>Is there such a thing as a dwarf or Nicaraguan boa?



There are dwarf boa constrictors, but they usually go by names like Hogg Island or Crawl Cay boas. My experience has been with boa constrictors that were probably imported from Colombia.



>If not, how in the world might I know what the store actually has?



From the price, odds are that it is Boa constrictor imperitor. That subspecies is found from northern Mexico to northern and western Colombia. While some pet store operators are good, many will lie like a rug. Rule of thumb: get independent confirmation of anything a pet store operator tells you unless/until you know enough to do it yourself. IOW, if a pet store guy says another pet store's snakes have mites and his do not, assume there are mites on snakes from both stores.



>Are there other smaller boas that would be good for a beg/int herper? And how might they compare to a ball python?



Other possibilities include spotted pythons and rainbow boas. Rainbows are a little demanding as to humidity, especially the babies. Colombian rainbows get around 4 feet long while the more colorful Brazilians max around 6 feet. I've never kept a spotted python.



I like both boas and balls but boa constrictors a shade better than ball pythons because the boas I've had were considerably easier to get to take f/t. OTOH, when I was keeping ball pythons, almost all were wild caught. And I got at least one good deal on a WC ball python that was on a hunger strike. Turned out all he wanted was a nice quiet hiding box and a live mouse.



>How would you compare pet store buying to having your snake shipped to you?



Pet store - major benefit is seeing what you are buying. Shipped in- major benefit is lower price. This time of year, shipped snakes are likely to freeze to death in transit.



IMHO, the best place is a reptile sale/swap meet sponsored by an amateur herpetology society and advertized as captive bred only. Many of the amateur herp societies around the country have adoption programs, too. If you check google, you may find an amateur group near you where you can get a line on local breeders, swap meets, adoption programs, long term captives that the owner wants to sell, and tips about the species you are interested in. Good luck.



Paul Hollander

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