thanks to some members here (you know who you are) ive grown to want a red tail boa of some sort. well today i talked to the fiance about it and he said that as long as its friendly then yes, i can get one ^.^ so i woule like to know everything i can about these guys. i would like one thats about 5-7ft, preferably about 6ft but whatever. which type grows to about that size? what are the best caresheets? can anyone post pics of their tanks so i can get ideas? and any other random information you guys can tell me.
Haha they're awesome snakes! I'm looking into getting more boas as well, been figuring out finances and space constraints and I've aborted some other lizard projects to get crackin on the boa collecting =) I'll post pics of my enclosure once it's finished. I plan on building roughly a 3.5' x 2.5' x 2.5' with a shelf for my Hog Island. It'll be a couple of weeks, obviously I still need to get pics of the guy himself up here! Anyway, I would highly recommending taking a look at http://riobravoreptiles.com , the guy is basically the king of boas and he's got some great info on there. He sells animals too and his stock is pretty saught after because he sticks with the pure bloodlines of the localities, sadly no pictures with animals for sale but the website is loaded with good info. I also picked up the Boa Constrictor manual by Phillipe de Vosjoli (and others) and it looks pretty good to me. I've always loved his AVS books, he's a great guy and a genius in the field of herpetoculture. Here's another good website I've refered to a couple of times: http://www.redtailboas.com/general_care/general_care.html Now, temperment varies with the localities and honestly Boas are pretty tricky at fully understanding all of the differences that come into play with that. I feel like I'm just scratching the surface on understanding all of the morphs and types of boas out there and I've been researching constantly. BUT, it's my understanding that any boa that is captive bred and raised when young can become a very docile and great pet. Most tend to be a bit a bit nippy or skittish when young (particularly the island boas from my understanding) but they tame down with age and with getting used to you with interactions such as changing water, cage cleaning, and regular handling sessions. But the general idea is pretty simple: First off, if your looking for a Boa that is only between 5ft-7ft you want to look into the BCI's. These boas are more of the island boas from south america such as the Hog Island Boa, Nicaraguans, Caulker Cays, and even the common Colombian. The Colombians are the "Red-Tails" that you see floating around most frequently and have numerous morphs to match with that for color and some pattern. The Colombians are the largest of the BCI, so you want to look into getting a male because male boas are almost always smaller and more slender than females. A male Colombian may possibly max out between 6-7ft whereas a female may easily exceed 7-8ft. I've heard of some getting as large as 10ft+ The BCC's are the true boa constrictors or red tails, like the Surinames, Peruvians, etc. These guys are generally on the larger end and average much larger size. You'll probably want to stay with a male BCI. Hog Island Boas generally only attain a length of 4-6ft, although I've heard of a female reaching 7ft before. Nicaraguans stay between 4-5.5ft, and the Caulker Cays I think run a little smaller and more slender still. You can get Nicaraguans pretty easily and at very reasonable prices from what I've seen, and I've found some nice Hogs for pretty good price too. I've the boas from Honduras are some of the smallest still and there are a few other island boas that stay quite small Colombians are almost everywhere, they seem to be the main event along with Ball Pythons at most of the shows I attend in Ohio. You could probably handle a male Colombian and he should stay reasonably sized for you as long as you feed properly. Another possible option would be the Dumerils Boa, I've always thought they were pretty cool snakes and they stay relatively smaller as well. These guys hail from Madagascar and get a little bulkier than the South American Boas, but only max out around 6-7ft I think. I've heard they're ambush predators and don't climb nearly as much as the south American species, so they might not need more than 12" height and they generally just "chill" in their cage from what I've read. Granted, I've literally only read so I have no idea how they truly are as pets, someone who actually keeps them could better aid you there. Thats my general synopsis for you from what I know with my few weeks of experience =P I was looking for a smaller one too so I stayed with the BCI's. Hope that helps some, and if I'm wrong about anything, anyone feel free to chime in to correct me!
ok, so far im thinking ill probably go for the hog island one. the fiance and i are a bit at odds of where such a huge tank will go but im pretty sure ill win out in the end ^.^ also the fiance wanted to know if they are smart snakes.
