Advice on first boa

I have and have had all sorts of colubrids, mostly kingsnakes. I wan to get my first boa. I want something that stays smaller and is docile and pretty.

I really like the het berry blood boas that BHB reptile has for sale and I heard they only get to ~4' which is perfect, but how is the temperament?

Rainbows are also pretty, but I don't want something that is difficult to keep in regards to husbandry and from my research can get 7'

Anyone have any suggestions ??

Thanks

I forgot to mention that I also like Caulkers Cay Boa. Any thoughts on these?

Most any captive bred boa can be docile with proper handling and proper conditions. Most any captive bred Colombian/BCI boa is usually sweet as a baby or can be quickly tamed. Through out my life I have kept a lot of the true red tail/BCC boas that get larger and are said to be more high strung and aggressive. I never encountered that and right now I have Surinames and Peruvians that I can just reach in the cage and pick up and they are very docile. So, I would say that barring the occasional defensive one, most any boa can be a good bet.

A male Colombian, moderately fed, won't get too large. I really like and have the jungle and hypo jungle boas. Also take a look at the Hog Island Boas. A pure Hog Island is very beautiful, usually very tame, and the males are smaller than a regular male Colombian. The Dumeral's Boa is another one to consider. Good luck with your boa search, take your time, and get the one you really want. Boas are wonderful and rewarding snakes to work with. Bill

A Caulker's Cay can get up to a decent size. If you want a truly smaller boa look at the CA localities like Sonoran, Tarahumara, etc. Just bear in mind that they tend to remain defensive for a much longer period of time than their larger cousins, which makes sense as their diminutive size means that they're considered predators rather than prey for a much longer period of their lives.

I have 1.2 Tarahumaras between 18 and 24 months old, and while they've passed the nippy baby stage they still hiss if everything isn't right with their world. So, they hiss when they're hungry, when their tub is wet, when you first pull them out... but fortunately it's all "talk".

Don't discount a Brazilian Rainbow either, I have several and my female gave me a litter last year. If you get them a proper reptile enclosure that is designed to retain humidity (NO TANKS) they're no more difficult to maintain than any other snake species. Like all babies they can be nippy but they outgrow it with patient and gentle handling. Mine are six months old now and have stopped nipping unless someone does something rude to them, like popping them. They stay more slender than BCI's so they're lighter and IMO easier to handle than a BCI of the same length, and while the rare individual can eventually reach seven feet, my two adults have topped out at six feet.

Originally Posted by thesarge2014

Most any captive bred boa can be docile with proper handling and proper conditions. Most any captive bred Colombian/BCI boa is usually sweet as a baby or can be quickly tamed. Through out my life I have kept a lot of the true red tail/BCC boas that get larger and are said to be more high strung and aggressive. I never encountered that and right now I have Surinames and Peruvians that I can just reach in the cage and pick up and they are very docile. So, I would say that barring the occasional defensive one, most any boa can be a good bet.

A male Colombian, moderately fed, won't get too large. I really like and have the jungle and hypo jungle boas. Also take a look at the Hog Island Boas. A pure Hog Island is very beautiful, usually very tame, and the males are smaller than a regular male Colombian. The Dumeral's Boa is another one to consider. Good luck with your boa search, take your time, and get the one you really want. Boas are wonderful and rewarding snakes to work with. Bill

Funny, after my post I saw and like the Suriname Paz, Demeral and the hog island. Really like the blue Guyana bcc, but they get too big. My wife won't allow a snake in the house that can hurt our 2 year old baby and I support this.

Originally Posted by bcr229

A Caulker's Cay can get up to a decent size. If you want a truly smaller boa look at the CA localities like Sonoran, Tarahumara, etc. Just bear in mind that they tend to remain defensive for a much longer period of time than their larger cousins, which makes sense as their diminutive size means that they're considered predators rather than prey for a much longer period of their lives.

I have 1.2 Tarahumaras between 18 and 24 months old, and while they've passed the nippy baby stage they still hiss if everything isn't right with their world. So, they hiss when they're hungry, when their tub is wet, when you first pull them out... but fortunately it's all "talk".

Don't discount a Brazilian Rainbow either, I have several and my female gave me a litter last year. If you get them a proper reptile enclosure that is designed to retain humidity (NO TANKS) they're no more difficult to maintain than any
other snake species. Like all babies they can be nippy but they outgrow it with patient and gentle handling. Mine are six months old now and have stopped nipping unless someone does something rude to them, like popping them. They stay more slender than BCI's so they're lighter and IMO easier to handle than a BCI of the same length, and while the rare individual can eventually reach seven feet, my two adults have topped out at six feet.

Wow, thanks for the recommendation of the Sonoran and the tarahumara. In my brief research these seem perfect. I have seen pics of bluish tarahumara and want one. What is the husbandry like and where can I buy one. I can't find much on these two topics.

Since you're in the PNW I would contact Michael Beach in Oregon if you want Tarahumaras. I've never dealt with him but he has a great reputation.

Originally Posted by bcr229

Since you're in the PNW I would contact Michael Beach in Oregon if you want Tarahumaras. I've never dealt with him but he has a great reputation.

Sounds great!

How do I get a hold of him?

I like the size and easy care of the Tarahumara, but they get dark and seem to lose the blueish coloration as adults. The adult color doesn't appeal to me much.

Just to give you a size reference - here's my adult BRB (this is an old photo! lol, I sold him in '05) they retain bright vivid colors as adults, they are very slender:


And an adult classic looking (high speckled) hog isle boa, photo from '09, he's 8yrs old in this photo, I still have him and he hasn't gotten much bigger:


both species tend to be nippy as young, both hog isles I have hissed a lot. Good luck!