Behira - 2016 Female Ivory Ghost - First BCI

[Bogertophis]

I urge caution with people too.

When fully grown she is as big a snake as I would want and would handle or feed on my own. I should point out that it is not just size, but species and individual snake behavior. Behira, as with many Boas, is calm and gentle.

I also take precautions like not letting her fully wrap around my neck. I handle her regularly and have her well hook trained. All that helps but does not make a bite etc. impossible or me immune from the effects. Snakes, as docile as they can be and without ill will, are still not domesticated. We should not fool ourselves.

I interacted and held full grown boas before getting Behira. I knew what I was in for. Many people do not understand their strength, size, and food response.

Very well said.

I never planned or wanted a snake like the BCI I took in- she was a rescue & just a yearling at the time, & I figured I'd rehome her after I got her calmed down. That just didn't happen according to plan- I liked her a lot, & kept hoping she wouldn't get so big, until finally she did.

When she was up in years, I finally did re-home her with some friends that liked bigger snakes- & she had a couple years with them before she passed away. It was very hard to do, & I don't think she was as calm with them as she was with me- they had a lot more going on in their household that stressed her- just being in a different home is bad enough on a shy snake.

But overall, I'm glad she had so many good years with me, as many as I could give her. And btw, I didn't let her fully wrap my neck either, though if she really wanted to, it would have been very hard for me to stop her. It helps having lots of experience "reading" snakes, but it's not fool-proof.