Starter snake?

[hardball]

Ok I think most people know that I am planning on getting a Colombian boa in the future, but after reading up on them I am kinda curious about why there not to be considered a "starter" snake. Is it just because of the possibility of being larger? Reading the caresheet on here they are rated as being easy, and from what I have gathered they seem easier to keep than a BP which IS considered a starter snake. They do not necessarily need a hide to feel secure, and they have a stronger feeding response for the most part. I would think that most people getting into snakes would love its more outgoing personality as oppose to the shy BP.

[darkangel]

I think that's probably based on the potential size and that a newb may not be prepared for the "presence" of a large snake and potentially larger bite. I think when you start with a smaller snake you learn to gauge their general behavior, which could be helpful when dealing with one that could get 8 or 9 feet.

[qiksilver]

you answered your own question, size is a definite factor. a 10 foot snake is one that can definitely severely hurt or kill you if you are not careful. many keepers have the rule, any snake over 6 feet will not be dealt with unless there are two people to handle it, in case something goes wrong. I think it would be a huge error in judgement for any snake with a potential large size to be actively pushed as a beginner snake.

[hardball]

Ya i figured that was the reason, it just seems that BPs can be so picky and unless you come to a site like this chances are your going to receive bad information on how to take care of a BP. Seems like so many people dont know or dont care to know how to properly take care of them, and there seems to be a lot of bad information out there.

[MAC 1]

A BCI would be great, great atitude out going not scared easly not to big a male 6 to 7 tops.

[JimiSnakes]

This whole size thing really bugs me, sorry ahead of time. 99% of boas will not reach over 7 feet. Those that do get big are overfed, period...end of conversation. You will rarely to never see a bci (colombian or any other) get over that in the wild. Boas are not a ideal beginner snake for many reasons, but not one in particular. They are more likely to get an RI than others, they MAY get REALLY big, they pack a nice punch, they are less tolerant to husbandry errors, etc. There really isn't a Beginner/intermediate spot for them, but if there was...they would be in it. Ball Pythons CAN live in poor conditions for long periods of time, boas cannot. Corns can too. Locale specific boas, hogs argies islands peruvians suris guys etc, are intermediates, imo. Tree boas, emeralds, etc are more advanced, this list is for boas not other snakes. Boas are less picky eaters, true...that doesn't make them the easiest snake to keep though. Their attitudes are more lax, true. It's the husbandry errors and lack of tolerance to them that makes them harder to keep, but not too hard. Hope this helps.