Are Bi's good first snakes?

GunmetalEgg · 01-17-19, 06:31 AM

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post such a thread, but Im looking forward to starting to use this forum more often to prepare for entering the hobby!

My girlfriend has recently dragged me into being interested in snakes. I currently only have limited experience with my own crested gecko who ive had for about 2 years now. She's very keen on ball pythons and took me along to a recent reptile expo to show me some snakes and have me handle them and let me tell you, IM HOOKED. That being said, of course I had to make the mistake of looking further into the kinds of snakes in the hobby and came across the beauty of Bi's.

Im hearing mixed things about them though. Some saying they're great first snakes and a blast to handle as opposed to the somewhat placid ball pythons, not to mention how beautiful and impressive they are. And some say they arent good beginner snakes due to their size and worse temper compared to other snakes. Homestly, being fairly fit I'm not too worried about the size or weight of the snake being a problem and (as of right now,having never been bitten) Im really not too intimidated by the idea of taking a couple bites from a non venomous snake.

In short, I just want opinions on how it is to keep these guys and if theres really any sigmificant reason why they shouldnt be my first snake?

**Aaron_S** · 01-17-19, 01:32 PM

If you have the ability to house a larger snake for it's entire life then go for it.

craigafrechette · 01-17-19, 03:20 PM

My advice: do a few months of research. There are tons of awesome species out there, so take yoyr time and find what's right for you. Most species live 20-30 years in captivity, so taking your time to decide is wise considering the life span of the animal.

Also, have your enclosure and equipment all set up and dialed in before bringing your snake home. Make sure your heating equipment and thermostat/s are dialed in, yoyr humidity is hood, etc... this will save you a lot of learning curve headaches.

eminart · 01-17-19, 07:34 PM

BI's? Are we talking about BCI's? Did they go ahead with the full species thing?

Anyway, BCI's, as I know them, really aren't THAT big. I have a 3-1/2 year old male and he's MAYBE 4 feet. I doubt he ever reaches 7 feet. I think he'll top out at 5-6. Females can be a bit larger, but they're still not really in the "giant snake" category. Most people overfeed boas, and most pythons for that matter.

Anyway, if you're very sure you want a snake, a boa can be a great first snake. They might be slightly more prone to biting than a ball python, but they're still very calm, handleable snakes. Most bites are probably from their very good feeding response. I use a hook to get mine out of his enclosure and he's never tried to bite once he's out. You should note that every snake has its own personality though. You could choose the least bitey species known and end up with a individual that didn't read the memo and is bitey.

But, like Craig said, if you're new to snakes, do a lot of research. There are tons of awesome snakes out there. Some of the less common stuff is amazing as well. I, personally, have an affinity for the large colubrids.

richardhind · 01-18-19, 02:38 AM

yes they did change from bci to bi etc

Definitely do your research as others have said but boas are just great as a first snake, they very rarely refuse food and as long as they not over fed they dont get these massive monsters like people think, bcc get bigger and there are some really nice locality boas that dont get big and girthy at all some under 4ft . peruvian bcl are great i love my pair.

most of mine are just stupidly placid and love to come out, my grumpiest one was six when i got here but shes a lot better than she was, sometimes as babies there defensive but you can soon bring them round, my img was the devil. always hissing and snarling, six months of working with her shes fine a year down the line she comes to the glass and i slide it and she comes out,
definitely worth tap/hook training that way they know its not food time .

theirs plenty of great people on here to offer guidance
good luck and welcome to the reptile world

trailblazer295 · 01-19-19, 10:05 AM

A BCI is a great first snake in the sense they have a few good qualities that cater well to newbies. They eat well, shed well, generally docile and easy to handle.

Few things to consider is are you comfortable handling an adult BCI? I would go to a store or somewhere that has an adult and interact with that and see if it's something you're okay with.

If you can also provide a large enough enclosure with proper humidity requirements. BCI are among the longer lived snakes so that is a factor as well.

mikeneezy · 01-20-19, 12:24 PM

Do your research for as long as it takes for you to get comfortable. I held off for years before finally making the jump. I bought my first snake a few months ago, now I have 3. My BI's eat well, shed well, are pretty active when being handled. I've only had them for a few months and have calmed down a lot. They can be very hissy as babies. Be careful, snake keeping can be addicting.