best boa for me

[phil_7870]

i was thinking about getting a dummeril boa . because they dnt get bigger than 8ft .is there any other types of boa that stay under 8ft P.S i reeli like red tail boa aswel

[PDXErik]

pretty much all of the sand boas stay small.

If you're looking for compact size and easy to care for, take a look at the children's python or the spotted python, too. A little more complex is the anthill python. All of these stay pretty compact but still interesting creatures.

If you're dead set on a boa, I don't know too many options, personally. If you open yourself up to pythons as well, they can be much more diverse.

[Aaron_S]

Rosey boas, rubber boas and rainbow boas all stay within a small to medium size. The roseys need a dry climate where the rainbows fair better in more humid conditions.

If you are more interested in the larger boas then I would suggest a Hogg Island or a common boa, also known as a colombian boa. The 'true red tails' generally obtain a larger size and from my experience tend to be more finicky towards their conditions. Dumerils, from what I've seen actually aren't small sized boas. I've seen more than a few pictures of ones that are easily in the 8 foot range.

[Rickson]

I had a kenyan sand boa. It didnt get very big. But I was a pretty boaring pet....just spent most of its time under the sand. I would get a male red tail. they dont get as big as the females.

[phil_7870]

yeah what kind of pythons would u suggest ??thanks for the info

[PDXErik]

That's all up to you. Look at the ringed pythons, children's, spotted, some of the carpets like the Irian Jaya, ball pythons, savu. On the more dedicated side, you can go with the Green Trees, anthill (pure comedy tiny pythons), pygmy. The blood pythons get substantial, but short. Borneo short tailed.

It depends on how big do you want them to get? How much time are you able to dedicate to them? What do you want out of them? Will they be display or pets or both? How much money are you planning on spending?

[phil_7870]

these might be a stupied question but what is the main difference between boas and pythons

[PDXErik]

Not a stupid question, a pretty good one.

The only thing that comes to mind is that pythons lay eggs while boas give live birth. (There are exceptions to this such as the rubber boa and a few other boas that lay eggs).

There must be something that separates the pythonidae from the boidae outside of latin.

[phil_7870]

yeah i am getting a dumeril now cant wait

[Aaron_S]

Originally Posted by PDXErik

The only thing that comes to mind is that pythons lay eggs while boas give live birth. (There are exceptions to this such as the rubber boa and a few other boas that lay eggs).

Hmm, I was under the impression rubber boas still give live bearing babies. I think you're moreso referring to calibur burrowing boa or python does the opposite of it's genus.

[Chu'Wuti]

anthill (pure comedy tiny pythons)

I've never heard of those! I'm going to have to find an image so I can see them.

pythons lay eggs while boas give live birth

which really means that boas incubate their eggs inside their bodies, the young hatch, then are born, is that right? Boas are ovoviviparous (egg + live birth, basically) and pythons are not.

What I like about the way pythons do it is seeing the female guarding her eggs--so protective!

One of my sons had copperheads give birth--they are like the boas, giving live birth. It was really cool seeing all the little snake heads & bodies all mixed with the parents' bodies after they were born.

[Chu'Wuti]

There must be something that separates the pythonidae from the boidae outside of latin.

From Wikipedia (sorry, I don't have any highly credible books on boas):

The Pythonidae are distinguished from the family Boidae (boas) by the fact that they have teeth on the premaxilla: a small bone at the very front and center of the upper jaw.

Boids are, however, distinguished from the pythons in that none have postfrontal bones or premaxillary teeth, and that they give birth to live young. When labial pits are present, these are located between the scales as opposed to on them.

and they come from different places; almost no overlap in natural range acc. to Wikipedia.

I'm thinking about another snake myself, now . . .

[Rickson]

pythons have a little more teeth.

[Whiskey Tango]

Rosy boas stay under four feet, as do rubber boas and kenyan sand boas.

[PDXErik]

You're probably right, I read the paragraph and it had mentioned rubber boas and that's what I remembered.

Yes, boas make eggs and incubate them inside their bodies and then basically lay full term eggs (sort of). The "shells" are little more than a membrane as well.