Saw a few different pythons and boas today, wanted some opinions.

[AlexiTLO]

I went to pick up some chicks for my tegu today. I stopped by our local reptile shop, I never buy animals there because they're so darn expensive but they're so beautiful! Anyway, I saw they had a hogg island boa, first time I had seen one in person and it was beautiful. Then I saw a borneo short tailed python, beautiful and then a woma python, again, beautiful. There were also a couple dumerils.

I mentioned to the store employee that I thought the hoggs were gorgeous and really wanted one but haven't had much snake experience. She said that with her experience, boas can be more aggressive/alert feeders and weren't always the best beginner snake. I said I have a ball but I've only had him for a couple months so I still feel new to snakes.

I kind of wonder how "aggressive" they really can be, my tegu is pretty easy going when it comes to meal time but there was a period of time when I was trying to care for a very very food aggressive tegu. The person who gave him to me would only feed him once a week so whenever he saw me with food he would literally charge the glass and try to bite every time. He ended up being a little more than I could handle and was actually adopted out by the store.

Anyway...
She started to show me a couple others they had starting with the borneo short tailed python. I've seen pictures of them as little dudes but I had never seen an adult in person. It looked so neat! I didn't realize they got that thick/heavy. She told me usually they're pretty docile, while they do get heavy they don't get "huge". She mentioned they have a couple other short tailed pythons (sumatran and bloods I think?) but the borneo was the most easy going as far as what they had in the store.

Then she pointed out the (adult) woma and said they can be nice pets, the one they had had a nice temperament. They probably need to be handled more frequently to help keep them calmed down. I was also told they were pretty easy to keep over all.

I'm considering getting another snake eventually but I'm slowly seeing how many choices there really are... So far I know I don't really like corns/kings, the slimmer bodied snakes. 6-7' would be the absolute max for a snake, I feel like any bigger and I'd need another person with me. I posted something before asking about hogg island boas, now I'm curious about STPs and womas (honestly probably the slimmest I would consider) and whatever else you guys can suggest checking out! Also, if theres anything you agree with or don't agree with from my visit to the pet store let me know! Thanks.

[sunshinenorcas]

I love STP's, but as a beginner to another beginner- I'd personally wait a while longer before getting. They can be awesome snakes and they are gorgeous, but there is still that potential of an attitude problem and that's a big animal to deal with when it's not pleased. I know I want to wait a while longer before I get one. I don't know about Woma's but they are pretty cool snakes. Dumerils are big 'ol chunky things
What the store clerk said about Hoggs is about opposite of what I've heard from them, but different snakes, different experiences etc... personally, if it was me, I'd get a smaller boa like a Hogg or Dumerils or the Woma before an STP. Or if you do get the STP, HANDLE IT. Handle it as much as they'll allow. Also, go with an older animal rather then young- a sweet yearling may not stay sweet. Older snakes are usually pretty set in their temperament.

[AlexiTLO]

I love STP's, but as a beginner to another beginner- I'd personally wait a while longer before getting. They can be awesome snakes and they are gorgeous, but there is still that potential of an attitude problem and that's a big animal to deal with when it's not pleased. I know I want to wait a while longer before I get one. I don't know about Woma's but they are pretty cool snakes. Dumerils are big 'ol chunky things
What the store clerk said about Hoggs is about opposite of what I've heard from them, but different snakes, different experiences etc... personally, if it was me, I'd get a smaller boa like a Hogg or Dumerils or the Woma before an STP. Or if you do get the STP, HANDLE IT. Handle it as much as they'll allow. Also, go with an older animal rather then young- a sweet yearling may not stay sweet. Older snakes are usually pretty set in their temperament.

Yeah I thought the Hogg comment was weird because I haven't really heard anything negative about them except they can be nippy as babies but that's expected. All of the ones they had were adults, I've skimmed fauna and kingsnake as well, curiosity mostly.

I think a woma is probably just eye candy at this point. I'm still really interested in a Hogg, I should have asked more about the "aggression". The Borneo stp was awesome and even though s/he seemed pretty mellow it's still a lot of snake if it got mad!

[Neal]

I've dealt with Hoggs before and while it's different the temperament as babies from some being nippy to some not, just like I've had with Yellow Anaconda's. Even the nippy ones that I've seen all calmed down with handling and it was only like one or two that were nippy.

[catzeye21138]

Call me biased but I love the short tails. That being said, they are not for a first time snake owner. They make rewarding animals to keep with some prior experience. I can't speak for the boa, but the woma python might be a good match for you. No horribly complicated husbandry, pretty good temperament, and they don't get ginormous.

[Gypsi77]

Having had several types of snakes do not get a woma if your afraid of getting bit they tend to be cage aggressive seeing as the are ravenous eaters and are constantly on the look out for food I have two of them and I love them to death but they try to bite every time I get them out of the cage the female will calm after a while of holding her and realizing I'm not food but my male is a constant struggle I cannot let go of his head at all ever here is a pic of me trying to hold him. I would suggest have a lot more experience before considering a woma. Blood pythons have a bit of a nasty attitude as well most of them are not very nice at all today


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[KasiRVT]

I recently have fallen in love with the Borneo's and Blood pythons. WC bloods can be absolute monsters to deal with, but many CBB lines now have decent temperaments. They seems to be more of a nervous/shy snake at first, and their body language is more difficult to read than say a BP's, since they don't ball up when scared. With that being said, I made my species jump from BP, to a BCI, and then to Borneo's/Bloods, however I feel that with proper research going from BP to a Borneo could be done.