@@BrianBoas hey so I want to get a pet boa, but I’m a college student and I don’t want to have any other pets or have snake keeping as a hobby take over a large portion of my life. Would you say a boa can be kept as a casual pet? The same way some people have cats or dogs?
I had a few boas back in the mid Seventies, but in those days there was nowhere near the husbandry info we now have. I had a few smaller ones that I kept in aquariums, who died of mouth rot. Then I bought a four-footer from a woman who needed to get rid of him, and built a huge cage - maybe seven foot long (I wanted him to grow big!) - by making a wooden frame and covering it with metal screen. Heat was provided by two spotlights dangling down from the ceiling until my dad complained about the electric bill and made me cut it down to one. What was the temperature? I have no idea. Humidity? I don't know, I guess it depended on whether or not we had water in the cellar. He eventually got mouth rot also, but I was able to cure it thanks to swabbing his mouth out with some penicillin left over from my little sister's throat infection! He got up to 6 1/2 feet before my folks said he had to go. If he were around today and was capable of watching RUclips videos, I'm sure he would be smashing that Like button and thanking you for the great info that I could have only dreamed of back in those days!
Thanks for sharing! It's amazing how much info we have now at the click of a mouse, not too mention all the different types of boas available online. These are truly the glory days of reptile keeping- hopefully it will last!
Getting my first Boa in a week or two. Hypo Hog Island. Really, really appreciate your detailed information in this video man. As a cornsnake owner, I had some general ideas, but as you know every type of snake is different and just cause you know one, doesn't mean you know them all. Made note of a lot of this stuff so I know how to set up my enclosure, and also what to shop for to get the tank set up prior to receiving the boa.
I just got a boa, she came with her reptile cage, hides, heat mat and thermostat and the guy i bought her from knew all the basics to teach me, plus I've been doing research for the last few months...but your videos have been super helpful and informative so thank you!!
This was definitely helpful as I’m experienced in maintaining and keeping ball pythons and reticulated pythons but now I’m ready for the power and you’re very informative video was helpful and I am definitely ready for a boa thank you for your video love it…!!
I just rescued a female boa she was kept in a 20 gal for her life until she met me! I’m currently getting an enclosure for her which is a plastic that about 110 gallons, this video is helping me a lot trying to figure out how she can thrive for the rest of her life !
Very informative. I spent 100's getting heat admitters, stands, fog machine and luckily a temperature control plug because the breeder told me that's the best. I will be investing in a heat mat soon
I have my boa in my rack system, that I have for my pythons, I was getting bashed about they needed overhead heat, he only in it till the 6x3x2 Viv is brought after Christmas. So hearing someone has their boas in a rack system makes me feel better
Brilliant video and wonderful channel I'm going to get a common boa later down the line .I only found your channel today and already subscribed . All the best to you , Tim .
Thank you so much for this video! There was a ton of great information and I found it very helpful. I want to get a boa so I’ve been doing my research. Your channel and this video and the best boas for beginners in particular have been a great help.
I also come back to this video it’s so useful & still has info I use all the time, but since I am advanced-mid keeper it’s still good to have a reminder & I’ve gotten into the Sunglow morphs & Motleys, Sundragons etc (don’t do this unless you know about them) ❤
I am 32 years old. I got my first boa when I was 13, after falling in love with a class pet (teachers wife hated snakes, so the class pet was given to a student who wanted it for the duration of a school term break each year). Married now, and my spouse was indifferent to snakes when we got together- now my spouse is growing in interest about my pets, how to care for them as well as how to just enjoy having them around. We've been watching 'boa care' videos a lot recently, and I love finding ones that have good advice. It's hard to find, believe it or not- a lot of videos I've come across have pretty bad ideas about things to do when planning for or caring for your pets, so I always watch potential videos by myself first to vet the information. This one might be longer than some, and doesn't have the flashy editing or effects of others, but damn if it's not top of my list for 'actually good information' well beyond some of the others with nice effects. I really appreciate you taking the time to put this together, and the wide array of important subjects you touched on. I look forward to sharing this video with my Person, and it's likely going to be top of my list of go-tos the next time someone asks me about how to get started
Thank you for the information. I plan on getting a hog island boa and will keep it in a 3 foot by 20 inchs by 18 inch enclosure, until its larger and will then move it to a larger enclosure down the road.
