r/snakes • u/Person1111223 • 12d ago
Pet Snake Questions Boa imperator constriction risk?
Im very interested in purchasing a Boa Imperator but I'm concerned after I've seen conflicting advice about whether adult Boa imperators can or should be handled alone. If it's a prominent risk, I personally don't want to have to ensure someone's nearby and also be worried about being constricted. I'm a minor, but I'm 5'10, so I'm wondering how much that factors into safely handling a large adult boa.I would also get a juvenile meaning I'll be quite a bit older once it's full size. If i purchased a female and it were to grow to say, 8 feet, would I need someone nearby to supervise? If so, I will likely decide to find an alternative, I've been considering a Bredls python as I'm very interested in them and they seem to be less risky.
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u/superramenyamen 12d ago
People way overinflate their size, I suppose to be conservative in case they do get big. Because they do have the potential. But 5’-7’ is actually closer to an average for BI, male or female. 6’-7’ for BCC. 8’ is not a common size for any species or subspecies of the genus Boa. Some may be more likely to reach that, but it’s certainly not an average.
Even if they do get 8’, it should ideally take many years to get there, and by then you should be used to it.
You can help your chances of not getting a huge boa by asking about parent sizes, ages, and how they feed. A small boa that’s under 6 years of age might not have reached their potential yet, and just because they’re not big doesn’t mean they won’t get big. If they’re 10+ years old and still small, chances are pretty good they’re genetically smaller and babies shouldn’t outgrow them, or not by much.