Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI

[dakski]

Behira is doing great. I haven't talked about her too much of late, which is unusual.

I took some pictures of her the other day and I'll post them below.

Additionally, I had the opportunity today to hold a 10 year old female Kahl Albino BCI. She was a total puppy dog, like Behira, and I got to spend quite some time with her. When I had held the female sunglow at the reptile show a while back, it was for all of 30 seconds. This girl I got to spend a meaningful amount of time with and really get a feel for what a full grown Behira will be like. This girl seemed well cared for and not too big. She had been used by a friend of my friend, Adam (who is a breeder and owns a local reptile shop), as a snake/reptile ambassador. He recently gave her to Adam to breed as he has a male het Kahl and moonglow and she is Kahl and beleived het moonglow.

I've seen giant female BCI's and I am not a fan. I plan to slow grow Behira and I've talked at length with people like Jeff Ronne who preach keeping them lean and healthy over feeding huge meals and shortening their life. Believe me, a healthy female BCI is an impressive animal, I don't need to make Behira an extra foot and an extra 10+ pounds just so I can tell people how big my Boa is!

I plan to feed Behira large rats as an adult, and if that means she needs to eat every 2-3 weeks instead of a small rabbit or an XL, or bigger, rat ever 4-6, fine. XL rats or bigger are too fatty and boas do not do well with fat. Rabbits are fine nutritionally, but will cause her to grow more than she needs.

Female BCI's can easily be 5.5 - 6FT or so and 12-15 pounds and healthy and happy. I've been told they breed longer and produce healthier litters at those sizes as well than bigger (7FT 20+ pound) females. They also, as stated above, live longer.

I am not trying to preach and I am only saying what I've been told and what I plan to do. If you feel differently or want to do something different with your Boa, be my guest. That's your prerogative. Not my place to tell other people how to live their life or how to feed their snake.

In any event, spending time with her today gave me continued confidence, and excitement, about Behira growing up. I have no doubt that I can handle her at that size and that the work I am putting in now, and have put in, plus her general demeanor to begin with, will equate to a big puppy dog as well. I am really excited to see her at that size, but have no intention of rushing either. I'll have to wait another 3-5 years, but that's okay. I'll have a long time to enjoy her!



​"Pardon me. Do you have a moment to talk about our lord and savior, Medusa?"







​"Dad? Are those big mites?!? Why would you keep those in the house!??"

"No, Behira. Those are Dubai Roaches. They are food for your sisters, the Leopard Geckos. They love them and are good for them."



And.....Asleep in my lap again!



This is the Kahl Albino Girl. She has a growth on her neck, but it's been checked out and isn't growing or harmful. It also doesn't bother her at all and she sheds normally, etc.