As a tarantula lover as well as a large snake lover I feel you when you talk about pet stores not knowing if they have a bci or a bcc. Every spider at local pet shops is a "birdeater" something or other
Hi! I can tell you put a lot of thought into this guide in order to make it approachable to new keepers. The only thing I would say is that I don't necessarily agree with the dimensions you provided for the enclosure size. I think a boa should be able to fully stretch out length wise in order to help it's spine and other functions. I've heard the rule of "the length of the snake x half the length of the snake x half the length of the snake". Which means if you have an 8 foot boa, you should be keeping it in an 8x4x4. I get this is a large spacial investment, but these are large animals and will need a large enclosure accordingly. I personally would love to have a giant bioactive setup with live plants and a boa as a centerpiece to my house :) Boas are personally one of my dream reptiles (currently a teen and I don't want to get into that rescue situation you mentioned) and I definitely think they can be appropriate for newer keepers. I would love to rescue one. I would personally use a larger enclosure size for the bare minimum. Want to know the people know what they're getting into ^^ Also my apologies if any of this came across as rude. I personally avoided the reptile community for a couple years because I was getting tired of both how mean people can be to each other and with how people were treating these wonderful animals. I can tell you really care about these animals, so I wanted to offer my constructive criticism. But let me know your thoughts as I'm still learning just like you are. Thanks and have a great time of day! reptifiles.com/boa-constrictor-care/boa-constrictor-enclosure-size/ (I found this article helpful)
I use bulbs, including UVB for my baby Boa but also spray the cage multiple times a day. It seems to be a bit dryer during the day no matter what, but stays humid at night - but the boa basks all the time. He spend less time in his hide than on his branch soaking up "sun" lol. I have a vertical/diagonal heat range going on, front bottom being wetter and cooler and the back top being much warmer, with climbing items throughout. I plan to do something similar for his adult cage that I will bulb, though I may use a UVB bulb and CHE or HEP. Honestly, any heat emitting item can have fire hazard I've found out, but now with varying wattages and such, as long as A HIGH QUALITY SURGE PROTECTOR IS USED for all electrical hero supplies, things should be alright. UVB is not needed, but there's plenty of research coming out that shows snakes benefiting from it, especially growing snakes. Plus I've noticed some vibrancy in pigmentation but that's just anecdotal lol. Great vid, I just wanted to throw those things out there - it's interesting and useful to know the different nuances different keepers utilize! :)
I just got my first Boa this weekend. I’m really nervous... I don’t want to neglect it and want to give him his best life. He’s been in his hide box for the day an half. I checked on him earlier and he isn’t to happy.... lol actually hissing at me.
Regular calm, confident & gentle handling will do wonders for your snakes behavior. My baby male Green Anaconda struck at me on day 1 and on day 2 bit me twice ( which didn't hurt at all or leave a mark ) I didn't have a reaction to the bite at all and simply put him back into his enclosure. I handle him daily now and he has never come close to biting me again.
I'm going through the same thing without the hissing lol. But, no worries! just make sure your levels are right, and just let him acclimate for about t week. I'm nervous to and that what im telling myself lol. I got mine a week ago today xD. He had his first meal two days ago, but he didn't eat the first time and that sent me through the roof. He's just chillin digesting now xD
Lol the first boa you pulled out was so wild 😂 Thanks for all the excellent information. I subscribed. I want a dumerlis boa, and it’ll be the only one i have. I have 6 ball pythons and i love them to death
Great video and care guide! I've always enjoyed your videos, and this is very helpful. Now if only someone could do a video like this for ball pythons... Have you considered putting time stamps in for the different topics?
Boas in general are my favorite snake. It would be cool to have a bright vibrant morph but just a common Columbian does it for me. Also had a central American some years ago (fiesty little bastard) but super cool to watch, I ordered my central American from boas and balls quite some time before their fire. Balls never really did it for me.
Great content❤ P.S. Most of great Boas are in USA. If you live in UK or Europe your choices are more limited. Unless there is sn affordable international shipping method that I'm not aware of.
What about bioactive enclosures. What types of sturdy plants would you recommend to given cover? Thick limbs to climb and something to hide under at the floor as well?
@@BrianBoas what is the reason for this I’m generally curious, aside from they will knock over some plants? I’ve never had a “big snake” it would be my first. I’m back and forth between a bigger then average lizard or a smaller snake. Like a hog island boa. I like both but i want the bioactive enclosure.
Hi we rehomed an 8 year old boa about year ago, she such a good girl super friendly my asd little boy loves her more than his ball python but the last 3 meals she refused any ideas do they go into brumafion.. She's a red tail boa any help advise be much appreciated 😊
Hello Brian! I am a new keeper here (getting my baby boa next month). I couldn't find any link to a heat-emitting panel. Do you recommend any specific one? Thanks!
Hello Brian! Thank you for the video and your knowledge is much appreciated. I have a few questions, I live in Gainesville where the weather dips down to 50 F during the night so I just have one heating bulb on the far end of a 75-gallon terrarium, is that a good choice counting if I keep the windows closed? Or if I want to open them a bit because normally it is 74 F around the house should I just keep the heat bulb on? The second one would be your advice as to how I should start handling her, I just bought her and moved her in on the 20th and set up her cage full and everything right before that, she is a Motley Boa Imperator that is about 2.5 years old. How would you recommend starting to handle her after a week of letting her get used to the cage? I talked about her for a few weeks with the owners of the reptile shop and they told me she is the sweetest large snake they ever had as she is super passive and used to being handled. She seems a little spooked on the first day as when I moved by the cage she retreated a bit into her hideout. Please let me know your opinion!
I would receommend you use a heat mat or heat emitting panel rather than a bulb for heat. It's ok to get down to 74 at night on the cool side. If your ambient temp is around 74, then using just a heat mat may be sufficient. You want the hot spot to be about 90 and the cool side 75-80F. As far as handling, just pick her up and take it from there! If she seems to have had enough handling, put her back in the cage. Good luck!
they're harder to keep than they seem but I love them they're way too docile compared to pythons! I've a BCI now, that I think it is tho the seller said it's a BCC but its tail's not red enough
@@BrianBoas it had never happened to me before :( Also, is there much difference? I mean aside from the totally different personality, this one for example is the only boa I’ve ever had who hates baths and water
Still cant believe im getting into snakes. Critters seem so cheap when you already have supplies but having to get everything from scratch reminds me why I stuck to lizards and spiders
Thank you for all the information, I am looking to getting my first boa and got a lot of useful information from your videos. I had one doubt tho, if in my house during winter the temperature goes to 20c/68f (or less at night) and I only have a heat mat for the enclosure, will that alone raise the temperature up to the recommended 24c/75f? Great videos by the way, keep it up man!
