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Red Tail a good first boa?

A

Aeromeggy

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I am interested in getting a boa within the next couple of months. My husband loves sand boas, and I do like the fact that they stay pretty small. I, however, have become quite interested in red tails, and am considering buying one of them.

This would be our first boa, though we own many other snakes (ball pythons, corns, milksnakes, kingsnakes). I am very aware of the huge undertaking any snake is, especially one that will get as large as a red tail. Housing it is no problem as we have a custom built tank setup with three very large tanks built into it and a red tail could easily live in one of the tanks. I would get a baby so I could raise it.

Is a red tail a good first boa, or should we stick with sand boas to begin with? (the guy I would get either from does have a gorgeous albino sand boa)
 
in mho red tails , and bci's more specifically are great first boas . if you already have experience with reptiles then you shouldnt have any problem . their housing requirements are similer to ball pythons and they in general are very docile critters . the main concern is that you be aware that they are capable of reaching lengths of 8 to 10 feet . i wish you luck with whatever animal you deide to get .
 
Are redtails good first boas, it depends. are you able to provide a 6' by 2' cage minimum for a large redtail? Are you willing to feed HUGE rats and smaller rabbits every few weeks? Are you comfortable handling a snake reaching up to 10' and 50 lbs? If yes, maybe. There are MANY differnt localities of redtails. Ranging from the Caulker Cay boas(not usually getting over 4') to the larger Suri or Guyana boas getting 10' with some a bit larger. Over all, the island localities are usually smaller as adults. A great "dwarf" boa which I consider a good size is a hogg island boa. Females rarely get over 6' and males rarley even over the 5' mark, they are great "strarter" boas.
Hope this helps a bit
Jake
 
The cage requirements are no problem, as I already have a 3 tiered cage setup, and each cage is large enough for an adult. Of course, I would start the baby off in something smaller.

The adult size is what is causing some of my apprehension. It's not that I am afraid of a snake that large, but having never had a snake so large it is a bit nerve-racking.
 
If you start out with a baby, I think you shouldn't have too much trouble with a bci. Boas grow fairly slowly so, depending on feeding schedules locale and sex, it could be 4+ years before it even hits 6 feet in length. You should plenty of time to get used to it's size as it grows. If adult size is that much of an issue you might want to consider central american boas like Nicaraguans. They're generally considered dwarf-ish.
 
ApexPredatorBoids said:
If you start out with a baby, I think you shouldn't have too much trouble with a bci. Boas grow fairly slowly so, depending on feeding schedules locale and sex, it could be 4+ years before it even hits 6 feet in length. You should plenty of time to get used to it's size as it grows. If adult size is that much of an issue you might want to consider central american boas like Nicaraguans. They're generally considered dwarf-ish.
Click to expand...
Agree. Not sure how fast male boas grow but my females 5' and only about 2 years old. I got her as a baby and then as she grows, since I see her all the time I get used to her. Handling them as they grow will make you more comfortable rather then just getting an 8' boa right away. I would look at Gus from Rio Bravo Reptiles site. He has good info on just about any kind of redtail from the dwarfs to the giants of the rtb world.
 
I like red tails too, and size was an issue for me. I began a collection of B.c.i and I think that they are great, currently I own 20 and the collection is still growing Nicaraguans are smaller (the biggest pure nic that I have heard of is 6.5 feet) and are fairly cheap and there are tons of color variations but they can be nippy. Hog Island boas are another good colorful snake. One of my favorites is my Corn Island boa.

Just thought I'd add my $.02

Amie
 
Right - I'd recommend if you get a red tail to get a male BCI - they tend to stay smaller and less girthy/heavy than females. My first boa was a Hog Island, they're great!
 
Here's can example of what they look like weight/length wise
Here's my female colombian. Shes 5' and 8 lbs. A male hogg her size would be considered large
164960481.jpg

Hope this gives you can idea, a redtail is the greatest of all boas IMO. Great and make long term "companions".
 
Yes. Consider a hog island boa. Beautiful animals that will more than likely never get past 6' and will stay even smaller if you slow the feeding regimen after the first couple years. Same with the "normal" BCI's. You would easily be able to keep a male BCI at around 6' with the right feeding schedule.

- Damian
 
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