# Nicaraguan Red Tail Boa



## ballpython2

I might be getting an Nicaraguan Red Tail Boa can someone please give me some  caresheet info on this species?

temperment

housing size for an adult

 average size of a male/female



Thanks in advance.


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## pitbulllady

First of all, Nicaraguan Boas are NOT "Red-Tail" Boas; that distinction belongs to the snakes in the _Boa constrictor constrictor_ group, found only in South America.  "Nics", as the Nicaraguans are known, are classified as _B.c. imperator_ and differ quite a bit from the true Red-Tails.

Generally speaking, this is a smaller race of Boa than most, with females usually maxing out at around 7 feet and males around 5, sometimes smaller.  The husbandry is the same as for any of the Boas; most Nics will be comfortable in a 55-gallon to 75-gallon enclosure as adults, smaller for young snakes.  Wild-caught Nics tend to be rather hissy and prone to biting, moreso than wild-caught Colombians, but this is rather typical of most Central American Boas.  Even most of the captive-bred Nics I've seen tend to be a bit more high-strung that their South American counterparts and are a bit more prone to striking, but there are of course going to be exceptions.  Coloration on most Central American Boas is usually more subdued and "muddied" with lots of speckling, much less "clean" than most of the South American snakes, and they generally have more "saddles".  There are some strains of hypomelanistic Nicaraguans that look pretty nice, though.

pitbulllady


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## burmish101

I think they get around 3-4ft. just use a basic setup with a hide, water dish, newspaper substrate and an undertank heat mat.

Ah ya beat me to it, i tried though lol.


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## ballpython2

pitbulllady said:


> First of all, Nicaraguan Boas are NOT "Red-Tail" Boas; that distinction belongs to the snakes in the _Boa constrictor constrictor_ group, found only in South America.  "Nics", as the Nicaraguans are known, are classified as _B.c. imperator_ and differ quite a bit from the true Red-Tails.
> 
> Generally speaking, this is a smaller race of Boa than most, with females usually maxing out at around 7 feet and males around 5, sometimes smaller.  The husbandry is the same as for any of the Boas; most Nics will be comfortable in a 55-gallon to 75-gallon enclosure as adults, smaller for young snakes.  Wild-caught Nics tend to be rather hissy and prone to biting, moreso than wild-caught Colombians, but this is rather typical of most Central American Boas.  Even most of the captive-bred Nics I've seen tend to be a bit more high-strung that their South American counterparts and are a bit more prone to striking, but there are of course going to be exceptions.  Coloration on most Central American Boas is usually more subdued and "muddied" with lots of speckling, much less "clean" than most of the South American snakes, and they generally have more "saddles".  There are some strains of hypomelanistic Nicaraguans that look pretty nice, though.
> 
> pitbulllady


I just copied and pasted the name from craigslist I MYself wasnt calling them that lol


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## ballpython2

pitbulllady said:


> First of all, Nicaraguan Boas are NOT "Red-Tail" Boas; that distinction belongs to the snakes in the _Boa constrictor constrictor_ group, found only in South America.  "Nics", as the Nicaraguans are known, are classified as _B.c. imperator_ and differ quite a bit from the true Red-Tails.
> 
> Generally speaking, this is a smaller race of Boa than most, with females usually maxing out at around 7 feet and males around 5, sometimes smaller.  The husbandry is the same as for any of the Boas; most Nics will be comfortable in a 55-gallon to 75-gallon enclosure as adults, smaller for young snakes.  Wild-caught Nics tend to be rather hissy and prone to biting, moreso than wild-caught Colombians, but this is rather typical of most Central American Boas.  Even most of the captive-bred Nics I've seen tend to be a bit more high-strung that their South American counterparts and are a bit more prone to striking, but there are of course going to be exceptions.  Coloration on most Central American Boas is usually more subdued and "muddied" with lots of speckling, much less "clean" than most of the South American snakes, and they generally have more "saddles".  There are some strains of hypomelanistic Nicaraguans that look pretty nice, though.
> 
> pitbulllady


Thank you, in the pet trade for a good one, what's the minimum cost from a professional breeder?

So as far as handling goes to calm this one down that i might get regular handling as with any nippy snake? or is there a different way to handle these?

