Hey everyone! So A breeder I’m following is going to have a clutch of all kinds of dwarf and semi dwarf boas in a few months hopefully! Thing is, I can’t really make up my mind about Caulker Cay or Long-tailed (longicauda) boas. There aren’t a lot of people that own these, so it’s tough to find information.
I REALLY care about how well they eat, and how docile they are. Both also usually get no bigger than 6ft, so anything over is a no.
Now I know dwarf boas tend to be more nippy as babies, and I heard they can have problems starting on f/t. As long as that settles as they grow, I don’t mind. Most Caulker Cays I’ve seen being handled also seem fairly calm even as babies, I love their smaller size and color. I’m leaning more towards these guys.
As far as Longicaudas goes, I haven’t been able to find nearly as much info. I know they’re considered semi dwarf. People who own these specifically, would you say they eat as good as regular BI? Or do they also have some f/t issues starting out? Do they remain more arboreal as they grow like the Caulker Cay? Are they more comparable to a true dwarf in terms of temperament, or are the more like BI?
Oh and one random question about long-tails. They go through a color change, but do their eyes also get darker along with the rest of their bodies? Weird question but I’m curious lol.
If your looking for the smaller size then go caulker and get a male. I like the look of long tails personally. Boas in general are usually good eaters but theres always outliers. If you get a nippy baby, usually consistent handling calms them down. Ive been reading quite a few posts about people wanting boas but are dead set on 6’ being the breaking point? Sizes are estimation, not definitive as there’s plenty of boas that surprise the owner with getting bigger than what google says. Just remember boas in general are heavy bodied and can be a handful as adults no matter which one you get. My personal advice, go find a few adults of the boa you’re wanting (if possible) to see how it is handling one with some actual size to it. A boa at five foot with girth could really surprise you.
Thank you! And yeah no I know it varies, which is why I’m very interested in the Caulker Cay. From all I’ve seen, a male will likely max at like, 5ft. But even if he does get a bit longer, that will be fine too. It’s less intimidating than a normal BI, where 7ft is max, but it can still get over, if that makes sense? I’m not intimidated by holding big snakes, for me the biggest issue is size of enclosure as I always like giving above minimum. It’ll be a bit hard to give much above minimum for a snake that’s already massive.
Unfortunately I never saw long-tails or dwarf boas of any kind in person, not at reptile expos or stores. ): Never even seen a hog island in person. Otherwise I absolutely would.
I love the look of the longicauda, so that’s what I’d choose for myself personally, but I have no first-hand experience with either locality (the only boa I’ve handled in the last 20 years is my own mixed locality morph boa, and she’s still a baby). Definitely get a male if you’re wanting something on the smaller side. And it would be a good idea to talk to the breeder about the size of the parents. That can give you an idea of what to expect for adult size, but even then, that’ll just give you a ballpark projection. There’s always outliers, even within family lines.
If you want something small, you might look into the Tarahumara Mountain locality. They’re supposed to be among the smallest locality boas.