Are red tails friendly? I mean alot of people tell me some boas are some boas aren't. Obviously if you get an older one that hasn't been handled its going to be frisky and harder to calm down. But even when you have one as a hatchling do they still get funny when they are bigger? also is it true these guys reach 8-10 feet?
In the 15 years I've been around boas I have only seen one that was agressive to it's owner. Yet his younger brother could handle it like pussy cat, so we put it down the the youths "pheromones" we all give them off a like a scent. The snake picked this up with it's jacobson organ. I guess the boa didn't like it and showed agression. Even if they are a bit feisty when young, regular handling overcomes it, so you have no worries on that score. My biggest female has maxed out at just under 9ft but the juvie I have now, 2 yrs old and just over 4.5ft, I reckon will top 9ft+ easy. Males are usually smaller, under the 9ft The only time I have been bitten, was my own fault, mistakes at feeding time. Go get one and enjoy...lol
9ft is one hell of a snake. I've only ever owned lizards. I know boas can be for beginers but I don't think i've got the room and I don't want to have to find him a new home etc as that isn't fair. What size viv are we talking about here?
It depends on how often it is handled and the care given to it. If the owner never handles the snakes only to clean it's cage once a week throughout it's life for example. That snake may not be accustom to interaction and may be more prone to strike Vs one that was raised with regular gentle handling sessions. Most Boas will become and remain very calm and manageable if handled regularly early on and continues to be handled.
Large....for a 8-10ft long x 4-5ft wide would suit them well...i've seen them housed in tanks as small as 6x4. They generally arent aggressive - although all snakes are individuals...I have seen some really nice ones and some that were quick to strike - usually regular handling will avoid this problem. However, if you think you dont have the space...then you probably dont and shouldnt risk it. If you havent had a snake before - try starting with a cornsnake or a ball python first
I have to disagree with MimC about size of viv. A large viv is not really needed, not like a burm etc, they dont move much except to thermoregulate. I have successfully kept 2 adults in a corner viv 5ft high and 3ft down each side of wall. Female is almost 9ft and the male 8.5ft and they spend most of their time curled up with each other. Ben is now 16 yrs old and Saturn is 10 yrs old. They have been let out regular both free roam and handled and never had any problems. They have bred for the last 6 years with litters of between 40 and 48 each time. The viv is heated with a 250w ceramic in roof, giving me a temp gradient of 88/90 at top and 70 at floor level. Here's a pic of it. If you look carefully, you can see them both in sunken tub in floor. More pics of snakes at.. http://www.reptilerooms.com/forums/index.p...um&album=26
Food will also play a roll in adult size. If you feed them weekly and constantly larger and larger meals going into large rabbits. Naturally you may end up with a larger snake and more than likely an obese snake. If you feed to maintain after a certain point say after 2yrs and for example you only feed a male no larger than a medium rat every 10-14 days. You'll be able to maintain a manageable sized male in the 4-6ft range for many many many years. Females could be fed the same every 10-14 days, but no larger than Jumbo rats. Of course feeding females will vary based on whether they are breeding or pregnant or just dropped babies. You can somewhat limit their growth by the size of their prey and schedule. At this rate your females will be larger than your males and your females could be maintained at a nice 6-7ft and be housed in 4X2 cages quite comfortable.
I would like to keep it around the 6FT range. I don't think I can get hold of rabbits either. I know I can get rats gerbils mice etc though.
Just feed it one large or Jambo rat as needed, some people will shove 2-3-4 Jumbos. Just feed it to maintain health Vs growth, as a babies to about 1-2yrs they are growing and need more food, same as a growing child. But, as they get to about 2-3yrs they requier less food as they're not growing as much.
Oh I can get rabbits btw. I can get alot more then I thought :| Mice, rats, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits lol.
I would agree with ssscales about feeding, and not "powerfeed" like some do, all you end up with is a very obese snake that will probably have liver and kidney probs in later life and not live as long. For boas, I personally would stick with rats, 1) they are more readily available, 2) you get a greater variety of sizes, that will match size of your snake. I have known cases where people have fed gerbils and the snake has become "addicted" to them and refuse any other food, when they became too small for the snake, they have had great difficulty getting snake to move onto larger prey, such as rats. I had a cornsnake, when I ran out of mice I used baby stillborn rabbits from a breeder friend. When that supply dried up, my corn went on a 5 months hunger strike before he eventually started back on mice, so be warned.
Wow. Yeah well. I'm not jumping in at the deep end i'm certain of that. I'm going to think things through and see if I really do have room if not then I will leave it. Would a viv sized 4x2x2 be suitable for a red tail then? I have heard stories they viv length only has to be half the size of the body :S Is this true?
Hi, Firstly, well done for doing all this research BEFORE you decide, a lot of ppl just get one then realize they cant cope with it. A 4x2x2 will house a boa, no problem, as long as it gets handled and taken out for a bit of exercise. Regards the story of viv size, rule of thumb is, length + width = size of snake, so a 4x2 will house a 6ft snake, OK we have said previously boas grow to 8ft-ish but as they spend most of time coiled up and with time out of viv they will be OK in a 4x2x2. Out of the larger snakes, boas make great docile "pussy cat" type of pets and they do bond with the owner.
Oh ok great. Well, after more research I may consider getting one in around 6 months or so. Thank you for all this help! Is there any sites you recommend I should read?
Boas make great pets and if fed properly and not pushed they can remain a fairly manageable size and not require huge cages. Also there are other types of Boas that remain even smaller such as Dumerils boas, Hog Island Boas, Brazilian Rainbow boas, CA Boas. All of these on average remain under 6ft long. But, if Colombian Boas is what you want then go with that and just enjoy it. Don't over feed it and you'll have a manageable snake for many, many, many years.
