Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everyone, I will soon be in the market for a boa baby, but would like a snake that will get fairly large in adulthood. Somewhere in the max range for female boas. This is a matter of much confusion for me as I was always informed Colombians are the largest. Then I am informed that true red tails are larger than normals, and true Colombian red tails are almost non-existant in captivity and that a Guyana red tail would exceed the size of an average Colombian normal. Is this true?

If I am looking for a huge or rather large (in terms of boas) specimen, which species would be my best bet?

Any help would be GREATLY apprecciated.

Yes, true red tails get bigger than columbians... A guyana will get bigger than a columbian... so will a peruvian, suriname, and other true bcc's. But if you want something big... go with a python... such as a burmese or a retic, they will get alot bigger than a boa... especially a retic ... but if you do want a boa... a true red tail will get bigger than columbians by a few feet.
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2.0 Cats
1.0 Chihuahua mix
0.1 Guyana Red Tail
0.2 Columbian Red Tails
0.2 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Sulcata Tortoise
0.0.1 Leopard Tortoise
1.1.0 Kenyan Sand Boas
0.0.1 Western Hognose
1.3 Sugar Gliders
0.1 Chinchilla

I don't want THAT big though. I'd prefer something in the 9'-12'foot range. I don't want a 15' Burmese or Retic. Well, actually I really do want a Retic, but I couldn't house anything like that in the forseeable future.

Thanks for the help though. I am glad I didn't just get the Colombian like I intended. Aside from the size, I also find most of them alot less attractive than Red Tails.

Anyone know which locality generally reaches the largest size, or does it matter?

Just about any female BCC will get big so I would suggest buying the one you like the best. I have seen big Peruvians, suris and guyanas so if you like boas with peaks then go for a suri or a guyana but if you like yellow/gold then get a peruvian. BCC are slower growers than BCI's so it can take a long time to reach the 12 foot mark if it does at all. Personally I think BCC's look better than BCI when the become adults and unless you get a morph BCI that will most likly be the case. Maybe John Johnson will chime in here and post a picture of his large guyana and peruvian.

-Dylan
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True Redtails

Dylan, are you so busy running your own forum, that you cannot spend more time over here with the rest of us lately? Ha! Good hearing from you. Anyway, I own and have owned some really large B.C.C. and B.C.I. over the years. Typically, it seems that your " pure " Columbian Boas, will max out between nine and ten feet long and just really fill out in mass. Although, I have seen and had some 11footers. As far as B.C.C. and really any Boa " with some exceptions " I believe that size is souly dependent upon; " food intake and most of all genetics. " I do not believe, that it is locality, especially in the range of B.C.C. " Peruvians, Guyanas, Surinames ect. " ALTHOUGH, years ago when there was some " True " B.C.C. being brought in from the Amazon Basin Flood Plain, they did seem to be larger than most. In essence; " There is an exception to almost every rule, but you will be hard pressed to get a Boa of any kind, that will grow much past 11 to 12ft " If your goal, " and not saying that it is " is to get a Boa and feed it to death, to try and get it as large as possible. Maybe, you should go for a Retic or Burm. They seem to be able to handle overfeeding much better. Here is you some examples; " An almost 14ft Guyana found on the Essiquibo River. A 12ft Guyana found on the Dahmera River. A 12ft Melanogaster from Ecuador, that is huge in length and size. " Happy Hunting!.........Johnson Herp

Colombian females can reach 10+ feet. I have read Peruvian red tails
reach the longest length, but I'm sure the Guyanans do reach the same lengths.

Yeah, I had to look for quite a while, but from what I've read Peruvians are indeed the largest, apparently followed by the Surinams. I really like the look of both of them too, it's just too bad that the Peruvians are so damn hard to find at decent price.

So, if I don't end up getting a Conda (and even if I do get the Conda, I'll be getting a RTB in the future anyways), I guess I'll go with the Surinam.

The largest that I know of was a 15' suri at the san diego zoo, but I think she has died, I know of another guy who post here from time to time with a 13-14 foot guyana. I have a pair of suris that were born from a WC female that was supposed to be about 14' but I can only take the guys word that she was that big. I do not know of any peruvian that larger but Im sure its possible and may already exisit.
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True Redtails

Ah, thats good to know. Doesn't really matter either way though, as I definitely wouldn't complain about getting a Suri instead of a peru anyways. They both rule.

I don't know the I'd show ya guys a few of these pictures of large adults I found. The Peruvian one in particular is freaking amazing....

Check out this girth!
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/bigperuvianboa.jpg

Now the Surinams..

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/BigSurinamBoaAttila.jpg

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/BigBoaDanMulleary.jpg

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/BigSurinameWithWoman01.jpg

http://www.mccarthyboas.com/BigSurinameWithWoman02.jpg

Here is my big female Colombian. She is just over 9.5 feet long and 50-55 lbs. She is 11 years old and is expecting her first litter of babies in late May. Good luck with which ever boa you go with. They are by far my favorite reptile. Derek

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Derek Roberts
Sonoran Reptile Breeders
sonoranreptile@cox.net
"I remember the first war, the way the sky burned
The faces of angels destroyed
I saw a third of Heaven's legion banished
And the creation of hell
I stood with my brothers and watched lucifer fall
But now, my brothers aren't my brothers" -- Zao

That peruvian looks like it's about to constrict the guys arm off of his body.

Ive kept Colombians,Guyanans,Suris,and Peruvians...the females of all of them get fairly large,BUT if it is going to be your first boa Id say start with a colombian...the trur reds IF not captive born can be a bit of a problem with temperment regurgitation and other health problems...if you must have a true red id say go for a nice captive bred peruvian.