Pet boa constrictor sizes up owner professional#

Does the body feel smooth and muscular?.

Is the snake alert, flicking its tongue as it’s handled?.

While it’s in your hands, ask yourself the following: If color is important to you, ask the breeder for pictures of the parents and photos of the snake’s older siblings from previous pairings.ĭon’t commit to buying the snake before you’ve had a chance to see and handle it. Pink, orange, yellow, and iridescence also develop with age. As they get older, grayish hues turn more yellow and/or brown. imperator is available in morphs, but note that juveniles tend to have paler/less distinct coloration compared to adults. Juveniles are smaller than adults, easier to house, less expensive, and although they can be more defensive, a strike from a juvenile is going to be less scary than experiencing the same from an adult.Īsk yourself: does morph/color matter? Morphs are genetic variations in a reptile’s color or pattern that differ from how the animal typically looks in the wild, like a designer version of the same animal. It’s better to start with a juvenile than an adult, especially if this is your first boa.

The disadvantages of buying a boa “used” is that it may be less tame or potentially even sick. The advantage of going this route is that you’ll usually save some money on the animal itself, as well as get some supplies in the deal. You can also pick up a “used” boa from your local reptile community, rescue, or classifieds. Furthermore, captive-bred boas tend to be more docile than wild-caught, which is an important quality in a medium-large snake.

Pet boa constrictor sizes up owner professional#

This helps to make sure that you’re getting a CB ( captive-bred) individual, and reptiles produced by professional breeders tend to be much healthier than any you’ll find from an importer or the pet store. The best way to get a boa constrictor is to buy it from a professional breeder - as in, someone who has been doing this for years and puts their animals’ health first, not financial gain. However, expect to pay at around $50-$150 for a juvenile “normal” Boa imperator, which is the most common and least expensive boa species. You’re also likely to spend more when buying from a professional breeder than if you buy one at a pet store. Pricing varies by species and morph, with adults being more expensive than juveniles. Photo contributed by Crispy Snakes How Much Does a Boa Cost? Don’t buy one unless you’re prepared to care for it as a large adult!Īlright, deep breath.

If you find yourself overwhelmed, they must be rehomed - setting it “free” in a local park or forest is not an option.

Large adults can be difficult to handle alone, require large (often custom-made) enclosures, and can live as long as 40 years. “Am I capable of caring for an adult boa for its entire life?”īoa constrictors are medium to large snakes that can poop and pee like a large dog as adults. Go to the zoo, meet up with someone from your local herpetological society, call up a reptile educator, whatever you need to do to make it happen. You can do this by joining a boa-specific Facebook group like Boa Constrictor Keepers (people are always happy to show off pictures of their pets), but ideally you need to see an adult in-person to truly comprehend what you’re getting yourself into. “Do I understand this snake’s growth potential?”īig-eyed little babies don’t stay small forever this applies to puppies and humans, and it definitely applies to reptiles. Congrats! At this point you need to stop and ask yourself two questions: So, you’ve decided that you want a pet boa constrictor.