So, I’m pretty well decided that some sort of BC is going to be my next snake. I’m still at least several months out from pulling the trigger, but I’m a planner, so I have a few questions I’d like some feedback on as I slowly move forward with my plans to add one of these amazing snakes to my life. I’ve lifted my self-imposed ban on looking at boas in the marketplace, mostly so I can get an idea of what the species/locales/morphs I like are selling for so I have a better idea of how much money I need to have squirrelled away for the purchase of the snake itself.
My primary concern is temperment. More than anything else, I want a boa with a nice personality. To that end, I ideally plan to be able to meet and handle the animal before purchasing it, so I’ll most likely either get something from an expo or find a breeder within a reasonable driving distance.
Even so, is there anything (species/locale, morph, or sex) that I should plan to avoid? Are there any BC species or locales that tend to be more nippy and defensive than others? I know that in some species, it seems that certain morphs have a genetic link to more high-strung and defensive temperments (like pied retics for example). Are there any boa morphs that have a tendency to be more high-strung? And what about sex? I know that in some species, males seem to be more prone to having issues with feeding and/or being more grumpy and hormonal around certain times of year. Is that the case with boas? My preference would be to get a female, just because they’re larger and I have an irrational preference for female snakes, but I’m just wondering how much I should prioritize sex.
I’m of course aware of the fact that snakes are individuals and they all have unique personalities. I know that any answers to these questions will be generalizations and that there will always be exceptions, but I still feel like those generalizations would be helpful to know about.
Thanks in advance for any guidance you fine folks can give me! I love having this community as a resource, and I very much appreciate all the kind and helpful people here who are willing to give relative newbies like myself the benefit of their experience.
Nics and Central Americans can be a bit more nippy as babies but they grow out of it. Boas in general are super placid though there is the super rare exception. It really doesn’t have to do with morph (WC and CB tend to be higher stung). If you are going to get a locality, I only recommend you do know CBB.
As for sex, I would get the female. There isn’t a difference besides size. If you think that you can handle a bit more size, of course.
Thanks for your response! That’s good to know that there aren’t any temperment issues linked to locality, morph, or sex. I’m not really concerned about a nervous or nippy baby that will tame down, as most snakes tend to be more nervous and nippy as babies. I just want to (hopefully) avoid ending up with a nervous and nippy adult, haha. I’m definitely not interested in anything that’s not CBB.
That video was very informative, thanks for sharing! It’s definitely helpful to visually get an idea of their growth rate, as well as the size difference between males and females. My preference is definitely for a female…unless I find a male who is just too pretty to resist.
That’s what I’m currently trying to figure out, haha. There are so many beautiful options to choose from, it’s honestly a little overwhelming!
At the moment, for colour, I’m leaning in the direction of hypo or some type of albino. Or maybe blood. For pattern, I really like the more unusual patterns, like motley, jungle, and aztec. I also love leopard.
I’m also trying to decide how much money I want to spend. For example, I really love the look of Argentines, as well as morphs like sterling and IMG (especially IMG), but I’m waffling a bit on how much getting something like that is worth to me money-wise, especially when there are plenty of other beautiful options that are a lot less pricey. But I do love those Argentines…
So basically you like just about everything. Which is a good place to be. Hitting up an expo will be the best way to help you decide. So many morphs are difficult to capture well on camera. Leopard for example is so amazing looking in person, and they’re down right near impossible to capture accurately.
Yeah, pretty much. Not gonna lie, part of me was almost hoping that people would come in here and say, “Oh, you definitely want to avoid X, they tend to be super grumpy,” just to help narrow down my options a bit. Y’all were no help at all!
I vouch for this, as I have a hypo leopard and I can’t get any of the greys, blues, pinks, reds, browns, orange, and blacks to show up at the same time in pics. The tiny freckles she has are the best parts on her and they never show up right
You’ll love boa constrictors, great choice. You’re approaching it right by taking your time and starting your search early. Once you decide what checks all your boxes I’d:
-Search for images/videos of the morph/local you like as an adult. Most boas change with age (coloration), make sure you’re going to like the end result.
-Pay attention to breeder ratings/reviews on MM before making a purchase. Go with a reputable breeder whenever possible.
-I alway ask for pictures of the pairing so I can get a better idea of how the individual may mature.
-If you have no plans to breed then “het” (100%, 66%, 50%) won’t matter a whole lot to you in most cases but usually raises price tags.
Overall setting a realistic budget can help narrow your search down quickly.
Somehow I’m even managing to struggle with this! The fact is, I could manage to afford something a little pricier (like in the $1k-2.5k range, much more than that would be a stretch for me) by taking a little more time to save up and/or paying in installments, I just can’t quite decide if I want to do that. Currently, however, I’m leaning more towards getting something less pricey, that I could pay for upfront without having to spend extra time saving. It’d be one thing if I had plans to breed, in which case it would make sense to make that extra effort, but since I’m just looking to get a pretty pet, I feel that extra expense is a little harder to justify. On the other hand, those Argentines and IMGs are awfully tempting…
I’m probably just going to have to see where I’m at financially when I’m ready to actually pull the trigger and go from there.
You’ll be able to get an amazing animal in that price range, even towards the lower end. I lean towards only buying what I can afford to pay in full as well.
I don’t see the price dropping on local specific animals like those Argentines but IMG is very popular and a dominant trait so as they become more readily available the price will most likely come down a bit on them for the next couple years. At least that’s what I’m banking on!
Looking forward to seeing what you go with, its exciting to get your first boa. You know im partial to suriname red tails but you cant go wrong with a boa. In my experience Argentine boas were sassy. As adults they always had a raspy hiss which I honestly thought was cool but never bit me and stopped once picked up. I can’t wait to get another. Have fun and wait for that pefect one, it’s worth it.
Boas are the best. Sounds like you are wanting to spend a decent amount to get excactly what you want… but personally I love my 50$ boas just as much as my 400$ ones. I also have a rescue thats amazing & he needed a home. Your best bet is just to go to an expo thO & fall head over heels with one you find!
Unfortunately Tinley is pretty far away for me. I’m in southern California. I’d love to go to Tinley sometime, but it would be a pretty expensive trip for me just get there and stay there, even if I didn’t buy anything.
But I am within driving distance from the Los Angeles area, and there are a fair number of expos that pop up there, so I’m sure I’ll be able to go to an awesome show one of these days. I think there’s actually a show in Anaheim this weekend, but I’m getting ready to go on vacation next week, so I kinda need to use this weekend to shop and pack for that trip. Plus now is not the right time for me to get a new snake, so it’s probably better if I avoid shows for now, otherwise I’m going to end up impulse-buying something I shouldn’t.
I’m in SoCal too. I was stoked to see Richard Ceniceros lives here as well. He has a line of RC Pastel that he infuses into various morphs. Be sure to check him out in your hunt. He’s here on MM, FB by his full name and I believe IG goes by theboakid.
He met me locally so I could pick up and avoid shipping cost/stress. Great breeder and awesome guy to deal with.
If it is your first boa I think you are better off with a imperator and not with a BCC or a BCO (Argentine).
I think that when I read what you want the most impressive snake you can buy that is big, awesome and also easy to handle and care for is a female IMG (with motley if you have enough money). Atm a IMG motley goes for about 1000-1500 and IMG only you can pick up for about 500. I have seen as low as 300.
I personally very much like it when a IMG only keeps some pattern. Makes it more interesting.
In my opinion a big black boa is almost unbeatable when it comes to awesomeness. Can you imagine a 8 foot all black apex predator with a crazy iridescence being your friend…
