Our First Boa

[Ashleigh91]

So, I just bought my first boa I've been reading about them and their care for about a year now, and have been actively looking for "the one" for a couple of months now. I was originally dead set on getting an Anery - I still want one - But due to the time of year, and being in Canada, I was having trouble finding a really great one. So I decided to do some more general inquiries, and I found this little beauty!

She's 'just' a het albino, but I think she's stunning. She's the first boa that I've seen during my hunt that got that "I NEED to have her!" response. I just finished payment today, and should hopefully have her in the next week She's a Columbian BCI, and she's on hopper mice. Unfortunately I don't have her hatch date, but oh well.

Anyways, here she is! -By the way, this is the seller's picture-



So far the name we have settled on is Kiesha - although it may change once she's actually here.

Anyways, I'm super excited to join the boa club - everyone says they have amazing personalities. I hope you guys enjoy her as much as I do. I really love her pattern.

[Daybreaker]

She's stunning, very unique Colombian (with an "o", not a "u") girl! Congrats on her

[Evenstar]

Congratulations on your purchase!! She is super nice!

For the record, she is NOT "just" het albino at all. She is, in fact, an Arabesque. This is a dominant inheritable pattern gene. You have made a real find if you paid for her as a normal het albino. Coupled with the arabesque gene, you could potentially make animals like this:



This is Pandora, my own Arabesque sunglow (hypo x albino). Pandora is nearly patternless, so she doesn't fully show the connected saddle pattern. You can see the lateral connections are visible - just not the saddle part of the pattern. I am hoping she will eventually prove to be a super form of the gene.

Enjoy your new baby!!

[snowcolt]

i was about to say she isnt just normal

[Ashleigh91]

Congratulations on your purchase!! She is super nice!

For the record, she is NOT "just" het albino at all. She is, in fact, an Arabesque. This is a dominant inheritable pattern gene. You have made a real find if you paid for her as a normal het albino. Coupled with the arabesque gene, you could potentially make animals like this:



This is Pandora, my own Arabesque sunglow (hypo x albino). Pandora is nearly patternless, so she doesn't fully show the connected saddle pattern. You can see the lateral connections are visible - just not the saddle part of the pattern. I am hoping she will eventually prove to be a super form of the gene.

Enjoy your new baby!!

Oh wow! I've seen Arabesques, I just didn't realize that she was one! I thought the whole saddles being connected thing was different than most I had seen, but I had no idea that was it! We paid $150 for her, so I guess that's a pretty good deal considering she's more than het

I doubt I'll ever breed her.. I plan to eventually breed my ball pythons, simply because they're het and I wouldn't mind a clown for my troubles, and I know that if I can't rehome them all, 4-6 babies wouldn't be too hard to care for. HOWEVER ~ the whole 30+ litter size with boas is a little intimidating xD

Thanks so much for the info though! I'll definitely take more pictures once she arrives - including a few of her tail

Edit: I just looked at a Canadian breeder, and he sells arabesque het albino females for 500, so I'm feeling pretty lucky

[nick654377]

Congratulations on your purchase!! She is super nice!

For the record, she is NOT "just" het albino at all. She is, in fact, an Arabesque. This is a dominant inheritable pattern gene. You have made a real find if you paid for her as a normal het albino. Coupled with the arabesque gene, you could potentially make animals like this:



This is Pandora, my own Arabesque sunglow (hypo x albino). Pandora is nearly patternless, so she doesn't fully show the connected saddle pattern. You can see the lateral connections are visible - just not the saddle part of the pattern. I am hoping she will eventually prove to be a super form of the gene.

Enjoy your new baby!!

I am wanting to steal pandora!

OP. i am very jealous of your boa. very nice find!

[brobertson]

What an amazing first boa! She is a real stunner!

[Evenstar]

I am wanting to steal pandora!

OP. i am very jealous of your boa. very nice find!

Get in line!!

Oh wow! I've seen Arabesques, I just didn't realize that she was one! I thought the whole saddles being connected thing was different than most I had seen, but I had no idea that was it! We paid $150 for her, so I guess that's a pretty good deal considering she's more than het

I doubt I'll ever breed her.. I plan to eventually breed my ball pythons, simply because they're het and I wouldn't mind a clown for my troubles, and I know that if I can't rehome them all, 4-6 babies wouldn't be too hard to care for. HOWEVER ~ the whole 30+ litter size with boas is a little intimidating xD

Thanks so much for the info though! I'll definitely take more pictures once she arrives - including a few of her tail

Edit: I just looked at a Canadian breeder, and he sells arabesque het albino females for 500, so I'm feeling pretty lucky

Yes, I'd say you made a very good deal! Congrats! If I may ask, did you find her with a breeder or was it a private sale (ie, craigslist or Canadian equivalent)?? And I sure know about the breeding thing, lol. Caring for 30-40 offspring until they are sold is very daunting. Good for you for taking care with such a decision. And there is pure joy in just having your boa be a loved pet!


Incidentally, she is a lovely example of Arabesque. I really like her pattern - it's very uniform and cleaner than most.

[Ashleigh91]

Oh I definitely don't mind you asking. I bought her from a place in Mississauga Ontario, called Port Credit Pets. They sell a number of different reptiles, although they do not breed them themselves (or at least they didn't breed her - I don't know, they may breed some of their animals). Normally I'd go through a breeder, but I have a number of friends who have gotten snakes from them and been very happy with them. Very nice people, animals have all been healthy, etc. I've bought bulk frozen feeders from them before, but this is my first live animal from them.

Edit: Also, most of the breeders I spoke with only had higher end animals available at this time, and I didn't really want to wait until this seasons babies were ... hatched? Born I guess, since there's no eggs xD I was on a bit of a budget for this purchase, but I'm sure that in the next year or so I'll be adding an Anery and/or a Sunglow to the collection

[Evenstar]

Nice. You would have paid more from a breeder who would have known what he had. Lucky. You.