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Small boa species?

anerybree

anerybree

New member
Hi! I'm looking for small boa constrictor species (like 4 feet max). I absolutely love boas, and I've wanted one before I even had my corn snake! So, my mom said that we could get another snake next year, which is only a few months away. However, she doesn't want a huge snake--she thought that Brazilian Rainbow Boas were big :headbang:.

I've been searching around and here's the list I've compiled of small boas, but how is their temperament? And prices? Thanks!

Caulker's Cay Boa
Tarahumara Mountain Boa
Corn Isle Boa
Cancun Boa
Crawl Cay Boa
 
Check out hog island boas. I think they stay on the smaller side... whatever you do get though, make sure it's a male, they stay smaller than the females :)
 
Yeah I did tons of research on hogs a few months back and males get max 4 ft MAYBE 4.5 if its really big.

Have you thought about small pythons?
 
I did decide to get a male, though my corn is a female because I wanted her to be bigger! Not that I wouldn't love her small!

I LOVE the coloration of Hog Islands. However, I've heard some conflicting reports about their size--some sites say 7 feet and some say 4. The max girth for these guys is like 2 or 3 inches, right?

Yeah, maybe I'll just show her pictures of juveniles and tell her they're adults! And then my boa just "mysteriously" had some good genes and grew about 2 feet longer. But it's not like a Hog Island has ever killed anyone...I'd sooner be scared of my cat!

I've researched spotted pythons, children's pythons, and ball pythons but I really just love love love boas. I just love the coloration they have, and omg so adorable! I got to hold a little rtb baby at a pet store, but that's the only boa I've had experience with (I have had a little experience with burms and bps though). Oh I'd never thought that I would seriously want a boa...here we go!

I think it may just take some time for her to trust large snakes. She trusts my little 18 month corn snake just fine, and she didn't trust snakes at all at first. We'll have to go to the reptile expo and do a little snake handling soon ;)
 
Yes, I've researched the rosy and sand boas as well. But they are really small. They're supposed to be good eaters and be really docile, but the sand boas stay hidden a lot. Plus they're Lichanura trivirgata, not a Boa constrictor _______ (imperator, constrictor, etc). I want something in the boa constrictor subspecies.

If we can convert our coffee table to a snake cage, then I might consider either an African House Snake, Hognose snake, or rosy boa for that, but a bcc or bci definitely won't fit.
 
Any boa you get is going to end up with a girth a lot larger than 2-3 inches.
Either way, I think that hog islands stay around 5 feet as males. There is a pair of adults at my local (bad) pet store and they can't be any larger than 6 feet in length.

Why not work on getting a set up that it cannot escape and assure your mom that the snake will be handleable as it gets older. As long as you take it out for 20 minutes at a time at least twice a week you shouldn't have any issues.
My Boa Constrictor Imperator is a bit snappy when he is in his cage though. I'm not sure if that is a normal boa thing or not, but be prepared for a nip or two.

They do grow a lot faster than corns do. My BCI was maybe 14 inches when I got him (he could hardly wrap around a gatorade bottle) he is now pushing 4 feet at a year old. That's not being powerfed or anything. I gave him an appropriate sized mouse once a week until his 1st birthday, now we're on appropriate sized rats every 10 days.

I'm not sure why I got side tracked, but do more research on the hog islands. If you can convince your mom to let you have a bigger snake go for a BCI ;D
 
The nice part about BCIs is that they are really inactive. Mine (and all the others I have seen) just SIT in one spot 24/7 only moving to the warm side when needed. So a 4 x 2 cage will fit most adults.
 
I don't like the ones that sit in one place all the time. You might as well get a snake mounted and put it in your cage lol, it would be cheaper to feed, act the same, and easier to clean the cage.

Here is a site with a lot of small boa constrictors - http://www.cuttingedgeherp.com/boaconstrictorimperator/list.nhtml
I don't know how legit it is, I'm not sure you can get a BC 4 feet or under.

I think Dumeril's Boas are the most amazing looking boas I've ever seen. The pictures really don't do them justice. They get over 4 feet and aren't boa constrictors.
 
Cornelia said:
I don't like the ones that sit in one place all the time. You might as well get a snake mounted and put it in your cage lol, it would be cheaper to feed, act the same, and easier to clean the cage.

Here is a site with a lot of small boa constrictors - http://www.cuttingedgeherp.com/boaconstrictorimperator/list.nhtml
I don't know how legit it is, I'm not sure you can get a BC 4 feet or under.

I think Dumeril's Boas are the most amazing looking boas I've ever seen. The pictures really don't do them justice. They get over 4 feet and aren't boa constrictors.
Click to expand...

I was just going to recommend that site. ;) I bought my Costa Rican from Vin Russo. So far my guy is a little over a year old and 3 feet long, and should top out at 4.5 feet. I could be wrong, but it seems like Russo is the 'go to guy' for boas, and especially the dwarf mainlands/insular localities. I spoke with him in a few emails prior to purchasing my guy, and he was very helpful.
 
I really don't understand the whole "boas are inactive" thing people seem to repeat...
They may seem inactive when compared to a cornsnake for instance... but that's not laziness, that's a difference between an apex predator and non-apex predators.

A really ticked off boa can be extremely fast and reactive... they are simply not inclined to it in captivity...

They are extremely alert, they simply don't really act quickly like a colubrid would because it would take a deal more for it to register as a threat to them.

Regarding size... I'd steer away from Hog isle... unless you know for a fact how to recognize one that isn't a cross... it can be tricky and hog isle crosses are very common in the US.
Even pure hog isle though can reach 5-6 feet... had a 5.2 feet male not long ago...

But there are smaller alternatives...

for one, Nicaragua boas,
Caulker cay,
Corn Isle,
El Salvador locality (tricky to obtain)

Boas are a deal easier to manage than some would imagine... the figures sound steep but they really aren't that hard to deal with.
 
You can usually find some smaller male Nicaraguan boas. Mine is tiny - but he is smaller than normal because he pretty much wasn't fed the first two years of his life. But even healthy ones can be pretty small compared to other boas.
 
I've seen the How-To thread on the Red-Tail Boas forum about the 4 by 2 cage, and it's a lot cheaper than getting a Boaphile Plastics cage. I have been on the Cutting Edge Herp site a few times, but they don't list prices! I don't really want to pay any more than $250, though I may be able to stretch it.

I've seen the Caulkers Cay boas too--they seem (fairly) small and I've seen one for sale at $175. Is this the expected price for them? Seems a bit low.
 
If size is really that essential to you- contact a reputable breeder, that way you'll know it's not a cross.
Also... I've seen T+ albino Nicaragua boas go for 150-200$ .... wonderful and affordable morph.
 
I just googled the T+ albino Nicaragua boa--beautiful!

As far as a reputable breeder, I've heard many good things about Cutting Edge Herps. They're probably who I'll go to eventually.
 
Kokopelli said:
I really don't understand the whole "boas are inactive" thing people seem to repeat...
They may seem inactive when compared to a cornsnake for instance... but that's not laziness, that's a difference between an apex predator and non-apex predators.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying they are not inactive in the wild, but in captivity they do a lot of sitting around :p Even ones that are given an option to climb and explore tend to just sit. I would love to one day get my boa into a huge 8 foot long, 3 foot tall cage with lots of climbing room, but he'd just stay in the same place.
Mine just stays under his little bush all day with his head looking out. For the record.. I don't see any of my snakes out an about. Except my ball python. My corns stay hidden most of the time I'll catch a glimpse of them once in a while, but for the most part everyone sits under their hides 24/7.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
 
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