Also as one ever gotten bit by these? do they hurt? is it a quick bite and let go or a bite and hold on and not let go unless rain under water?

Also pitbull lady does putting drinking alcohol (small drops) in the corner of their mouth make them release if biting a person or is that a myth?


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## pitbulllady

ballpython2 said:


> Thank you, in the pet trade for a good one, what's the minimum cost from a professional breeder?
> 
> So as far as handling goes to calm this one down that i might get regular handling as with any nippy snake? or is there a different way to handle these?
> 
> Also as one ever gotten bit by these? do they hurt? is it a quick bite and let go or a bite and hold on and not let go unless rain under water?
> 
> Also pitbull lady does putting drinking alcohol (small drops) in the corner of their mouth make them release if biting a person or is that a myth?



Unless a snake mistakes you for a food item, which can happen with ANY snake during feeding time or if you've been handling rodents(or whatever that snake eats), Boas are defensive biters.  This means that they strike and release, and often give plenty of warning in the form of loud hissing and mouth-gaping to let you know that they feel threatened.  A typical Boa bite happens so fast that you often don't feel it until you've already been bitten.  Bites tend to bleed a lot, but aren't serious, although jerking back when bitten will result in the snake's teeth becoming imbedded deeper in your skin producing cuts instead of punctures.  And yes, putting a drop or two of alchohol, or vinegar, will make a snake turn loose, BUT once again, if you have a snake that bites and holds on and constricts, this is a FEEDING response, NOT a defensive bite.  I had to use this technique to remove a large adult Emerald Tree Boa from my hand once, and I'd rather be bitten by the biggest, meanest Central American Boa around than another one of these!

With MOST Boas, handling will quickly calm down a "nippy" snake, especially a baby, BUT many Central American and Mexican Boas simply do not calm down, not reliably, anyway, and may be more "moody" than the typical Common Boa, based on my own experience.  If you're going to get a Central American Boa, and you have any reservations about getting bitten, it's best to get a snake that is already tame and has at least shown fairly reliable behavior, or better yet, get a Colombian Boa instead.  While there are "bitey" Colombians, they do seem to be a calmer, less-defensive animal in general than the Central American snakes.  Keep in mind that even the sweetest snake can have it's "off" moments, and you can still be bitten.  It's just something that you have to be prepared for with pretty much any animal.

Most CA Boas are cheaper than Colombian Boas and MUCH cheaper than true Red-Tails, unless you're getting a morph of some sort.  I've seen captive-bred Nic babies at reptile shows for $30.00 each.  There are many offered for sale on Kingsnake.com.  These snakes have not been as popular as Colombians due to their more "iffy" dispositions and more drab coloration, although there are quite a few breeders working with Nic x Colombian crosses to try to get the color morphs often now found in the Colombians with the smaller, more-manageable size of the Nics.  

pitbulllady


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## ballpython2

pitbulllady said:


> Unless a snake mistakes you for a food item, which can happen with ANY snake during feeding time or if you've been handling rodents(or whatever that snake eats), Boas are defensive biters.  This means that they strike and release, and often give plenty of warning in the form of loud hissing and mouth-gaping to let you know that they feel threatened.  A typical Boa bite happens so fast that you often don't feel it until you've already been bitten.  Bites tend to bleed a lot, but aren't serious, although jerking back when bitten will result in the snake's teeth becoming imbedded deeper in your skin producing cuts instead of punctures.  And yes, putting a drop or two of alchohol, or vinegar, will make a snake turn loose, BUT once again, if you have a snake that bites and holds on and constricts, this is a FEEDING response, NOT a defensive bite.  I had to use this technique to remove a large adult Emerald Tree Boa from my hand once, and I'd rather be bitten by the biggest, meanest Central American Boa around than another one of these!
> 
> With MOST Boas, handling will quickly calm down a "nippy" snake, especially a baby, BUT many Central American and Mexican Boas simply do not calm down, not reliably, anyway, and may be more "moody" than the typical Common Boa, based on my own experience.  If you're going to get a Central American Boa, and you have any reservations about getting bitten, it's best to get a snake that is already tame and has at least shown fairly reliable behavior, or better yet, get a Colombian Boa instead.  While there are "bitey" Colombians, they do seem to be a calmer, less-defensive animal in general than the Central American snakes.  Keep in mind that even the sweetest snake can have it's "off" moments, and you can still be bitten.  It's just something that you have to be prepared for with pretty much any animal.
> 
> Most CA Boas are cheaper than Colombian Boas and MUCH cheaper than true Red-Tails, unless you're getting a morph of some sort.  I've seen captive-bred Nic babies at reptile shows for $30.00 each.  There are many offered for sale on Kingsnake.com.  These snakes have not been as popular as Colombians due to their more "iffy" dispositions and more drab coloration, although there are quite a few breeders working with Nic x Colombian crosses to try to get the color morphs often now found in the Colombians with the smaller, more-manageable size of the Nics.
> 
> pitbulllady


