I noticed in the original post that the five foot boa was an albino. Is there a particular reason to get an albino instead of a normal or some other morph?

If the snake was intended to be a breeder, a two year old would obviously reach breeding age/size before a baby would. And that might make getting a five footer worth while, even if it's somewhat defensive.

On the other hand, if the snake is primarily intended as a pet, then I'd go with a younger snake that is more handleable. I would strongly recommend seeing a snake before buying if possible. This would allow checking the snake for mites, respiratory disease, physical condition, etc. A show lets you do a little shopping and compare snakes.

You might also consider boas that are not albinos. I tend to be a bit down on all albinos because there is a tendency to have inferior vision compared to nonalbinos. I've owned albino rats, albino pigeons, and an albino (AKA amelanistic) corn snake, and they all had poorer vision than the nonalbinos. The difference is small, but it can be seen. On the other hand, if you want an albino more than another snake, go for it. In my opinion, snakes are better able to compensate than other, more vision-oriented animals.

Hope this helps.

Paul Hollander

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