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I own a number of Bcis, Bccs and Bcos, plus some dumerils boas .
My experiences are based on those snakes that I have daily contact and interaction with, and are therefore first hand.
I realise that my boas are a very small sampling of what is out there and for every one of my 'good' boas someone will no doubt know of a dozen rogues.
My collection come from a variety of different sources and are therefore not imprinted with similar backgrounds, and of course there are different varieties of the same species e.g Hogs and common Columbians as well as different sub species such as the supposedly 'hard to get along with' Argentine boas, and Bccs.
I have found that in most cases a young snake can be fiesty, but not always. The rule of thumb being the younger and smaller the snake then the more defensive and therefore more snippy that snake can be. The smaller or younger the snake the more frightened and insecure it can be.
All my snakes are handled regularly, even if as I do with some, they have to be hooked and lowered gently onto my hand, rarely do they attempt to bite the 'branch' that supports them, my hand!
Perhaps I have been lucky, but none of my boas have grown up fiesty or 'bad tempered'.
I still take care not to suprise any snake, I treat them very gently, move slowly in their presence and refrain from waving my hands around and possibly spooking them. I respect them, - they are snakes.
The results (so far) is that all my boas from a 7ft Bcc to a 2 1/2ft Hog are all sweethearts and predictably calm. This includes the pair of Argies who obviously forgot to read the book on bad attitude.
I have been lucky so far with older boas. Those animals, some of whom have had previous owners, including a Bcc I acquired from Invictus, are all calm and docile snakes.
As I said I have been lucky, but I do believe that some techniques may work better than others. Like dogs I think snakes may be able to reflect a little bit of the way they are treated. Good or bad.
Yesterday I acquired a nice 2yr old male Bcc male from another herper. I had never seen the snake before yesterday and was warned it could be a bit snippy. It was 4 1/2- 5ft long.
Before quarantining the snake I gave it a longish 'Nix' bath and then took it downstairs to my quarantine area. I sat for a few moments to further close examine the snake, flicked on the TV and sat with the new Bcc on my lap for almost an hour before I finally put him in his rubbermaid. The snake was totally calm throughout his ordeal and like a kitten he seemed to like having the underside of his chin rubbed. He showed no sign of distress or discomfort and absolutely no aggression.
This snake will end being another calm and easy to handle snake, unless I'm very mistaken.
Lagoon, buy the kind of snake that appeals to you, whether it be a common boa or a red tail.
Forget the fear factor. Buy a young snake and work with it. The chances are you too will end up with a calm and predictable snake.
More important is to choose your snake based on it's ultimate size and it's husbandry needs and your ability to take care of those needs; and consider what future plans you may have for the snake such as breeding.
Read the many caresheets, articles and books that are available, before making your choice, and don't be afraid to come back here and ask more questions. I'm sure, though our answers may be varied, there will be lots of fellow enthusiasts willing to help you.
Good Luck!!!
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