Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I saw your post on the boa forum and thought I'd reply here in case your post got too far down the line. Boas are great snakes, I currently have 17, and I'm very happy with them. As far as size goes, there can be a lot of difference in size depending on sub-species and locality. The Hoggs are beautiful but can sometimes be moody. I have a female that is close to 7', and has a great diposition. A really nice locale that stays small are Cay Caulkers, my female is about 6', and is pretty much full grown. They are a bit more expensive than a Colombian, but I think it is well worth it, they also seem to have great temperments. As far as caging goes, I wouldn't got with anything smaller than 6'X18"x18" for adults, but if you get a baby, I definitely reccomend that, a smaller enclosure is much better.

Hoppy has some great info on his site about whether a boa is right for you and what type might best fit you. Sorry I don't have a link to his site, but I'm sure if you get his attention he would be happy to get it to you.

Let us know what you decide, but I'm sure you would love one if you got it. Just be careful, they are just as addictive as corns!

Take care,
Rick S.
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"D'oh!" Homer Simpson

Alot of great snakes out there buddy.If you want real small I would go with ringed pythons,there actually boas.It seems corns and boas go hand in hand.I love them both.When you do decide to get a boa dont skimp on the mula.You want a boa that everytime you see her you get emotional erect.Male boas will tend to be smaller/thinner than females.And stay away from the albino craze.Those poor snakes are being inbred to death.Im sure I will get flamed for saying that but that's just my opinion.The value on one eye sickly albinos has to drop sometime soon.

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Mike Heinrich
michael.heinrich@comcast.net

Nice Mike,is that a African house snake or am I way off?

>>Nice Mike,is that a African house snake or am I way off?

You're way off

It's a red phase Amazon Tree Boa. Here's a nice yellow phase....

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Mike Heinrich
michael.heinrich@comcast.net

Will they turn to green or brown or just stay that sweet?When I first got into snakes I was sold a cook's tree boa that had a nice yellow to it as a juvie then it turned turd colored.It wasnt a very social snake and I dreaded cleaning it's cage.I do know it could draw blood thru gloves,shirts,etc.I swear it seemed like it could stand on its tail and strike me 4 feet away.Thanks for answering my questions.There both outstanding looking snakes.

>>Will they turn to green or brown or just stay that sweet?

Amazons basically stay the same color they're born with, it just changes in shade or tone (example...bright red babies sometimes turn brick red or maroon). Usually, but not always, the patternless babies will develope moderate to heavy patterning in the first two years. In the above photos, the yellow one is an adult, proven breeder, the red one is a 2 year old. Both should be finished with their color/pattern development by now.

This yellow, one of my holdback babies from a few years ago, was born almost completely patternless...

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Mike Heinrich
michael.heinrich@comcast.net

i really appreaciate it.
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Corns
0.0.1 03' Amel
0.0.1 03' Normal
0.0.1 04' Ghost

Let us know if you decide to get a boa. Personally, I would recommend starting with a male Colombian BCI rather than a true redtail. They are more forgiving and IMO, much easier to start with. You can find some nice ones cheap on the classifieds. Just double check whom you buy from on the other site I can't mention here. If you don't know it, email me and I'll get you that info.

I would also recommend starting with a baby, that way you don't have to invest in a large cage right off the bat and most baby boas have good temperment. I would also suggest picking up a copy of "The Boa Manual". It's a good bokk with lots of good info.

Good luck,
Rick S.
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"D'oh!" Homer Simpson

Althought the Amazon Tree boas are really pretty, I wouldn't recommend them for beginners, no offense Mike. They have a tendency to be nippy, and don't generally take to handling.

Rick
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"D'oh!" Homer Simpson