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RE: BOA
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by Crotalusssp on June 19, 2008
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I would suggest a Corn snake first. They are really tolerant of handling and come in a variety of color morphs and patterns. Their size is also more manageable than a Boa. Research and learn as much as you can about enclosure and environment of whatever snake you decide on. It will make the experience better for you and the snake. Good luck.
Charles
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RE: BOA
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by SerpenXotics on June 19, 2008
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I agree with charles here I also would like to add when a corn does decide to bite there is usually far less pain and bleeding involved not that either really hurt.
joe
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RE: BOA
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by tj on June 19, 2008
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Buy a baby constrictor, if you can't do well with one of those, you won't do well with a corn snake, either.
How else is one going to get experience with a boa?
You buy it, keep it healthy, and raise it. Simple as that. They're not a specific needs snake, and they don't pose much, if any, danger.
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RE: BOA
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by 23bms on June 19, 2008
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The problem with boas is the potential size and the resultant feeding, housing, and handling issues. If you are just starting out, those can be daunting. Start with something manageable and as your husbandry skill level builds consider moving up to a boa. For someone wanting a FIRST snake, my immediate reaction was Corn Snake, the same as most of the previous posters.
How many stories have we all read about boas and pythons that got too big for the owners to manage being dumped or released heaven knows where? How many boas and pythons that we don't hear about die from ignorance or neglect? Keeping snakes, like anything else, has a learning curve that simply can't be bypassed without unfortunate results for either the keeper or the kept. Corns are hardy, attractive, generally even tempered and don't get overly large. They're are great choice for the first timer.
jrb
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RE: BOA
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by tj on June 19, 2008
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Maybe it's just me, but how is a corn snake going to prepare him for a boa in any aspect except keeping it alive?
Neither are difficult to keep, but one gets bigger.
The snake isn't going to get 10 feet in a years time, and probably won't get there in many years time, unless it's being powerfed.
It's a boa, not a hot. There are no prereq's for keeping a snake that really has no special needs, except for the fact that it MAY reach 10 feet. And if it does, he'll know how to handle it by then. It's not a cobra, viper, or reticulated python....it's a boa
What would be the prereq for a corn snake if someone wanted one?
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RE: BOA
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by agkistrodude on June 19, 2008
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Christopher, you still haven't filled out your profile completely yet.We don't even know what state you live in.While a corn snake would also be one of my first choices for you, if you live in Georgia, for example, that would be illegal, so I'd suggest something else.If you fill out more of your profile, we can answer your questions more accurately. Marty
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RE: BOA
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by pitbulllady on June 19, 2008
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There is a BIG difference in what is needed to keep an adult Boa alive, vs. what is required to keep a Corn alive and well. Boas get MUCH bigger, so obviously they need more space. Being tropical species, boas also have more specific needs when it comes to heat, and this means auxiliary heat sources and thermostats, and that does NOT mean "hot rocks", either. If there's a power failure during the cold months, something has to be done to prevent a boa from becoming too cold, otherwise you wind up with a very sick snake. Corns, being temperate snakes, can do very well at normal room temperatures, and usually will become at least semi-dormant during the winter months, anyway, so unless the indoor temps drop below freezing, they won't likely be affected, while temps in the 50's can have an adverse affect on a boa. Then, there's the issue of feeding; mice are cheaper to buy than rats, or rabbits, and few Corns will grow to such a size that mice are no longer adequate as food. Most boas, on the other hand, will quickly outgrow mice and will need larger and larger rats, and some will eventually require food items as large as rabbits. You can clean up Corn Snake poop with a piece of paper towel. Large Boid poop almost requires a backhoe! Seriously, a sheet of Bounty just won't cut it when cleaning up behind a big BCI! Boas tend to have more pronounced feeding responses than Corns, and if a Corn does "miss" its intended foot item and tag your hand, the worse you'd get would be a few small scratches. Having had to pry a hungry eight-foot Surinam off my arm, and even worse-a hungry six-foot Emerald Tree Boa-I'd rather it have been a Corn instead! I started out with small native Colubrids, like Corns, and gradually moved up to larger Boids, and I'm very much glad I started out small. I've since stopped keeping most larger Boids due to the amount of work involved, though I still love them and don't want to discourage anyone from having them, IF that person is prepared to handle them.
On the other hand, it was brought up that the original poster could live where certain kinds of snakes are illegal, so that is something else that must be considered. A common Boa would be illegal in many places, while others, like Georgia, ban ownership of Corns or other native species.
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RE: BOA
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by ssshane on June 19, 2008
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I would say get the corn first, but just as a stepping stone. Keeping the corn will get you some of the needed experience. If all goes well, then look at getting the boa (not a tree boa). You will never get the full affect of a med. to large size snake until you have had one. But right now, you haven't had the luxury of keeping any snake. You my find you don't like snakes after all. Just my opinion, and we all know that they say about them...
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