Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Saw a baby Red Tail Boa at a recent show and have been in love ever since. Problem is after doing some research I learned of there great size. I have a 4x6x8 foot cage available. Would this be large enough for an adult? Are there any Boas that look similiar to Red Tails but only grow to around 6 feet? Was prepared to get a Ball Python but after seeing the Boa there is no comparison. Just not sure if I am ready for a 10 foot snake.

There are several types that stay 4-6 foot. They're slightly different in color and pattern though. Hogg island and Cay Caulker boas come to mind. The common red tails usually only get 8 feet.
-----
Eryx - All the fun of a boa in a convenient pocket size!

What about an ordinary Columbian? Are they arboreal? I am looking for something that could take advantage of the 8 feet of vertical space this cage has to offer. They seem to be quite common and cheap, but am getting a variety of info on there length (6'-12').

In general Colombian redtails (Bci) will stay in the 7-8' range. Males typically top out around 7' and females tend to get a bit larger, around 8-9'. For what it's worth, I have 5 adult Colombian redtail boas ranging from 5 years old to 13 years old and none are over 7' long. However, one of the adult females I expect will top out around 8' in length (the 5 year old). I also have 3 juveniles, two of which are siblings that came from an 8' female, which may end up on the larger end of the range like the mother. While I have seen 10' Colombians, they are more the exception than the rule in my opinion. If you really want a redtail but want the extra comfort of knowing it is highly unlikely for them to exceed 6', try one of the Central American redtails or one of the insular boas such as the Hogg Island boas.

Raven

Look into the Mexican Dwarf Red Tail
Under 5' and really nice colors

4x6x8 I am assuming that this is in feet. This cage is huge!!! Most of us are keeping boas in 4x2x12-16" cages or 6x2 cages. as a general rule of thumb, 1 square foot of cage floor space for every foot og boa. so with that in mind your cage could handle a 24' long Boa LOL, I have never seen one that big, but a Burmese python might fill the cage. Your cage is plenty big for a boa of any kind, but if a smaller boa is what you want, then there are a few that you can get.
Not even including all the Island Boas (Hoggs, Cay, Corn and so on) You can get pretty much any Central American Boa Nic, Honduran or even a male Colombian. (Males tend to stay smaller then females) most of these Boas will top out in the 6' range or so, but a lot will depend on feeding. If over fed a boa will over grow. Power feeding when young makes a boa grow to artifical size, so responsible feeding will help a lot.
Now as far as True Red tail Boas, The Ecudorian Boa (also sold as Amazon Basin Boa) tned to stay on the smaller size of around 7 feet and again the males would be smaller then the females. But other then that most True Redtails will get closer to the 9-10 foot size.
I hope this helps
-----
Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

Thanks everyone. Will probably get a Columbian Male. Easy to come by and easy on the wallet. I know you should not keep snakes together except for breeding but what about in a cage this size? You are right the cage in question is 6' long, 4' deep, and 8' tall. Thats why I would at least like to find a semi arboreal species that would take advantage of the vertical space. Would a columbian climb if proper logs were available?

A cage that tall is a waste of hieght for a Boa Constrictor or even several. Once they attain adult size they are mostly terrestrial. If you are looking for a nice aboreal animals that make great displays, I would reccomend the different colored Amazon tree Boas, Orange, Yellow, Red, grey and even the Emerald would look great in such a big enclosure. a 1.2 or 2.2 group should be fine in a cage that size provided that there is enought hide spots and basking spots. A small ficus tree inside the cage would make for a good place for the snakes to hang out, as well as some biger branches. The biggest problem on a cage that size is keeping it warm enough. You can get some hot spots, but keeping the entire cage in the proper range will be a challange.
good Luck
Other snakes that would work:
any or the Carpet Pythons
a nice colony of rat or Corn snakes would make good use of the space (corns come in all kinds of colors and you could put six or mare in a cage that big!)
Green tree Pythons
Beauty Snakes
Tiger Rat Snakes
Rear Fang Vine snakes (mild venom)
the main thing to remember is never to feed in a comunity tank, always remove the animals to different containers to feed.
Thanks
-----
Jim Hopkins "Hoppy"
Hopkins Holesale Herps
Hopfam1@aol.com

I realize it is a waste of height. It is a leftover from my 13 year old iguana that passed away this year. At first I checked into the tree dwelling boids but quickly ruled theem out as they all seem primarily display animals only. I want something I can handle frequently without stressing out. As far as the Corns I currently have 2 as well as a GB Kingsnake, a Red Milk Snake, and a tiny Brown Snake, all in seperate cages. The big cage is made up in part with 3/4" vinyl "screen" so most colubrids could squeeze through. Now I know a baby Boa probably could too which is why he will start in a 20 gallon. I just did not want to purchase a giant snake without having quarters for him when he reaches adult size. I would rather it be to large than too small, plus I could partition it and end up with 2 4x6x4 foot cages.