Genetics Question?

[earthdragons737]

Hi, I am going to get a hypo boa for christmas. I would like to know if the hypo gene makes boas grow smaller than a normal columbian? Thank You.

[Mike41793]

Im pretty sure it does not. But i dont own any boas so im not 100% positive.

[Evenstar]

No it does not. Hypomelanism is a color morph and has nothing to do with size. A hypomelanistic boa will carry a reduction of black pigmentation which gives it that nice pinky-peach or salmon coloration.

If you are looking for a boa that will be slightly smaller than the average BCI, I would recommend a Hog Island boa. These boas are one of the "dwarf" species and don't usually get much over 5 ft or so.

But if you get a normal hypo BCI, be prepared for it to reach 7-9 ft (males will be toward the smaller end of the spectrum, females a bit larger).

[boadaddy]

Actually it can be smaller than a normal Colombian if it is an orange tail hypo or has O.T. Blood in it, because of the Panamanian blood. Other then that its total length/size depends on sex, how often and what size prey items you offer.

[earthdragons737]

No it does not. Hypomelanism is a color morph and has nothing to do with size. A hypomelanistic boa will carry a reduction of black pigmentation which gives it that nice pinky-peach or salmon coloration.

If you are looking for a boa that will be slightly smaller than the average BCI, I would recommend a Hog Island boa. These boas are one of the "dwarf" species and don't usually get much over 5 ft or so.

But if you get a normal hypo BCI, be prepared for it to reach 7-9 ft (males will be toward the smaller end of the spectrum, females a bit larger).

OK I want a snake to get that big. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't gonna buy a snake thats only gonna be 5-6 feet.

[boadaddy]

OK I want a snake to get that big. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't gonna buy a snake thats only gonna be 5-6 feet.

Sweet! Are you getting a female?

[earthdragons737]

Sweet! Are you getting a female?

I was gonna get a male just as a pet because I am expanding with ball pythons and when they don't eat and you breed rats you get over-loaded with rats.

[Evenstar]

I was gonna get a male just as a pet because I am expanding with ball pythons and when they don't eat and you breed rats you get over-loaded with rats.

If you want a larger snake, I would go with a female. They will push 9-ish feet in length. Some males will stay relatively small - around 6 ft. If that's big enough then you'll be happy with a male, but if you really want size, I'd go with a girl...

Temperaments really are about the same for either sex if that's something you were worried about...

Incidentally, consider cage size for a large snake. An adult female BCI should have, in my honest opinion, a minimum of a 6x2 ft cage. An adult male would be fine in a 4x2. Some may say they can get along in a smaller enclosure, but they really do need the space to stretch out. I think these measurments are fair. Just something to consider....

[boadaddy]

If you want a larger snake, I would go with a female. They will push 9-ish feet in length. Some males will stay relatively small - around 6 ft. If that's big enough then you'll be happy with a male, but if you really want size, I'd go with a girl...

Temperaments really are about the same for either sex if that's something you were worried about...

Incidentally, consider cage size for a large snake. An adult female BCI should have, in my honest opinion, a minimum of a 6x2 ft cage. An adult male would be fine in a 4x2. Some may say they can get along in a smaller enclosure, but they really do need the space to stretch out. I think these measurments are fair. Just something to consider....

Not all females get that big and not all males get that large either, 9' bci females arent common. I have a 6 year old male that took forever to break 5', and I have a 6 year old female that is only 6'. Not saying there aren't larger bci just saying its not as common as most people here think. If your looking for a garbage can for excess feeders, a boa might not be the best choice. Their digestive system isn't as fast as a burm or retic. You could put those excess feeders in the freezer and feed as needed, or find somebody local to sell some of the excess to. Boas are opportunistic feeders in the wild and are over fed and and made obese too often in captivity. Don't take this the wrong way, just trying to help you with your decision lol.

[Evenstar]

Not all females get that big and not all males get that large either, 9' bci females arent common. I have a 6 year old male that took forever to break 5', and I have a 6 year old female that is only 6'. Not saying there aren't larger bci just saying its not as common as most people here think. If your looking for a garbage can for excess feeders, a boa might not be the best choice. Their digestive system isn't as fast as a burm or retic. You could put those excess feeders in the freezer and feed as needed, or find somebody local to sell some of the excess to. Boas are opportunistic feeders in the wild and are over fed and and made obese too often in captivity. Don't take this the wrong way, just trying to help you with your decision lol.

...sigh... I know that not ALL boas will reach these lengths. I'm making a generalization and not working with absolutes. The fact remains that most females will be bigger and most males will be smaller. If the OP would like a larger boa, I still suggest a female rather than a male.

I do agree that boas are not the best "garbage" snakes though! Personally, I really don't agree with keeping a snake specifically to feed off the "extras" to. Chances are, the appropriate sized rodent for a BP is going to be the wrong size for a boa (at least at it's adult size). And adult boas generally do better on a longer feeding schedule, like once every 3-4 weeks (in part so they don't become overweight).

@Boadaddy - I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound short. I guess I wasn't clear enough in my last post regarding specific size and generalizations. Sometimes everything you think about in your head doesn't come out in the written word - one caveat of internet forums! I realize that some people tend to state falsehoods as fact, but not everyone does. And technically, you missed my point which was just very simply that, generally, the females get larger than the males (and specifically, I said the females will "push 9-ish feet" which, to me, is not saying they WILL get to 9 feet. And I also said some males would get "around 6 feet" which is also not saying they WILL reach 6 ft). Sorry again, just trying to be clear. Let's stay on topic from here on out - we're both just trying to offer the OP some helpful advice....