Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ive been looking into both these snakes for sometime now, but i am having quite the difficulty choosing one of them. I wish i could get both but i cant. Any suggestions from owners of these snakes. Both of these snakes fall right into what im looking for. 6-7 feet max good disposition etc. Any help would be apreciated.

Thank you

Both are stunning creatures. Absolutely beautiful. I ahve only had a dums, but I can say that this is the one snake I would not trade for anything. He is so cool and chill. He'll climb up my shirt and hang out for hours or lay on the couch next to me and watch some James Bond, at least the Connery ones. I don't know if that helps you at all, but from what I hear, Dums are all amazing animals.
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1.0 Dumeril's Boa(acrantophis dumerili)
0.0.1 Kenyan Sand Boa(Erix Colubrinus)
0.1 Significant other
0.1 Roommate
0.1 Cat(Burden)

I agree that both species are very stunning! However, that is about where the comparisons end. Brazilians require very high humidity and some can be quite nippy even as adults. Also, rainbow boas range in size, but most are similar to ball pythons when full grown. A female dumerils is much more similar to a BCI than a ball python in size. Handle both species full grown to see if you are comfortable with their sizes. I know I've posted this pic before, but it is a good size comparison as I am 5'3:

Here is a picture of an average sized brazilian:
http://www.mccarthyboas.com/Armstrong_Valerie01.jpg

Good luck!
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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
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2.17 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
My list is too long, so I'll stop here!

Thank you for your input, ive heard about the disposition of a rainbow boa being a little on the nippy side but ive also heards its all about how you raise them. However, im definetly leaning towards the Dumeril, is that a full grown female in that pic male? And where did you purchase yours. Its seems that it has retained most of its color which is nice to see.
thanks

It is a female and she is 5 feet long and 18 pounds (around 5-6 years old). We bought her last year and another similar sized female from a reptile store. Our male is much smaller (5 feet and 5 pounds) , in girth and he is the prettiest of them all! Here are some pictures of him with the same female as in the previous picture (who is in shed). It is breeding season, and apparently, pooping on your girlfriend is the way to go haha! The last picture is of my other female....she has some nice blushing (although the pic is just a head shot)! I can't wait to produce some babies with this trio!





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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
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2.17 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
My list is too long, so I'll stop here!

Wow, when I read your post about being 5ft and 18lbs it made mine seem ultra tiny. My male dum (Draco) is 6 yrs old and about 5ft and 5 lbs, same as your male. It seems males are much smaller in weight than females, which make sense considering they only need to be able to breed and not carry the young Plus, my male is an awful finicky eater and won't touch rats but never refuses his bunnys. Nice pics, thanks for sharing.
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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

I'd have to agree with Amy's post. These snakes come from radically different environments so your first question is how are you setup for proper housing? Can you accomodate a high humidity species like the BRB or a much, much drier species like the Dum? And while I love the looks of a high red BRB I love the sweet, calm disposition of my male dum. And his looks are "killer" as well. Good luck with your choice.
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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

I like Rainbows, Dumerils, and Hogg Islands but I do have to chip in on the BRB part.

I have a pair of Brazillian Rainbows and have been arround/familliar with many other rainbow boas over the years.

While some of the smaller rainbow varieties may be as small in length as a ball python I have never seen an adult Brazillian Rainbow that was that small. My pair are 24 months old in 2 days and each is already reaching 5 ft in length.

Now my female is much thicker in girth then my male as he went off food during breeding season but he is now about the diameter of a standard broomstick while my female is about 1.5 times as wide(approaching double his mass).

Granted both my BRB's only have arround a foot or less of expected length growth they have a ton of girth still to put on before their full grown.

As far as temperment I cannot say for sure with non Brazillian Rainbows but BRB's will always calm down and stop biting if they are regularly handled from a relatively young age. The problems with biting occur when people aquire imported animals as subadult's or adults at which time the snake is already set in it's ways behaviorally speaking. Even wild caught babies will calm down with handling. Keep in mind though that the feeding and defensive instincts with babies is very strong so even with captive bred and handled babies there is an initial adjustment period where they bite alot. Luckily this is over with very quickly once they are being handled regularly.

After handling a friend of mines female Dumeril I have to say that they are both about equally handleable and friendly but that they have very different personalities. Dumerils seem more calm and cuddly while BRB's seem more headstrong and inquisitive. Although my experience with Dumerils is limited to only a couple animals.

In terms of care BRB's are a little more demanding but once you either get used to it or have a low maintenance setup explained to you they really have virtually no more upkeep then any other boa. The main thing is you restrict airflow to a minimum so that the humidity stays where it is. Other then that you can either use a hi moisture substrate or go with the low maintenance option of paper/other dry substrate in conjuction with a moss box hide and a water dish large enough for them to occassionally submerge in. In the low maintenance option all you really need to do regularly is clean the mossbox and change the water.

Overally I would say to get whatever interests you the most but to make sure you have a correctly set up enclosure and care information before you buy the snake. The requirements and sizes of these species(BRB, Dumeril, Hogg) are similar enough that none should be excluded from consideration just for that. And if you do happen to decide on a rainbow or just are curious about them at some point we are very friendly over in the rainbow forum also.

Hope I was helpful.

Sean.

PS: shameless oportunity to share a pic of my male from awhile ago(would post a Dumeril also but don't have one)

...I forgot to mention is that when picking up a BRB you have to show no fear or hesitation.

They have a natural defense response to being touched of positioning as if they will strike(when they are still in their enclosure that is). This is even true of the tame ones. The difference is that once they are tamed they will not do anything other then posture, not even feigned strikes.

My male no longer even bothers to pretend he'll bite but my female still postures every time I go to pick her up. Keep in mind that neither of these two has ever struck me even as younglings(the breeder who produced them handled them as hatchlings).

The reason I say not to show fear/hesitate is not because they will strike if you do but because, as with most snakes, this will reinforce the behavior that if they threaten you they get left alone.

Once again good luck with whatever species you finally decide on and hope I was able to provide some helpfull info.

Sean.

Here is a picture of my male Dumerils. I want a Rainbow Boa but I need to wait until I move and have enough room for another habitat... They are both beautiful...

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