As we all know, boa not just only common snake. It has a specific characteristic and personality, which can be changed. Other common snake usually only knew eat, sleep, playing and have nice temperament. They just get angry by bite when their territorial was broken, and when they feel threatened. Other than that, it’s almost the same. For example corn snake, between one to another have the same habit. It doesn’t matter weather is male or female, black, white, orange, yellow, white, albino, juvenile or mature. That’s why these kind of snake was fit for the beginner. Why did I said that? Becaused based on my own experience on handling corn snake (was…) and boa (right now).
Very different with boa, it was needed more knowledge and skill from the herpetoculturist (I defined as a people who love and like to keep snake) to keep these kind of snake. Each kind of boa, has it’s own character. For example, between common boa (such as Colombian boa) and Peruvian Boa…. Well it has different in handling and characteristic in keeping them. What and how their characterization is ?.. well I’ll discus it one by one… from Colombian boa, Mexican boa, Peruvian boa, and Guyana (& Suriname) boa. Why only these ?… hey… these are the only boas I’ve got (till know..) hehehe….
Colombian boa and Mexican Boa… or known as common boa (or BCI = Boa Constrictor Imperator) is the most easiest boa to handle. It has a very tame temperament, and usually it’s very recommended for anyone who wants to start to keep boa. It’s true that at baby, it still a little bit of angry by trying to bite. It was usual because it still feel threat with the new environment. But by feeding with pre killed and often handling by our hand (2-3 times a week), its very helpful to reduced and changed it become very tame. Also recommended that we kept it from baby… or well known as CBB (Captive Born Baby). These trick works at my Colombian and Mexican boa.
Peruvian boa… included in BCC (Boa Constrictor Constrictor), has a very territorial mental. It will keep it territorial from anyone. These kind of snake still have the same attitude between the baby and the adult one. My Peruvian boa when it came, its was already juvenile size. The angry character was so real, and it always So it’s very long and difficult to change it become tame. But don’t worry, the first step is the food that we gave. Give only pre-killed mice / rat. By doing this, slowly but sure the mentality of the boa will reduced. How come? Because by giving with the living prey, the snake feel threatened in its territorial. These will stimulated it to become always alert to every kind movement that appears in its sight, includes our hand when we trying to handle it… of course these is dangerous to the safety of our hand. The second is try to handling it 2-3 times a week, about 5-15 minutes each time. But don’t forget, when we took it from its box, took it with slowly, gentle, and don’t make any suddenly movement. Try to reach from the chest and stomach of it. If u still afraid, u can used very thickness hand gloves. Just precaution from the bites… because boa’s bite was painful but it still safe compare to the venomous snake. Do the first and the second, about a month and do it repeatedly again and see the result… well it works on me…
Guyana boa… these kind of BCC is the most aggressive between them (commonly). But unfortunately, my Guyana already has a shy character. So what I’ve done is try to reverse the normal process, so that the snake have a little bit aggressive character especially in eating. How do I work ?… I started by gave the pre-killed mice, but by hanging it at the front of the boa’s head. Not only hang it, but also swing it slowly. I did it until the snake catch and constrict it. Not forget to reduced the hiding placed / boxed. These step at the first time, will caused stressful to the snake. But slowly but sure, the snake will get used to it. And now, my Guyana was a little bit aggressive when it eat, but it still tame when I handle it at my hand.
Ok my friend, that all a little tricks from me, I hope it can be useful to all of us. Because at the end, we want to have a tame, nice and safe boa to keep.
Have a nice try…