Hi Brian! I really enjoyed this video thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge! I am about to acquire my first boa, a baby jungle from a local woman who adopted a mother boa who had a many babies after the former owner kept a male and a female together with the misinformation that it was difficult for a pair to breed. I did have a question about feeding adults when it is older: why do you recommend feeding thawed pre frozen rabbits and etc as opposed to live? Also, I noticed the red tailed boa you were holding in the last part of the video seem to be very engaged in getting as close to your face as possible. I read that boas do not bond with their owners or have special relationships with humans however, I read that they also do you recognize the smell of their Handler, and the person who provides food to them with this explain the behaviour of your boa and do you agree with the scientific research that says snakes do not bond with their owners? Also, when I choose my baby Boa, is there anything I should be looking out for in terms of personality or behaviours or aside from a healthy looking snake? Are there differences between males and be females and behaviour and handle ability?
Frozen thawed prey items are recommended because it is much safer for your boa (and you), more convenient, typically less expensive, and likely more human for the prey animal. Although it is possible that boas recognize different people by smell and other senses, they don't bond with their owners in the same way as a dog or cat. Male and female boas overall make similar pets.
My 2 yr old common boa wants to eat every 7 days-10 days. I feed every 14 days but during that 2nd week she's waiting she will strike at moving objects. As soon as she's fed she stops striking and goes back to being relaxed, easy to handle and pleasant. I hate making her wait but i assume every 10 day feeding will be too much. What do you think since she's showing signs she's ready for more food?
On other channels I've seen a tip shared where people drop a penny in the water bowl. I've never seen you mention it and I thought it would be a trick someone like yourself would know. Can you share your insight on this?
I don't know about this- this is not something I do. Maybe it inhibits fungal or bacterial growth? I recommend cleaning your water bowl with light dish soap at least once a week and changing the water.
I use a 5ft wooden viv for my boa, the breeder I bought her from told me to just use a ceramic heat emitter but the humidity is far too low. Aren't heat mats not really viable for wooden enclosures? Do you have any advice, thank you.
I recommend using a heat emitting panel mounted to the ceiling for heating wooden enclosures. They don't get nearly as hot as the ceramic bulbs and keep the humidity higher. Be sure to also use a thermostat to keep the temps in the desired range.
Hi Brian, (and the rest of the comment section) What is the depth that an adult (larger) boa would need in terrarium size? 6 feet you said in length, but the depth should be more than 1 feet deep right? Thanks in advance! :)
Hi Brian! I just got myself a common boa, she is about 8 months old. My pet shop was feeding her weekly since she was a baby. Should I go right to every 2 weeks or should I hold off a bit and wait a 3-4 weeks or something to feed her? Her body is pretty defined, she is only a little chunk where her food is in her belly. Thank you!
Also wanted to say I LOVE your videos!! You're so intuitive with all of the information you put out, it really speaks to your level of experience that much of it is not common knowledge!! I wish more people knew about your videos, I reccomend you to all my friends wanting a boa. Have a good one!
I’m 13, would you recommend me get a boa constrictor or a ball python? I have never owned a snake before but I absolutely adore them. I have done a lot of research on ball pythons mostly but I recently developed an interest for boas but I’m not sure if I should get one. And another thing, I live in London so there isn’t many reptile shows that I can go to that are near me but I don’t really trust shopping online because it makes me really nervous, my parents no nothing about snakes so I’m afraid I might be alone in this process. Do you have any advice for this? Thank you for this video by the way!
I’m getting a baby longicauda and the breeder said to feed it small mice. It’s maybe a few months old at most and pretty small. I want to slow grow it. Does he really need small mice, or should I do fuzzies or hoppers?
Hi Brian. I use a ceramic Bulb with a thermostat to regulate the temperature. Would this be okay? I have an infrared thermometer to measure temp also. I use coir husk (coconut husk) -and my boa seems to love it. How often should I deep clean the cage? I spot clean but haven’t deep cleaned in about 2 months. Thank you.
Hi, I have two baby boas 100% het khal, het sharp. My question is can I breed them? If it is not OK to breed them together, can I breed them to something else at all? And second question is what is good to breed a snow(khal x anery) arabesque boa with?
You can, but the genetics would be very confusing. You may not be able to differentiate kahl from sharp albinos, and then there may double kahl/sharp visuals. It is best to only have one type of albino in a project.
from what you mentioned what is different to bcc care ?i have a bcc and i want to mAKE SURE all i did last four years is correct. does boa as pet need to be breed to like do what they are meant to do .
Bcc are just generally less flexible as far as maintaining correct husbandry, but general care is similar. No boas do not need to be bred and you should not attempt to breed them unless you have really done your background research.
@@BrianBoas I don't want to loose her but In the same time everyone deserves to have population and also experience the Sexual stuff . So Is hard decision. She is almost ten years old now
No trust me don't breed her. She is fine and will remain perfectly healthy without breeding. Breeding her will actually put her at a lot more risk than keeping her as a pet without breeding.
