I like to rub hand sanitizer on my hands as well to make sure I’m labeled by a consistent scent that is very different from food. If you are particularly smelly/have been spending a lot of time around other animals, it is also advisable to change clothes. This gets weird scents off, and removes potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, or parasites from your hands. How to handle a boa constrictorīefore you get your boa out of its enclosure, wash hands with soap and water. Wait at least 1 week before you first start to handle the snake, or if it is hiding and defensive, wait until it is eating regularly before you attempt to start handling. Photo contributed by John Bazyk When you first bring your boa home… This is for the safety of the snake as well as the child. If handleability is important to you, buy captive bred (CB or CBB) and ask the breeder about the snake’s disposition, as well as its parents’ dispositions.Īs with dogs, cats, horses, birds, and other pets, never leave a child unattended with your pet boa. Snake personality is pretty much luck of the draw. If it doesn’t mind frequent handling and is tolerant of being shuffled around, it may make a great educational animal. If, despite your best efforts, it prefers to be left alone, then let it be a beautiful display animal. Respect the fact that the snake is an individual, and treat it according to its wishes. Some boas seem to genuinely appreciate handling, and others don’t care for it. And some, just as with cats and dogs, are safer than others. “My 3 year old son is more cause for concern!”īoa constrictors and larger snakes are active, intelligent animals with individual personalities that must be respected.“They are only dangerous if you intimidate them, abuse or neglect them, or don’t handle them.“I am more afraid of getting injured by a dog than the largest of boas.”.“About as dangerous as your average paperweight.”.“It’s a lot like a large ball python that knows how to eat.”.Here are some quotes from actual boa constrictor keepers on the subject: Regular boa constrictor handling, when done correctly, can also be a beneficial source of exercise and enrichment for your pet.ĭue to the fact that some boa species are capable of growing up to 10-11’ long, as well as the fearsome reputation created by media fearmongering, many people worry that boa constrictors are dangerous pets. Whether you prefer to keep it as a display animal, companion, or educational animal, getting it used to handling makes chores such as taking it to the vet and cleaning its enclosure a lot easier. When it comes to adult boas, the bigger the cage, the happier the boa will be.Handling is an essential part of owning a pet snake. A 4x2ft is fine for smaller males, but any boa over 7ft should be kept in a 6x2ft enclosure or larger. Again, Colombians range from 6-9 feet, males being on the smaller end.Īs for caging, boas take a while to reach their genetic potential, so a 4x2ft cage will last a while. I believe Peruvian Bcc to be the largest, females attaining lengths of 10-12ft.Īssuming you're a beginner to boa-keeping, you will probably want to start with a Colombian boa (or some other Bci locale), as they are cheaper and easier to keep than Bcc. Again, size varies depending on locale, but Bcc are generally much larger than Bci. Bcc have much richer colorations than Bci, fewer saddle count, and some are prone to feeding issues. Different locales of Bci attain different sizes, but Colombians average at 6-7ft for males, 8-9ft for females (while this is the generally accepted average, there are some pretty massive 10ft+ females out there).īoa constrictor constrictor (Bcc) are the "true" red tails, from locales such as Suriname, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana, etc. This is an unfortunate mistake, as Colombians are not actually red tails. Colombian Bci (by far the most popular boas in the pet trade) are commonly referred to as "red tail boas". Here's a very brief overview of "red tail" boa taxonomy:īoa constrictor imperator (Bci) are one subspecies of boa including locales such as Colombian, Hogg Island, Central American, etc. And do Red tails grow to 6-7 feet or 10-12 feet? Sorry for the silly questions, there's just lots of information out there.As others have said, there is conflicting information because there are many different "red tail boas". What is the proper size for an adult Red Tail? Is it 4ft long or 6ft long. I've been reading a lot of different caresheets for Red Tails.
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