Reptile & Amphibian Forums

1. How much do they usually cost? Like at reptile shows.

2. Do they make good pets? I like to take my snakes with me to reptile shows sometimes, but not if they are going to bite people. I take my Ball Pyhton with me but would I be able to take a Surinam?

Thanks,
Adam
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I have a surinam at home.At the moment it's a baby but surinam's are generally good tempered.It's very uncommon that they will bite.The only problem is their size.they can grow up to 10 feet so if you want one that you can bring with you , take an hogg island or an imperator.they are smaller and try to get a male

Hi there:

Being in Canada they normally cost $350 - $500 and at shows there is always a bit of a discount.

As for taking them around and wondering safety. These boas do tend to reach some serious sizes from 7 - 10 feet and are very strong as most constrictors are. As attitudes go I can not say there is a set rule. I have owned and still do have these and some start with attitudes and calm out and others can be calm and gain attitude with age and size. Best thing is to buy from a reputable breeder who has years and experiences in breeding them and seeing multiple attitudes in his litters to select you the calmest of the group and with regular handling this boa can be your best bet at have a somewhat safe large boa in the years to come.

There are other choices like hog island boas who are more managable and have a more calm nature compared to redtails, not saying its set in stone but a better option if this concerns you.

Cya...

Tony Pharosx
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Boa Insanity is not a disease, only a passion.

$150.00 and up.. the UP is what you will encounter if you want a viable (healthy) Suriname redtail.. and it could go to $1000.00 for a top-quality, CBB, perfect young adult Suriname boa.

Suriname boas are not the choice for pet snakes. There are many individual examples which are tame and handleable, but that is out of many hundreds imported and sold annuallly, plus the increasing captive-births. There are more which will not get tame. The rule is they are moody and can and will get upset or frightened unexpectedly and even one which has been tame will bite. This tendency can be successfully offset by a caring owner who treats the animal well but their responses are in their genetics.

On a 1-10 scale (10 means too-hot-to-handle) of Boa behaviour the average temperament of Suriname redtails is a big 7. IMHO.

Hope that helps!
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Gus
A. Rentfro
RioBravoReptiles.com
www.riobravoreptiles.com

"Quality is not an accident. Perfectly healthy animals are a minimum requirement.. everything else is just salesmanship" gus

Going from a BP to a Suri would be like cocking the hammer on a machinegun !
I think you need to read what Gus posted at least two more times.
Look into something of the insular locale form of bci.They stay under 6' and can be more consistant in overall behavior.BCI/BCC are totally different animals compared to your BP.
But if you like living on the edge and prefer an aggressive pet then wade right in up to your neckThey sell plenty of gloves at WalMarts.
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