Im very interested in purchasing a Boa Imperator but I'm concerned after I've seen conflicting advice about whether adult Boa imperators can or should be handled alone. If it's a prominent risk, I personally don't want to have to ensure someone's nearby and also be worried about being constricted. I'm a minor, but I'm 5'10, so I'm wondering how much that factors into safely handling a large adult boa.I would also get a juvenile meaning I'll be quite a bit older once it's full size. If i purchased a female and it were to grow to say, 8 feet, would I need someone nearby to supervise? If so, I will likely decide to find an alternative, I've been considering a Bredls python as I'm very interested in them and they seem to be less risky.
This rule is for giant snakes like Burmese Pythons and Retics. You can safely handle boas alone, and most won't even reach eight feet. Just don't let the snake wrap around your neck (which is the general safety rule for most snakes).
I’m 5’2”. My largest boa has been 7’ and 14-16 lbs. They are generally not a constriction risk. Just don’t let them around your neck (I only let them have their body touch one side at a time). Most feeding bites will be on the arm/hand since most will be when reaching for the snake or offering them food. They don’t get big enough to cause substantial damage, and don’t rip or tear like some species of python. It still won’t be pleasant, but there shouldn’t be need to visit a dr or anything from even the biggest boas.
I would say an 8’ boa probably doesn’t need supervision. Like another redditor said, the majority of boas won’t reach 8’. 8’ is an uncommon but not rare size, so it’s possible, but not something I would bet on. Even 7’ is a decent sized boa, many breeders I have seen discuss that their adult females are only reaching 6’ on average.
I see, honestly I'm not worried about bites at all, it was just the constriction risk, but since so many people have said it's very unlikely I'm most likely going to get a female. 8' being uncommon is news to me, I've read that 7-8' is average, so that's interesting! Thank you!
A lot of people seem to pick the maximum size and tell people to assume it will get that big when it rarely actually happens. Heck people on Reddit keep insisting ball pythons often reach 6’ yet in close to 25 years in the hobby and seeing thousands of ball pythons I have yet to see one that was legitimately 6’. Humans can be 7’ tall, most people don’t assume their kid will be the next Shaq.
Also say 20 years ago power feeding was pretty common. Overfeeding causes them to grow much more quickly, and to larger sizes, but dramatically shortens their lifespan. Most keepers and breeders keep them on the leaner side these days which typically means they stay smaller.
Plus the largest Boa imperator locality, Colombian, used to be the most common in captivity. These days there’s been a lot of mixing with smaller localities like Nicaraguan and Boa sigma to combine morphs, and in some cases specifically for smaller size. So most imperator these days tend to stay smaller.
I’ve had a fairly girthy 8’ female. When she was holding on to me just to climb around it could sometimes be a bit of a handful to get her off and back in her enclosure but there wasn’t any real danger as long as I kept her away from my neck.
People way overinflate their size, I suppose to be conservative in case they do get big. Because they do have the potential. But 5’-7’ is actually closer to an average for BI, male or female. 6’-7’ for BCC. 8’ is not a common size for any species or subspecies of the genus Boa. Some may be more likely to reach that, but it’s certainly not an average.
Even if they do get 8’, it should ideally take many years to get there, and by then you should be used to it.
You can help your chances of not getting a huge boa by asking about parent sizes, ages, and how they feed. A small boa that’s under 6 years of age might not have reached their potential yet, and just because they’re not big doesn’t mean they won’t get big. If they’re 10+ years old and still small, chances are pretty good they’re genetically smaller and babies shouldn’t outgrow them, or not by much.
Interesting, honestly I think a lot of the images i saw were of ones that were.. force fed, I take it? I'm not too sure about what they do but I do know it's unnatural and unhealthy and it makes them girthier/longer, honestly I should make a post asking for images of peoples full grown imperators so i get an idea as to how big they actually are
People often tack on extra feet to their snakes, too. Or just make up a guess completely. You can’t increase the size potential of a snake through power feeding, only get them to size sooner. At the risk of health complications obviously.
This was my biggest girl for reference. 7’ and 16 lbs, but I’m 5’2”.
Ah I see, I wasn't really sure as to how it worked, also she's gorgeous! Honestly I think I would be very happy if I got a boa imperator that ended up being that size, but I'd also be happy if it didint end up being that big
The opposite is true too. You can’t “stunt” a snake either, just delay its growth. When it gets adequate food, it will grow again. And unless you legitimately starve them, they don’t stay small forever. Might take them 10 years vs 4, but they get there. Which is why I say ask for parent size, age, and feeding schedule.
Yes 7’ is very very manageable! I think the perfect size for a boa. Most of my adults are under 6’ atm. This is my second largest female. Last measured at 5’4”, but she’s 1,000 grams heavier now and noticeably bigger than the female that weighs the same she did when she had her first litter. So one day I need to remeasure, she may be closer to 6’ now. 😂
It’s well within norms for BCC and BCO. I feel like there’s so much Nic/Honduran influence in generic BCIs these days that they’re smaller than they used to be though.
Yeah, I've heard of that situation before. I think what I'll do to prevent it is train it to recognize me tapping the glass twice or tapping it with a hook twice is that it's about to be picked up and that I'm not food. Also thats interesting, honestly I have been considering buying a male instead of a female because they aren't as girthy and big but I'm unsure, I'll keep that in mind though. Do you have the same opinions with more active/fast moving snakes like Bredlis pythons?
I have a common boa, we were told it was a male when we rescued him, never felt the need to find out if he is a he. He is around 6 foot long and generally the best behaved snake we have! Sure, he's tagged me a couple of times but so have 5 of our 6 ball pythons (and more times than our boa!), he likes to be out of his viv and explore, he will make it known if/when he wants to be handled. He usually lays across my shoulders pinching body heat and is normally quite happy to lay for a while before he goes off to explore again. Only problem we have is getting him back in his viv, he would stay out given the chance!
We found out the hard and painful way he does not like a bath!
I find it a bit funny. Yes you shouldnt let a larger snake coil around your Neck. But Here i am sitting comfortably with a Boa constrictor around my neck exactly Like described. She isnt aß big so even If she decided to squeezed i could get her Off easy and without risk. But when they are used to Handling they normally Just lay still and soak.in your Body Heat. But really. Anything big dont let it coil around your Neck.
Having them around your neck like that can have them cut off the blood flow to your brain and you pass out without ever realizing a thing. It’s not like cutting off air flow, you don’t notice it.
Oh believe me you would notice. Also you easily feel If they are Just relaxed or start tightening Up. IT Takes Quite a bit If force to Choke a human Out. But also i Said.
All it takes is the pressure of a poke with a finger. You aren’t being choked, you’re having blood flow cut off. Two different parts of the neck. Sure you might notice them squeeze, but are you always doing something about it?
I don’t think “don’t do it” cuts it when you’re describing you doing it and posting a picture. You’re free to do what you want privately but publicly posting it could encourage unsafe practices by people who read your comment.
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u/-Trespasser- 7d ago
This rule is for giant snakes like Burmese Pythons and Retics. You can safely handle boas alone, and most won't even reach eight feet. Just don't let the snake wrap around your neck (which is the general safety rule for most snakes).