Ok thanks a lot you are so helpful especially when you write a lot and dont mind writing so much.

I have gotten red tails before but the only reason I didnt keep them is because I have a daughter now ( I think they are the same ones petco sells) and I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle one of these on my own when they reach full size.

Are red tail boas (that have calmed down a sufficient  amount) easy to handled at adult size regardless if they are male or female?  because I know they get big and thick so they are very muscular.

Also if I did want  a red tail boa am I better off getting a male because they are much smaller than females as adults or if they pose any harm at all its equal to the amount a female can cause?

Also i want to get one off craigslist but you know not all ppl handle their snakes as much as they should  before going on craigslist...So I might just go to petco and get one from there.

Your thoughts PLEASE?

thanks in advance!!!


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## jayefbe

If you're worried about getting a tame, manageable snake, I would not buy from either craigslist or petco (actually, I wouldn't buy from either of those sources ever).  I'd look for a responsible breeder, that is more than happy to answer all requisite questions about the animal.  Check on kingsnake's classifieds and go from there.  It might be more expensive to pay for shipping, but as far as colombian and nicaraguans go, the price of the animal itself is the cheapest part of owning one.  

Any Boa constrictor imperator can be easily handleable by a full-grown adult.  Common or Colombian boas can get fairly large, but a 6+ foot snake is pretty misleading.  They do get sizable but it's far from overwhelming.  Nicaraguans and other Central American boas are smaller and max out at about 4-5 feet.  

Oh, and any boa is going to require external heat...


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## pitbulllady

ballpython2 said:


> Ok thanks a lot you are so helpful especially when you write a lot and dont mind writing so much.
> 
> I have gotten red tails before but the only reason I didnt keep them is because I have a daughter now ( I think they are the same ones petco sells) and I'm not sure if I'd be able to handle one of these on my own when they reach full size.
> 
> Are red tail boas (that have calmed down a sufficient  amount) easy to handled at adult size regardless if they are male or female?  because I know they get big and thick so they are very muscular.
> 
> Also if I did want  a red tail boa am I better off getting a male because they are much smaller than females as adults or if they pose any harm at all its equal to the amount a female can cause?
> 
> Also i want to get one off craigslist but you know not all ppl handle their snakes as much as they should  before going on craigslist...So I might just go to petco and get one from there.
> 
> Your thoughts PLEASE?
> 
> thanks in advance!!!


I will second what Jayefbe said; any healthy adult should be able to handle an adult Boa.  I'm only 5' 2", and I do have some health issues, since I'm no "spring chicken" anymore, yet I can handle and control, without help, any of my snakes, and that includes my 8'+ breeder female, who is very heavy.  A large docile snake is actually easier to handle than a smaller, more high-strung snake.  There is no difference in personality between males and females, though females do get bigger.  I got my first Boa, a REAL Red-Tail(Brazilian BCC)when I was a scrawny runt of a 12-year-old, and I've never had any problem handling them.

