Cow Retics Size

[Bogertophis]

No such thing as being dumb, or dumb questions- that's why this forum is here, to share our experience with those who have less of it. We all started as beginners, trust me.

Obviously a BCI needs a larger home, & also somewhat lower temperatures than your BP. They're much easier to feed (reliable) but don't over-feed them. They are slow-growing & it's best if you don't rush this. This also means that if you start with a neonate, you'll have a calm boa long before they're big enough for their bites to matter. The BCI I took in was only about 30" as a yearling when she came to me, but was so relentless about biting that she scared off even the snake-experienced vet tech who was her last owner prior to me. Her behavior was NOT typical for a boa, as I tried to say...she had been rehomed multiple times & probably mistreated & mishandled, so she got worse instead of better, without owners who were patient & understood her. First, she had a very bad start in life, plus she was a Mexican boa* (known for being more high-strung, especially when young). I thought she was quite beautiful- her coloration was dark with lots of iridescence. (*BCI come from different localities & have varying appearances etc.) If you get a 'baby' boa from a breeder, it will likely have been handled a little, & may never need a "towel"- it's just a technique to keep in mind, if you ever have a snake like that. It took about 2 months before my BCI no longer needed her towel. Every snake has their own personality-many never need that at all.

It's better to buy a snake from a reputable breeder than a pet-store, since pet-stores expose them to many others with mites & unknown diseases- and the stress of being shipped, sometimes multiple times before they get to you. The best way to "handle" a new snake is to take your time & have empathy...imagine how scary you are to them, at their comparably-small size, & do your best to communicate that they're safe with you. For one thing, snakes don't like to be out in the open- they feel exposed to predators & vulnerable- so while some might try to hold a snake at arm's length (to avoid a bite), I always cuddle them to me (mid-body) so they feel sheltered. That's why using a towel for that BCI was so effective...she felt safe in hiding, but at the same time, got familiar with my scent & touch, before she had to deal with seeing my "scary size". At first, she hissed up a storm from inside the towel-wrap, lol...but then she quit doing that.

Many times you can slip your hand under a hide where the snake is (or into a towel) & the snake won't perceive you to be the same threat as if you had removed their hide & they saw you coming at them. A pet store I used to frequent asked me now & then to help with assessing a snake they had- like one they couldn't sell because every time they took away the hide to show a customer, the snake was striking out trying to bite them & buyers would chicken out. This is nothing more than fear & self-defense, & when I slipped my hand under the hide & just picked up the snake, she was totally fine & never tried to bite. So you see, it helps to know some "snake psychology". They will have been handled a little before & they usually remember that, it's the "visuals" that frighten them. And remember, being re-homed is very stressful- they have no idea where the world as they knew it just disappeared to...can you imagine how scary that would be? Snakes know by how you touch & handle them if you're a friend or foe- never grab their head/neck to prevent a bite- it's as rude as if you put a choke-hold on your next-door neighbor instead of waving a cheery "hello". Supportive yes, but not too tight. How you hold them tells them a lot, & can either make them feel safe or more afraid if you do it wrong. Even when my BCI was fully grown, she didn't like being "rushed" when it came to picking her up. Now & then, she'd be in a "mood" & hiss up a storm when I approached: all I did was gently pet her coils (not "in her face") until she "remembered she knew me", stopped the hiss, & I just picked her up. She never turned to try to bite, ever. She just didn't like to be rushed, but once out, didn't want to go back into her enclosure, lol. (She liked to snuggle around me while I watched a movie.) When she was full-grown, it was a bit of a rodeo, getting her back in.

As far as vet care if a snake is sick, this might help: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661