Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey - to start off - I love animals. Currently I have 1 dog and 1 cornsnake. Sometimes it is hard to not put my animals before myself. But - to get to the topic - I'm pretty sure I want a boa! I got my corn about 2 months ago and am totally not regretting it. She has shed, eats well, and is already very easy to handle (just a baby). The thing is though - I want a really big snake - and I just love the way boas look. I am not in a rush to get one though - possibly within the next year or two - depending on my current commitments - but I know nothing about them! There are just so many different kinds of boas and the internet is full of information but quite vast and can be difficult to find exactly what you're looking for. I am very very new to snakes in general and I still don't understand what all the morphs are ect. I would be really appreciative if someone could point me in the direction to some very in-depth knowledge about boas xD. I would really like it if someone could recommend a book or two too!

Awesome that you're interested in knowing about what you're in for BEFORE you have a Boa in your house and in your life! Very smart and kudos for that, first and foremost!
Boa are amazing animals in their own right then, mix in morphs, amazing colors, genetics, and before you know it you have more boas than you have fingers!! LOL, don't laugh, thats how it happened to the majority of people on this forum!!

As for books, I would suggest "Boas in Captivity" by Vincent Russo , Professional Breeders Series versus the normal edition only for the fact that it has more in depth descriptions of a lot of todays morphs in that one versus the regular edition. Since you said you know nothing about them, this book will help you from step one and beyond in picking out , caring for, etc your new boa when you're ready.

The other book I would strongly suggest is "What's wrong with my Snake?" by John Rossi D.V.M.,M.A. It , as the title suggests, goes over a ton of common things related to the health and well being and general problems that are associated with being a snake owner as well as some home remedy suggestions. Again, not knowing much about Boas and the size the will get and issues associated with housing a reptile and their needs, these books should be a staple in your home and will come in handy countless times. Bonus, they're not expensive nor hard books to follow and have plenty of photos not to mention can be found online , amazon, or local reptile or pet stores, usually.

Lastly, I would suggest maybe finding out when a local reptile show is going on in your area and checking it out! Seeing these animals in all the colors and SIZES will give you a great deal of tangible info that will help you decide if these animals are right for you and your lifestyle! These are no corn snake!!

I hope this helps... I'm sure there are way more intelligent people on here that can offer even better advice!! Good luck

Jamess

Thanks for the reply xD. I will definitely order those books asap. One more question though - where can I find information about any local reptile shows? I live in small town Minnesota and am really not too sure what would all be around here.

No problem. I would say google Repticon and see if they sponsor any local shows near you. Look around for a local reptile store, they would probably have info too on shows. Good luck!!!

Jamess