Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which is the coolest snake between pythons and boas according to you....and i would also ilke to know why ? I know its the boa forum so i guess your pretty much all hooked on boas...but i'm gonna ask the same question on the python forum and wait for an awnser...i might one day choose one of the two category to be my next pet and i was wondering what are the main differences or interests to go fr one or the other....i tend to prefer the boa heads ( as compared to say...a ball python head ) and pretty much like the red-tails , but anyhow , just tell...why do you like what you like the most ????

Hey,

I was looking to purchase a Borneo Short-tailed Python 2 years ago at a show. Before I actually put down my money, I did a lot of research on keeping this animal. It was not recommended as a good "Starter" or "First" snake.

My research took me to consider one of two animals. A Ball Python and a Redtail boa. At the time, I wanted a smaller snake because of the kids I had around here and because of the girlfriend who didn't want to see a HUGE animal crawling about on the floor of her apartment.

However, through my research I found that baby Ball Pythons can not only be extremely "snappy" but they are very picky eaters. But.....that was the smaller of the two.

I opted with a Columbian Red-tail Boa and I'm very glad I made that choice. He eats well, looks great. Loves to be handled and played with and is GREAT around crowds. He's NEVER struck at me, although that doesn't mean there won't come a day where I catch him in a bad mood or he mistakes my hand for a big rat. You ALWYAS have to be careful.

Anyway, consider this also. In my opinion, the overall care sheet specs are a little more demanding for a Python as well. Take into consideration the humidity requirements etc.....

Do your research and you'll make the right choice!

I hope this helped!

Both Snakes are EXCELLENT creatures.

BCCs/BCIs are more muscular snakes that are more precise in their actions and are an intimidating creature that seems to fear noone. They also get quite big.

Balls on the otherhand are shy, reclusive animals that have a more 'exotic' look to them. They are a smaller snake and somehow their facial features seem to make them 'friendlier' to people. Though they are generally lethargic, each snake seems to have a personality of its own!

On this regard, it's not the snake you have but the personality that comes with it!

I started with one ball... then got a second... my craving was not complete until I got my BCI. All eat like champs. All are tames as can be. They both have their ups and downs, but I have to say, the first Ball I purchased is my favorite snake.
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-Iman

1.1 Balls
0.1 Boa (BCI)
0.0 Experience
100.0 LOVE

Helping to Love
Loving to Learn
Learning to Help

Although I love both boas & pythons, I would have to say that the boas are my favorite. Although it is hard to beat a nice-looking, fat Royal python, Angolan, or high-yellow Jungle Carpet!

I like the boas more because 1.) there seems to be more variations (i.e., all the different varieties, subspecies, and morphs of Boa constrictors, Erycines [Sand boas, rosies, rubbers, etc.], Tree boas, Dumerils & Madagascarensis, Candoia, etc.); 2.) Many are "stouter" (that is shorter and fatter) a very attractive look for snakes in my opinion; 3.) Boas generally give live birth (you don't have to mess around with eggs and all the incubation headaches), and 4.) Boas in general seem to be less aggressive and more handleable (there are exceptions, however, to every rule!).

If you are interested in keeping smaller snakes (e.g., under 4-5 feet), boas give you more options.

Just my $.02.

SSSammy

I prefer boas over pythons for many reasons. They are more challenging to try to breed, have a nicer coloration variety then most pythons, are readily available on the market..And bci are the largest of the smaller animals that I want to keep and deal with. (had burmese pythons and when I had kids decided mutually with the wife.lol. to keep smaller animals.)
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Randall L Turner Jr.
www.aircapitalconstrictors.com

You never experience life until you have kids..then you realize what you should have done rather then what you did do

The Arabian sand boa, Eryx jayakari. Can't beat an egg laying boa with eyes on top of its head!
I think blood pythons are a close second. BC's are awesome but I don't have any yet because I can't pick which kind is coolest.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

How wild !

I don't own any myself, there are only a few breeders and the snakes go for something like $300 each. I currently have to settle for Mueller's sand boa, which also lays eggs but has eyes that are only slightly on top of their heads.

Here's a link to a good page about them!
Arabian sandboa page

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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

Thanks for the pics, very interesting, I've never seen one before

Sand boas are just that cool. Live birth doesn't make or break a boa. It just happens that most other boas are livebearers.
Egglaying isn't used to classify animals, there are (other) instances of egglaying and livebearing within the same genus. Look at Cerastes and Rhacodactylus.
There is a question about how closely related sand boas as a group are to the other boas, but I have no idea one way or the other.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

It's hard visually beat a nice jungle carpet python. They will always stand out and are great all around snakes. I do like the boas (some) but not as much as Pythons...
My .02

Image

This is a hard quetion. I've had burms, bloods, bp's and of course bci's. I like them all but I'll have to say that my favorites are bci's.

