Are boas good for first timers?

[ThatPetPerson]

Ok so I may be crazy but I have never owned a snake before and I originally wanted a ball python or a king snake but I went to a pet expo and I held a 5-6 foot common boa. I AM IN LOVE!! She was so sweet and calm. I did more research and found that they are good pets. My question is are they good for first time snake owners? What are their care requirements? What do they eat? Any help would be appreciated😊

[toddnbecka]

There are a number of care sheets for boa constrictors online, care requirements are fairly simple/easy to meet. Not a problem for first time owners if you research and set up for the snake properly before you get one. Our pair of '14 BCI's are currently housed in a 30 gallon aquarium until they grow a bit larger, will be building enclosures for them and the other boas/python in a couple more months. They typically take f/t w/out any problems.

[trailblazer295]

I asked a similar question recently, haven't made a choice yet but the feedback I got was so long as you're okay with their adult size, can handle the husbandry space requirements then yes.

[dave himself]

IMO you would be fine with a boa as a first time snake , although on a side note I would say get a hatchling and grow comfortable with its size. Every snake can have it's off days and having to work with a grumpy adult boa isn't much fun.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Yeah, if you're not completely prepared for the size quite yet, boa constrictors are great to raise. It takes them a long time to reach a large size if fed properly, so you can easily grow with them.

Be aware that boa constrictors do require a bit more attention to their diet as they are prone to becoming overweight/obese and can succumb to fatty liver disease. Feeding them conservatively and slow-growing them is your best bet.

There are a number of care sheets for boa constrictors online, care requirements are fairly simple/easy to meet. Not a problem for first time owners if you research and set up for the snake properly before you get one. Our pair of '14 BCI's are currently housed in a 30 gallon aquarium until they grow a bit larger, will be building enclosures for them and the other boas/python in a couple more months. They typically take f/t w/out any problems.

You're....not housing them together are you?

[pet_snake_78]

Buy a dwarf or Central American boa is the size is a concern. Also most boa owners massively overestimate how large their boas actually are. If they tell you they have a 10' boa it's probably 7 foot.

[Zcorpshea]

Hog island Boas are good as well. From my experience they are quite handleable and stay on the smaller side. Feed easily on F/T. That was my starter Boa, never regretted my choice.

[Pointless]

Personaly i like to ask breeders 2 major things first. How does the snake eat? Reason for it? I got fooled for my green tree python. The breeder said it eats pinkies back then. Guess what.. he does not. He eats only live birds. So make sure it eats mice. And that he dosnt refuse him. Second i ask about temperment. you can get a calm puppy like ball witch they generaly are. But ive seen angry ones too. I got a new 7 month old boa constrictor and tbis thing is a bulldozer when it comes to eating plus she is sweet like a pussy cat.

My point is you can have 2 snakes from the same clutch one can be a pussy cat sunshine and the other can be a devil.. animals are like people. Every and each one of them has its own moods and temperment. Just make sure about those two things.

Then you just have to set the terrarium up so your sweetheart will feel good safe and happy. By that i mean lights heat and a place to hide and maybe some branches. My boa loves to chill on a branch.

[prairiepanda]

Care-wise, boas are indeed quite beginner-friendly. If you can, try to find someone who has an adult so that you can see and feel for yourself what a full grown boa is really like. If that's not possible, starting with a small locality like a Hog Island boa would be a good idea.

As for "what do they eat", I've seen full-grown boas do well on just jumbo rats, but some big females could easily take larger prey if other options are available to you.

[kurtcobain]

I fell in love too man. The first time I held a boa was amazing. I'm addicted to her now. But first time maybe not. The max length for females can be around 10-12 feet and over 50 pounds. They eat mice or rats. Just don't feed her anything larger than the biggest part of her body. If I were you, I would start of with a sand boa maybe or a cornsnake or a kingsnake. I haven't gotten my snake yet and I've wanted a red-tail(common boa) for a while. Now I realized maybe I'm not ready for something that big yet. I've got my eyes set on Kenyan sand boas. Specifically snow morphs. Hope that helped. :D

[Zcorpshea]

for the most part if you go with any of the BCI localities you should be fine. Boas are sexually Dimorphic with males being smaller than females. BCC's grow much larger which would make them more difficult to handle especially if your inexperienced.

[bigsnakegirl785]

for the most part if you go with any of the BCI localities you should be fine. Boas are sexually Dimorphic with males being smaller than females. BCC's grow much larger which would make them more difficult to handle especially if your inexperienced.

This isn't always true. It's common enough for males to be as big as or bigger than females that I don't generally recommend getting a male over a female anymore. A male could definitely get 8'-9'. The only way to be sure they won't exceed 6' (or not by much) is get a small locale.

As adults, if they're over 7' feeding them on rabbits pretty much becomes a necessity as they can eventually outgrow rats. I don't really recommend feeding jumbos due to the fat content, but a boa around 7' could take jumbo rats. My 6' is on mediums or larges, depending on the source, and I also have a source for my rabbits so he gets x-small rabbits as well. So if you aren't able to find a reliable source of rabbits, you may want to stick with a smaller locale in the case your snake gets too large for rats.

[Zcorpshea]

Yeah it really depends on genetics. A lot of BCIs are crossed with BCC making them larger for sure.