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Boa or Carpet Python?

Allalaskan said:
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.
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GTPs and ATBs are also delicate, from what I understand, especially as youngsters and even still as adults.

Kokopelli said:
Yeah it was insanity... sadly he didn't make it.
RIP Spiritus :(
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Nothing everything you did, I'm sure he wasn't in any pain. :)

nwheather said:
Where did you hear that?
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Well, the caresheet that I linked to in the same post is by a breeder, and many others do. They also say that while carpets are fine in non-arboreal set ups, they do enjoy climbing and will utilize branches, making them semi arboreal. But unlike GTPs/ABTs, they won't suffer without climbing.
 
Ya, I think the more I read up on them and hear from all your imput the more I think im leaning towards the Carpets. I am looking for something thats going to be more active and "showy" then what I have. I love my corn snake, and my ball pythons but one thing I like about my corn over my balls is the fact that he is much more active and out of his hides and such.

I plan on building another big viv for my future snake, and it will problubly have lots of ground space but also lots of climbing branches (hence why I want a snake that will climb and be seen haha) and stuff.

Another reason im kinda shy of getting a boa is that they are heavier, I wouldnt mind a 7ft snake if it wasnt a heavy one. I still want to be able to handle the snake without having to work out every day hehehe.
 
atmox said:
Can anybody tell me the price of carpet pythons? Coastal, jungle and irian jaya.
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Our side of the pond the prices tend to be much better than the states for similar or better quality snakes.... This is one area of herpoculture that Europe leads in instead of follows...
Ours are priced between £70-£80... Around E100...
Contact Precision or UK pythons... Both based in Germany...
These are the guys with nearly all the nicest animals.......
 
snakewispera snr said:
Our side of the pond the prices tend to be much better than the states for similar or better quality snakes.... This is one area of herpoculture that Europe leads in instead of follows...
Ours are priced between £70-£80... Around E100...
Contact Precision or UK pythons... Both based in Germany...
These are the guys with nearly all the nicest animals.......
Click to expand...

Thanks that really helps. Maybe i'll get one for new year.
 
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them both, and I really don't think I could choose easily. My Hogg Island girl is amazing, sweet, and beautiful, in a subtle orange-ish, pink-ish, tan-ish kind of way. My IJ girl is GORGEOUS, in a vibrant, 'HEY LOOK AT ME!!!!" kind of way, sweet, and fun to watch, as she likes to explore.

I have heard that carpet pythons are extremely easy-care snakes, but my boas (all BCIs) seem to be just as easy. I think it's going to come down to the right snake at the right time, in your case :).
 
I'd prefer a boa since thye, at least the two I own, are way relaxed and intriguing. They seem more intelligent than a corn, watching their surroundings like they really are interested in what they see.

I owned a carpet too; gorgeous animal but I never got to trust him somehow. They don't have that relaxed way of moving a boa has and they are vorocious feeders too. Combined with knowing they have relatively long teeth I never got really over the idea he could bite me, though he never did or attempted to. I used wussy gloves on him instead, lol. Not on my boa's though.
 
Blutengel said:
Combined with knowing they have relatively long teeth I never got really over the idea he could bite me, though he never did or attempted to. I used wussy gloves on him instead, lol. Not on my boa's though.
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So do boas not have as big of teeth as pythons? I know my bps (yet still young) have some teeth on them lol, and I have been bitten by my male bp so im kinda over being bitten by a python. Then again though a full grown carpet is going to have a lot bigger teeth then Jericho lol.

On the other hand the gentle nature you talk about how they just like to chill appeals to me. I think how over atm im leaning towards the carpet.
 
You will really be able to decide once you pick them up.
I find Boas to be more mallow most of the time, and more inclined to just hang out on you when picked up.
It's a different attitude... Carpets remind me of GTP's a bit(they are, after all, Morelia too).

Pick some up, and see which you are more keen on.
 
Kokopelli said:
You will really be able to decide once you pick them up.
I find Boas to be more mallow most of the time, and more inclined to just hang out on you when picked up.
It's a different attitude... Carpets remind me of GTP's a bit(they are, after all, Morelia too).

Pick some up, and see which you are more keen on.
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Well, thats not going to happen lol. No one up here sells Carpet Pythons, if I buy one I will have to have it shipped up. I often times see "Red Tail boas" listed on craigs list but I never know if they are true red tails. Every time I am in the pet store they never have any boas, always Corn snakes or ball pythons with a few others occasionally but I have yet to see a boa.
 
I would actually refrain from acquiring a True Redtail.... the real "true Redtail Boas" are of the sub-species Boa Constrictor Constrictor- Suriname Boas.
Dazzling animals, but they get a deal bigger than common Boa and have a less sunny disposition.
So what you really want is Boa Constrictor Imperator... which is the most available boa on the market.

