Boa or Python?

[feathafur]

So as it seems ive been bitten by the snake bug and im thinking its time to add another snake to the household!
I had it narrowed down to an Argentine boa or a salmon/albino/anery columbian
but theres some amazing looking pythons out there and im wondering from you guys who have both
What do you prefer? and why?
what makes one a better pet over the other?
i havnt always been so fond of the way the pythons heads look compared to boas but im not sure now, some of them are still stunning no matter what

(couldnt really decide what forum topic i wanted to put this in)

[HERPHAPPY]

The one YOU LIKE better makes the best pet....(other than ease of care, which you should be researching, so you don't get something so exotic it does not thrive for the conditions you can provide...) Don't rush your decison...impulse buys have a way of biting back sometimes. Having known many boas & pythons (& keeping some now) I can't say one category is preferable over the other!? (my tastes are pretty wide, lol)

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[jake_brownell2004]

i love retics. great personality very smart and some of the most killer colors iv ever scene. thats be tho

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[BlackLava]

my fave has and always will be my little colombian boas. they were the first snake i ever fell in love with, and to this day i adore each and every one of them lol! retics are a close second, but they are def not for everyone. just hang around for a while, see what everyone else says about their snakes, and you will see which one's housing and feeding requirements and temperaments fits in with you the best. everyone is always gonna say that their snake species is the best lol. another thing to do is to try to get some hands-on experience and see which one you like best

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[feathafur]

i know i have the means to care for either kind
(retics are amazing looking but i do have a size limit!)
boas and pythons both seem great but i cant compare the 2 being that ive never owned a python and the only pythons i have cared for were some grumpy ball pythons at the pet store

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[Amazon]

Is there any specific type of python you were thinking of? Despite your bad experience with bps at the pet store, I think they do make really good pets. All of mine are extremely sweet However, they are a bit lazier than my boas.

Another python you may want to consider is any variety of carpet python. They are extraordinarily beautiful animals, I've never owned one, but I hear they can be a little squirmy, and they can be nippy as babies, but usually calm right down.

It all comes down to what kind of personality you want your snake to have. BCIs, Ball pythons , and carpet pythons can all make really great pets, and each snake is going to have individual differences. But as a general rule, Boas are easy going and curious (sometimes lazy, sometimes trouble makers), ball pythons are easy going and lazier than boas (a good snake if you want a buddy to chill out with), and Carpets have temperaments more similar to boas, but are more likely to be a little nippy or squirmy (more like a boa than a ball in that respect).

Hope this helps!

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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[morti]

Asking if Pythons are better than Boa constrictors is like asking of Vegetables are better than apples.

There are 54 species of pythons from which to choose. Some of them make great pets and some do not.

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[feathafur]

i was mainly looking at alot of the different carpet pythons. The breeder im looking at has some dawrf retics left as well (hmmm...)
but at the same time i love how my boa will litterly sit with me for hours.
Ball pythons have kind of been ruined for me
The snake would have to be able to handle being handled as i also use them for vet assistant student demos.

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[nitram]

i could never choose between my bci or my bps, since i only have experience with those 2, those are the ones ill tell ya about.
the bp babies are not as nippy as tthe boa babies. they're super cute in how they ball up and hide their face when there is trouble. the boas when theyre babies act like theyre 40 feet long and have no problem standing up to you when they feel threatened (this i also find super cute, a 12 inch mighty mouse trying to fend you off).
husbandry is about the same for both, they eat the same and they poo the same.
seems my boas like to look for trouble when theyre most inquisitive, the other day i lowered my guard and one of my boas tried to squeeze through the lock mechanism of my tubs, took me the better part of an hour to get her to reverse herself out.
i like to hang out with either, like to watch either, theyre both super fun snakes. it all comes down to what you want, really. i personally like having diversity look at. the spider looks totally different to the mojave and the boas have that same diversity with a ghost (hypo anery), hypo motley, normal motley, normals etc etc.
only real difference i see is that baby bps are ready for larger prey items faster than a boa. my close to yearling boas are all on rat pups while the bps that are about the same age 1 is on small rats and the other on weaned rats. the bps are a lot thicker than my boas but my boas are a lot longer.
i believe dwarf retics also grow to considerable sizes, theyre only dwarfed by normal retics, which we know get pretty big.
i plan to venture into giant snakes when i move to a bigger pad, no point in getting something just because i want it knowing i need more space to house an enclosure as big as a retic requires. arboreal snakes are cool too (atb, gtp) but theyre a lot nippier. whatever you decide i wanna see pictures! good luck in your search.

	Green Tree Python Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)

	Boa Constrictor Imperator Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator). Most common is the Colombian Boa.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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	Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic - a genetic reduction in the dark pigment Melanin.

	Anerythristic A recessive genetic mutation in which the animal is void of red pigment.

