization of course).

I think it's wonderful that you are making this decision so carefully. It's a big committment and there are so many types of snakes that it's best to do it this way and get the snake that best fits your family.

Oh and once you settle on a snake, please come here to see about enclosure stuff. The pet store will often sell you a ton of stuff at a ridiculously marked up price. Read threads here and you'll house your snake properly without wasting any of your hard earned cash.

[luna13]

Welcome to BPNet.

The first bit of advice I'd share with you is to enjoy the snakes at the pet store but consider purchasing direct from a quality breeder either at a reptile show or online. There are some good pet stores out there but a lot sell snakes in poor health, with mites, unsexed, not feeding and so forth. We see a lot of new owners here at BPNet struggling with those snakes and it's awfully tough for a first snake experience. Just something to consider.

My family keeps both ball pythons and boa constrictors (the most commonly seen in pet store type - Colombian boa aka Colombian red tail aka common boa - pet stores call them a lot of names). We love them both. However for a first snake I'd probably go with a ball python. Boas can get a lot bigger so making sure of the gender of your snake is important as the females can get quite a good size. Boas also tend to have a stronger, longer strike range. However, boas are also better able to handle the stress of human handling than most ball pythons (this is a generalization of course).

I think it's wonderful that you are making this decision so carefully. It's a big committment and there are so many types of snakes that it's best to do it this way and get the snake that best fits your family.

Oh and once you settle on a snake, please come here to see about enclosure stuff. The pet store will often sell you a ton of stuff at a ridiculously marked up price. Read threads here and you'll house your snake properly without wasting any of your hard earned cash.

what are some good quality breeders online?

[West Coast Jungle]

Many members here are breeders.

I have mostly balls but I do love my boa too.

A boa is evenyually going to need a much larger enclosure than a ball so if space is a consideration balls like smaller spaces and stay smaller.

If you want a snake that you will handle alot, I would say a boa. In general they are much more outgoing, not as easily spooked out and will not stress out as much as a ball which are definately much more secretive. This can vary from snake to snake but most are generally like this.

Now balls come in amazing morphs and colors, are much more timid and can live in and prefer much smaller enclosures.

If I were you I would check out and handle both, do alot of research into long term care, decide what you can best accomodate, get proper enclosure and thermostats and find a breeder who can give you a healthy well estabished animal.

A breeder will usually give you much better advice on the care and feeding habits than a petstore which usually says what you want to hear to make a sale and sell you lots of stuff for your pet wether its correct or not.

If you get animals to breed and grow you are probably doing something right.

[TheOtherLeadingBrand]

I don't think either is *better* but it's a question of which is better for YOU You're researching the traits, appearances, and size and needs of each, so that's good.

[frankykeno]

what are some good quality breeders online?

Many members here have links to their own sites in their signature lines. Check some of those out to see what they might have available, how informative their sites are, etc. You can always send PM's to a few breeders or give them a phone call, make a short list of who you feel most comfortable with/has the snake you like and then ask specifically for feedback in our business section.

Also do some reading in our threads. You'll soon see who people tend to buy from and how they feel about the snake they purchased. Most of those threads usually include pictures so you'll get an idea both of the quality of the snakes purchased and what you should be looking for in a healthy, well cared for snake.