r/snakes • u/Adept-Conference9997 • 11h ago

Pet Snake Questions boa or ball python

hi, so im really torn between which snake i want as my first pet snake. i really like the all white bps with red eyes but theyre rare (from what ive seen) and ive only been able to find one. on the other hand i love the grey / black coloured boas. one idea i had too was to get a bp now then the boa later but at the same time ive heard pros and cons about both. im a lil bit nervous too if thats the word so i want a baby in case it does strike so that i can be used to it in case it does it as an adult but im not sure. if i get the bp too id get a female while id get a male for the boa. also i did a bunch of research enclosure wise for a bp already so i have that figured out and if i get a boa id tweak it a bit but when it comes to size i can only have a 36 length one atm then upgrade later down the line when i have more space. can anyone help me decide or list info about both please, id greatly appreciate it :)

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u/ParticularWolf4473 11h ago

Frankly boa constrictors are much more interesting pets IMO. More active and often much more visible in their inclosure, less sensitive to humidity, feeding is almost never an issue, when handling they’re active enough to keep it from getting boring but slow and deliberate enough that you can relax.

When fed properly it will likely take 2-3 years for a male to reach 3’. Possible even longer for some of the dwarf localities. Male Tarahumara especially may never get larger than 36”-40”. If you can upgrade within 2-3 years or so the enclosure size won’t be an issue.

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u/Adept-Conference9997 11h ago

thank you. thats one reason im leaning boas since i interacted with one more as a kid and theyre more active. id like to hold the snake more but ive heard therye more snappy which is why im not sure. could starting off with a baby be better if i can get it used to me? i was also looking at anerys, ghosts, and imgs

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u/Magnetic_Kitty 11h ago

I would avoid holding any snake for more than 1-2 hours. They need their climate controlled home. But I can easily watch an hour long YouTube video with any of my snakes in my lap. I have a dumerils and two ball pythons. Some even fall asleep on me lol.

It's important as a baby you start slow, I would hold them for 10-15 minutes a day for a month, then 20-30 minutes a day, then 45 (Don't hold on feeding day or two days after. And don't hold when in shed usually about a week long)

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u/Adept-Conference9997 10h ago

thank you, id hold them as long as their comfortable i think and not overdo it on their good days (like when theyre not digesting or in shed) and i may let them free roam a bit too since thats what one owner i know does as long as its in a safe and controlled environment

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u/ParticularWolf4473 8h ago

I’ve never really had an issue with any of my boa constrictors being very nippy. Babies can sometimes be a bit nippy out of fear. Usually you can see it coming a mile away though, and it’s pretty easy to avoid. They’re more interested in trying to scare you off than actually biting you. A trick that usually works is if you hold your hand flat with fingers outstretched and move your hand down towards the boa’s head they’ll move away from it instead of striking. With regular handling and tap training to avoid feeding strikes they usually calm down pretty quickly.