	Arboreal Arboreal is a word meaning "related to or resembling trees". Its meaning comes from the Latin arbor, meaning tree.<br> In biology, an arboreal animal is one which inhabits or spends large amounts of time in trees or bushes.

[Sakara]

I have both and I highly prefer my boas, lol... It's all what YOU want though... Each snake has it's pluses and minuses... Balls suck for going off feed and it is very annoying... And it seems like they are less active and interested.... My boas always want to explore and "play"... They LOVE food, and rarely have ever missed meals except maybe once or twice while deep in shed... Boas seem to be more confident, IMO

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	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[Rachel SS]

I like carpet pythons because they are active. Mine are wiggle worms (the babies at least) and love to perch and move around. And BITE!

They're extremely nippy babies but they're starting to calm down as they get larger. My two adult carpets are super easy to handle and are great eaters.

but for boas, I love Dumeril's, hands down. Little jumpy and picky about eating when younger but they're great snakes and they are a good size

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[Aaron-Insular]

Like Mortie said there are so many species in both families, maybe if you narrowed it down more, I donlt think there are nearly as many boas, but you still have Durms, atbs, brbs, sand boas, bcls etbs and anacondas. And there are tony of pythons with tons of morphs, I'm sure you could find snakes in both boid families to fall in love with. I know some ppl are going to strongly disagree with me, but I really don't like the heads of retics or bloods/short tails, but I thinks burms, rocks, balls, childrens, carpets and my favorite (as far as looks I've never owned) are green tree pythons.
I personally only have a pair of Caulker Cay boas and a ball python. As far as pets are concerened they are pretty equal IMO Though my cays are out more durring the day my BP is very active at night (less so in the winter.) I am just less interested in BPs as a species seeing that they are soooo common, but they make wondeful pets... maybe this helped or not, but maybe it has given a few more common boids to research...

	Amazon Tree Boa Amazon Tree Boa - The Amazon tree boa, Corallus hortulanus, is a close relative of the Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus)

	Emerald Tree Boa The Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus) is a species of bright green snake that lives in the rainforests of South America.

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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	Morph A morph is a color or pattern variation that is proven to be genetic. Common morphs include albino, anerythristic, gentically striped, Hypomelanistic, and many others. Morphs also include combinations of simple traits such as "Sunglow" which is Albino and Hypomelanistic. These traits may be recessive traits, co-dominant traits, dominant traits, or created through selective breeding (ie Pastel).

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[Hypoboa1234]

Boas over pythons anyday of the week

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[stealthk7gsxr]

i also have both but it depends on you i guess. my ball is almost 8 and ive watched her grow and blossom and she pretty much has the same mentality as me. she is nice and calm always but prefers to be left alone lol. she will socialize if you force her to but if she could choose it would be to be chillin and just watching from a distance. my boa on the other hand she craves attention. im not sure if its cuz she is a baby but she is very ME ME ME ME ME. its cute tho. not sure if all bps and boas are like that.
so if i had to choose... it would be another anery boa happy decision making lol

	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

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	Anerythristic A recessive genetic mutation in which the animal is void of red pigment.

[BlackLava]

idk i think there are about the same amount of boas as pythons...maybe, if all the diff locales count. most everyone has the colombians or the bcc, but there are soooo many diff locales of boas, and diff families and such from diff parts of the world.

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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[HERPHAPPY]

You mention size limits, & I doubt that you are thinking THIS small, but I adore the still-tiny (Australian) spotted python I got last year! (Antaresia maculosa...ultimate adult size ranges 3-5', 4' a typical max) They are plentifully captive-bred and seem to be a big snake in a tiny package? They love f/t (easy to feed!) & while they need a warm cage, we are talking 30-40 gal. size...not at all hard to manage! BTW, I gotta admit (having kept & rescued many!) that ball pythons annoy me too! (-had my 'fill', no matter how pretty!!!!)

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	Frozen/Thawed A rodent or other prey item that is frozen and then thawed to be fed to a reptile or other animal.

[Rachel SS]

Children's and spotted's are underrated I think. They're adorable and they're SO TINY as babies. Good suggestion

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[Aaron-Insular]

Originally Posted by BlackLava

idk i think there are about the same amount of boas as pythons...maybe, if all the diff locales count. most everyone has the colombians or the bcc, but there are soooo many diff locales of boas, and diff families and such from diff parts of the world.

