BALL PYTHON CARE:
CARE: Ball Pythons are extremely easy to take care of. All you really need is a safe place for them (20 gallon long Aquarium with screen lids are great for hatchlings) then you need atleast 1 hiding place like a rock, log, etc. A rock AND a log is good so the snake can hide in the rock and use the rough surface of the log to help them shed. Also you would need to get a heat mat or heat lamp. DO NOT USE HOT ROCKS!!! They can get too hot and be dangerous to the snake! You want to keep one side of the tank about 90-95 degrees and the other about 80-85. i also recomend getting a thermometer and hydrometer to daily check the temperatures and humidity.
FEEDING: They only need to be fed twice a week when they are hatchlings and once a week or even once every two weeks when adults. You can do Live, Frozen/Thawed, or Pre-Killed. If you do live, the mice/rats are only about 2-5 bucks! Frozen are usually in packs of 4,6, or 10 But try both and see which your snake preferres. obviously the goal is to get them to eat dead becuase its safer. Ball Pythons are picky eaters so see what works!
HANDLING: Ball Pythons are tipically very docile, another reason for a good beginner snake. They love to be held and handled which they should be atleast every day for about 30 - 40 mins when they are young (hatchling - 6 months) to "tame" them and get them used to your scent and feel. When they get older it doesnt matter to much but you should still hold them often.
SIZE: Male Ball Pythons usually get between 3-4 feet while females get larger more in the range of 4-5 but some can grow to 6 (very rare for males). They dont get too big but a good enough size to put around your neck without worrying about it slipping off.
BOA CARE:
CARE: Columbian Red Tail Boas or "Common Boas" are pretty docile when they get used to you. Youngsters tend to be quite nippy but settle down quickly when handled on a regular basis. To prepare for your baby boa i recomend a 40 gallon breeder being tht baby boas increase their size over 300% in their first year of life! I would also get Repti-Bark for the substrate and 2-3 hides. Also put a lot of foliage and plants in the tank to take up some room while they are still small. *Give them a place or two to climb!* Boas are semi abrorial meaning they spend half of their lives in trees and climbing so make sure to have some logs or tall wood so they can climb and play. As they grow you can take out more and more plants/hides as needed. Boas like their warm side temperatures at around 85-90 with a basking area of about 92 and cool side temps at around 80-85. Normal humidity should be between 60 and 75% and when they are in shed you can bump it up to 80-90%.
FEEDING: Baby boas can eat appropriate sized fuzzys/hoppers twice a week. when they are about a month old you can start them on small adult mice and work your way up to eventually guinea pigs and rabbits. adult boas only need to eat every 2-3 weeks. while juviniles need to eat about once a week. Boas are a little less picky than ball pythons so they will take pre-killed, frozen/thawed, and of course live! before purchasing a boa make sure you are able to feed rabbits every 2-3 weeks!
HANDLING: Boas can be very social or very mean and nasty but it all depends on how they are hadled. while they are babys (hatchling - 5 months) they should be handled EVERY DAY for about 45 minutes. some will be nippy but that will go away over a few handling sessions. be gental and make slow movments and just let them do their thing.
SIZE: Male Boas reach sizes of 6-8 feet on average. Females will be slightly larger growing to 8-11 feet again on average. but their have been 12 footers in captivity. the largest wild female boa ever found was around 14.5 feet long! before buying a boa be sure that you are able to house a 10 foot snake!
