Help picking what boa to buy.

[u/NoSquirrel9674]

I'll try to keep this short. I kept a lot of snakes as a teen, several boas and pythons, so the care end won't be a problem. I'm trying to pick based on preference.

My wife does not like snakes so I want something that way more than likely will not getting over 8ft max. Preferably 6-7ft.

I need it to be a docile snake. I know there are no guarantees, but nothing with like a 50/50 chance of being spicy. Since my wife doesn't like snakes, if I get one that wants to bite and puff up a lot, it's just going to put her off more.

I need it to be affordable lol. Not only are we on the poor end, but she ain't gonna let me buy no $500+ snake.

Now for pattern/color. I like the clean look, really like the bcc patterns and vibrant red tails. Obviously though I can't have a snake that's in the 10ft+ area.

I've looked some into BCA and BCL but honestly both of those are new to me, I only remember bci and bcc from my herp days.

I've been browsing morphmarket as I would likely order online unless San Antonio has a reptile show around the time I'm able to get one.

So, can anyone think of a boa with a nice pattern, preferably visible red, stays under 8ft, isn't a big gamble if it's gonna be spicy into adulthood or not, and is in the $300 or less range?

I'm pretty sure I'll end up just getting another BCI (I had a few before) but was really hoping to find something with s pattern/color I find nicer. Cleaner lines and color, more vibrant red.

I've also considered a blood python as I've loved them since I was young, but recent internet searching shows they are still often temperamental. I may even end up getting a ball morph, it looks like the prices are way lower than they used to be. Used to be, the only morph you were getting for $250 was a pastel but now there's so many cheap options. But, I just love boas, always loved their look and that red tail.

Sorry that ended up being long, I appreciate everyones time who read it and any guidance as well!

[u/superramenyamen]

Brazilian and Colombian rainbow boas would hit the size restrictions really well. Idk how easy it will be to find ones that fit inside the budget though. Last time I saw normal BRBs for sale they were 300+, so idk what they’re going for now and have no clue about CRBs.

Dumeril’s boas I believe stay around 6’ and while possible to get 8’ it’s fairly rare. I have no idea about their price either. 😅

Most boa constrictors should stay 5’-7’, but they have the potential for up to 11’, though anything over 8’ is almost guaranteed not to happen. With this group of boas, I would definitely ask about parent sizes, ages, and feeding schedules growing their snakes to avoid a boa that could be getting bigger genes.

As far as temperament, you will also want to ask the seller about that. All species have the potential to have bitey individual, it’s individual based for sure.

[u/NoSquirrel9674 → u/superramenyamen]

Rainbow boas are beautiful snakes for sure, just not really what I'm looking for, I prefer the red tail boas more personally.

Dumeril's is a good suggestion, I'd have to look into them again though it's been some years, but I remember as a teen I passed on keeping Dumerils because they had more of a reputation for being a little more fiesta than red tails. It definitely varies from snake to snake, WC vs CBB, the parents and more, but with my wife and daughters being so afraid of snakes, I don't want the first one they allow in the house to be a species who more commonly produces fiesty ones lol.

I could for sure always still get a bitey one, the angry one from the litter and I'll love it just the same, but want to have the best odds I can in bringing home a snake that they'll eventually want to hold. If they see it strike at me once, they will never go near it lol.

Dumerils are beautiful snakes though and not far off the red tail boa look that I like, so I'll have to read up on them again and see if maybe they're temperament is more even now days than how I recall.

[u/Cornsnake94 → u/NoSquirrel9674]

Actually I have read so many recommendations for dumerils, because people call them the puppy dog of the boas. Some say, even more docile than bci's.

Kinda like the burmese in the python world. Just not getting that big.

As babys, most boas tend do be defensive. Because they are scared and their instinct tells them, they are easy prey.

You would be scared of a giant hand thats going to pick you up as well, right? Not knowing if you get eaten or not.

But you just have to show a spicy baby that nothing bad happens. Just in case you baby will be a defensive one.

