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Help in Decision making

R

rdiheath

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Ok heres the deal, We wanted to get a BRB but after talking to many breeders and reading everything I could find we think that we have ruled it out d/t nippyness, higher humidity needs, much greater care needs, etc.
We are now looking at either a Nicaraguan or a Dumerils
BOTH have about the same care needs, both appear to be about the same adult size (being generally smaller boas - which is a main factor) no 8+ footers

All reading and talking to breeders advise that Dumeril is the most docile of them all and we LOVE the coloring and patterning but my wofe is really loving the paterns and the irridescent scaling of the Nic's

PLEASE post your opinion and why'


Thanks in advance
 
I think you need one of these!! This baby's mom is 3 years old and right around 5ft long!!

179_7952.jpg


I don't know too much about Dumerils but my understanding was that they can get 8ft and are a very heavy bodied snake. I have heard that they are docile as well. If you are more worried about size, I think the Nic would be a better choice. I have heard that Nics can be nippy also, yet I just got what I think is a Hypo Nic Cross that is a total sweetheart.

I have Hypo Hogg Island crosses that were nippy as babies but now they are some of my favorite boas to work with. I have a female Albino Colombian that was great as a baby, then was a total witch for about 2 years, and now is a joy to handle. My BRB's are usually a little nippy as youngsters, but as adults, are great.

I guess what I am saying here is that any boa can be nippy from time to time, especially if you catch it on the wrong day.

So basically, my final answer is this, I prefer the size of the Nic but the pattern and coloration of the Dumerils.
 
Another species i always always always recommend are Caulker cay boas. These guys are very small, my adult female is just over 45" in length. About as thick as a broom handle, give or take.
They are simple to care for, Fairly cheap 150-300 More or less depending on where you get them. VERY docile (not all, but i have three and save for my baby when she is IN her enclosure, they are all perfectly handle-able) And can be taken care of JUST like a ball python. ( with more climbing room as they are semi arboreal) I keep mine with 85-88 hot end, and 75-78 give or take on the cool end. Zero problems.

Humidity is NOT hard to keep up in a proper enclosure though, and i wouldnt rule out a BRB just yet if you REALLY want one. You can get a Temperature/Hydrometer meter combo from someplace like Petco, and just monitor an empty cage with the proper heating setup, and a waterbowl, maybe mist it once a day as well, and see what you can do to keep the humidity where its supposed to be at. Get the enclosure set up right first, and THEN get the snake. Not vice versa.

Not all snakes are nippy, just as not all are nice. Dont rule out a snake just because youve heard a rumor, or because one person says one thing. Because trust me when i say, that there are going to be many many more that say the opposite ( again vice versa too :) again, why all snakes are different!). Its all about how YOU handle the snake. If you dont hold them often, they might not take to handling well, but if you hold them all the time, they might accept it more. people complain all the time that babies are too nippy. most baby snakes have the potential to be nippy. You are much bigger than they are, its just defense.
 
Thanks guys this is all very good info
I agree to not take one opinion. Our first "want" after having our Ball for a while was a BRB but have heard that they are much harder to care for, that being from several breeders that had animals for sale at the Cleve show this past weekend. We have not ruled it out totally but thought that one of the other 2 mentioned here would fit better

That is a gorgeous snake by the way
 
Thanks for the comp! I agree with Alicia, don't totally rule out the BRB. BRB's are a great combination of perfect size and awesome colors. I keep mine in vision cages with like a rubbermaid 16quart container with fresh water in it. They crawl in and out of it as needed and seem to love it. I don't do anything special for them other than I taped up some of the venting on the cages to keep more humidity in. I am in Florida though, so humidity is not a problem with my setup. My babies seem to get startled easily when they are youngsters and hence the nipping, but after they are about 1 year old they calm down nicely. I would not hesitate putting my adults in a show and tell situation where novices wanna hold it and ask question and such, but I would not do that with the babies. BRB's are great snakes, but they do require a little more work, but it is manageable, and for me anyway, well worth the extra effort.
 
The thing about snakes, and I mean ANY species, is that they are inherently wild by nature. They are not a domesticated animal like dogs and cats, they remain true to their nature, though some are more known for being calmer then others.

If you set your sites on having a totally calm placid snake as a pet, you are sure to be disappointed at some point down the road. Personally, I find fault in people expecting such a thing from them.

That being said, there are species that are known for their docile nature, but you still can't expect it from them all the time. It's just not right to do so.

If you are looking for something that doesn't require that much work in the husbandry dept, forgiving to mistakes if you will, most BCI will fit into that category. But any snake is going to require a certain amount of diligence to keep things right for them.
 
Right. Im not looking for the puppy dog. I ahve had snakes all my life (colubrid mainly) and am just now venturing into constrictors. We have had out Ball for just about a year and love her and her personality. We have an 8 y/o that loves her and handles her frequently and thats basically our desire. Dont want a GTP that will bite and require a trip to the ER for stitches etc or a "window snake"
Also as for care - all our snakes have gotten extensive care over and above basics at all times. Not like a goldfish where you change the water every 2 weeks and throw in some food and thats it. We know how to care and do so. Just dont want to get into a situation where we have to schedule our lives around the need to care for the snake. I.e. misting every couple of hours, filling the mister every couple of hours, needing 2 people to feed, not being able to handle the snake, elaborate set ups or more expensive setups i.e other than the glass aquarium type that we already have. Thats the only stipulations that we have
 
Just wanted to add that I have seen some very large durmeril boas, there were some at a store in SoCal that were easily 8' or larger and very heavy bodied. If you are lookig for something that stays smaller, those are some terrific suggestions above. Good luck and don't forget to post some pics when you get one! :)
 
The BCI I've had/have, unless being treated for something medically, do fine with me making sure things are right every morning before work. Usually just a misting, fresh water every couple days, cleaned if they messed.

Nics are a nice BCI too. You even have choices. Some are Hypomelanistic, some are covered in red, but even the standard look is a nice one. Temperament is going to be an individual thing, as with them all. I've had calm ones and nasty ones both.

Some lines of Hondurans stay quite small. I have an '05 male that I bet is only 4 ft or so, and maybe 400 grams. The various BCI from the Cays around Belize stay reasonable size, same with Corn Island Boas. None of which should require excessive care to maintain their health.
 
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I just wanted to chime in b/c I was working with roughly the same constraints when I decided to get my BRB. I agree that they are higher maintenance than the balls and such. That said, I wouldn't give up my BRB now! I was fortunate enough to find a rather timid male as a baby, who only just recently so much as even struck (not at me). Never a nip, from day 1. He does require some significant effort, including sometimes a sitter if I'm away, but I am happy with the choice, and the work is manageable. I did decide that the dumerils are too heavy for me to work with alone safely. I don't know much about the other 2 you mentioned, but that pic was amazing!
 
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