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Boa or Carpet Python?

Allalaskan

Allalaskan

The Crazy Alaskan
I am looking at getting another snake in the next few months, not in a huge hurry atm but trying to do my research for now. I have been looking at getting something like an IJ carpet python or possibly a dwarf boa like a hog or caulker cay.

I know many of you have these snakes and thought I would ask what your feed back is. If it were you what would you get and why? How does the care of these snakes differ? I dont want a HUGE snake, thats why I was looking at IJs and dwarf boas. I dont want a snake thats going to get much bigger then say 6-7 feet.

I am looking for something different then my corn or ball pythons, but at the same time trying to keep it some what small nothing huge. I really like the color of the Carpets, and I love the shape of the boas.

Im doing some research on them but figured I would ask some of you for some first hand experience. :D

Thanks.
 
nwheather said:
I'm not a big fan of boas, myself, & carpets are my ultimate favorite snake, so that's my answer, hands down :)
Click to expand...

What is it about the boas you dont like and the carpets you do? Im just trying to get reasons and stuff too so I know pros and cons and such :D
 
For whatever reason, they don't appeal to me at all. None of the thicker bodied snakes, like ball pythons or retics do either.

I love the dragon type heads that the carpets have & that they stay "leaner" than the thick bodied snakes.

How could you not love these faces??
 

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I have had a hypo columbian red tail for about 4 days now so I can't really give you an experts point of view. I do know that she isn't near as jumpy as my other snakes and is VERY curious about her surroundings. She was in shed when I bought her but had gone clear so no one knew. She didn't act scared even with her vulnerable state (never went on the defensive or struck at anyone). She is also the most relaxed snake I have and LOVES to be out of her cage. When I put her back in I have to be quick with the lid or she comes right back out.

I just wanted a boa because I wanted a bigger snake (my boa will get 6 to 10 ft possibly 12 although that's rare and weigh about 50 to 60 lbs) and I think the transition of colors into the tail area is beautiful. I can't speak on the carpet pythons though because I have never owned one. I do think they are very pretty and will more than likely end up with one of them too. Will Bird, the guy that started and runs the Kentuckiana Herpetological Society, breeds them so I have an in so to speak. :)

Whatever you chose I'm sure you will love it. Welcome to the addiction. :D

On my phone so I can't post pics but look here: www.photobucket.com/myherps

I think you have already seen them though from the chat room. :D
 
Ya I seen those ones already :D The one thing I dont like about the boas is how dull they look then the tail has all the color, I guess I just like the whole animal to be bright haha, but then again the one you have is a very attractive snake and there have been a few others (especially a few motleys I seen) that I really liked.

The big thing that attracts me to the Carpets is the color, they are so bright and I love a lot of the yellows and oranges they have. But then again I love the shape of the boas heads and I have heard they are easy to keep. How ever I am trying to keep it around 6-7 feet which I know a lot of carpets and boas can get over that, that was one reason I was looking especially at the IJs and dwarf boas.
 
I keep Dwarf Boas and Carpets...... They are both very similar in so much as they eat the same, both bullet proof as far as husbandry goes and both get to around the same size (give or take species)
The main difference I see is whether or not you want an arboreal snake or a ground hugger....
Arboreals you get to see a lot of as they will crash out on a perch most of the time....
Ground hugger and you are picking up logs and hides to find it......
 
I have a Jungle Carpet python an he is wonderful. Very docile with handling. I started with a corn snake then after I got couple more I wanted something different. Something that was bigger but not BIG. "Safari" is close to 8 feet and is housed in a big enclosure with couple of branches as well as a hide. He moves around an uses both areas. He likes it warmer then my corn snakes an sometimes will go on a fast for 6 months at a time. JCP's can be hard to switch over to rats vs eating dozens of mice at a time so keep that in mind. I switched mine over when he was around 3 foot long. At first he was like "What was that??" Then he eventually took the f/t rat an grew at an astounding rate. He's great. :)
 
ShenziSixaxis said:
Carpets actually aren't arboreal, but many keeps give them arboreal set ups and the pythons use them. Same thing about rainbow boas, I think.

Awesome carpet caresheet: http://www.acreptiles.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81&Itemid=140
Click to expand...
I'll be sure to tell mine, thanks..

Janome said:
I have a Jungle Carpet python an he is wonderful. Very docile with handling. I started with a corn snake then after I got couple more I wanted something different. Something that was bigger but not BIG. "Safari" is close to 8 feet and is housed in a big enclosure with couple of branches as well as a hide. He moves around an uses both areas. He likes it warmer then my corn snakes an sometimes will go on a fast for 6 months at a time. JCP's can be hard to switch over to rats vs eating dozens of mice at a time so keep that in mind. I switched mine over when he was around 3 foot long. At first he was like "What was that??" Then he eventually took the f/t rat an grew at an astounding rate. He's great. :)
Click to expand...
We get ours onto rat pups almost straight away... Mouse feeding is a waste of time.
 
See that was part of the reason I was leaning towards a carpet was because I have heard that they like to climb and not just stay strictly to the ground. I Planned on building a bigger cage for what ever new snake I get and was planning on building some climbing branches in there because I did want something that would climb too, but snakes like ATBs and GTPs I hear have such an attitude I wasnt looking at them to much.
 
Depends on what you prefer...

Carpets are active when held (and, I hear, in their enclosures), generally all over when you have them out. They don't like to sit still much... If you were to compare them to corns/balls, they'd be more like corns.

Then you have the boas--closer to the "ball python" half of the analogy. Though they can be quite active when held, they're much more "couch potato" snakes than carpets, and generally move slower than the Carpets even when they are in an active mood. In their enclosures, they tend to hide much more... Where the carpet would more likely be an "exhibitionist," hanging out where it can be seen, especially if given places to climb.

Then there's just the overall size/shape of the snake. Obviously, Carpets are much more slender, and Boas relatively heavy-bodied, making their "5 ft" seem significantly larger than a carpet's "5 ft."

So, which appeals to you more?

For me, I've already chosen boas over Carpets more than once, favoring the heavy-bodiedness and calm, laid-back disposition... but that doesn't mean I wouldn't LOVE to have a carpet (especially a Jungle--YUM!). They're definitely unique, in more ways than one. Just yesterday I had the pleasure of helping a sub-adult Jungle carpet with a bad shed at work, which means I got to walk around with him for a good 20 minutes or so. Pretty different from holding any of the other snakes, and very enjoyable! :)
 
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