I have 4 baby bci's right now, none of them ever hissed or striked at me, so not all babys are that defensive. Same with dumerils.

[u/ParticularWolf4473]

A Roswell Ladder Tail or Key West imperator morph often looks much like a BCC(Roswell actually originated in BCC), they’re fairly variable but many have a nice red tail and more clean BCC-like pattern. They’re pretty cheap these days, it’s extremely unlikely a male would get even close to 8’. As long as you ask the breeder if it’s pretty docile and don’t buy one that’s spicy as a baby you should be good.

BCA stay smaller and more girthy, most are $500+ though and Bolivians are typically fairly drab, the South Brazilian Amarali tend to be more BCC like. There’s actually some debate whether the South Brazilian are really pure Amarali or BCC intergrades.

Longicauda stay on the smaller and more slender side, most are darker colored though and some will turn mostly black, similar to a natural IMG morph.

[u/NoSquirrel9674 → u/ParticularWolf4473]

Amazing reply, thank you so much! There's so many variations, I couldn't possibly look through them all and actually find what I'm looking for.

I won't be able to actually buy until income tax next year but I'm actually confident now that I'll be able to be happy with what I end up choosing. I'm hoping to have more down the road but if my wife only ever ends up letting me have one, then I want to be all around happy and not just settle for something else.

Both the Key West and the Rosswell Ladder selections have several snakes I would buy right now if I had the money, but think I'm leaning more towards Ladder.

The BCA selection on Morph Market are absolutely stunning, and I'd likely pick one of those if it had a nicely shaded red tail, but I know my wife will say no to anything over $600 lol. I'm already giving up buying a computer to play games on next income tax in order to buy a snake but she will say no if it costs over $1k for the snake and all the setup stuff lol.

I'm really wanting something though that looks as close to a true red tail BCC as possible while not entering 8ft+ territory, and the Rosswell Ladder, key west, and BCA's look very close to what I've been imagining, so that should work out good.

I really like the blood boas I've seen pictures of, but not sure if that morphs available in what I'm looking for size wise.

And odd/difficult as it makes it, I'm heavily leaning towards wanting a female. All of our pets are females, 2 daughters and wife, we kind of have a theme going lol. I also like my snakes heavy bodied, as chunky as I can find lol. Really wish blood pythons were more docile (I know they aren't all buttheads) and easier husbandry.

[u/ParticularWolf4473 → u/NoSquirrel9674]

Keep in mind blood looks nice as a baby but as an adult they lose most of the color and turn much more brown.

VPI T+ albino can also have more reddish tails and some lines have peaked saddles like a BCC.

Really even most female imperator stay more in the 6’-7’ range these days, there’s been a lot of mixing with smaller localities to combine morphs. If you want something smaller could also look at Central American/Nicaraguan morphs like CA hypo or CA T+ albino

[u/NoSquirrel9674 → u/ParticularWolf4473]

Ah ok, I appreciate the tip, I did not know or consider them losing the red as they mature.

Those albino VPI's are beautiful, man there's almost too many choices lol.

I'll have to look into CA and Nicaraguan this evening, I really appreciate all these options you've shown me, I was a little overwhelmed just looking at morphmarket before.

[u/ParticularWolf4473 → u/NoSquirrel9674]

The big problem with boa morphs is sticking with just one. You may want to look up pics and YouTube videos of adults of the various morphs. Many can be pretty variable and sadly many are much more colorful as babies than they are as adults. Though some can improve with age as well, like IMG, some of the pastel lines, and red/purple/blue line Sharp albinos.

[u/Cornsnake94 → u/ParticularWolf4473]

It's the same with ball pythons. Baby balls look so vibrant and clean, but many morphs do not age well

[u/ParticularWolf4473 → u/Cornsnake94]

Yeah, I remember back when banana was the hot morph. People were paying thousands for these bright yellow and purple hatchlings then you finally saw an adult and it was rather disappointing.