I’ve narrowed my search down to three. They’re all similar in many ways. I’m reaching out to the community for some finer details of your experiences to help with my decision. I have herp experience, BRB and BP.
Bull Snake
Dumeril’s Boa
King Snake - open to options here. I want a heavier-bodied species, but open to compromises here (temperament, care, etc)
Thank you in advance.
If you’re looking for a heavier species like you mentioned then a dumerils boa would be the best option. King snakes are relatively slender and the boa would grow to be the most heavy bodied of the 3 
Where are you @tommccarthy? I believe you should make a suggestion here! A few of your boa pics might help @dm1210 make a decision……
I think dumerils boas are incredibly pretty, but i also love bull snakes so honestly i think i’d want both lol. If you’re looking for a heavier snake then i say definitely go for the boa. Also, you could consider other types of boas like Argentine boas which are my favorite kind
Here’s some photos of my argentine boa Dratini
I’m definitely biased towards boas and pythons because I find them more enjoyable to handle and interact with than colubrids, so my vote goes to the dumerils! I had one years back, and some unfortunate circumstances lead to me losing him but he was one of the most chill snakes I’ve had, and some day plan to definitely get one (or two 
) again.
I have zero experience with Boas I have no clue how those work but I do have a couple of bull snakes and I know that often they come with more fury than can fit in the sun but, i have a really sweet one you should talk to the breeder if you’re getting one to make sure you’re getting one that is handleable. I didn’t really ask around to see what the personality was because I was okay with the angry ones
The one have used to hiss trough black out bins she would look trough the crack in the top to see who was talking I think I kept waking her up ig.
I’ve been trying to calm her but it’s not working I’ve had her for about 1.5 years and she doesn’t calm down no matter how much I hold her, talk to her, vibe, etc.
I did have a king snake for a little while and they’re super sweet animals I don’t think they are typically high strung and they’re really good eaters
If you’re into heavier-bodied snakes, I’d definitely recommend the Dumerils from your list. They tend to make great pets from what I understand.
A boa (BI/BC) is another option worth exploring if you’re into heavier-bodied species. If you can accommodate a Dumerils, you could probably accommodate most boa localities as well, as many attain a similar size (though some localities have the potential to get larger than a Dumerils, and others stay quite a bit smaller).
Have you looked into the short tailed python species complex (3 species: blood python, Sumatran short tail, and Borneo short tail, all have very similar care)? They’re VERY heavy-bodied, but stay a very manageable length.
I am kinda biased as I love boas. Out of your choices I would get the Dumeril boas. If you buy a baby make sure it is eating good first. As new born babies can be stubborn to get them eating. The few I have owed were very tame but extremely strong. They would constrict me very hard to hold on to me. Never aggressively they where just holding on to me so they felt safe. Here is a link to some pictures of my Dumerils.
Thank you. I love the Dumeril’s. For the heavy-bodied, the bull would work too (fairly heavy for a colubrid. I felt like even the big kings might be too slender. Thanks again.
Beautiful snake. Thank you. And I agree with you. Both would be ideal.
Thank you. I have. I come back to the Dumeril’s because care requirements seem more manageable than some of the others.
Similar care? Apologies, I was thinking humidity for the others had to be much more specific and controlled
I meant that the care requirements are virtually the same for all 3 short tailed python species.
Actually, short tail husbandry is pretty similar to my BI, just with a slightly cooler hot spot. I keep my blood python at around 85F hot spot, warm end in the low 80s, cool end around 78F, with around 70-75% humidity. Which is almost exactly how I keep my BI, but I let the BI’s hot spot run a little warmer, like 89F. Short tails tend to get grumpy when they get too warm, and they are more finicky with humidity (meaning they’re more prone to things like bad sheds and URIs when humidity is off). BIs are definitely more hardy. And I think overall have nicer temperaments, though I got lucky with my blood girl, she’s pretty easy-going.
But the overall husbandry for the two species (bloods vs. BIs) is surprisingly similar given they come from opposite ends of the world. Similar climates, though.
I wasn’t thinking short-tail. Even though I knew what you were saying. Forgive me, clearly, I had a moment. I appreciate you. I’ll look into them again. I’d even take something “smaller” but bigger than the biggest ball. I really wouldn’t want more than 6’. But I’d want a female since the do get bigger. Maybe that’s the better question for you all. What’s heavy, 6’ max, good eater and fairly docile? Or at least will calm with regular handling. It will be handled a minimum of 2-3 times weekly, if that’s relevant.
Thanks again.
That’s a bit rhetorical since they were mentioned.