@@BrianBoas oh yes I love her and is just how human needs sex at least to experience it so I was worried snake also need to experience it but if don't that's also good
I agree with everything except your feeding schedule. U can feed every week as long as the animal has a nice square shape and isn’t getting fat. & feeding weekly also means smaller meals vs every two weeks. Snake will still live 20+ years
I'm looking to either get a dwarf boa or a normal common bci my mother said she doesn't care as long as it isn't a cat or spider she couldn't care less my sister's like snakes to(my older sister wants either a corn snake a milk snake Mexican black King snake or a corn snake) but my dad is dead afraid if them like he is so scared of cats he saw a Tom cat and thought it was a tiger and one he nearly beat up my mom in his sleep because he thought the was a snake but I really want one and I'm going to call her fluffy🥰🥰🥰
Can anyone help me, I am Wanting a Boa, a breed that lives forever, this my first snake, I am asking for the one who understands them the most, to be able to help me with the right one, I want a boa with a bred long life
No boa lives forever. If given the correct husbandry, most Boa constrictors and Boa imperators can live around 20 years and occasionally longer. That is a pretty long life span for a pet animal, longer than a dog or cat.
That makes sense, it would be really fun if you could have two different constrictors together, I like how you talk to the snakes and how you are their friends
I just want to thank you for the time vested in making these videos . Along with sharing your vast knowledge to the community. You sir are making Boas homes a better place . Have a blessed evening 🤜
Protect this man at all cost. He is so wholesome AHHHH
Ok, thanks?
For sure. He is very honest and helpful. Everyone considering getting a boa needs to check out his channel.💯👏
@@misskacy5832 Thanks
@Kade Brendan shit up
@@BrianBoas hey so I want to get a pet boa, but I’m a college student and I don’t want to have any other pets or have snake keeping as a hobby take over a large portion of my life. Would you say a boa can be kept as a casual pet? The same way some people have cats or dogs?
Handling boas seems so fun I mean look at how curious his boa is!!!
Yea it is a blast!
I'm using this as the checklist as I go forward with buying my first snake. Thanks a lot for the info. Very useful and I appreciate it.
Glad it was helpful! Good luck!
Me too
I had a few boas back in the mid Seventies, but in those days there was nowhere near the husbandry info we now have. I had a few smaller ones that I kept in aquariums, who died of mouth rot. Then I bought a four-footer from a woman who needed to get rid of him, and built a huge cage - maybe seven foot long (I wanted him to grow big!) - by making a wooden frame and covering it with metal screen. Heat was provided by two spotlights dangling down from the ceiling until my dad complained about the electric bill and made me cut it down to one. What was the temperature? I have no idea. Humidity? I don't know, I guess it depended on whether or not we had water in the cellar. He eventually got mouth rot also, but I was able to cure it thanks to swabbing his mouth out with some penicillin left over from my little sister's throat infection! He got up to 6 1/2 feet before my folks said he had to go.
If he were around today and was capable of watching RUclips videos, I'm sure he would be smashing that Like button and thanking you for the great info that I could have only dreamed of back in those days!
Thanks for sharing! It's amazing how much info we have now at the click of a mouse, not too mention all the different types of boas available online. These are truly the glory days of reptile keeping- hopefully it will last!
I have 3 snakes. I respect this man he has good knowledge
Thanks!
Getting my first Boa in a week or two. Hypo Hog Island. Really, really appreciate your detailed information in this video man. As a cornsnake owner, I had some general ideas, but as you know every type of snake is different and just cause you know one, doesn't mean you know them all. Made note of a lot of this stuff so I know how to set up my enclosure, and also what to shop for to get the tank set up prior to receiving the boa.
Good luck!
I just got a boa, she came with her reptile cage, hides, heat mat and thermostat and the guy i bought her from knew all the basics to teach me, plus I've been doing research for the last few months...but your videos have been super helpful and informative so thank you!!
That is awesome! Best of luck!
Thank you sooooo much for this awesome video. It's an absolute gift to us first-timers and exactly what I need to ensure the health of my baby!
You're welcome; I hope it helps!
Nothing better than information straight to my veins. Good video 😊
Thanks
This was definitely helpful as I’m experienced in maintaining and keeping ball pythons and reticulated pythons but now I’m ready for the power and you’re very informative video was helpful and I am definitely ready for a boa thank you for your video love it…!!
Thanks and good luck
Super comprehensive; thank you! I had a bcc when I was in college, but that was 24 years ago now. I am thinking it’s time for another one.
Glad it was helpful! You have a great plan!
Such an awesome video man. Really helped me out, gonna be getting a red tail in the next few months! Thanks a ton
Thanks and good luck!
I just rescued a female boa she was kept in a 20 gal for her life until she met me! I’m currently getting an enclosure for her which is a plastic that about 110 gallons, this video is helping me a lot trying to figure out how she can thrive for the rest of her life !
Thanks for rescuing her and best of luck!
20 gallons! How long is she?
Very informative. I spent 100's getting heat admitters, stands, fog machine and luckily a temperature control plug because the breeder told me that's the best. I will be investing in a heat mat soon
Good luck with it!
Thank you so much for your time and knowledge! I feel a lot more confident getting a boa after finding your channel, much appreciated! 🇺🇸
You're very welcome!
I have my boa in my rack system, that I have for my pythons, I was getting bashed about they needed overhead heat, he only in it till the 6x3x2 Viv is brought after Christmas.
So hearing someone has their boas in a rack system makes me feel better
Thanks for sharing
Brilliant video and wonderful channel I'm going to get a common boa later down the line .I only found your channel today and already subscribed .
All the best to you ,
Tim .
Thanks and welcome!
