Wanting Boa Size without Spending Boa Money

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Drevj12

I appreciate all of the replies and information. Sorry that in my original post, i got a bit lazy and simply wrote boa in a lot of places rather than specifying BCI. I didn't mean to put out the implication that I am not willing to pay X amount of money to keep a snake. I'm willing to save as long as I may need to as is needed. But y'know, if there's a way to get my foot in the door for less money, I'm willing to explore options. I figured there's no harm in asking. When I first started becoming interested in snakes, I had no clue that bull snakes or pine snakes existed. I didn't know about hog nose snakes. I must've found at least 15 new snakes that I dreamed of having every day when I first got into this hobby. So I thought maybe someone here would know of a snake that fit perfectly into my admittedly strict given parameters. But I did look into yellow anacondas for awhile and I thought they were gorgeous. I'll probably dive back into researching them and get to saving up for the snake and all the necessary equipment. And learn how to set up a good partly aquatic enclosure.

Don't get me wrong, I love boa constrictors, they're my favorite snake to keep. They just won't get anywhere near the potential that an anaconda can. Only other giant constrictors will be comparable (as far as size), and all giants are going to be a commitment and will pretty much require you to own your own home (not many rentals are ok with a giant snake and you'll need plenty of room for their equally gigantic enclosures) and have at least 1-3 other willing people living with you to help care for it. It isn't safe to keep giant constrictors alone. Very few people die, but the ones that do are due to improper handling or keeping techniques. Safety cannot be stressed enough.

They're also super expensive to feed. My retic is only 9' and she accounts for nearly half of my food bill by herself, and that's when I had 13 snakes. If/when you still plan on getting a giant, be sure to find a reliable source (or multiple sources for back up) where you can get rabbits, once they reach a certain size rats just won't cut it anymore, and it's best to feed one appropriately-sized prey item vs multiple smaller ones. If you can give a varied diet, that's always best. Fowl is another good option for larger snakes, and if you feed them sparingly, pigs and Guinea pigs are also nice for a little variety. Due to their fat content, I wouldn't feed one more than once or twice a year on an adult eating monthly.

[Tsubaki]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

and have at least 1-3 other willing people living with you to help care for it. It isn't safe to keep giant constrictors alone. Very few people die, but the ones that do are due to improper handling or keeping techniques. Safety cannot be stressed enough.

This in incredibly important, do you have someone to share the hobby with and another to back you up? If not please dont get into greens. Green anacondas get so large and heavy you often need 2 people just to physically lift them up. Even when just doing a little cleaning you need someone there. 30 to 70*kg (66 to 154*lb) And that 30kg is for a small male. You cant guarantee the one you get will stay that "small". You cant lift that amount of weight not even the lowest one and still be in full control unless you're the hulk, and more often than not they have a nasty attitude to go with it. Youll need someone to keep the sharp end away. And thats just if its light enough for just 1 person to take the bulk. Cage opens? -2 people there. Handling? Cant do less than 3 really, more for a large specimen. Green anacondas are not single hobbyist animals just like adult retics, which are longer but dont even weigh half. Also around here anacondas are known for their generally nasty dispositions, and how expensive they are to keep. Mostly food and heating, but also the waterbill. They like to pee in their water and often need a full drain rinse and refill to keep it from smelling up your house, and to keep their skin healthy. You would be looking at a large bathtub with drain atleast to keep one happy. So add a few baths a week to your waterbill, and ofc what BSG said dont underestimate their food cost. Then add the fact they need a small room heated as adults, not just a vivarium. And you have a zoo like enclosure without the zoo staff around. This is why so few people keep these animals, you need a lot of funds.. the former mentioned 2000$? I doubt thats even going to cut it.. especially because you will end up having build/use an entire room. On a forum i used to frequent we had 1 person with green annies who did it right, he had a room sized enclosure, which cost i think it was 3k at first. Which was mostly tiles and a bathtub, thats without the couple of 100 spend on bedding and idk how much the lighting and heating was but it didnt look cheap.. Later it had to be redone because the excessive moisture was giving issues (his cealing started to rot) and it needed a good (expensive) air filter to prevent mold and the strong smell. We did have 1 more person who had a green anaconda in i think it was a 10ft enclosure, it took up a third of the enclosure. Looked like a goldfish in a bowl, sad and miserable..

But still.. if your heart is set on a anaconda, why get a bci? There is 0% shame to say that your favourite animal might just be out of your league. I used to keep a few venomous snakes and gave that up because its not worth the risk for me, while gaboon vipers are my absolute no 1 snakes. There is no non-venomous option for me, but there is a slightly more managable option for you. Yellow anaconda males could realistically even stay in the 1 person range, though never count on it. But they're quite unlikely to outgrow 2 people, and will require a Large enclosure but not an entire room.