Petco does NOT sell Red-Tailed Boas.  They sell "B-grade" Colombians and Central American Boas, since these are the snakes that they can obtain cheaply.  Most of these are "farmed" animals, which means that they are born to wild-caught females in Colombia and various Central American countries, including Nicaragua.  People go out and catch pregnant female Boas, bring them home and cage them up until they give birth, then either release them or slaughter them for their skins and sell the babies in bulk to importers, so you are still basically getting an imported animal.  The babies are not as likely to have been handled, so you're more likely to get one that you will have to work with to tame it.  True Red-Tails are a much more expensive animal and Petco simply isn't going to pay the wholesale on those, and if they did, they'd hike up the price to the consumers by a huge amount, so you'd probably wind up paying $400.00 or more for a snake that is not even an exceptional specimen.  Like Jayefbe said, you'd be better off obtaining a baby from a breeder, getting an animal with a known parentage and genetics, with a known feeding record and shedding record, etc, and you probably would not have to pay anymore for it than you would if you bought an imported animal from Petco or another large retail chain.  There are many, many reputable Boa breeders out there, who produce both Common(Colombian) Boas, Central Americans, and real Red-Tails-the Surinams, Guyanans, Brazilians and Peruvians.  You can find average, normal Boas or splurge on something more unusual, like Motleys or Albinos or Jungles or Salmons, if the looks of a normal Colombian don't suit your tastes.  You can probably get a nice Kahl-strain albino for the price of a normal import at Petco, so why spend more for less?  If you want to wait until later this spring/early summer, my big Pastel Surinam x Colombian female is due to have her babies in either late April or early May, and she's bred to a really "clean" Surinam x Colombian male, so these babies will be part true Red-Tail and there will probably be some with nicer coloration than the typical pure Colombian, and I can promise I won't be charging Petco prices for them, either, even with shipping.

pitbulllady


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## StephanieH

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but Pitbulllady, do you have a website or pics of your snakes? I'm thinking about getting something larger and have been researching and with all the different "red tails' out there I'm confused.
I have 2 corns, 1 ball, 1 theyeri king, 1ksb.  By far, my ball is my favorite, he is an '09 spider morph. You can pm me or private email me
groomingdiva@sbcglobal.net

thanks
Stephanie


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## sharpfang

*Nic fits*

Here is the one I had till rescently......friendly and managable Boa....Enjoy!

......I agree w/ 4-5 ft. bein' size for specimin......males rarely get bigger.
View attachment 82468

This pic will Self-Destruct in 24 hours - LOL
Still Not "photobucket" savy  -  Jason


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## ballpython2

StephanieH said:


> I don't mean to hijack this thread, but Pitbulllady, do you have a website or pics of your snakes? I'm thinking about getting something larger and have been researching and with all the different "red tails' out there I'm confused.
> I have 2 corns, 1 ball, 1 theyeri king, 1ksb.  By far, my ball is my favorite, he is an '09 spider morph. You can pm me or private email me
> groomingdiva@sbcglobal.net
> 
> thanks
> Stephanie


like this info also please/thank you.

jjdynomiteeee@aol.com


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## pitbulllady

Here is my pair that have already bred.  The male is the smaller one; you can see how much bigger the female is!  Both are Surinam x Colombian crosses, and the male is actually a low-expression Jungle, while the female is a Pastel.  Right now she is much darker than usual due to hormonal changes.







More of the happy couple; the female is currently in her post-ovulation shed.






Boa p0rn, lol.






This is an old pic of the Pastel female, showing how she really looks when not pregnant.






Old pic of my other Jungle male, who is currently in with another Pastel female, whom I do not have any pics of yet.  I've seen a lot of courtship activity, but so far have not witnessed actual mating...doesn't mean it hasn't happened, but I haven't seen it.  The female is still eating and I have not seen anything resembling ovulation yet, so if she's bred, it will likely be well into the summer before her babies are born.  The Jungle gene is a co-codominant trait, so there should be some babies exhibiting this trait.  The other male who has bred the big Pastel girl is a Jungle, as well, though he does not display the trait as much visually as this guy, hence the term "low-expression" Jungle.






Future breeders(I HOPE-if our stupid government doesn't ban the sale of these snakes):
09 female Pastel Hypo, bred by Special K Constrictors in Ohio:






09 female Kahl Albino:






09 male Surinam x Colombian, 100% het for Kahl Albino:






3-year-old female(sexed by probing), sold to me as a male, Peruvian x Colombian??-Was sold to original owner as a purebred Surinam, which it's obviously not:





This snake has a completely connected pattern all the way down, much like an Arabesque, but I don't know the genetics behind it, so it will be interesting to see how this pattern breeds out.

pitbulllady


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## StephanieH

I LOVE the  hypo pastel.  They all are beauties.


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