Thank you so much for this video! There was a ton of great information and I found it very helpful. I want to get a boa so I’ve been doing my research. Your channel and this video and the best boas for beginners in particular have been a great help.
Thanks and good luck!
This is one of the best videos I've seen on YT... straight substance, no ego or trying to be cute instead---amazing job. Subbed.
Thanks for your kind words!
I also come back to this video it’s so useful & still has info I use all the time, but since I am advanced-mid keeper it’s still good to have a reminder & I’ve gotten into the Sunglow morphs & Motleys, Sundragons etc (don’t do this unless you know about them) ❤
Glad it is helpful
I am 32 years old. I got my first boa when I was 13, after falling in love with a class pet (teachers wife hated snakes, so the class pet was given to a student who wanted it for the duration of a school term break each year). Married now, and my spouse was indifferent to snakes when we got together- now my spouse is growing in interest about my pets, how to care for them as well as how to just enjoy having them around. We've been watching 'boa care' videos a lot recently, and I love finding ones that have good advice. It's hard to find, believe it or not- a lot of videos I've come across have pretty bad ideas about things to do when planning for or caring for your pets, so I always watch potential videos by myself first to vet the information. This one might be longer than some, and doesn't have the flashy editing or effects of others, but damn if it's not top of my list for 'actually good information' well beyond some of the others with nice effects.
I really appreciate you taking the time to put this together, and the wide array of important subjects you touched on. I look forward to sharing this video with my Person, and it's likely going to be top of my list of go-tos the next time someone asks me about how to get started
Thanks for your kind feedback and best of luck!
You are like the Tom Moran of boas. Tom Moran is an awesome educational channel about species of tarantulas kept in the tarantula hobby.
Thanks! I’ll have to check that channel out- I love tarantulas!
I was just thinking the same thing. The content structure very clean and every word relevant and applicable.
Thank you for this video! I’ve only had ball pythons in the past and want to venture into a Hog Island Boa in the near future!
Go for it! Good luck!
Thank you for the information. I plan on getting a hog island boa and will keep it in a 3 foot by 20 inchs by 18 inch enclosure, until its larger and will then move it to a larger enclosure down the road.
Ok good luck!
This Boa is BEAUTIFUL ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks!
As a tarantula lover as well as a large snake lover I feel you when you talk about pet stores not knowing if they have a bci or a bcc. Every spider at local pet shops is a "birdeater" something or other
Thanks for sharing!
Watched your video when you uploaded but forgot to comment and 👍
I appreciate that!
Nice info indeed, thinking of getting a boa
Go for it!
@@BrianBoas thanks and its gonna be the common boa.
Thanks for the info. My daughter wants a boa and I have no knowledge about them, lol, this was very helpful.
Best of luck!
Really enjoying your vids. Learning alot. Keep up the good work.
Thanks and good luck!
Hi! I can tell you put a lot of thought into this guide in order to make it approachable to new keepers.
The only thing I would say is that I don't necessarily agree with the dimensions you provided for the enclosure size. I think a boa should be able to fully stretch out length wise in order to help it's spine and other functions. I've heard the rule of "the length of the snake x half the length of the snake x half the length of the snake". Which means if you have an 8 foot boa, you should be keeping it in an 8x4x4. I get this is a large spacial investment, but these are large animals and will need a large enclosure accordingly. I personally would love to have a giant bioactive setup with live plants and a boa as a centerpiece to my house :)
Boas are personally one of my dream reptiles (currently a teen and I don't want to get into that rescue situation you mentioned) and I definitely think they can be appropriate for newer keepers. I would love to rescue one. I would personally use a larger enclosure size for the bare minimum. Want to know the people know what they're getting into ^^
Also my apologies if any of this came across as rude. I personally avoided the reptile community for a couple years because I was getting tired of both how mean people can be to each other and with how people were treating these wonderful animals. I can tell you really care about these animals, so I wanted to offer my constructive criticism. But let me know your thoughts as I'm still learning just like you are. Thanks and have a great time of day!
reptifiles.com/boa-constrictor-care/boa-constrictor-enclosure-size/ (I found this article helpful)
Ok, thanks
You’re extremely informative and helpful thank you so much. I can see you love your snakes too. I appreciate your videos! Stay safe!
Thanks and safe safe also!
really great care video!
Thanks!
My first red-tailed boa was bci, a male over one year old.
I use bulbs, including UVB for my baby Boa but also spray the cage multiple times a day. It seems to be a bit dryer during the day no matter what, but stays humid at night - but the boa basks all the time. He spend less time in his hide than on his branch soaking up "sun" lol. I have a vertical/diagonal heat range going on, front bottom being wetter and cooler and the back top being much warmer, with climbing items throughout. I plan to do something similar for his adult cage that I will bulb, though I may use a UVB bulb and CHE or HEP. Honestly, any heat emitting item can have fire hazard I've found out, but now with varying wattages and such, as long as A HIGH QUALITY SURGE PROTECTOR IS USED for all electrical hero supplies, things should be alright.
UVB is not needed, but there's plenty of research coming out that shows snakes benefiting from it, especially growing snakes. Plus I've noticed some vibrancy in pigmentation but that's just anecdotal lol. Great vid, I just wanted to throw those things out there - it's interesting and useful to know the different nuances different keepers utilize! :)
Thanks for sharing!
I just got my first Boa this weekend. I’m really nervous... I don’t want to neglect it and want to give him his best life. He’s been in his hide box for the day an half. I checked on him earlier and he isn’t to happy.... lol actually hissing at me.