I wasn't considering locals... true species only
just found this....
There are 54 species of python. The following is a complete list of species of python: the African Rock Python, the Amethistine Python, the Angolan Python, the Australian Scrub Python, the Ball Python, the Bismark Ringed Python, the Black-headed Python, the Boelen's Python, the Borneo Short-tailed Python, the Bredi's Python, the Brown Water Python, the Burmese Python, the Carpet Python, the Centralian Carpet Python, the Children's Python, the Coastal Carpet Python, the D'Albert's Python, the Diamond Python, the Green Tree Python, the Halmahera Python, the Indian Python, the Inland Carpet Python, the Jungle Carpet Python, the Kayaudi Dwarf Reticulated Python, the Liasis fuscus fuscus, the Liasis fuscus jackyae, the Liasis olivaceus olivaceus, the Liasis olivaceus barroni, the Macklot's Python, the Morelia spilota macrospila, the Morelia viridis shireenae, the Morelia viridis viridis, the Northwestern Carpet python, the Oenpelli Python, the Olive Python, the Papuan Python, the Pygmy Python, the Python molurus molurus, the Python reticulatus reticulatus, the Red Blood Python, the Reticulated Python, the Rough-scaled Python, the Savu Python, the Selayer Reticulated Python, the Royal Python, the South African Python, the Southwestern Carpet Python, the Spotted Python, the Stimson's Python, the Sumatran Short-tailed Python, the Tanimbar Python, the Timor Python, the White-lipped Python, and the Woma Python.

Boa Species

Boas are members of the Boidae familiy of snakes. These are split into two subfamilies, Boinae (True Boas) and Erycinae (Old World Sand Boas). The Boinae in turn comprise 28 currently recognised species. This page lists some of the boa species most commonly kept by reptile enthusiasts. Click the names for more information on the different types of boa.

Boa Constrictor (Boa Constrictor)

Boa Constrictor is unusual in the fact that the common name and scientific name is the same. It is also one of the best known, and most widely kept snakes. There are currently 10 recognised subspecies including the Common Boa Imperator (BCI) and Red Tailed Boa (BCC). These snakes do very well in captivity and make excellent pets for experienced keepers.

Dumeril’s Boa (Boa Dumerili)

The Dumeril’s Boa is found in the wild on Madagascar and Reunion Island. They are a little smaller than the Boa Constrictor, and have a similar but distinctly different and quite attractive pattern of markings. While not quite as easy to care for as common boas, they still do very well in captivity. They are a CITES protected species.

Madagascan Ground Boa (Boa Madagascariensis)

Found only on Madagascar as the name suggests, this is a large snake which can grow up to 10 feet in length, and is the largest of the Madagascan species. This is a CITES protected species so when they are available to purchase (and they can be captive bred successfully) they require paperwork which makes them expensive and certainly not suitable for a first snake.

Madagascan Tree Boa (Boa Manditra)

Considerably smaller than Boa Madagascariensis, this snake has 2 colour variations being green/grey from the east of the island, and yellow/orange/brown to the west. Another CITES species means these are only available if captive bred and should only be bought/sold with the correct paperwork. These are beautiful snakes which are sadly threatened in the wild but are bred quite well in captivity.

Kenyan Sand Boa (Erycinae Eryx Gongylophis )

The East African sand boas (Kenyan and Egyptian sand boas) are small terrestrial snakes with large females only growing to around 30 inches. They make exceptionally good “first boas” or childrens pets due to their size, hardiness, and relatively odest care requirement.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa (Epicrates Canchria)

The Rainbow Boa are a beautiful species with an iridescent sheen giving them their name. Typically 3.5 to 6.5 feet in length. They have quite specific humidity and heat requirements making them suitable only for intermediate to experienced snake keepers. Young snakes can be quite snappy but they tend to calm down with age and regular handling.

Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus Caninus)

One of the most beautiful of all snakes in my opinion, the Emerald Tree Boa, as the name suggests, is a bright green aboreal species. These are not a snake for beginners. Due to their demanding housing requirements, and feeding behaviour, only experienced snake keepers should consider these snakes.

Rosy Boa (Lichanura Trivirgata)

One of the smaller boa species, the rosy boa are easily managed, docile by nature, and tolerant to handling making them great pets and an excellent choice for a first boa, or anyone who wants a small snake.

The Erycinae are part of a family of non-venomous snakes called boas found in Europe, Asia Minor, Africa, Arabia, central and southwestern Asia, India, Sri Lanka and western North America. Three genera comprising 15 species are currently recognized.[2]

so that would be 52 vs 43 with Pythons FTW you have to realize there are locals of python species as well...

	Boa Constrictor Constrictor Red Tail Boa Constrictor (Boa constictor constrictor). Refers to "true" red tail boas such as the Guyana and Suriname locales.

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[Vypyrz]

Why not check out the Blood Python... Personally, I would like to get an Angolan...

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[Oroborous]

It's really difficult for me to decide which I like better. I started with ball pythons and they are still probably my favorite. They are easy to care for, don't get too large, but have a nice girth, and they are docile for the most part. But I adore my boa, he has a unique personality and is very fun to handle. And then there's the blood python, I love mine, but he's not a very good snuggle buddy, lol, if that's what your looking for in a pet snake. But his color and size are impressive, and anyone who sees him, whether they hate or love snakes, are in awe when they see him.

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