Should I get a Boa??

[Smurf]

I have a lot of experience looking after snakes I have had numerous different types mainly pythons but I am thinking of stretching out to the boas. However, I am holding back due to a small worry over their size!!

I absolutely love the look of Colombian BCI's but i am wondering what size they actually...I have heard lots of different stories, that they actually grow to and is it true it can take two people to handle them??


I would never get an animal that I couldn't handle and just want to check with you guys about it.
Im not scared of snakes or worried about being bit.. that has happened loads of times!!

HELP!! PLEASE!!:confused:

[ChaosCat]

There are several species of Boa constrictor imperator that only get to 5' or 6' max. Search around, there's a bunch:

Sonoran/Mexican
Crawl Cay
Cay Caulker
Hogg Island
Nicaraguan

to name a few :)

-cat

[Burm41]

also Dumeril Boas get alittle over 5' but mostly stay in the range of 5'-7'

[Invictus]

Big or not, boas are totally worth owning in my opinion. Yes, the columbians can get really big - males 6-9 feet, females 7-12 feet. Get a big 12 foot female, and you've got a POWERFUL snake on your hands. If you want a smaller one, I'd recommend a Central American BCI or a Hog Island.

[mark129er]

I just got a central american BCI and I absolutely love her. Very sweet temperment. I say go for it.

[ChunkyMunky]

If you can handle pythons, you can handle a boa. Mine loves being held, they are overall great snakes.

[HetForHuman]

Boas all the way bro.

Go for it

[T.O-SK8TER]

In my experience boa s are a bit more docile than pythons, I d go for it, some of them are really calm and will sit in your lap for hours well you watch TV. LOL My burm won t do that he wants to explore my whole basement.

Good Luck Adam!

[Smurf]

Thanks everyone for your imput I think I am definitely gonna go for it. I am going to look into those other types of Boa too and decide which one is best for me.!!

[Linds]

If you are worried about size, then by all means go with one of Cat's suggestions. Average size of a Colombian is 6-8 feet, BCC average 6-9 feet, but many of the insular forms of BCI attain much smaller sizes. Boas are much stronger than pythons are and an 8' boa can be a bit of a handful if they want to be. All are great, but again, if your concerned about size, then I'd recommend going with one of the smaller localities.

Originally posted by Invictus
Get a big 12 foot female, and you've got a POWERFUL snake

Get a 12' female and you've got a record breaker on your hands....lol :p

Originally posted by T.O-SK8TER
In my experience boa s are a bit more docile than pythons, I d go for it, some of them are really calm and will sit in your lap for hours well you watch TV.

Hahaha you haven't met some of my kids! :p

Originally posted by Burm41
also Dumeril Boas get alittle over 5' but mostly stay in the range of 5'-7'

But they are heavier bodied than BCI or BCC may be...

[ChaosCat]

Heh, that's why I stick to the 5' and under ones. They can be a handful in themselves when they are having a bad day :) I seriously can't imagine anything over 5' taking a swipe at me.

My two BCI (Sonorans) are both sitting at 5' right now, and weigh in at 6lbs for the male, 7-8 for the female. Probably more than that by now (that is just what they weighed when they got here) but I don't have a scale big enough to hold either of them to double-check.

My male is the calm one-the female is extremely territorial, I think she wasn't held enough and was fed in the cage too much. Have to make sure she isn't near the cage door when I open it, as she has been known to shoot out with her mouth wide open. The male hisses, but that's about it.

All my other BCI are babies and yearlings, and I was told by the breeders that they only get to be 5' as well for the Cay Caulkers and Crawl Cays (the other two BCI species I keep) and I have one 2 year old sonoran female who is only at 3 feet and very calm as she was held quite a bit by her former owner.

If you do get a BCI, handle it at least once a week-that way it can get used to the handling, and you can get used to your pet-eventually you'll learn to tell when it is nervous or curious, etc.

-cat

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Linds
[B]Get a 12' female and you've got a record breaker on your hands....lol :p

Hardly. The record in captivity is 15 feet, record in the wild is 16. 12 is not incredibly uncommon. Rare yes, but not incredibly so.

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by Invictus
Hardly. The record in captivity is 15 feet, record in the wild is 16. 12 is not incredibly uncommon. Rare yes, but not incredibly so.

Im not trying to start anything but 15-16 feet seems totally outrageous.
Is there any pics to back this up.

I am just wondering because of all the places i have ever looked i have never seen a boa over 12 feet.

[Linds]

There was a dicsussion on KS a few years ago....nobody was able to come up with any credible evidence of a BCI attaining lengths anywhere even close to 15 or 16 feet. As well as many of the snakes I have seen people claiming to be this size were indeed exaggerated. Perhaps this can be a challenge?

[T.O-SK8TER]

I heard that 18 feet is the boa record in the wild. Here is a pic I have but I don t know how big the boa is but it looks pretty big to me!

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/370201/AnthonyClementeBoa02.jpg

[Thomas]

hmmmm.. that pic doesn't look quite right...

[T.O-SK8TER]

what do you meen it don t look right, explain.....

[T.O-SK8TER]

does anyone else think there is something wrong with that picture?

[MAN OF STEEL]

dude, bib or small... boas are way worth it!!!

[MAN OF STEEL]

yeah, i know... its big not bib. sorry

[lilyskip]

no, that snake body doesn't look normal. It doesn't make sense that a boa would be as big as the trunk of a tree, either...

[Solid Snake]

the pic looks fine, i don't think theres anything wrong, theres no scale size, that boa could be 6 feet, 12 feet, what ever....

I love my boa and they're alot more docile than pythons. I've had BP's and i like boa's MUCH better.

[AnniesMom]

My mother was owned by a Boa that she received in 1976 and died last year 2002. Babe was poached in Panama and came to my mom in a round about fashion as a rescue, her first snake. At death,we estimate Babe to be 14ft and about 85 lbs. I have a picture of her but I am trying to figure out how to post it.

[Snakecharm]

I don't know if this has been mentioned yet, but keep in mind that BCC gets larger than BCI, guys. I've never owned a true redtail myself, but my understanding is that 15' probably wouldn't be that out of the ordinary for a female of one of the larger races.

15' for a BCI, however, sounds a bit much. Just my two yen.

[Gary D.]

Sorry Ken, I'm with Linds on this one. People always estimate way high. When I recieved this girl she was said to be 14' She is 12yrs old and is actually 9'6".

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/1506bethstairs-med.jpg

Few boas I have encountered have exceeded 10'. And I don't know of any male making even 8'. The only B.c.i. that can muster that size is a Colombian as nearly all other localities are smaller. The majority of adult females I am aware of are in the 8' spectrum.

[Invictus]

Originally posted by Gary D.
Few boas I have encountered have exceeded 10'. And I don't know of any male making even 8'. The only B.c.i. that can muster that size is a Colombian as nearly all other localities are smaller. The majority of adult females I am aware of are in the 8' spectrum.

Oh, I'm by no means disagreeing with 8' being far more common for females, I'm just saying that the 10-12 foot specimens are not as rare as many people say they are. And I was talking Columbiam boas here. :)

[spyderman]

I'd definatellely go for a Boa. i have a yearly Columbian (Thanks INVICTUS for the ID) He's a little under 4ft at a year old. Beautiful temperament, seems to love/tollerate lots of handling.

GOD!!! I LOVE MY BOA :D