General questions and tips on BCI? (Or other species?)

[AbsoluteApril]

4'-6' is really much smaller than I was imagining for a male. My dumeril's boa now is 4', still very easy for me to handle, and I'm hoping she can grow a few more. I asked this same question awhile back in a BCI group on facebook, and got responses that 7'~8' is common for males, which put me off a bit.

Don't overfeed and don't bump way up in food and it won't get huge. Can a male get 7'? Sure! Will they normally? no. A lot of people overfeed their snakes, especially when young because they either don't understand or they want a 'big snake' quick. Boas will continue to grow their entire lives and boas do best with a conservative feeding schedule.

I have never had a boa that was out and being held or chilling on my lap suddenly bite. I know everyone has a different experience but that seems out of the norm to me.