Boa or Ball Python?

[WarriorPrincess90]

Everyone has given excellent advice and accurate depictions of personality. The biggest thing to consider, and I do mean you need to seriously consider it, is the size and housing requirements of adult boas. While they vary in size, proper housing is quite expensive. I've got two boas and am looking at ordering them custom 6x2's in the next few months. While there are a few very specific things I want in those cages that make them more expensive, I'm looking at roughly $700 per cage. You can get a little cheaper, but I'm just saying, it's expensive. In the housing department, BPs are much cheaper.

If that is not an issue for you though, by all means go with the boa. Can't beat the inquisitive nature and awesome personalities of boas.

[Wh00h0069]

Ok, I'll be that guy...

Ball Pythons are by far the best first snake you could ever get, no matter what the circumstance, no matter who you are, no matter where you live, period, dot.

Please feel free to discuss...

Also, this thread needs more Cow Bell!

Ball pythons are finicky eaters, are prone to bad sheds, and stress out extremely easy. Boas are the complete opposite.

[Wh00h0069]

Everyone has given excellent advice and accurate depictions of personality. The biggest thing to consider, and I do mean you need to seriously consider it, is the size and housing requirements of adult boas. While they vary in size, proper housing is quite expensive. I've got two boas and am looking at ordering them custom 6x2's in the next few months. While there are a few very specific things I want in those cages that make them more expensive, I'm looking at roughly $700 per cage. You can get a little cheaper, but I'm just saying, it's expensive. In the housing department, BPs are much cheaper.

If that is not an issue for you though, by all means go with the boa. Can't beat the inquisitive nature and awesome personalities of boas.

Everyone says size is an issue, but the OP was talking about getting a CA boa, which are dwarfs. I keep my CA boas in the same type of enclosures as my ball pythons, tubs.

[rebelrachel13]

Boas will only get really big if you feed them big. You can keep even a female at 5 feet if you really want to.

That would most likely be considered underfeeding, which is just as bad as overfeeding. It's a selfish thing to do, IMO. You get a snake, you feed it properly.

[Slim]

Ball pythons are finicky eaters, are prone to bad sheds, and stress out extremely easy. Boas are the complete opposite.

My boys don't miss many meals, shed like they were born to do it, and any snake can be stressed if not cared for properly.

With BPs, proper husbandry will take care of 99% of sheding and stress issues.

As for them going on fasts, some do, and some don't. I've found it to be much less of an issue if you don't breed, and even less common if you only keep males or females, not both.

[MrLang]

That tread is out of control and I didn't even read past the OP...

"and then there is siss that is finally starting to perk up more and move around more."

Place a huge string of terribly derogatory terms here.





As for the BPs fasting... I read a LOT about this being some kind of huge issue here. It's a problem for people who breed, not who own as pets. I haven't read a single piece of information about a ball python being properly cared for that DIED or suffered some kind of ill health effect from a feeding strike. Keepers just get mad because their egg machines aren't rocking child-bearing hips. The snake is probably perfectly happy, assuming the rest of the husbandry is right.

[jben]

I own both including CA's I purchased from Eddie and I agree with him. My CA's don't take no more space than my bp's, tolerate handling very well and never miss a meal. Right now my Colombian is on a 61 quart tub and he's a happy camper. If i had to pick only one it would definitely be a boa.

Sent from my EVO Design using Tapatalk 2.

[Slim]

Though I'm enjoying this discussion, I'm somewhat disappointed that we can't drum up a little more ball python love on Ball-Pythons.net

[interloc]

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ght=petri+dish

Not sure how i missed that thread but WOW people are dum.

To the OP. I have both balls (pun intended) and one boa. While most of the balls eat fine, there are some "drama queens" (as slim said). The boa pounds food and sometimes even gets an extra treat when one of the balls chooses not to eat. In terms of handling, my fiances sister (who is not a snake person) LOVES to hold the boa. More inquisitive, curious, and energetic make for a much more entertaining handling experience. Also to me, boas seem smarter. Im not sure if that is a fact or not, but when she looks into your eyes, she seems to know you. A few months ago I had a mite fite. (lol spelling) The boa was the one who i noticed the most on and she looked miserable. After I soaked her one day, she looked at me and i swear she said "thank you". With a ball, all you get is a blank stare. Jus my .02

[4mb3rNich0l3]

I had 2 boas for a few days(got them on a trade and they just get too big, although I did really enjoy them!) and I now have 2 balls. I think I like them both equally but gonna lean towards balls a bit more just because of there smaller size . But if your a big snake kinda person, then I think its a win win on both lol