Colombian vs. Guyana

[Little B-Py]

Well she wants a red tail so I guess I'm gonna go with a Guyana then.

[ssjsmits]

Do your homework. Guyana/Suriname boas are not easy to care for unless you have prepared yourself.

[Little B-Py]

Why are they so hard to care for? I have read the caresheets about them. The info is basically the same as the balls minus some temp differences. I understand that they get large in both weight and length. It also shows on the bp.net caresheet that they are a beginner rating.

[ssjsmits]

That particular ssp of boa aren't forgiving to husbandry errors (i.e temperature and humidity fluctuations, vibrations, overfeeding, frequent feedings, excessive handling etc) like royals and BCI's. Their not fragile reptiles, but you have to be careful with them.

[Little B-Py]

There is a red tail at E.Bay that she plays with every time we go there and she is perfectly content with being played with. She just crawls around her and typically rests her head on top of Ashtin's head.

[cassandra]

I have a BCC and we had some problems with her when she was a baby - she regurged and had (or not, we're still not sure - bad vet) RI...but temp/humidity, if you have BP down, BCI or BCC shouldn't be a problem. =)

My girl now is fit as a fiddle...and getting big!

[frankykeno]

Excellent advice given Brandon!

My experience is only with BCI's so I'll speak to that. Personally I love the 2 we own - an almost 9 foot female and a much smaller and younger male. I believe as Brandon does that how you work with them and socialize them determines to a great degree the attitude of your BCI. Handle them with confidence, with gentleness, develop habits they can learn and depend on - you get a lovely boa buddy.

I would say a few things though about getting a boa. Firstly, buy from a good breeder, not a pet store. Starting out with a healthy young boa, that has an established feeding history and has been properly sexed and cared for gives you as a new boa owner a better chance for success. Also remember that most BCI females far outgrow the males so think to the future and just how big a snake you want to deal with. Our 9 foot female, while a dream to handle, is a snake you cannot act stupid with and requires large housing. For some a male BCI is a much better choice.

As has been said, BCI's tend to be very easy to care for snakes and not as exact in their husbandry requirements. They tend to be aggressive feeders with a hard hitting and long strike range. Ours rarely refuse a meal and show no real prey preference.