Boa or Ball?

Question
First off, thank you for taking the time to read and answer. I really do appreciate it!

I am at a delima. I KNOW I want a pet snake! I can most definately care for it and my lifestyle is one that will allow me to handle and tame the snake on a regular basis. HOWEVER- I am unsure of which one I want to begin with. I would love a BOA, but I am concerned about it's size. It may grow too large to keep. A ball python might be a more suitable size, but I understand that they are VERY picky eaters, often fasting for months. Please give me your opinoin on which to chose. I am not interested in anything smaller- I am leaning towards the Boa, but I just need a little reassurance that it wont grow more than 8 or 9 feet that it won't want to attack me when it does. Also, what is the ideal size enclosure for a full grown Boa and what is the approximate monthly expense of keeping one? I don't know anyone else who can help me, and I don't always trust the reptile store guys. Thank you! I really do appreciate it!

-David

Answer
Hi David,
Without question, The Boa is the best choice for many reasons. My first snake 45 years ago was a Boa. I now have several Boas as well as Burms and Retics. I have a Boa on my shoulders now as I'm writing this. One of the Boa's came from an 80year old lady who was going into a retirement home and couldn't take her pal. The snake is 8 feet and is used to sitting on the couch watching TV with the lady. She gave it to me because she wanted it to continue that life style and it does.

The common or red tails are your best bet. They have a great temperament and eat very well. In fact, you need to limit the amount of food as they will gorge themselves and still act like their starving. A large can deliver a very nasty bite. The only time this has ever happened to me is when I get careless. They are always expecting you to feed them when you approach their cage. You must let them know that they are being handled and not being fed. I do this by opening the cage do and putting my snake hook inside. I gently pull the snake at its center over to the door and pick it up with one hand underneath it. I then just finish taking it out and by this time they are no longer looking for the meal. I have made the mistake of quickly putting my hand inside the door and received a pretty good bite as the snake was sure it was food. A few minutes later I had him on my shoulders and he was his usual gentle self. No matter how big they get, they will never just decide to attack you. A bite is always just a mistake usually on the part of the owner. Don't ever smell like food before you handle them. Wash your hands and if you have been holding an animal [dog or cat, etc.] change clothes.

Balls on the other hand can be a real problem. Most are wild caught and will give many health related troubles. They eat live hopping mice or Gerbils and very little else. My Boas will eat rats that are prekilled and have been frozen. They also do very well on store bought chicken thighs cut to size. Just clean the cage and wipe the snake with an antiseptic towelette a day after feeding to prevent salmonella problems from the chicken. Hope this helps. Happy Herping. Edmund Brown [ReptileEd]
http://www.ReptileSpectacular.com