Ehh, not that huge. I'm sure any size adult Hog could live out it's entire life in a 4' x 2' x 2', probably even a 3' x 2' if it's on the smaller end/male. I actually have a cross between a Hog island and a Colombian, and I've been told he's between 2-3 yrs old and he's about 3.5' long now. I don't anticipate him getting significantly larger, I'm sure he'll stay under 6' and probably a lot closer to 5' (maybe less) but I don't know what the growth rate on these guys is like. You could make your own cage and use it as something to stack some of your others on! That would possibly compensate for some space issues =P I'd say their intelligent, and definitely escape artists. The cage I have now is secure, but he still spends some time exploring the perimeter and pushing on everything just trying to figure out how to get out. All reptiles end up amazing me with their unique characteristics, mannerisms, and intellect. I think your boa will be able to recognize you as it gains your trust and be able to learn routines and whatnot. I don't know what exactly he means by smart =P LOL. But mine trusts me and will readily climb onto me as soon as I open up the cage, but anyone else he is weary of and will usually choose to avoid them so I'm sure he recognizes as least my scent. He also already has feeding time down, and I've only given him 3 meals now once every week. I've used a different box every time to feed him in, so I know the scent of the feeder doesn't remain, but when he sees the boxes I used for feeding he immediately wraps himself along the edge, flicks his tongue much more rapidly, and begins eagerly watching the inside for the rat to appear. All of the boas I know of (I have a couple of close friends with some) are GREAT feeders. I was told mine took F/T and live and he's been taking the F/T like a champ, I don't even have to simulate life...I could just throw the thing in the box and he'd nail it. So even after a couple of feedings he's learned to recognize when and where feeding time takes place.
awsome, my next question was going to be do they eat f/t easily and my fiance wanted to know if their smart because of my ball python, ellie. she is pretty slow but im pretty sure its just a mental condition since other balls seem clever enough.
Lol, poor Elli =P I've heard BP's can be picky and go on those random hunger strikes, and I highly doubt you'll see that with a boa. I'm pretty sure mine would eat every few days if I gave him the chance too, and by the sounds of it from the breeder he had no problem going back to F/T even if fed live the week before and I've noted similar situations with my the boas that my friends are keeping. Two weeks ago one fed live and just 6 days later took a F/T like it was his job. Hogs are awesome, and everyone I know who keeps one says their one of their favorites in the collection and even the most docile of the island boas. Plus you can't beat their oranges and pastel coloration (even if a lot of the pure Hogs have quite a bit of speckling, their still beautiful!).
i dont care what morph i get, they are all so amazing ^.^ though im in love with the specled look some of them have
Okay, I was gonna give you a reply to this but Jeff already covered about everything. And those links are awesome. Good job mate, you're a awesome addition to the boa family if you don't mind me saying so. And Shanna, I can't stress enough that you need to plan for a cage first, before you buy the snake (I mean plan on where you're going to put it, etc.). When I got my first boa, well... let's just say I was ignorant about them, completely. I had no idea how big they got. I thought I could keep him in a 30long for his entire life! Yeah. I was an idiot. >_< Here's a pic of what I've got my adult male in (and as Jeff said, if you want a smaller snake, get a male; I've got a Colombian male and he's maxed out at between 6-7 feet): That's 5 feet long by three high by two wide, and is fine for the rest of his life. And as you can see from the pic it's entirely possible to stack some stuff on it. ^_^ And normally, a boa will eat f/t without a hitch. Some won't want to eat in front of you, some will have no problem. But I rarely have one turn down a meal. Just get them on 'em young, and you'll have no problem. I have never owned a hog, but from what I've read and from the people I've talked to (looking at you, Jeff ) they sound like they'd be a fantastic starter snake. So... I'll second that, if they appeal to you.
Well looks like you already got some great info. I love boas. Me and my boyfriend have 4 redtails and one thats a hog island/redtail. they're all wonderful. ours are pretty calm, not head shy, and GREAT eaters! our hog island is smaller so she's in a 55 gal. we also have this "home made" type set up. it's 6 ft long and i'm not sure how tall. it was free and was being used as a display case. we took it and turned it into a really nice home for some of the redtails. take a look at my gallery pics. there are a few photos in there of Princess (which is my user pic) and one of the hog island/redtail.
