Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, I'm new to snakes... Well, not completely. I've had garter snakes. Anyways, I'd like to get a large snake, by that I mean a thick, heavy one. I don't mean a 15 foot Boa Constrictor, just a heavy thick tree boa or something. I've seen pythons and they look nice too. Anyways, my question here is what kind of snake should I get if my main criteria is; Thick, Heavy, and over 5 feet... Thank ahead of time for your help

Well, thick, long, and heavy... since you're asking in the colubrid section, the only thick and heavy colubrid I know of is the Eastern Indigo snake. They're endangered, so you'll likely need special permits.

Beyond that, boas and pythons will fit the bill. For ball pythons, you'd want a female... males don't get as big as females. I've also heard that there's a specific locality that gets larger than the rest (6 ft), but I'm no BP expert. Sand boas and rubber boas won't meet your criteria, either... Frankly, you're best off asking in one of the boa or python forums.

Of course, if your ONLY criteria is thick, heavy, and over 5 feet, there are plenty of venomous snakes that fit the bill too...

-Kat
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"You keep WHAT in your freezer?"
"Mice. And rats. If that bothers you, I can call them 'cows' instead."

A black milksnake, they can easily reach 6 feet and are pretty thick. IIRC they start out tricolored and end up a gorgeous jet black. They also are not too difficult to obtain or care for. Good Luck on your search!

I would suggest looking into a pituophis such as a bullsnake, pine snake or gopher snake. There are many species and many morphs to choose from and they are a good 5-6 feet in length. Nice snakes.
-Mick

Offhand I don't know of any colubrids that would fit the bill (I’m not really a big colubrid person, so I don't really know what all is out there), but since you did mention you'd consider a boa or python, here are my picks of those:

Boa constrictor imperator (Bci for short) is a good option - they would include the Colombian redtail boa (aka common boa or the ones usually found in pet stores), Central American boas, Mexican boas, Hogg Island boas, etc. Most male Bci don't get over 7 feet in length, the females can get slightly more - 8-9 feet on average but I've read of them reaching 10 feet in length…never personally witnessed it though the potential is there. The Hogg Islands are the smallest of the Bci, males usually around 5-6 feet in length. The Central American and Mexican varieties are also somewhat smaller than the Colombian cousins from my understanding. As a side note, I've not seen many of the Mexicans offered, as they are generally darker and not as mainstream appealing as the Central American & Colombians. Personally I still think they're beautiful, you just don't see them as often. The Bci are great snakes, generally docile dispositions, fairly easy to care for and beautiful (I have 8 total - 5 adults, 3 juveniles). Check out the Boa Forum here on KS for more info.

The ‘true’ redtails (Boa constrictor constrictor – Bcc for short) are typically larger (considerably) than the Bci to my understanding (don’t own any true redtails) but again the males will stay smaller.

Argentine boas (Boa constrictor occidentalis – Bco for short) are darker than either the Bci or Bcc and are also beautiful snakes (on my wish list of boas!). I believe they run in the same size range as the Bcc…so yet again, males will be smaller than females and a manageable size.

Dumerils boas are beautiful snakes – slower metabolism than the redtails and a much more intricate pattern IMO. Males will easily reach 6-7 feet but with a proper feeding schedule they won’t reach it as quickly as a redtail. They can be picky feeders but there are little tricks for those (like any picky feeder) and are well worth the effort. If you purchase a well-established animal or one from a reputable breeder, you shouldn’t have any problems.

Jungle carpet pythons are a good selection - beautiful snakes that stay roughly in the 6' range...not as heavy-bodied as the Bci though. Irian Jaya carpets are also a good bet...I don't know as much about them however, so don't know the maximum size expectations but I *think* they are also in the 6-7 foot range. Coastal carpets are great, but you are looking at a snake that should reach 10' if not more. I've only recently gotten into carpets so I would recommend checking the Carpet Forum here on KS as well as www.moreliapythons.com for more information on them.

The Brazilian rainbow boas, as well as the other rainbow boas (Colombian, Argentine, etc.), are all also within your size range, but requiring a more specialized environment (higher humidity, lower tolerance for husbandry errors, etc.). I have a Colombian rainbow - great snake - and they are a bit more forgiving in husbandry than Brazilians but not by a whole lot IMO.

Ball pythons are also great – males are typically 5 feet or less but females can easily reach 5-6 feet. They are relatively simple to care for and are very gentle snakes…overall great pets despite their bad reputation as difficult feeders. To prevent the possibility of problematic feeders, I’d recommend going with captive bred as they are generally bred from stock that has acclimated to captivity and the young tend to be less problematic. Balls make a great first python IMO - for what that's worth.

Though I don’t own any, childrens pythons as well as spotted pythons are both beautiful snakes though they do tend towards the smaller end of the scale (under 5-6 feet) but they also aren’t as prevalent in the hobby as some of the others if you’re just looking for something different. There are a number of other boas and pythons that I’ve seen but have little first-hand experience with, so I’m not certain of their adult sizes or temperaments, much less any requirements. As with any animal, I always recommend researching first…but these should get you started with a few ideas. Happy hunting! Raven

Actually, you're mistaken...(Not meaning to pick a fight, I just want to correct you.)

The smallest BCI is not the Hog Island boa. I've actually heard of quite a few Hogs that have gotten up to 7' long. The smallest BCI would be the Tarahumara boa. I've read that they stay small and females (who tend to be larger than the males) can even produce babies at just over 3 feet long.

I suggest that "Champagne" research the many types of BCI out there. There are quite a few different localities that stay under 6' in length, especially the males.

I've not heard of the Tarahumara boa. All of my Bci are Colombian (at least, to the best of my knowledge) and I have some first-hand experience with Central Americans and Sonoran desert boas. I've seen the Hoggs and was always under the impression they were the smallest...thanks for the correction.

Raven

np.

as a first snake (beside the garters) i dunno. as long as they are champgne is commited...

I instantly thought bloods . not to long , very thick. but he said he is new at this and bloods are agressive as hell(at least the young ones are)and are a high humidity snake , which is a pain in the but.
i'm thinking hogg island or ball. boas are agressive eaters and balls eat great if they are c/b in most cases.
anyway, if you want thick. corns and other colubrids are probably not what you are looking for.

The short tailed black borneo's ive actually held were sweet.There like big lumps of clay.I still wouldnt want to smell like a rodent arond them....Paul

some bulls and pines can get up to 8 ft but arent that thick..
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0.0.1 pacific gopher snake ; Mich
0.0.1 amel corn snake ; Andy
0.0.1 motley corn snake ; Shmee