Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am looking to get a Boa, I love the look of the red tail/ columbian boa, but it just gets too big for me.

I have the oppurtunity to adopt a 7 1/2 ft from a person in MD, but i just dont have the room for a snake that size.

I have been trying to find something that looks like the Red tail, but doesnt get over 5 ft.

So far I have come accroos Hogg Island, Corn Island, and Soloman Island. Are these all 3 seperate species? do they all stay under the 5 foot mark for the most part? Do they have the same basic pattern as the red tails?

also, what is a sonoran desert boa?

And what is the deal with Dwarf boas? Is it a specific type of boa, or is it any species that has been bred to be smaller?

Out of the three boas that you mention, only the Soloman Island Boa is not in the Boa Constrictor Family, the Red Tailed Boas are mostly considered to be Boa Constrictor Constrictor, where the Common Boa (Colombian, Central American, and Mexican) Are Boa Constrictor Imp. ... they are all the same species but different sub-sp or races. The general look is the same but the colors and patterens may differ. The Hogg Island (the biggest Island Boa) the Cron Isalnd, Crawl Cay and a few others do stay small (also the Sonoran Des. Boa) but do not have the bright red tail coloration of some of the Boa Constrictor Constrictor Localities do, I would post you pictures but I am not at my home machine and I am on my way to Peru myself for a week, or I would be able to provide better info for you. The basic answer to your question is yes, most of them look similar to the normal/common Boa Constrictor that you see in the pet shop, but they stay smaller, are a bit more aggressive, and a bit more expensive (mostly)
Good Luck
Jim Hopkins

Well i personally love my hoggs... They are great for the red tail effect and shape but they seem to stay withing the 5-6 foot range. I have heard of only a few females and only seen two that have been a little over 7 feet at full length... My Hoggs both have great temperments... They love being held and eat like clock work. They are my stepping stone from balls to boas... and i have just forgotten to move on from them... really great...heres a pic of my baby Hog shes about 35 inches and just under 300 grams. Her name is Eos and shes a doll... Enjoy.. and good luck with your decision...

You are in the same boat as alot of people: we all love the looks and temperament of the Colombian boas, but not all of us have the facilities to maintain large, girthy snakes.

So many people recommend Hog Island boas as a way to get the boa but not the size. I say no. Hogs can get larger than you think, and certainly girthy, if fed just once per week. Maybe a little smaller than Colombians proper, but not small snakes.

Sonoran boas are smaller than Hogs, just darker than your normal Colombian usually. If you want a small boa, this is a good choice. Still, it won't be kingsnake-sized, it just won't be 7ft. I've seen 4 1/2ft males and 5 1/2 ft females - pretty small for an adult boa.
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Mark

>>I am looking to get a Boa, I love the look of the red tail/ columbian boa, but it just gets too big for me.
>>
>>I have the oppurtunity to adopt a 7 1/2 ft from a person in MD, but i just dont have the room for a snake that size.
>>
>>I have been trying to find something that looks like the Red tail, but doesnt get over 5 ft.
>>
>>So far I have come accroos Hogg Island, Corn Island, and Soloman Island. Are these all 3 seperate species? do they all stay under the 5 foot mark for the most part? Do they have the same basic pattern as the red tails?
>>
>>also, what is a sonoran desert boa?
>>
>>And what is the deal with Dwarf boas? Is it a specific type of boa, or is it any species that has been bred to be smaller?

Sonoran Desert Boas are another subspecies of BCI. Also called Mexican Boas sometimes.

Here's a few pics of mine:

Female:

Male:

Their bellies are a lovely salmon color from mid neck down to their vent. Their tails are more of a brown, rather than red like most red-tails, but their skin has the most interesting rainbow sheen (not as much as a rainbow boa).

Not the calmest boa in the world-my male is super calm and does not mind being handled, but my female can be hissy occasionally-right now I think she may be gravid-but we aren't sure yet. I've never been bitten by either one, and neither is bigger than 5 feet.

Hope that helps some.

-cat
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