Best of luck!
Is this okay? Doesn’t seem to be exploring his enclosure.
@@nickolastrokanski9224 yes that is normal- he just needs to adjust to his new home
Regular calm, confident & gentle handling will do wonders for your snakes behavior. My baby male Green Anaconda struck at me on day 1 and on day 2 bit me twice ( which didn't hurt at all or leave a mark ) I didn't have a reaction to the bite at all and simply put him back into his enclosure. I handle him daily now and he has never come close to biting me again.
I'm going through the same thing without the hissing lol. But, no worries! just make sure your levels are right, and just let him acclimate for about t week. I'm nervous to and that what im telling myself lol. I got mine a week ago today xD. He had his first meal two days ago, but he didn't eat the first time and that sent me through the roof. He's just chillin digesting now xD
Great video, I learned a lot 👍🏻
Glad to hear it!
Lol the first boa you pulled out was so wild 😂
Thanks for all the excellent information. I subscribed. I want a dumerlis boa, and it’ll be the only one i have. I have 6 ball pythons and i love them to death
Thanks and good luck!
Subscribed brother!
Welcome!
Thank you so much, you are very thorough!
Thanks and good luck!
I just got my first boa and 3rd snake a couple weeks ago, and your videos have been very helpful :)
Glad I could help! Good luck!
Thanks!
You are welcome!
Good Video! I learned a lot from this video.
Thanks!
Great video and care guide! I've always enjoyed your videos, and this is very helpful. Now if only someone could do a video like this for ball pythons...
Have you considered putting time stamps in for the different topics?
Thnaks;maybe one day!
Thank you for the video! Great info, and beautiful animals
Glad you enjoyed it!
The video was extremely helpful thank you☺️
Boas in general are my favorite snake. It would be cool to have a bright vibrant morph but just a common Columbian does it for me. Also had a central American some years ago (fiesty little bastard) but super cool to watch, I ordered my central American from boas and balls quite some time before their fire. Balls never really did it for me.
amazing! Thank you for sharing this experiece with us
Glad you enjoyed it!
@@BrianBoas ok kak makasih 🙏🙏
excellent video would be nice to see the housing from little to adulthood if you can, even same with there food size
Thanks for the idea
Great content❤
P.S. Most of great Boas are in USA. If you live in UK or Europe your choices are more limited. Unless there is sn affordable international shipping method that I'm not aware of.
Great point! Yes I wish it was easier to ship boas across the pond.
Good stuff, thanks for the knowledge!
Thanks!
Thanks I want to get a boa as my first snake I have some experience with lizards
Ok good luck
What about like dirt from Home Depot so you can have a deeper cool side?
Probably not
What about bioactive enclosures. What types of sturdy plants would you recommend to given cover?
Thick limbs to climb and something to hide under at the floor as well?
I don’t recommend bioactive enclosures for boas.
@@BrianBoas what is the reason for this I’m generally curious, aside from they will knock over some plants? I’ve never had a “big snake” it would be my first. I’m back and forth between a bigger then average lizard or a smaller snake. Like a hog island boa. I like both but i want the bioactive enclosure.
Can you do a video on ghost boas ? I’ve been really drawn to a ghost but this isn’t my first snake but is my first boa
I actually don’t have any ghost bias, but their care is similar to other morph boas. You can watch my videos on sunglow and albino boas.
Any tips for a very defensive and aggressive boa??
Check this out: ruclips.net/video/i9vuBzi56Ls/видео.html
Brian can you give me an example of the right raiders heat panel I could buy that is really expensive
Hi we rehomed an 8 year old boa about year ago, she such a good girl super friendly my asd little boy loves her more than his ball python but the last 3 meals she refused any ideas do they go into brumafion.. She's a red tail boa any help advise be much appreciated 😊
Thanks for giving the boa a new home!
Advice on adopting a 3 year old bci? I have knowledge on care and ect just not sure if that is best route as it’s available ASAP
Go for it! A slightly older boa will be less delicate than a baby.
Hello Brian! I am a new keeper here (getting my baby boa next month). I couldn't find any link to a heat-emitting panel. Do you recommend any specific one? Thanks!
The kind I have came from Reptile Basics. I think there are some other types though which I have not tried that probably work well also.
Does a boa make a good first snake
Some can but it depends on the boa and the person
Hello, I’m getting a first boa soon and wanted to ask: is a bulb okay if hides, foggers, and soaking areas are plentiful?
Not recommended there are far better heating options. If you mean a bulb for lighting that won’t get too hot that’s ok.
@@BrianBoas Thanks, I got some Flukers mini sun dome lamps and was going to use them so you saved my boa some trouble.
Best of luck!
Hello Brian! Thank you for the video and your knowledge is much appreciated. I have a few questions, I live in Gainesville where the weather dips down to 50 F during the night so I just have one heating bulb on the far end of a 75-gallon terrarium, is that a good choice counting if I keep the windows closed? Or if I want to open them a bit because normally it is 74 F around the house should I just keep the heat bulb on? The second one would be your advice as to how I should start handling her, I just bought her and moved her in on the 20th and set up her cage full and everything right before that, she is a Motley Boa Imperator that is about 2.5 years old. How would you recommend starting to handle her after a week of letting her get used to the cage? I talked about her for a few weeks with the owners of the reptile shop and they told me she is the sweetest large snake they ever had as she is super passive and used to being handled. She seems a little spooked on the first day as when I moved by the cage she retreated a bit into her hideout. Please let me know your opinion!
