Another dumeril boa vs Columbian boa question

[Gio]

As I said above, I would post some photos and give you more information.

This is a 2012 Barranquilla, Colombian BCI. The locality is what a natural cross between BCI and BCC would look like in nature. The breeder, Gus Rentfro (Rio Bravo Reptiles) and his friend, Vincent Russo, author of THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR have stated these boas exhibit traits of both BCC and BCI. A friend of mine who knows Gus told me these were almost labeled as Colombian BCC boas. However Mr. Rentfro did not want to do that without 110% verification.

This is labeled a BCI. It was also under your price point even after shipping. I bought this male from Legacy Reptiles and they now have all of the old Rentfro stock since Gus has stopped producing BCs.



These boas handle well and are docile in general.



They also have amazing colors. This boa is not a morph and comes from pure lines.





As for size, you can certainly grow a large, healthy male. They can equal the size of a female in certain situations. If you only have 1 male BC and no other female BC's in the house giving off pheromones the boa will not be affected in the same manner it would be during sexual maturity with a female giving off "signals".

Raising a "shoulder pet" male doesn't require feeding/intentionally feeding less. Males can handle the food just like the females can. The secret to size is health and longevity. The big boa posted here was said to be 17 years old. They can and will grow all their lives. Feeding and husbandry play very important roles in the growth. A boa kept in the higher end of the recommended temp threshold and fed larger prey will grow larger and faster than one that is not.

There are a lot of variables involved but IF you want a large male you can get one. Of course genetics will also play a role and a boa that may be from a line that is constantly producing small animals will be less likely to get huge. I feed my male 1 pound rabbits, but I also DON'T feed him over the winter.

He is 6+ feet, lean and fairly active. Big females from his family tree are about 7 feet long. I think Sauzo may have a sister female to my male.


Here are some photos with cages in the background for size reference. Unfortunately these are I-phone pics and the lighting is terrible.





If you're looking for a display animal, you will see more activity from a boa constrictor VS the Dums. This is where your personal preference comes in.

What type of snake do you want to enjoy and what types of behaviors do you want to see? If you want to see a wider spectrum of behaviors, you will need to furnish your cage with "options".

My guy typically hunts from his perches and I can usually tell 3-4 weeks after the previous meal when he is ramping up his activity. I will often let him do this (hunt/climb) for a few days as it is healthy and fun to watch.

When I know he is 100% ready, I let him have his food.




A well appointed boa constrictor cage.


More outdoor action.




And,,, some "in cage" display activity.




Obviously I prefer boa constrictors and carpet pythons to most other species so I'm selling you a biased opinion.

Your desire, if I understood it at the beginning of the thread, was a large/semi large snake that is docile, fun and easy to handle and is something that will be a good display animal. Of the two possibilities you mentioned, using those criteria, I think the boa constrictor fits best.

You should look around, research more, and take all the time you need. See what your girl likes. She may find handling an adult BC is thrilling, as they like to wrap and hold on and investigate the world. They are not "runners" like retics can be and BCs usually move in controlled, slow, deliberate manners. My coastal carpet is a lot more sporadic and does not hold as tight as my BC. BCs give you a big hug and anchor down. They move a lot but use you as their foundation.

Dumeril boas are cool, and I'd gladly trade our royal for one, but I would not take one over a BC or carpet.

Best of luck in your search! I hope you have fun and really get what you want.

I hope this helped a bit.