>>My questions concerns the size, temperment, hadling, eating behavior, and any other important information that you wise people may offer. Truely my main concern is how big will he/she get and how aggressive? I'm looking for the smallest species of boa (columbian and male. is that correct??), but I'll take docile over anything. If you would vote that I'm ready for a boa than please give me some good breeders to purchase from.
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>>Thanks for all the help in advance and sorry for the long message. Just trying to be thorough.

To me this is like comparing apples and oranges. Ball Pythons tend to be extremely docile, to the point of comatose. They internalize fear and stress and do not strike or anything that many snakes do by reflex. (no, not all BPs but MANY)
Boas, while being quite calm, are not always gonna back down when afraid, will come at you when hungry and will eat with a great deal more enthusiasm. They have more growing to do for one thing.
A BP will live out it's life in a reasonable sized enclosure. A Boa is gonna at some point need a LARGE(several hundred dollar) tank or a custom made enclosure.
Take your BP, double it's length and quadruple (at least) it's weight and strength.
Temperament.....to me a BP is, like I said, comatose compared to most other snakes. Boa's.....be sure you hand pick a total sweety for your boa. I have seen boa that were sweet and others that were just a little bit psycho. So you won't be able to just pick an average boa and think it will be totally calm.

I have had snakes all my life and it was only in the last year that I decided to get into boa. One, to me they are a bigger commitment. Two, I didn't meet that many I liked.
I work in a pet store and we get more boa that come back into the market that are starved, sick or generally just neglected. Some are sold to us because of fear of an animal that got bigger than was originally imagined. Some get tired of feeding them, some have new human relationships that limit their pets. ( a new human that is fearful) . Some get brought in and dumped. "I found it in my yard....." from people who may be sincere or more likely (I am a cynic) are lying to get out of the responsibility.
My point....it is harder to rehome a giant snake. Be very sure you aren't gonna get bored with it and think you will just rehome it. Be sure your life will allow for a big baby for the next 20yrs. Or you have the patience to take time finding it another home.
Okay, I am done rambling.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

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