Where to find hog island boa?

[Wildernessmedic]

After some thought about the enclosure requirements I think I’ve decided to stick with a hot island boa instead of BC constrictor. Can anyone recommend where to get one? I live in Northern California. I want it to be a reputable breeder so it is healthy and mite free. Not looking to spend a ton. Thanks.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Hog Islands are still going to get a decent size, they average 5'-7' with the potential for 8'. A slower feeding regimen will keep them smaller for longer, but I wouldn't starve them.

Hog Islands from a specialist breeder are going to be in high demand, and you could be on a waitlist for a year or two or more. If you're not particular about its lineage or where it comes from, you may be able to find some for sale on a classifieds website like Kingsnake or Fauna. Just look and see if there are any reviews of the seller you have in mind, or make a choice if you want to risk buying if you can't find anything.

[Wildernessmedic]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Hog Islands are still going to get a decent size, they average 5'-7' with the potential for 8'. A slower feeding regimen will keep them smaller for longer, but I wouldn't starve them.

Hog Islands from a specialist breeder are going to be in high demand, and you could be on a waitlist for a year or two or more. If you're not particular about its lineage or where it comes from, you may be able to find some for sale on a classifieds website like Kingsnake or Fauna. Just look and see if there are any reviews of the seller you have in mind, or make a choice if you want to risk buying if you can't find anything.

5-7’ is a lot better than 6-10+. I should be able to get by with a 4/5’ Long enclosure even as an adult right? That helps where I was going to put it.


I don’t need some high end boa with a high price tag just because some well known breeder is selling it. I just don’t want to purchase it from somewhere like pet co where it might be half dead and loaded with mites.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Wildernessmedic

5-7’ is a lot better than 6-10+. I should be able to get by with a 4/5’ Long enclosure even as an adult right? That helps where I was going to put it.


I don’t need some high end boa with a high price tag just because some well known breeder is selling it. I just don’t want to purchase it from somewhere like pet co where it might be half dead and loaded with mites.

Most boas are going to be 8' or under anyways. I've heard tall tales of boas over 10', but have yet to see some that big. The biggest I'd ever expect would be 9'-10', and boas that big are nearly as hard to find as a needle in a haystack, and take many many years to get that big unless you really power feed them.

The length of the enclosure depends on how big the snake ends up. You want Length+Width to be equal to or greater than the snake's length as a bare minimum. Boas take a long time to grow, so it's not realistic to plan ahead of time unless you plan for the absolute biggest you think it will get and upgrade if that somehow ends up not being enough.

Hogs can be hard to find. Try going to a few reptile expos if there's any nearby, find a Facebook group, and just generally keep an eye out for ads. We're in baby season, so you should see sales ads coming out of the woodwork.

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Hog Islands are still going to get a decent size, they average 5'-7' with the potential for 8'. A slower feeding regimen will keep them smaller for longer, but I wouldn't starve them.

Hog Islands from a specialist breeder are going to be in high demand, and you could be on a waitlist for a year or two or more. If you're not particular about its lineage or where it comes from, you may be able to find some for sale on a classifieds website like Kingsnake or Fauna. Just look and see if there are any reviews of the seller you have in mind, or make a choice if you want to risk buying if you can't find anything.

Your size on Hog Island boas are a little high. 6+ is on the extreme rare size for purebred. Hog Island boas are island snakes which means naturally they are a smaller species. Only reason they get big in captivity is due to the mixing of genetics with their larger cousins and passed off as "pure". On top of heavier feeding.

Here's a link to Corey Woods old birthing record where he has his pure lines (wild caughts he imported a long time ago but no longer has). They aren't very large snakes. .:Corey Woods Reptiles:. Birthing Record

Originally Posted by Wildernessmedic

5-7’ is a lot better than 6-10+. I should be able to get by with a 4/5’ Long enclosure even as an adult right? That helps where I was going to put it.


I don’t need some high end boa with a high price tag just because some well known breeder is selling it. I just don’t want to purchase it from somewhere like pet co where it might be half dead and loaded with mites.

The price up here in Canada was around $200 to $300 for Corey's pure lines a few years ago. I wouldn't really pay more than that USD for one either. Even though they are hard to come by it doesn't make them super pricey.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

Your size on Hog Island boas are a little high. 6+ is on the extreme rare size for purebred. Hog Island boas are island snakes which means naturally they are a smaller species. Only reason they get big in captivity is due to the mixing of genetics with their larger cousins and passed off as "pure". On top of heavier feeding.

Here's a link to Corey Woods old birthing record where he has his pure lines (wild caughts he imported a long time ago but no longer has). They aren't very large snakes. .:Corey Woods Reptiles:. Birthing Record



The price up here in Canada was around $200 to $300 for Corey's pure lines a few years ago. I wouldn't really pay more than that USD for one either. Even though they are hard to come by it doesn't make them super pricey.

It is assumed to be rare, but many breeding females I've seen have hit 7', even pure. If you're feeding them less, they'll stay smaller longer, but feed them like you would any other boa, and they'll easily reach larger sizes.

Perhaps certain lineages stay smaller as well, but I have seen my fair share of people get boas from, say, Vin Russo, under the assumption they'll most likely not get bigger than 5', and end up with 6'+ individuals.

The most common sizes I see for older Hogs (at least 6+ years) is 6'-7'.

Some of the original wild caught individuals were 8', from what I have been told. They don't stay small with enough food, or with enough time for growth. If they get bigger with more food, then they aren't naturally small snakes. A snake that stays smaller naturally would stay smaller even with more food, though you may at most see a slightly larger snake. Power feeding gets snakes bigger quicker, but should not increase their size potential.

It does not seem any sizes have been provided in the link you shared, and it's not easy to gauge size from the pictures. 19 babies is a decent sized litter, however.

[Wildernessmedic]

I can’t find one local, OR online.

[Wildernessmedic]

Well if anyone have a lead please let me know. Ive posted on fauna classifieds, called what seems like every shop in the country, and still cant find one. This seems super weird. If I cant find one in a few months ill probably give up and get something else that I don't really want since I already went through the trouble of setting up a nice viv with a custom lid.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Wildernessmedic

Well if anyone have a lead please let me know. Ive posted on fauna classifieds, called what seems like every shop in the country, and still cant find one. This seems super weird. If I cant find one in a few months ill probably give up and get something else that I don't really want since I already went through the trouble of setting up a nice viv with a custom lid.

The best lead I know of is Vin Russo or Cutting Edge Herpetological, but be prepared to be waitlisted for a few years with Russo as his babies are in high demand. I see Hogs for sale all the time, though, so it's weird you aren't finding any.

Do you not have a FB or anything? I see quite a few people posting Hogs in the Boa Constrictor Keepers group. To be fair, a decent bit of them are mixes, but the two I listed above are your best bets for pures. I also found a Hog Island Boa Keepers group just by plugging in "Hog Island boas" into the search bar.

Better to hold out for what you want, rather than regret getting something else later. Hogs should not be that hard to find.

[Herpin' Man]

You could also try Reptile Rapture in Madison, WI. One of their employees has a small breeding group of outstanding animals. I have one of her babies and am very pleased with it.