It's pretty much a toss-up for me, I have a number of both. I started with Bci and they're still probably my favourites, if for no other reason than I've kept them longer and my first snake was my male Bci. On the boa side, I have 3.5 Colombian redtails (Bci), 1.1 Dumerils boas, 1.0 Colombian rainbow boa and 1.2 Solomon Island ground boas. On the python side, I have 0.1 coastal carpet, 1.0 coastal X jungle cross carpet, 0.1 diamond X jungle cross carpet and 1.0 jungle carpet, plus 1.0 ball python and 0.2 burmese pythons (one albino, one normal phase). Just to round things out, I also have 1.1 normal phase corn snakes and 1.1 snow corns. All of them have their own special appeal, I like the more intricate patterns on my boas and really like the python faces and bold colors - especially the carpet pythons. One of my burms is an adoption (the normal phase) but she's very sweet tempered and my albino is a beauty, at least, she is in my eyes. *grin*

The Bci make great pets as they are typically docile and their requirements are pretty straight forward. However, the same can be said for the ball python (a popular first boid) or carpet pythons. I've found my ball python to be sweet tempered (never so much as hissed at me in the ten or so years I've had him) and he feeds well. Captive bred ball pythons make better pets IMO and tend to have fewer eating problems in my experience. The carpet pythons are extremely variable and all of them are just gorgeous. Out of the four carpets I own, only the jungle carpet python has been skittish...but I've only had him 5 days, so he's hardly settled in. Dumerils are also great boas and no more difficult to care for than my redtails. The Solomon Island ground boas are gaining in popularity (ONLY get captive bred if you go that route, wild caught SIGB can be temperamental and picky feeders). That doesn't even begin to consider the rosy boas or any of the sand boas (all smaller, all beautiful and all pretty docile). The Children's pythons and Spotted pythons are also great from what I've read, though I don't own any......yet.

It's really a matter of what appeals to you and what you can care for. If you don't want a snake to exceed say 4-5 feet, a boa isn't for you but a male ball python might be...or a rosy boa, Children's or spotted python, or Solomon Island ground boa (or one of the other Candoia). If size isn't really a factor, then you might not have a problem housing an adult Bci with a male staying around 6-7 feet, females a bit more. There's even a good deal of size variation between the carpet pythons, so you'd want to research the particular type before purchasing it. For obvious reasons I don't recommend Burmese pythons as a pet except for those who are willing to dedicate a lot of room, time and expense towards caring for a giant snake. Basically, there's a lot more out there than just redtails and ball pythons.

I have had pythons in the past, but now I strickly keep boas. I don't think I can exactly pinpoint why, but I have no desire to have any other pet reptile, besides boas.

of all the snakes I've kept and currently own none are as beautifully marked and intelligent as my group of reticulated python morphs. They are always so keenly aware of everything that's going on around them and other than hots, no snake commands my respect and attention more than these. Retics can be extremely docile and trustworthy or just the opposite. Like any snake they each have their own personality. Out of the five I have only one is aggressive. I never fully let my guard down with the others though just the same. You gotta respect a big retic LOL. They require a lot of space and are very graceful, quick, and agile. Not recommended for beginners by any means which is another reason I like them.

Is how I've always thought of retics. They are VERY alert, VERY fast, and more often then not, VERY hungry. Add those to the SIZE and POWER of an adult retic and it equals VERY SCARY lol. I've had a few retics....and a few of everything else too. I must say my vote goes hands down to a nice clean patterned, mellow Suriname BCC.

opinion, I like the boas because of the live babies I have found that for some reason no matter what I do or try I am better at killing eggs then hatching them, aside from that of course the dumerils would be my favorite of all snakes, jungle carpet pythons would probally be my second favortite, if this is your first snake I think a btter question is what can you handle and what do you really want to get into? is a an animal(red tail) that can atain lengths of 10ft something that fits into what you want and your situation? or would you be better suited with say a cancun or something that only gets around 5ft or so? theres alot of great pythons out there as well spotted and childrens are on of my favortites, extremly docile and only get as big as a full grown corn snake, my opnion is first and formost what do you want and what will you be able to handle in three years? from there figure out what you like and what fits into the above question read up about those species and go with it, anyway hope this helps Jason
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Jason & Danica
Heads I win tails you lose. Get out of my way I am coming through. Roll the dice and dont think twice when we crush....crush....crush em...crush em! Now I lay you down to rest. You'll never be more then second best! Megadeth
Classic Dums frozen feeders

Personally I LOVE the patternless Burmese python, and burmese in general are fun, but they just get too big and therefore I don't actually have any (just 2 boas). Carpet pythons are another favorite the one I had was about the friendliest snake ever, real sweet disposition. Though Boas are very nice too, I like them nearly as much as burms plus they get "big" but not "too big".
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Gary Harris - gary@mydixiesys.com
http://www.dixiesys.com/
http://www.8-95.com/