I would receommend you use a heat mat or heat emitting panel rather than a bulb for heat. It's ok to get down to 74 at night on the cool side. If your ambient temp is around 74, then using just a heat mat may be sufficient. You want the hot spot to be about 90 and the cool side 75-80F. As far as handling, just pick her up and take it from there! If she seems to have had enough handling, put her back in the cage. Good luck!
they're harder to keep than they seem but I love them they're way too docile compared to pythons! I've a BCI now, that I think it is tho the seller said it's a BCC but its tail's not red enough
It's pretty common for people to sell Bci and claim they are red tails
@@BrianBoas it had never happened to me before :( Also, is there much difference? I mean aside from the totally different personality, this one for example is the only boa I’ve ever had who hates baths and water
Yes they are now classified as separate species and are considerably different in looks, behavior, and husbandry
Still cant believe im getting into snakes. Critters seem so cheap when you already have supplies but having to get everything from scratch reminds me why I stuck to lizards and spiders
Yes it’s a big investment to get a proper setup
Brian: "unless you have a very warm house you will probably need to heat your enclosure"
Me: cries in my hot house in the tropics
Lucky you! :)
Thank you for all the information, I am looking to getting my first boa and got a lot of useful information from your videos.
I had one doubt tho, if in my house during winter the temperature goes to 20c/68f (or less at night) and I only have a heat mat for the enclosure, will that alone raise the temperature up to the recommended 24c/75f?
Great videos by the way, keep it up man!
Thanks! I would recommend a heat emitting panel not a heat mat for your situation.
@@BrianBoas Alright, I'll research a bit into those then!
Best of luck!
Hi Brian! I really enjoyed this video thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge! I am about to acquire my first boa, a baby jungle from a local woman who adopted a mother boa who had a many babies after the former owner kept a male and a female together with the misinformation that it was difficult for a pair to breed. I did have a question about feeding adults when it is older: why do you recommend feeding thawed pre frozen rabbits and etc as opposed to live?
Also, I noticed the red tailed boa you were holding in the last part of the video seem to be very engaged in getting as close to your face as possible. I read that boas do not bond with their owners or have special relationships with humans however, I read that they also do you recognize the smell of their Handler, and the person who provides food to them with this explain the behaviour of your boa and do you agree with the scientific research that says snakes do not bond with their owners? Also, when I choose my baby Boa, is there anything I should be looking out for in terms of personality or behaviours or aside from a healthy looking snake? Are there differences between males and be females and behaviour and handle ability?
Frozen thawed prey items are recommended because it is much safer for your boa (and you), more convenient, typically less expensive, and likely more human for the prey animal. Although it is possible that boas recognize different people by smell and other senses, they don't bond with their owners in the same way as a dog or cat. Male and female boas overall make similar pets.
My 2 yr old common boa wants to eat every 7 days-10 days. I feed every 14 days but during that 2nd week she's waiting she will strike at moving objects. As soon as she's fed she stops striking and goes back to being relaxed, easy to handle and pleasant. I hate making her wait but i assume every 10 day feeding will be too much. What do you think since she's showing signs she's ready for more food?
Is she is growing steadily and muscular, not obese, you can increase to every 10 days. Taper off if she starts getting round.
Hi Brain. I am from South Africa. Why do the enclosure smell. How do i get rid of of the smell in the enclosure
Clean it thoroughly.
32 degrees celsius for hotspot and 24-29 colder side.
On other channels I've seen a tip shared where people drop a penny in the water bowl. I've never seen you mention it and I thought it would be a trick someone like yourself would know. Can you share your insight on this?
I don't know about this- this is not something I do. Maybe it inhibits fungal or bacterial growth? I recommend cleaning your water bowl with light dish soap at least once a week and changing the water.
Yeah I like washing by hand better. But in a pinch the penny thing is fine...needs to be a specific kind of penny though
Ehat if they eat the penny?
I use a 5ft wooden viv for my boa, the breeder I bought her from told me to just use a ceramic heat emitter but the humidity is far too low. Aren't heat mats not really viable for wooden enclosures? Do you have any advice, thank you.
I recommend using a heat emitting panel mounted to the ceiling for heating wooden enclosures. They don't get nearly as hot as the ceramic bulbs and keep the humidity higher. Be sure to also use a thermostat to keep the temps in the desired range.
I have a question. Can you mix coconut skin substrate with Aspen substrate?
Yes
Hello! It's me again,how big should a tank for a dwarf boa be then? like the Crawl Cay boa for example
A 3 or 4 foot long plastic snake cage is fine for most dwarf boas, depending on size. I keep many adults in 30x40 inch vision boa tubs.
@@BrianBoas okay!
Hi Brian, (and the rest of the comment section)
What is the depth that an adult (larger) boa would need in terrarium size? 6 feet you said in length, but the depth should be more than 1 feet deep right?
Thanks in advance! :)
A height of 24 inches would be good and I would say the bare minimum should be 18 inches.
where do you get the corrugated substrate and does it mold?
U line. I have not had any mold.
Hi Brian! I just got myself a common boa, she is about 8 months old. My pet shop was feeding her weekly since she was a baby. Should I go right to every 2 weeks or should I hold off a bit and wait a 3-4 weeks or something to feed her? Her body is pretty defined, she is only a little chunk where her food is in her belly. Thank you!
