Brazilian Rainbow Boa

kick10 · 07-30-13, 01:51 AM

Im a slightly experienced reptile caretaker/ owner and am willing to put in the time and effort to care for a snake and have been bitter before, etc. I was wondering if there is anything i should know about them before i start looking for one to buy or trade. Any tips, or knowledge that you have of this species is welcome. I hope this will help me make my decision on whether to buy on or not.

franks · 07-30-13, 08:22 AM

The biggest thing you need to be prepared for in my opinion is an enclosure that can retain high humidity. Fish-tanks are not great for these guys. There are a bunch of people on here with Brazilian rainbow Boas, maybe they can tell you some specifics regarding personality etc.
Anyway... Welcome to ssnakess!!

Concept9 · 07-30-13, 12:05 PM

Welcome.

There are two main concerns with BRBs.

Heat - The heat on a BRB is much lower then a normal Boa. Cool side should be about 75deg, warm side should be about 83deg, 85deg MAX.

Humidity - Humidity on a neonate BRB should be 90%+. Most people (like my self) use Rubbermain/Sterilite tubes, these hold humidity VERY well.

Cyprus mulch and ECO earth make good substrates.

Example pic. (Note normal Boa in pic.)

Orangeville-20130617-00193_zps7ee6e531.jpg

continuum13 · 07-30-13, 12:08 PM

Yes. Humidity is key. I have a BRB that is about a year old and I have her in a Plastic tub with a uth on the side and also a modified top that has a small screen area that allows me to add heat from above if I need to. The key is to have a substrate that holds humidity well but will not mold easily. I use a mix of tree fern and coco husk. Both are fairly mold-resistant and hold humidity well... I mist usually once in the AM and occasionally in drier months I mist again in the evening. This gives the enclosure time to dry the air out and prevent too much humidity. Yet if the air dries out too much for the BRB she has the moist substrate and a couple of moss hides. Humidity is usually good for mine around 75% and up.. I have seen many numbers for temperature but in my experience I like to keep to the lower end of those. My targeted daytime high is around 85-86 and at night I let them cool to around 76-78. I've had her since March using this setup and she hasn't missed a meal and has had perfect sheds ever since. Also, very handleable. Hope this helps, let me know if you have any more specific questions

desipooh.12 · 07-30-13, 04:56 PM

They're very easy in my opinion,
Its just the temps & humidity you need to have correct,
They're temperament varies.
They're beautiful & love the attention lol
But they pretty much covered it for you.

Snakesitter · 07-31-13, 02:08 PM

Welcome to sSnakess, Kick10! As a breeder of the species, I can vouch that Brazilians make wonderful pets.

The two keys to keeping them thriving are lower temps that usual (I go with a gradient of 72F cool end to 82F warm end) and very high humidity (80%+ for adults, 90%+ for babies). Because of these needs, plastic enclosures work best. They are also a rather secretive species, so avoid bright lighting.

Let me know if yiou have any more questions!

kick10 · 07-31-13, 11:03 PM

Thanks so much for the information! Do you know of anywhere where i could get one reasonably priced? what is a good price for a baby to juvenile brazilian rainbow boa? I think i will try to start looking for one now. I have already taken MBK Boy and continuum 13's advice to use a storage bin and have already drilled holes. I assume these boas are arboreal and like to climb?

Concept9 · 08-01-13, 05:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kick10

Thanks so much for the information! Do you know of anywhere where i could get one reasonably priced? what is a good price for a baby to juvenile brazilian rainbow boa? I think i will try to start looking for one now. I have already taken MBK Boy and continuum 13's advice to use a storage bin and have already drilled holes. I assume these boas are arboreal and like to climb?

Good morning.

These snakes are actually terrestrial but that being said, they do like to climb a bit as babies. Also they like to burrow too. How much climbing and burrow done depends a little on each snake.

BTW, Snakestitter here is a breeder of BRBs and has some very very fine animals as well as Rainbowsrus.

Best of luck.

kick10 · 07-31-13, 10:29 PM

Thank you guys so much! is there anything specific i should look for in a baby?(coloration, fatness, etc.) I'm gong to a reptile show in a week or two and am going to try to look for one.

SnakeyJay · 08-01-13, 05:33 AM

As babies they will climb, but will do this less n less often as they get older... I still leave climbing branches in for my adult female as she will use them every now n then still.

continuum13 · 08-01-13, 06:53 AM

I would check slipstreamserpents.com, that's where I got mine. The owner I believe is shutting down shop for a while but was going to get rid of what she had left. Great animals and great to work with. I'd expect to pay $120-$200 depending on the specimen.

Snakesitter · 08-02-13, 10:18 PM

The "average" price for baby Brazilian is $150-200. You can find them for less, but they are usually either less attractive specimens, leftovers, or offered by people who breed them as a monetary sideline to their main projects, and often lack the expertise of a specialist. On the flip side, a top pick from a top litter of a Tier 1 breeder can do for $350-$400 (I've paid both), or even more -- one of my competitors sold a baby last year for $500. Twice. Aubrey is indeed leaving the business for a time, and I wish her well.

BTW, go light on adding holes. They are easy to add, but hard to take away. Add only a few, test over several days, then add more if still needed.

Please let me know if I can help further.

kick10 · 08-03-13, 05:10 PM

thanks so much. i am continuing to look and i only added about 10 holes on a 30 inch square-ish bin

Snakesitter · 08-06-13, 02:15 PM

Sounds like a good approach! Let us know how those conditions hold up!