Begginer...

[nouserpif]

I am a begginer to snakes, and I am looking for an easy to keep boa, I will not always be at the house it will be kept at (it will be at my dad's, but there are always people there, and my step sister is very knowlegable of most snakes.) I will get timers, heat pads, lights, etc. and whatever needed. I will be there at least once a week, but probably 2-3 different times a week, usually like every saturday, every second weekend, and once during the week every second week. My stepsister can, and will, feed it if I am gone for awhile. I am looking for something that will not eat more that 3-4 rats a week, but 1-2 a week is ideal :). I am looking for one I can handle, and is not vicious (well, to its prey is OK, as long as thats not me... lol)
Anyway, PM me or just reply, with some species and maybe some basic care...
-Thanks, Dan

[aaron]

Dan

I've asked questions and today I actually got to hold an adult rosy boa at the toronto show. These snakes are supposed to be very docile, apparently come in a variety of colours and are undemanding in terms of space. Today I was sold and my next snake will be a rosy boa. Another snake you might consider is a ball python as they have a good temperment and only reach between 4-6 feet. I've got a ball and I like him a lot. I'm not sure of the needs of the rosy yet but the balls need a fairly warm enclosure(about 85-87 degrees on one side and a little cooler on the other)

Hope this helps a little, good luck

aaron

[Pontus]

i just picked up a Venezuelan rainbow boa at the show to and they are suposed to be pritty good they eat about every 10 days or so the only thing u relly need to do is spray then onces a day at least ones every other day with a spray bottle and they only grow to about the size of a ball but they are a little bit more active then them.



pontus :grab:

[neil evans]

The rainbow boas are O,K to start as are Dumerils, both need quite warm viv's, and misting being tropical. Don't grow too big and are light feeders.

[Bryan Self]

Your requirements leave every boa open as a consideration. No boa should eat that many prey items a week. If they are fed like that they will become very fat and unhealthly. I personly like red tails. They are very friendly and if you get a male they will stay around 5 ft. Check out the thred in genral discussions, I though it would never come to this, there are alot of good things in there as well. Another member is considering their first snake.
Good Luck

[Zoe]

Yup, Red-tails ARE really easy to care for... males get around 5-7ft (depending how much they are fed) and females get around 7-9ft. It may sound like a lot, but when they are all balled up it isnt. Also, they are find to be kept on newspaper, and don't need too much humidity or heat. They are very tame (usually, anyway) and they are very pretty.
If you want some small, go with Rosy Boas or Kenyan Sand boas. Rainbow boas are okay, but they have humidity requirements that need to be met so it's more work.

[.Dexter.]

I would suggest a colombian boa over a guyana or suriname... for a first boid guyana and suri's are more likely to be difficult for you.

[Linds]

I would say a rosy boa would be your best bet if you cannot be there every day - and even if you could be there every day I would still recommend them as I believe they are the ultimate first snake. No snakes will be eating as much as you mentioned, so you don't have to worry about that with whatever you choose. Neonates will typically eat one prey item every 5-7 days, and as they age they eat less frequently (depending on species).

Why I suggest rosy boas is they are very docile and are very fogiving in their husbandry. They come in a dazzling array of colour and pattern variations and don't take up alot of space (they usually max out around 3' and can live in a 10-15 gallon terrarium). They shouldn't have free access to a water supply, this can lead to respiratory problems and stomatitis and scale rot. You can give them a small dish of water in the enclosure once every 1-2 weeks. As neonates they eat every 5-7 days, Juvenilles eat every 7 days, and subadults-adults eat every 10-14 days. I woudln't reccomend getting anything with special requirements such as rainbow boas which require cooler temps and higher humidity, since you cannot be there to monitor it frequently, as well as I believe they should be left as a second snake. If you were looking for something with more size I would recommend a Colombian (Common) Boa. They are generally docile and easy to keep as long as you are prepared to meet their housing and feeding requirements, since they do attain a larger size.

[J.J.]

red tailed boa, or a columbian boa.

[Them and Us]

my first snake was a grey rat snake. exact type im not sure. he maxed at around 5 feet. good sie. i bougt my first bo a month ago about. august 18 th to be exact. he/she is a central american common does anyone know how large they approximately get?

[rattekonigin]

I wouldn't suggest a red-tail/columbian boa as a starter boa because the have the potential to get very big, 6'-10' being the normal range....and not everyone is prepared to care for such a large snake...
I am partial to colubrids as first snakes myself, but if you're looking for a boa specifically, go with the rosy boa, as Linds suggested, I've heard only good things about them. :)

[tex_01]

i am with zoe and i started with a columbian and they are the easyest

[Murray]

My first boas were a 1.1 pair of brazilian rainbows. Gorgeous snakes! However, i have kept different species of both colubrid and pythons so it wasnt a big a step as from no herps to having some. THey are definetly a little bit more work than the pythons just because of the misting but I would definetly recommend them as a boa to keep in mind when those beginners gain more experience and want to aquire something a little bit more "exotic"(for lack of a better word). As a first boa I would definetly say Rosy, nice small size, gorgeous colours, easy to feed and house!

[hip]

Rosy would be an excelent first snake as linds has mentioned
I would not rule out (and I know this is a boa forum) children's python as they do not get much over 3 feet are very placid and only require moderate humidity and temps (about the same as columbian boas and the like) good luck and happy herping Hip

[stormyva]

I am a little late on this post but,
For a first snake I would recommend a corn or a rosy boa. Either of those two are fairly easy to care for and stay somewhat small. The rosy being the easiest of the two. Rosy Boas being desert dwellers have very low humidity requirements which mean you will not have to spray the cage every day to boost humidity and the temps are relatively easy to keep by simply keeping a nocturnal type heat lamp on the cage 24 hours a day.

The columbian or redtail boa may be easy to care for but IMHO can get to large for beginners. People tend to underestimate the power of an 8' snake!