I’d say probably a male or dwarf locality BI would fit your criteria really well. My boa has the best temperament of any snake I’ve ever known, super docile and curious and seems to actually enjoy coming out and spending time with me. Boas are also hardy, easy to care for, and will always eat. They make awesome pet snakes.
Only thing that can get a little complicated with boas is just that there are a variety of species, subspecies, and localities (not to mention morphs), which can be a little overwhelming to research. But it also gives you a lot of choices. Whatever size and colour you want, there’s probably a boa to suit your tastes. There’s a YouTube channel called Brian Boas that has a lot of good info on boa care and he has a lot of videos that explain various localities in a very digestible way. Vin Russo also has a book on boas that gives a lot of detailed information on various localities, the histories of morphs, etc. If you’re a geek like me, researching boas gives you all kinds of fun rabbit holes to go down. 
Would a BI be a better choice for you than a Dumerils? That I can’t really say. I haven’t kept a Dumerils, so I can’t really say how they compare. I do know that Dumerils also tend to be quite docile and hardy, and tend to eat very well, so I think they have many of the same things going for them as a BI. I think @auriea has both a BI and a Dumerils, so maybe she can pop in and compare and contrast what it’s like keeping each species.
I keep boas (no dumerils though) and bulls & pine snakes. If you want the heaviest bodied snake then your choice is obviously the dumerils. Bulls and pines are certainly more heavy bodied than a king snake. If you want something with more personality, then the bull is probably the choice. Not that my boas don’t have personality, the bulls just have more. Some can be defensive, especially as youngsters, but I’ve found they typically grow out of this. If you haven’t considered a pine snake they are definitely worth a look. Extremely similar to bulls in size and temperament. My pines (with the exception of one individual) are hands down more laid back and easy to work with compared to my bulls. Not that my bulls are difficult to work with the pines just seem more calm and easy going in general.
Thanks for the tag @jawramik yes I do have both a BI and Dumerils.
My boa is a decade younger than my dum, (7 and 17) so keep that in mind when it comes to behavioral differences. My dum is a lot more mature.
That being said, in my experience boas are more energetic and more food motivated. They sit still less than dums. Eros will cuddle with me and watch tv for hours, Leo will be gone exploring in 10-15 minutes. That’s not to say he’s high strung or extremely energetic, like a colubrid. Once he finds a spot he likes, he’ll stay there for hours. But he’s more independent in nature. He likes to make his own decisions and it’s unlikely his spot of choice will be your lap. Probably under a dresser. Eros on the other hand, won’t typically pick cuddling over going for a stroll, but if you insist by getting him cozy, he’ll stay. In fact, he LOVES being cozy. He’ll wrap himself up in blankets if he can find a way to wiggle himself in there.
When it comes to others, or being introduced to other people, they both do a good job. But Eros handles it bit better. He’s been surrounded by crowds of children on multiple occasions at parks and does very well with all the attention. He sits still for the majority of it, or crawls around leisurely, sniffing people and things. He can get overwhelmed, but he’s unlikely to bolt or lash out until the very last moment, so I have plenty of time between then and now to ask for some space for him or tell kids snake time is over.
Leo is good as well, he has also been surrounded by kids and handled by kids, but he is more wiggly, his stress meter is shorter. He’s unlikely to lash out when he’s being respected, but he is more likely to than Eros and I have personally pushed him to that point on my own once. So I generally have to be more aware of his mental state and limits around kids than Eros.
Overall, Eros is extremely patient, very gentle, quite cuddly, good with kids, and unlikely to lash out defensively. But it is still important to take care of his mental health, watch his limits, and be respectful of him just as it would be with any other animal despite his patient nature.
Leo is more independent and explorative, he’s higher strung, a bit more defensive, but ultimately still good with kids under supervision.
They both tolerate being handled only moderately. They are both big snakes, and like big dogs, they don’t really like being picked up. It’s harder for them to feel secure like you’re not going to drop them. Leo will drop his tail like a rag doll when held and then he freaks out because his tail is dangling and that can be challenging to manage (and not great on his spine, I’ll imagine.) Eros will try to back up into more and more precarious positions and he will, out of fear of being dropped, squeeze the life out of you if you’re not careful. So handling is best as a sit-on-the-floor activity if you’re not experienced.
Outside of my boys, i have generally found that other people notice some level of the same difference between their boas and dums behavior wise. Shira Loa from snake therapy, who I chat with every now and then on discord, also has a bi and a dum. Her dum is younger than mine. She’s said much the same, she’s noticed Olórin to be more calm, cuddly, and patient than Severus her BI.
Size wise, they’re both 6ft. Leo is maybe a bit longer. Leo is like, 9lbs. Eros is 15lbs.
Pics for refrence:
