Question for boa/python owners

[2ndChildhood]

So I've been considering getting a larger snake as my next addition, and have been doing research on various boas and pythons. I seem to be finding more information on length than I can on adult weights, and thought that this might be a good place to ask the experienced boa/ python keepers here to find out what weights theirs are as adults.

I have a bad back and I need to be careful how much weight I'm handing on a regular basis (and for the most part will be handling the snake by myself). I don't want to make a commitment to a cute baby just to find out in a few years that it's more than I can safely handle.

I'm thinking that adult weight would need to be a max of about 40 lbs, so I would be interested if anyone has boas or pythons that would fall below this weight as an adult, what type of snake, and what sex are they?

Thanks for your opinions!

 

[wade]

I had a pair of Hogg Island Boas that were quite large for Hoggs. They weighed 35 pounds each. I had a pair of Jungle Carpet Pythons. I would say the female probably weighed 40 pounds, the male more like 30 pounds. Typically females will weigh more than males.

 

[whippet]

Just took our male 6+ foot common redtail BCI to the vet recently. He is of good weight and very healty and only weighs 13 pounds according to the scale at the vets office. I think you can pretty safely handing anything redtail and under.

 

[RobbiesCornField]

I'd say get a dwarf boa just in case. Hogg Island, Corn Island or similar. They're not going to get as large or be as much of a handful. You could also try Woma pythons!

 

[Hypancistrus]

Remember that males stay significantly smaller if you get a BCI.

http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/sizeofboas.html

 

[bekers71]

If it's weight and handling by your self that you worry about, go with a dwarf boa. They come in an array of colors and most are fairly inexpensive. My husband is away from home a lot due to the military. So any snake in my house has to be able to be handled by me. I have several dwarf boas and love them all. My oldest is 5 yrs old and is just a hair under 6ft. If I had to guess her weight, maybe 20 pounds give or take a little.

 

[Kokopelli]

Just took our male 6+ foot common redtail BCI to the vet recently. He is of good weight and very healty and only weighs 13 pounds according to the scale at the vets office. I think you can pretty safely handing anything redtail and under.

Actually the term Redtail refers to BCC- which are big and weight quite a bit... like Suriname, Peruvian and so forth- stay away from True Redtails if size is an issue. Personally I'd go with the hog Isle/Corn Isle choice in a heartbeat.

 

[2ndChildhood]

Thanks for the information. My limited research so far has indicated that pythons as a generalization have less bulk for their length than boas, but I was getting confused on the boas and didn't want to rule them out just because I've seen too many big ones. I just saw a boa (can't remember correctly but I think it was nicaraguan) that the owner told me was around 60 lbs, but had been fed rabbits at a young age, way more than I want to deal with.

I'm also getting confused with some of the terminology between different color variations verses different actual types that it's taking me time to sift through it all, so I'm hoping that narrowing down my choices will make it easier to research.

I'm also partial to the "face" that many boas and python's have, so while I love the patterning of the woma's, I'm more drawn to the traditional jawline, kind of a miniature asian dragon look to some of them.

I appreciate your help

 

[danielle]

A 60 lb. Nic boa? Maybe the owner was exaggerating a bit they are commonly pretty small. I have a dwarf boa myself and he is a tiny boy. Most dwarfs if they are true dwarfs will not get bigger than 5 ft. or more than 15-20 lbs. Look up Vincent Russo he specializes in dwarf boas that are true dwarfs and he can help you decide which species is best for you

 

[bekers71]

Thanks for the information. My limited research so far has indicated that pythons as a generalization have less bulk for their length than boas, but I was getting confused on the boas and didn't want to rule them out just because I've seen too many big ones. I just saw a boa (can't remember correctly but I think it was nicaraguan) that the owner told me was around 60 lbs, but had been fed rabbits at a young age, way more than I want to deal with.

I'm also getting confused with some of the terminology between different color variations verses different actual types that it's taking me time to sift through it all, so I'm hoping that narrowing down my choices will make it easier to research.

I'm also partial to the "face" that many boas and python's have, so while I love the patterning of the woma's, I'm more drawn to the traditional jawline, kind of a miniature asian dragon look to some of them.

I appreciate your help

The boa I mentioned about being a little under 6 foot and roughly 20lbs is a Nic boa and it's female. Females tend to be bigger. I also have a 2 1/2 yr old Nic male and he's barely 2 pounds and 3 foot long. True dwarf boas shouldn't be that big. Another thing to keep in mind is some people want them to get big fast so they feed frequently. An adult boa can live a very healthy life feeding once every 2 weeks or so. They also do not have to be fed any thing other than rats. My big girl gets one x-large rat every 10 days right now due to breeding season. I have a couple of Bolivian dwarf boas that are 1 1/2 yrs old and barely 2 foot long each. The key to getting a true dwarf boa is finding a reliable breeder. Many people try to pass off "mix breeds" as pure dwarfs. Then one day the owner realizes their dwarf is over 7 foot and more than they bargained for.