Also wanted to say I LOVE your videos!! You're so intuitive with all of the information you put out, it really speaks to your level of experience that much of it is not common knowledge!! I wish more people knew about your videos, I reccomend you to all my friends wanting a boa. Have a good one!
Thanks! I would wait a week or so to feed, and then feed every 10-14 days.
I’m 13, would you recommend me get a boa constrictor or a ball python? I have never owned a snake before but I absolutely adore them. I have done a lot of research on ball pythons mostly but I recently developed an interest for boas but I’m not sure if I should get one. And another thing, I live in London so there isn’t many reptile shows that I can go to that are near me but I don’t really trust shopping online because it makes me really nervous, my parents no nothing about snakes so I’m afraid I might be alone in this process. Do you have any advice for this? Thank you for this video by the way!
Check this video out and get the snake you want: ruclips.net/video/N38yCPwkzN8/видео.html
I’m getting a baby longicauda and the breeder said to feed it small mice. It’s maybe a few months old at most and pretty small. I want to slow grow it. Does he really need small mice, or should I do fuzzies or hoppers?
I can’t tell for sure without seeing the actual size of the boa. But small mice/ hoppers would probably be fine.
Hi Brian. I use a ceramic Bulb with a thermostat to regulate the temperature. Would this be okay? I have an infrared thermometer to measure temp also. I use coir husk (coconut husk) -and my boa seems to love it. How often should I deep clean the cage? I spot clean but haven’t deep cleaned in about 2 months. Thank you.
That can work as long as it doesn’t get too dry. The coconut mulch works well. I deep clean every couple months.
Would bioactive be an option?
Not recommended
Can u mix sand and substrates as one
There's no law against it. I wouldn't recommend using sand as a substrate, however.
Hi,
I have two baby boas 100% het khal, het sharp. My question is can I breed them? If it is not OK to breed them together, can I breed them to something else at all? And second question is what is good to breed a snow(khal x anery) arabesque boa with?
You can, but the genetics would be very confusing. You may not be able to differentiate kahl from sharp albinos, and then there may double kahl/sharp visuals. It is best to only have one type of albino in a project.
from what you mentioned what is different to bcc care ?i have a bcc and i want to mAKE SURE all i did last four years is correct. does boa as pet need to be breed to like do what they are meant to do .
Bcc are just generally less flexible as far as maintaining correct husbandry, but general care is similar. No boas do not need to be bred and you should not attempt to breed them unless you have really done your background research.
@@BrianBoas I don't want to loose her but In the same time everyone deserves to have population and also experience the Sexual stuff . So Is hard decision. She is almost ten years old now
No trust me don't breed her. She is fine and will remain perfectly healthy without breeding. Breeding her will actually put her at a lot more risk than keeping her as a pet without breeding.
@@BrianBoas oh yes I love her and is just how human needs sex at least to experience it so I was worried snake also need to experience it but if don't that's also good
The vti p caramel boa is that a bcc or bci?
It is Bi/Bci assuming it has not been crossed with another subspecies
How can I remove acarus from my boa?
I did a video on mites; check it out: ruclips.net/video/w-sVX5fv6TQ/видео.html
I agree with everything except your feeding schedule. U can feed every week as long as the animal has a nice square shape and isn’t getting fat. & feeding weekly also means smaller meals vs every two weeks. Snake will still live 20+ years
I'm looking to either get a dwarf boa or a normal common bci my mother said she doesn't care as long as it isn't a cat or spider she couldn't care less my sister's like snakes to(my older sister wants either a corn snake a milk snake Mexican black King snake or a corn snake) but my dad is dead afraid if them like he is so scared of cats he saw a Tom cat and thought it was a tiger and one he nearly beat up my mom in his sleep because he thought the was a snake but I really want one and I'm going to call her fluffy🥰🥰🥰
Ok, best of luck!
Hey Brian if I were to visit USA and get a boa from a breeder would i have to pay some huge fees to bring it back to Europe by plane
I don’t know but I imagine you would
Are you breeding occidentalis (Argentine) anytime soon?
Hopefully in 2022
Brian when feeding your Boa is it best to feed the animal in a different cage?
No feed in the same cage
Have you done a TRUE red tail care guide? Since they're more fragile than their hardy common cousins.
Yes I have. You can watch it here: ruclips.net/video/0S6-wKrppo8/видео.html
@brian boas is it harmfull to heat a spot in the terrarium with a bulb? And for humidity spray water in the terrarium once a day?
Bulbs are not the best heat source because they get too hot and dry out the enclosure. Spraying daily is fine.
@@BrianBoas thanks
Can anyone help me, I am Wanting a Boa, a breed that lives forever, this my first snake, I am asking for the one who understands them the most, to be able to help me with the right one, I want a boa with a bred long life
Please
No boa lives forever. If given the correct husbandry, most Boa constrictors and Boa imperators can live around 20 years and occasionally longer. That is a pretty long life span for a pet animal, longer than a dog or cat.
That makes sense, it would be really fun if you could have two different constrictors together, I like how you talk to the snakes and how you are their friends
That t pos was a bit nice
Thanks!
Do you have a facebook
Yes Brian Boas
Im not worried about the size im more worried of the affordabillities
I just want to thank you for the time vested in making these videos . Along with sharing your vast knowledge to the community. You sir are making Boas homes a better place . Have a blessed evening 🤜
Thanks for your kind feedback!
Thank You for this video! It's really useful!
Glad it was helpful!