Help with choosing a Boa

OneLoveMarley · 01-19-15, 10:37 AM

Hey guys! So I have ball pythons and a kenyan sand boa and I am looking to expand my collection. I really want a boa, but I don't want a standard red tail because of their size. I need a snake that will be content in a 50 gallon enclosure. I have younger siblings and although my mother loves reptiles, she doesn't want a 10 foot snake in the house. I know a lot about the boa species that stay under 3 feet, but I want something between 3 and 7 feet. A snake thats generally more docile would be preferable. Although I love a challenge, I don't really want a snake that is prone to striking when in a bad mood because I don't want to endanger my siblings if they are reaching in the cage to change the water for example. Any help to make my decision easier is appreciated! Thanks.

metalcopper · 01-19-15, 08:45 PM

Dumeril's Boa, all the way! They get around 6 feet or so, awesome pattern, and great disposition!

TurboChris · 01-19-15, 08:53 PM

Definitely another vote for the dumerils boa. Very calm and gentle, I 100% trust mine with my little 6 year old child and her friends.

Mikoh4792 · 01-19-15, 10:55 PM

I would say dumerils is a good choice, but not for you. A full grown dumerils will be cramped in a 50 gallon tank.

I would look into smaller boas such as dwarf boa constrictors(cay caulker, crawl cay, tarahumara mountain boa, sonoran desert boa..etc). Vin Russo from cuttingedgeherp.com is a good guy with lots of different types.

**Tsubaki** · 01-20-15, 05:17 AM

I agree with Mikoh 50gallon is a stretch, i've met my fair share of large dumerils. Dwarf boa (males) is something to look in to, Vin russo's animals are indeed gorgeous

marvelfreak · 01-20-15, 08:18 AM

Rainbows are a really good choice. Friendly, they don't get to big, and they are on the slender side. There's a nice variety of different kinds.

Dumeril can get big and they are very thick bodied snakes. You might be able to get by with a male but females get way to big for anything like a 50gallon tank. I do have a 5 year old male Dumeril that is a proven breeder that is just under 4 foot. Not all dumerils get big but most do.

pet_snake_78 · 01-21-15, 11:06 PM

I was in the same boat, I wanted a boa but I couldn't justify a large enclosure. I am not up to date on fish tank sizes but it sounds pretty small and it also seems like fish tanks would have terrible insulation properties. I saw a thread where someone turned a fish tank into an enclosure. He surrounded the outside with wood for insulation and what used to be the top of the tank he used to put tracks for a sliding glass door in (the tank side on its side at that point so the top was then the door). It looked like everything turned out pretty well but I cannot recall the source of the images now.

Anyway, if you really want a boa then I'd go with one of the dwarf boas and get it directly from a breeder (Vin Russo mentioned earlier is who I used because I didn't want to end up with a mutt.)

Mad Max · 01-22-15, 11:38 AM

<--- Karl is one of Vin Russo's snakes. For a 50 gallon tank I'd probably get a Tarahumara.

wrecker45 · 01-22-15, 12:58 PM

Check out Nagy Reptiles. They breed good quality boas and will not steer you wrong. They should be at the show on sunday. They are in Ontario.

Moreau · 01-22-15, 05:56 PM

I second rainbow boas, but a dwarf boa would be good as well. Or a rosy boa.

Sublimeballs · 01-22-15, 08:04 PM

I vote pure dwarf locality boa.

And I would stay away from dumerils boas, they can get very big. We had one for a little while that was found loose in a local corn field and given to me to find a home for by a vet tech friend. She was about 8.5 feet and heavy. Much more substantial snake then my adult male jampea retic.

RicheXotics · 01-23-15, 03:36 AM

Brazilian rainbow boas, are known as some of the most beautiful pet snakes in the world. The average around 5' and are slender. They do require high humidity, but once you figure out how to keep the humidity its all said and done. Ive read that they are nippy but cant say that they are anymore nippy as hatchings then any other snake. They can also be on the cheaper end at $150. Check out Rainbowsrus.com

Dumerils are a rewarding snake, as they are a heavier bodied snake. And they don't have as toubled requirements as BRBs. They do look outstanding even just as norms. They are a larger snake averaging around 6.5'. They are also a cheaper snake, you can get one for $150 from backwater reptile.com

SnoopySnake · 01-23-15, 09:24 AM

Brazilian rainbow boas shouldn't be kept in a 50 gallon all their lives, they're quite active at night and will need more than 4 ft of floor space. I would give an adult a 4x2x2 at the least. I would also stay away from backwater reptiles, sure they have low prices but they also drop ship and many people receive unhealthy animals. I also vote dwarf locality boa, but some other suggestions are sand boas, rosy boas, and I know you said boas but the genus of pythons are really cool and one of the smaller ones should to okay in that size.

Snakesitter · 01-23-15, 03:17 PM

Speaking from experience, rainbows from a good breeder are only nippy when very young. Females get larger, up to six feet. They also require moderate temps. None of those requirements are too high a price for their beauty.

Snakesitter · 01-23-15, 03:18 PM

I agree four feet is too little room for an adult rainbow. Standard recommendation is six feet of space, but I give all my adults eight.