Thoughts on Red Tail Boa's

[Derek1]

This is not for me. But my nephew is looking at getting a Boa and wants a Red Tail. Why a Red Tail over the others I'm not sure why. But I will talk to him more about it. This would be his first snake. I honestly don't know much about Boa's as I'm a Coludrid guy. Would this make a good first Boa and first snake for that matter? Anything special husbandry needs? Anything else that I need to know. Judging from a couple other threads about first Boa's. I may try to talk him into getting a Dumerils.

But if he is sold on the RT, I also want to educate myself on them just incase a year from now it didn't work out and I would have to take it.

[Minkness]

A redtail was almost my 1st snake when I worked next to a pet store and saw the same baby for weeks on end. I sadly have no experience to offer, however, I believe it would be an ok 1st once the care requirements are known and followed, and that he gets a well started baby so he can work on handling it before it gets too big.

I would also suggest that if you have somewhere to take him to show him visuals of the full sized adult snake and the needed enclosure, it will give him a better idea of what he's getting into. And of course, make sure his parents or gardians know this as well because if the kid is 13 and the boa is full grown when he's 16-17 and still living at home, they may not be as keen on a full sized boa in their house, regardless of the care requirements and his ability to handle it all on his own. That was part of the stipulation of my snake. Nothing 'big' and to start out with a baby so my mom could get used to the size in time.

Again, this is just my opinion and I'm sure someone will chime in with something different and far more indepth.

[Derek1]

He's 20 something and married. He's able to make his own decisions. If he was a teen, he would be getting a Coludrid.

[Kuamata]

It really depends. They are really nice, docile snakes. All the ones I've ever worked with, had, etc. weren't snippy or aggressive, but don't take that as they can't be. If they aren't worked with, they definitely can, and an angry full grown RTB is not a snake to take lightly, given that they can get fairly sizeable.

They usually average 7 - 8ft. long, but some rare instances of 10 and 12ft. have occurred. Being boas, they really got some super squeeze ability, which once again plays into an angry adult not being an animal you wanna take lightly.

They are also semi-arboreal and need a mild amount of humidity, these are two other things to take into consideration aside from size and strength.

My enclosure stays at 57% humidity, but can range from 50 - 60%. Basking is 92F, hot side 87F, and cool side 82F. UTH of course, with an appropriately sized water source above it for humidity and soaking. It's not necessary to use substrate such as coco husk, reptibark, etc, as you can use paper towels, tiles, etc, but not using these may make humidity harder depending on your environment's natural humidity levels. A humidifier could be an easy fix for that, though.

Because of the above mentioned, I'd personally class them as maybe a snake for a well established beginner looking to go into intermediate... but if he's willing to spend the money necessary for an appropriate enclosure, UTH, etc. and accepts that they get big and strong, then he may be capable of caring for one. Just depends on his position, responsility, etc.

I'm at work, so I grabbed the first good pic of an adult I could find rather than a vid or somethin'. Here's a good look at an adult's size. Believe this one is a beautiful big girl, judging by size.

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/images/BS_2008_09TimZeller_Female_Suriname_Pebbles_80LBS_ 11Feet.jpg

[Minkness]

Ah, well then, for a responsible adult I'd say it's a pretty good 1st time snake. But that's just my opinion. =)

[Kuamata]

Yeah, I was typing when he said adult, lol. For an adult, take into consideration what I mentioned above, and if he's ok with that and can financially back the supplies and care, it'll all be good. :)

20ish and married, lol he's doing better than me. 3 years in and I'm still working on the wedding :laugh:

[Derek1]

Great info Kuamata. They get much larger than I thought. I'll have to have a talk with him. That's seems larger than a first timer needs IMO.

[Kuamata]

Great info Kuamata. They get much larger than I thought. I'll have to have a talk with him. That's seems larger than a first timer needs IMO.

No prob, that's one of the biggest reasons I'd class 'em as intro intermediate to mid intermediate. Their humidity isn't as demanding as some other species, so that doesn't play too big of a role in my opinion. Keep in mind males are smaller, averaging 6 - 8ft. with rare cases of maybe 9 or 10ft. 6ft. is for sure an absolute minimum, though, unless horribly stunted. They are for sure girthier than, say, a CP, too, of equal size... Come to think of it, I can't say I've seen a boa, either, that is girthier than a RTB.

Hmm... How about Kenyan Sand Boas or Rosy Boas? I'd also mention BRBs, but they have slightly higher humidity needs. If that's something he can work with, though, then sure.

[TG22AR]

My '13 female was my first pick up getting back into the hobby. Got her when she was 2 months old, now about 1.5 years and 4.5'. She's a total sweetheart, and also the reason I ended up with two more BCIs. A hypo hog island and a hypo nicaraguan which looks insane. I like their temperament and laid back attitude. Very different from my carpets. Lol. I just stepped her up from medium rats to large. One thing for sure is shes always trying to eat. Males stay smaller too.

[toddnbecka]

My first snake (30+ years ago) other than locally caught colubrids that I released again after a few weeks was a red tail boa. Back then I had no clue about BCC or BCI, really couldn't even say which she was, but she had the typically easygoing disposition I've learned to expect from them if properly handled and cared for.
As for better first snake, that depends on what the individual likes/wants from the snake. IMO they're a great choice for a first boa, not particularly difficult or demanding to maintain. Need to be kept warmer than most colubrids, they are from South America after all, but not a big deal.

[Jacktar]

For a first snake, a Boa would be "jumping in with both feet". I"m not saying it's a bad first snake, it's a pretty awesome first snake. Owning a Boa is about as good as you can get in my opinion. I would highly recommend doing all of the research he can including joining a forum like this one. He'll need a lot of advice as he goes (as do all of us). Being able to regulate heat and humidity is a must if he wants to make sure he's doing everything right. The first things He should buy is a thermostat, indoor/outdoor thermometer and a hygrometer along with the enclosure, heat source etc. He should have the enclosure completely set up and the environments (temps, humidity) established before he brings a boa home.

It's common and happens all the time where someone will buy the snake first and scramble to get a home together for it.

I'm sure this is all things that he's thought about it but just incase he needs a checklist, I encourage him to ask members of this forum for advice