hogg island boa help please

[sl1ther]

hi,
i have been doing my research and have found that hogg island boas look quite cool.
They are very beautiful snakes and i loved them since i saw them:D
Some of the websites i have been on have said they are a good snake for the begginers and this is going to be my first snake(my mum had a boa constrictor when little so she knows a bit)
I have a few questions about these cool snakes...
1.how big do males grow?
2.how big do females grow?
3.do they make a good pet for begginners?
4.what is the price range(preferably in u.k pounds)?
5. how long do they live for?
Thanks guys :cool:

:grab:

[sl1ther]

also are they aggressive or nice and docile(laid back)
sorry i forgot to add this!
thanks
sl1ther

[Linds]

They generally stay in the 5 - 6 range, but they can exceed that (both sexes). I have a female that is 7', as well as there were a few very large WC males that hovered around that size. Males are generally smaller, but that isn't necessarily the rule. Being fairly hardy, they are good starter snakes. They can live in excess of 20 years. As for price, I'm unfamiliar with the prices snakes fetch out there, but hopefully one of the other members can help ;)

EDIT TO ADD: They can have variable temperaments. Babies are generally hissy little guys, but with handling usually calm down quite nicely. Even adults can be hissy, but I find it to be mostly for show :)

[ssscales]

Hogs are great, I got a pair a few weeks ago and they have become my favorites. On temperments, they have been good. No hissing or biting yet. Linds filled you in on the basics.

Here is my girl.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v331/ssscales/DSC00312.jpg

[sl1ther]

thanks guys.they look like awesome snakes
better start sving my money.
Thanks



sl1ther

[tonyj]

Hi sl1ther,

You won't go far wrong with a young Hog Island Boa.
Hogs are my favourite type (sub-species?) of snake, or at least one of them, - no, they are definitely my all time favourite snake- although I love all my boas which range from Argentinians, Bcis, Bccs to Dumerils. I also enjoy my Pythons very much.

It seems to me that a little regular interaction between the owner and the snake will calm most snakes down if they are nervy or snippy to begin with.

I am now able to handle my Argentinian Boas with confidence and they carry the worst of reputations, in some people's opinions, although I must confess they are still only a few months old. (Thank you HetForHuman for allowing me to aquire these brilliant snakes!).

My Hogs are all calm and seem to enjoy being 'excercised'on a regular basis as they explore my arms, my hair, or pulling my spectacles off.

I have a couple of Hogs, who I must confess, were a bit hissy as babies, but with a little patience they calmed down in only a matter of days. All the adult or sub adult Hogs I own are all pussy cats, the Spotted pythons of the Boa world.

Do not annoy the snakes; respect their needs, don't handle for 48 hours after feeding or during a shed, and try to feed after dusk on a regular schedule. You will find that Hogs have a very strong feeding response and this may be regarded by some as 'being aggressive'. They are excellent feeders. Mine however, never get fed during the 'daylight' hours and as a result are calm and handleable during the day. I do not use a hook but have been known to wear a 'golf ' glove for handling the snippy youngsters.

Linds has given you some good information and details on what to expect as regards the potential size of Hogs. The price here in Canada would be perhaps 3-4 times that of a common Boa.

I know there are some experienced owners who claim to have found Hogs to be feisty, and I am sure they are not exaggerating these claims, but a young Hog, in my humble opinion, treated to some TLC on a regular basis can become the most trusting of snake companions.

By the way how much is a Hog in the UK and how hard are they to find?

Good Luck in your search, should you decide to become a Hog owner, and kudos to your Mum, she sounds like a great lady!

[sl1ther]

thanks for this great help tonyi!
this information is very useful aswell!
i was wondering how much they were in the u.k aswell!
i found a breeder online selling babies for about 100-150 pounds i think(they dont have any in my local pet store lol!!!)
Thanks for the comment about my mum (she is a great lady=) )
any additional information from other users will still be appreciated as i want to know all there is to know and could someone tell me a website that has some care sheets please.
Thanks for all your help



sl1ther

[Linds]

Hog care is the same as that of the Common Boa. Sheets geared towards any locality of Bci will work fine. Look at a lot of them, and ask any questions you may have regarding them, as there are loads of inaccurate information floating around online. You might also want to run a search through this forum, as you will likely find a lot of information here as well, with many opinions instead of just a single opinion that a sheet is based on ;)

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49220

[sl1ther]

Hi again,
are these snakes fussy eaters opr do they eat on a regular basis(if regualar, how long?)?
and are they godd starter snakes for someone that has never owned a snake but i shall repeat that my mum had a common boa when younger so she has a bit of experience with them.I am not very old(a school boy infact)but does this really matter?
I am about 5 foot tall by the way lol.
Thanks for the help guys and gals!





sl1ther

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

SLLTHER:

Answers to your question.

1.how big do males grow?

Generally 5 - 6 foot some grow a bit bigger.

2.how big do females grow?

Generally 5 - 6 foot some grow a bit bigger.

3.do they make a good pet for begginners?

If your getting into boas and want something easy to handle, care for and in medium size range, yes Hog Isle Boas and even Rainbows are great. Although Rainbows require more care details but still easy to have as well.

4.what is the price range(preferably in u.k pounds)?

350.00 CAD = 147.117 GBP or 213.101 EUR
450.00 CAD = 189.187 GBP or 273.987 EUR

These prices are the average range in Canada converted to UK and Euro as well..

5. how long do they live for?

Depending on a perfectly healthy boa and a long life without complications they can be 15 - 20 plus years.

Below is a photo of my Hog Isle Boas and Rainbow if this might interest you as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/BOAS_N_PYTHONS/01%20-%20BOA%20CONSTRICTORS/ixchelhogisleboa132.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v520/BOAS_N_PYTHONS/04%20-%20BRAZILIAN%20RAINBOW%20BOAS/saturnbrazilianrainbowboa100.jpg

Cya...

Tony

[sl1ther]

Thanks for the useful info and pics tony and as usual b-e-a-utiful snakes!



sl1ther

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

SLLTHER:

No problem, the key is to ask questions, be well informed of what your getting into and finally choosing to do it.

This forum and others will help and guide you to your dream pets.

Cya...

Tony

[ssscales]

Very nice BRB, and love those hogs!
I'll get a second pair some time next year for sure.
How are hog's popularity in Canada?

[CARLiTO_]

Originally posted by ssscales
Very nice BRB, and love those hogs!
I'll get a second pair some time next year for sure.
How are hog's popularity in Canada?

They are gaining popularity but still a little rare which keeps the prices up.