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which would be better as a first snake a BRB or a Hog Isle boa?

rdude,
...You don't really expect to get an objective answer to your question here on the RAINBOW BOA forum do you? You need to consider much more than just our biased opinion on which is the better first snake. This is much more about what kind of person you are rather than differences between two snakes. Are you willing to really learn about these snakes so that you can make an intelligent decision based upon all the available information? Are you also willing to learn about care of snakes in captivity so that you can provide the correct habitat and food for either of these snakes? You are not going to find the answers to these questions asking simple questions on these forums. Get some books, spend some time and learn enough to decide on your own which snake to get.
...BTW, most people in this hobby consider Cornsnakes to be the ideal first snake. They are beautiful and do not get too big and are easy to handle and tame and they do not have very demanding husbandry requirements. Rainbow Boas and Hogg Island Boas are larger and can be difficult to handle for inexperienced keepers. The husbandry requirements of Hogg Island Boas are much more difficult than a Cornsnake and Brazilian Rainbow Boas are even more demanding than Hogg Island Boas.
...And finally, there are many nonvenous colubrids outside the USA.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>which would be better as a first snake a BRB or a Hog Isle boa?

Dude, look at which forum you're on, Don't think you'll find an umbiased answer here.

BRB of course!!!

Seriously, both have totally diferent requirements, research them both and see what you prefer.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
13.24 BRB
12.14 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Jeff made good points. Hog Islands and Rainbow Boas both have different requirements, are fairly large snakes, though rainbows are a slender boa compared to most Boa Constrictors and their relatives. Rainbows boas tend to be smaller, most not getting bigger than 7 feet where most boa constrictors can reach as long as 12 feet. (I know, males are shorter). Rainbows are not as heavy for their length and boas can pack a much greater weight to them.

Their care requirements are different but with proper research and a properly setup enclosure, neither are hard to maintain.

Both are beautiful snakes and can be very rewarding as pets. Neither I would consider a beginners pet, both due to the extra work needed for proper humidity, handling and their size, though the smaller species of rainbows don't get much bigger than your average corn snake. However they can be nippy when young and if they bite as adults, it hurts, it bleeds and depending on where the bite is, can be a risk. Corn snakes, as adults, don't bite hard, don't bleed as much or at all and corn snakes are less likely to bite for the most part. (always the exception to the rule of course. All animals with teeth can and often do bite. Cats and dogs do it all the time).

Research both snakes, find out their care requirements, read forums such as those here and on other reptile sites, learn the common problems (mites, respiratory infections, impactions etc), check classified ads, find out the prices they are going for. Find out the adult sizes each species can obtain, both for males and females. Decide if you have the room and capability to house an adult for the 20 years of its life. When you learn you have the knowledge to proper care for these snakes, the space and ability to house them comfortably as adults and don't have concerns about handling a big snake and the spare money for vet bills should they come up, pick the snake that fits your lifestyle, budget, apartment/home space, personal taste and future plans and buy it.

It really doesn't matter what other people think is the best snake, what matters is what you think is the best snake for you. Ask us instead, on how to care for rainbow boas, as the people in the hog island/general boa forums how to care for hogg island boas. Research both species and their subspecies. Do a search on Google, read the care sheets you find....read all of them, not just the first one or two. Find the conflicting information, come back to the forums, ask about them, read books as well. Tons of information available to the trade now. Understand there is no one way to care for snakes of any kind, many different methods will work. Understand why by understanding what the snakes need. Learning what their natural habitat is like (temps, density of forests/fields etc, humidity, activity times etc) and how they behave in the wild, provides all the information you need to duplicate the snake's needs in captivity. Keep in mind what the snake would do in the wild, when the temps soar really high or drop low. Do they hide from the high temps during the day in dark burrows, or bask in the open soaking the heat like a sponge and love every minute of it? Do they avoid heat altogether by being active only during the night?

All these things will indicate how best to keep the snake in captivity. No need to reproduce the daytime highs of their natural environment, only provide warmer locations for the snake to go to when he wants to warm up and cooler areas he can go when he is warm enough and doesn't want to over heat.

One last thing. Don't think the research, all that reading and hunting, as boring work, but as exciting adventure. You get to know more about your snake, understand what drives it and more importantly, how to make it thrive under your care, live a long healthy life with little to no problems and be a companion for you for decades to come.
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PHLdyPayne

Based on my experiences, whatever you get...

1.) Get a CAPTIVE BRED AND BORN
-Captive bred snakes are healthier
-Captive bred snakes are often more tame - (they haven't been out in the wild since birth and that actually makes quite a difference!)

2.) Get a BABY (As young as possible)
-The way a snake is cared for makes a huge impact on its tameness. Getting an older snake that may have been ill-cared for or stressed might result with a snake more ready to bite
-Can't teach an old dog new tricks - older snakes that bite will usually always be that way, whereas a nippy youngster, once handled often tames down quite well.
-A small bite hurts a WHOLE LOT LESS than a full grown one.
-A small snake gives you an opportunity to experience a nip while its smaller so you can be aware of what to look for when it shows signs of defense or striking.
-A small snake will get used to your handling quickly and will help result in a tamer adult that you know and trust.

My experience...

In 2000, I bought my first Ball Python (an excellent beginner snake! - probably the best started snake around IMO). I've had corns, colombian/guyanan/suriname redtails, Brazilian and Colombian rainbows and Jungle Carpets.

