Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,
I am thinking of purchasing a baby Brazilian Rainbow Boa this week. I would like to hear from anyone that owns or has owned one - as I would like to hear peoples experience with these stunningly beautiful snakes. I have found a breeder that has been extremely helpful and has even allowed me to visit his residence to check them out in person. Lucky for me he is local but I found him online. Any help very appreciated!
Thanks Steve

Steve,
. BRBs are LOUSY pets for people who do not understand the importance of paying attention to small details. They are great pets for people who do pay attention to small details and are willing to do what it takes to meet the specialized requirements of these snakes. If you went to the breeders house and all you saw was pretty snakes then you are probably not the right person to get one of these snakes. But...... If you also thought to ask about the cage temperature and humidity requirements for these snakes and discussed how you can set up a cage with substrate and termperature and humidity control to meet these requirements then you are probably the right type of person to get one.
Jeff

Rainbow Boas website

Thanks Jeff,
Ahh see I knew I should have mentioned I own 3 Columbian Red Tail Boa's and have owned countless species of reptiles for years. I am not new by any means but just didn't feel the need to bring it up. I guess you assumed I was inexperienced. I have Argentine Black and White Tegu, Cyclura, Green Iguana's, Columbian Red Tails, Australian Water Dragons, Chameleons, Bearded Dragons, one Python and have a few years of breeding experience. My quiet demeanor through ya huh..lol..story of my life.
I have been around the block a little bit but have a lot to learn as we all do (thats why we are here right?), I didn't realize I needed to qualify myself first but now I know I may get a better answer that way. Thanks for pointing that out. As far as Boa husbandry, I am aware of the 80 degree ambient, 95 (give or take 4 or 5 degrees) degree basking, Aspen Shaving with a newspaper floor substrate, shedding, feeding out of the enclosure, providing fresh drinking water daily (if not twice daily), providing shelter - hide logs, f/t as compared to live feeders, custom cage as opposed to store bought etc... On the other hand - no kidding I have tons more I want to learn - for sure.

Anyway......
I am still looking for people with hands on experience with Brazilian Rainbow Boa's.
Does their care or temperament differ from that of Columbian Red Tail Boa's?
Is anyone currently keeping both species that noticed small or big differences of any kind?
Regards Steve - admirer of pretty little snakes..

Steve,
. That 95 degree basking temperature will kill a BRB. Aspen shavings are great for some other snakes but not so great for BRBs. Did you ask the breeder what the temperature and humidity was in his cages?
Jeff

>>Thanks Jeff,
>>Ahh see I knew I should have mentioned I own 3 Columbian Red Tail Boa's and have owned countless species of reptiles for years. I am not new by any means but just didn't feel the need to bring it up. I guess you assumed I was inexperienced. I have Argentine Black and White Tegu, Cyclura, Green Iguana's, Columbian Red Tails, Australian Water Dragons, Chameleons, Bearded Dragons, one Python and have a few years of breeding experience. My quiet demeanor through ya huh..lol..story of my life.
>>I have been around the block a little bit but have a lot to learn as we all do (thats why we are here right?), I didn't realize I needed to qualify myself first but now I know I may get a better answer that way. Thanks for pointing that out. As far as Boa husbandry, I am aware of the 80 degree ambient, 95 (give or take 4 or 5 degrees) degree basking, Aspen Shaving with a newspaper floor substrate, shedding, feeding out of the enclosure, providing fresh drinking water daily (if not twice daily), providing shelter - hide logs, f/t as compared to live feeders, custom cage as opposed to store bought etc... On the other hand - no kidding I have tons more I want to learn - for sure.
>>
>>Anyway......
>>I am still looking for people with hands on experience with Brazilian Rainbow Boa's.
>>Does their care or temperament differ from that of Columbian Red Tail Boa's?
>>Is anyone currently keeping both species that noticed small or big differences of any kind?
>>Regards Steve - admirer of pretty little snakes..

Hi Jeff,
I have become aware of some of the big differences in keeping BRB's to that of keeping other snakes in the last 24 hours. I came across your care sheet and that has been very helpful. Glad its out there for people to use. I have decided to hold off on purchase till I gather all the information and set up the best environment based on what I can find out, however long that takes. I will be asking the breeder tons of questions and will get to see his set up and compare it to other data I find through reading and talking with others. I sure don't want to rush it as it wouldn't be fair to the animal. Are they any books out there that will be helpful as well?
Thanks Steve

awesome boas. pretty well tempered as well. only time my baby braz. would bite was if you startled it.

Jeff is the expert but I've kept a few Brazilian Rainbow boas.
General observations...
Humidity is very important! I tried keeping a BRB in a "display tank" and couldn't keep the humidity up at a reasonable level (75-85%). Since I switched to rubbermaids- no problem but you can't easily view the snake. My BRBs hide 80% of the time. They only become observably active when they start getting hungry. I haven't found BRBs to be a really trustworthy snake when it comes to handling. One of my current pair will bite when given the chance, may be just my luck but I've had other types of snake that didn't try to bite me on a regular basis (my Colombian Rainbow for instance). I don't handle my snakes daily, so it may be different for someone that only keeps a few snakes and can take them out more frequently. They are beautiful snakes- I do appreciate mine when I see them, but I don't expect them to be a hang out sort of "pet".
Again, these are just some observations.
Lora

BRB's are simply awesome snakes. If you decide to get them, display them. I could'nt imagine having snakes this beautiful and not setting them up in an environment that shows them off. I have a 1/2 gallon pump sprayer that I use to mist the cage once a day (sometimes I'll miss a few days, not a problem with the adults as long as a good substrate is used like repti-bark covered with a thick layer of moss). Have a large water bath. I heat my adults using incandescent night lights, no under tank heaters (my sub-adults I keep in rubbermaid containers with heat pads, humidity is always very high). I believe this makes them more active as they move about seeking their happy place. Mine are active. Give them a temp. gradient between 70 and 90 degrees (in my display there are several spots with temps around 90, they rarely stay in these areas long but will frequent them like the female is doing in the back of the picture), high humidity, and your good to go. If you search around a little you'll find Jeff Clarks care sheet which covers most everything.
Pic came out kind of dark but you can see how cool it is to observe them.

Beautiful display cage. This is how they should idealy be kept. Of course, when you have a bunch of them it makes it harder but still, they look so much better.
I think the high humidity and moss, etc makes their skin look better too.