As for the handling part- try watching clips on youtube.
 
ya I already planned on staying away from true Red tails, and as often as I see "red tail" on name tags I know most of them problubly are not True red tails, but since I am new to boas and do not know how to tell them apart I am leary of buying a boa locally unless it was from a breeder which im an un aware of any up here.
 
Indigos are expensive??? My old friend has a 6ft indigo
And he allowed to roam free through out the house. Only kept it in the enclosed when it was feeding time. Thats crazy! It was the first snake I ever held and watch eat. Beautiful snake.
As for boas vs pythons is like mcdonolds vs burger king lol.
I'm a boa person. I own a cloumbian rainbow and plan to get a Columbian Red tail next.
I admire there strength. Pythons don't seem to accurate on there feeding strikes IMO. (thawed mice) as to my boa is fast slick and extreamln accurate. But its probably diffrent with everyone elses. It mighta just been mine friends snakes wasn to bright lol
As for temperament I belive pythons are a bit less aggressive. Boas tak some work in tameing and can be nippy. With training though as well all know a nice calm snake is a very possiable outcome!
 
Allalaskan said:
So do boas not have as big of teeth as pythons? I know my bps (yet still young) have some teeth on them lol, and I have been bitten by my male bp so im kinda over being bitten by a python. Then again though a full grown carpet is going to have a lot bigger teeth then Jericho lol.

On the other hand the gentle nature you talk about how they just like to chill appeals to me. I think how over atm im leaning towards the carpet.
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I believe they do. Try googling for a picture of an Emerald Tree Boa--the fangs on those guys resemble the teeth of a Sabre Tooth Tiger! LOL! Frankly, I wouldn't care to be bitten by an adult of either type--Boa OR Python.
 
Point is, with ANY animal you have a chance of being bit. However, unless it's a crocodile, you probably won't need to go to the hospital and it'll heal just fine. :p Pain and blood is temporary.
 
Boa Constrictor Imperator is what is know as the "common" boa or Columbian Boa. Boa Constrictor Constrictor (true red tail) is known as Suriname Boa (as kokopelli pointed out). These are just the common names and I believe that more subspecies fall within the two categories but the BCC variety do get a couple feet bigger and a little heavier. If you get a Columbian Boa you are getting the "common", better behaved variety that gets 6 to 10 ft sometimes 12 for females and 5 to 8 ft (I believe the average was) for males. Full grown females get upwards of 60lbs from what I've read.

Do you still have the link I gave you in chat for Will Bird's site? I'm not sure about the IJ Carpets but he does breed Carpet Pythons. I'm also not sure if he exports or not.
 
grankin01 said:
Boa Constrictor Imperator is what is know as the "common" boa or Columbian Boa. Boa Constrictor Constrictor (true red tail) is known as Suriname Boa (as kokopelli pointed out). These are just the common names and I believe that more subspecies fall within the two categories but the BCC variety do get a couple feet bigger and a little heavier. If you get a Columbian Boa you are getting the "common", better behaved variety that gets 6 to 10 ft sometimes 12 for females and 5 to 8 ft (I believe the average was) for males. Full grown females get upwards of 60lbs from what I've read.

Do you still have the link I gave you in chat for Will Bird's site? I'm not sure about the IJ Carpets but he does breed Carpet Pythons. I'm also not sure if he exports or not.
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Not every b.c.imperator is a Columbian, and not every b.c.constrictor is a Suriname. There are b.c.c. that are smaller than a Columbian b.c.i .
Just saying :)
If you do your research and you get a breeder you can trust you have good chance of buying an animal knowing how big it will get. There are small boa's.

On topic: My choice would go to the first animal i would find that fits my standards. Reasonable price, eats F/T,...
Unfortunately it could be that Boa constrictor ssp. are illegal to keep where i live, so it would be a Dumerils boa instead of the (true) red tails.
 
atmox said:
Not every b.c.imperator is a Columbian, and not every b.c.constrictor is a Suriname. There are b.c.c. that are smaller than a Columbian b.c.i .
Just saying :)
If you do your research and you get a breeder you can trust you have good chance of buying an animal knowing how big it will get. There are small boa's.
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Yeah, that's what I meant by the quote below. Maybe it made sense to me but lost something in the delivery. :D

grankin01 said:
These are just the common names and I believe that more subspecies fall within the two categories but the BCC variety do get a couple feet bigger and a little heavier.
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atmox is right. Within the two main categories, BCI and BCC, there are many different varieties of boa that range from dwarf to giant. You just need to find the one that suits your needs if you choose the boa. I was just trying to clear up the differences between "true red tails" and "common red tails", for lack of a better way to word it. Sorry if I added to the confusion. :)
 
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