Ball Pythons - slower, less active snakes. All of mine have been the tamest snakes I have ever had. Full-grown, they are a managable. They are very beautiful and I really enjoy mine.

Corns - These guys are really active, even when held. They have also been tame. They are very easy to care for and come in a range of colors and are relatively cheap to boas and pythons. I was into Corns for about 6 months. Here's why...

Redtail Boas - A friend of mine had one of these and when I held it for the first time, it was a feeling of "wow - what an intense and amaizing snake". A nice clean on with a really red tail is by far my favorite of snakes. I traded my corns and for one of these . Come to find out - 10 feet and 25 pounds of snake is a LOT to handle. You'd be surprised how difficult they are to care for at that point. Enter my wake-up call.

Brazilian Rainbows - I have been fortunate enough to get a pair of Rainbows from both Jeff Clark and Dave Colling. These snakes are nothing like Redtails - they are more "exotic" to me. They have a different feel to them and these snakes have more deliberate actions to them. Plus, most people don't know what they are (which is always cool to be an educator). These snakes have grown on me and have become the crown jewel of my collection.

Jungle Carpets - About a month ago I was lucky enough to get a hold of a pair of baby CBB Jungle Carpets. These snakes are very very different looking to anything in my collection - and they are also proving to be the next challenge and increased level of difficulty for me. For 6 years, I had never been bitten by a snake. I had made some careless errors - but through my experience, I have been able tell when a strike is coming and am usually fast enough to escape them. These youngsters bite anything that moves. Over the month - I have tame the female down to where she doesn't even strike anymore. The male used to strike me 15 to 20 times when held and now one strike is usually the case.

So what does this all mean? Well, It has taken me quite a while to get an idea of which snakes are right for me. In between each type of snake and often a few hundred $$$, I've been able to go to Reptile Expos and do lots of exciting research. I've joined my local Herp society (LGCHS) and been able to take my specimens to zoos to teach others.

As far as the snakes I have, had I the space - I'd have several different types and sizes of snakes. I want to eventually have a pair of all Rainbow subspecies and get a hold of a pair of Hogg Islands and perhaps another small Redtail locality. But what I've realized, is even though Redtails might be favorite - I can't care for them right now - so I've gone for equally amaizing snakes that aren't as big. All of my snakes are incredibly tame (except the JCPs) and all have their differences and benefits. I have made mistakes and even had one die due to my errors, but at the end of it all, I learned for my mistake and have improved. Mistakes happen to most of us.

Now I spend over 2-3hrs a week cleaning and caring for my 3 pairs, and it is the 2-3 hrs of my week that I will never sacrifice for anything else. My friends and family call me "Steve Irwin".

At the end of the day, I still have Ball Pythons and they are my overall suggestion for a beginner snake.

Sorry this is so long! Enjoy your experience and good luck.

1.1 BRBs
0.0.2 Normal Balls
1.1 JCPs

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-Iman

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

I disagree just a bit..

As a blanket statement for all snakes, this can get many in trouble.
"2.) Get a BABY (As young as possible)"

While I agree with a lot of your logic. With BRBs and boa constrictors, you should be ok with this logic as they are both known to be aggressive eaters. There are, however, many snakes out there that this is not the best approach. There are several species that are notorious for being difficult getting started on food - as a result I would word this as get a "well started" animal. Some individual animals from the world of Chondros, carpets, ETB's, blackhead pythons, kings and many of the "non-rodent" eaters in captivity can be a bit tricky to keep healthy while small. W/ some of the species above it is rare, and usually just an individual animal but w/ some i.e. kings, it can be a pain in the rear - there is nothing more frustrating for a new owner than a snake that won't eat. It requires more patience then most will have and creates more stress then enjoyment. As a result, it often scares them away from hobby.

Not to get into a huge debate here, but I would also try to find one that is already eating frozen thawed rodents, and in some species (again mainly morelia) already eating rats. I don't want to debate the pros/cons of eating live vs frozen/thawed - will simply say for a first experience, I think it is safer for the snake and there for less things for the keeper to worry about while going through the initial "learning curve".

In short.. get a young, well started healthy animal from a quality breeder that you have talked w/ and have a good feeling about. Once you have selected a species, research those that are working with that species. Find one locally if you can for your first buy. It is nice to have someone close that you can "befriend" a bit if you need advice or help. Also, be careful w/ local reptile shows, as often the animals you find on tables there where purchased wholesale just a few days before the show.
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photos.xtremecombatsports.com

I think we're building a pretty good "best practices" discussion here...
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-Iman

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.

i was considering a chondros because they are supposedly the same level as brbs but i decided against it when i was the two snakes together(seperate tanks no duh!)

and sorry about the outside of north america thing, i meant outside of milk, king, rat, corn, and a few others(like indigos)

sry old post, i decided to get a brb, i met my friends and now im hooked, and please dont lose your heads i have till june to learn

well my 150$ will be in your pocket in june!lol

...and good suggestions have already been made. Lately I have been wishing I kept more of the Hog Isle's than my beloved Rainbows. The top reasons are the cleaning and feeding. My Hogs are much calmer than most of the Rainbows and don't eat as frequently. Their cage stays clean much longer....and they aren't so seclusive.

Okay, I said it. Those Rainbows are sure pretty though!

Linda

>>which would be better as a first snake a BRB or a Hog Isle boa?
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