Kenyan Sand Boas, Rosy Boas, Rainbow Boas, and most members of the Boa constrictor species all make good starter boas.
Colombians and Bcc finish up around the same size (6'-8' on average), have generally the same temperament, and have the same care requirements. I keep my adults on newspaper with a water bowl in 3x2x1 and 4x2x1 cages. I feed them every 1-2 weeks as babies, and when they are older around every 2 or so weeks. Some people like to feed babies every 5 days or so, I feel this is overkill. I've had boas grow past the 6 foot mark by their second birthday being fed moderately, so in no way is it underfeeding. Colombians do grow much quicker than Bci do, however. You can expect a Colombian to reach 3-4 feet by their first birthday, whereas a Bcc will most definitely be smaller. Temperament-wise, both snakes will usually be biters if not handled frequently while young. There are other localities such as Hog Isle, Mexican, etc. that all have slight variances in pattern, colour, and size. Most localities finish up below 6 feet, though some rival Colombians for size.
Rosy Boas and Sand Boas also have similar care requirements, and both can be successfully raised up in aquariums, as small as ten gallons. Both rarely every exceed 3', and male sandboas are significantly smaller at 1.5 feet. Both generally have good temperaments, though I have noticed Coastal Rosy Boas tend to enjoy the taste of humans (no case of mistaken identity, as they slowly and deliberately bite and constrict
).
BRB are in the 5-7 range. They are pretty hardy snakes so long as their humidity and temperature requirements are maintained properly. They do not tolerate very warm temperatures or low humidity. Keep them around 80 degrees in rubbermaids or custom enclosures. They have the same space requirements as Colombian Bci do. They don't make good display animals, as they tend to hide most of the time. They can be very handlable adults is handled often as babies. Colombians can be kept the same way, but can tolerate lower humidity levels. They are stockier, smaller, and are brown in colouration (sometimes with faint markings remaining) as adults, and are somewhat similar to poorly coloured Brazilians as babies.
Good luck with your decision!
Linear Mode
