Going from small to larger reptiles

[Hugsplox]

To sum up, I guess I just wish I had stuck to my guns with a desire for Morelia and Boas over the years. I don't regret having kept the Retics that I did, and I learned a ton from having kept them. I could have a do over, knowing what I know now, I'd have gotten carpets and boas instead.

This is why I like reading your posts, you get the good with the bad instead of just the pros. I was kind of in the same boat as you about carpets and boas, but I was, I don't want to say turned off by the size, but I just didn't know that I was ready experience wise to jump straight to something that would be as long as I am tall. So instead I found a good breeder and went the BP route. A few months later and I got the itch that I'm sure every keeper gets, that "what's coming home next" itch. The plus side now, is that I'm aware of how long it takes to get enclosures, so I'll order prior to bringing something else home, the question though still, is what's next.

Which was half the reason for this post, the other half just getting folks talking about something I thought would be interesting. I got bit too by the carpet bug when I went to a local reptile shop looking for décor for a bearded dragon enclosure, and this guy was perched on a branch. It was the most surreal experience, up to that point, in my reptile keeping "Career," because when those guys look at you, you can tell that they're looking at you and not just in your direction. I tend to research a lot before bringing anything home, which is a habit I picked up from keeping tropical fish for years, so I immediately went home and started reading into them, but again the size kinda made me step back and reevaluate if I was ready.

A few years pass and I see my first red tail boa in person and I was struck again. So now I'm in this weird place trying to decide what route I want to go. I love my BP and would love to hobby breed later in life, but right now, the thought of caring for and being able to handle something a tab more active is very appealing. Plus let's be honest, you guys sell those carpets pretty well!