Ball Python Vs Boa Constrictor | Best Beginner Snake Challenge 

My second snake species was a boa constrictor, I loved him so much :)

I love BOAs they're pretty and a (manageable) giant. I've always wanted a snake, and I wanted my first to be a BOA. I dont want my snake to go off feed or to have to feed live, and boas have amazing feeding response Edit: I absolutely looooove big lizards, so I want a big baby (I'll go with a black and white tegu or an Asian water monitor if I wanted a new puppy lol) Ps: I know that lizards aren't puppies and shouldn't be treated as such.

I'll take a Boa imperator any day. 2 of my three are dwarfs. BI's are smaller than BC's, and easy care.

I wont lie, I got my first snake (a boa) as a rescue at an expo and he turned into the single most placid reptile I have ever owned. My other boas were NOT but I love them the same.

Personally, I agree with you as I have both a boa and bp. Bp are all around easier to manage even with the feeding complications. I think it’s a great beginner snake to get comfortable with handling.

I love seeing how your production quality has increased even just over the past couple months of following your channel. You're doing awesome! Super informative, awesome animals, information on some more niche animals, just an awesome channel! Also bonus points to you for being a fellow Canadian! 😊

Another great video! Keep up the hard work.

I’ve been looking for a video like this for a while, thanks for making them!

“Five points for ball pythons” Holds up 4 finders😂😂

"RATS, THEY WILL EAT RATS ,MOSTLY RATS, BOAS WILL GRADUATE TO RATS, but they arnt gunna have to eat rats or anything like that" lol

I had snakes as a child, as an adult I fell in love with (Atom) (hog Island boa) so I'm bias toward boas 🐍

Heya! Super informative and great shots you’ve included! One point of interest though... 10:45. 5 points, 4 fingers. Silly goose! Looking forward to your next video! 😝

Love my boa! He's 10 years old but I've only had him for a year. I rescued him from his previous owner who was neglecting him. He's grown a foot since I got him. He's now a 7 foot handsome healthy guy ❤️

Great vid buddy, good job

Sarah is the real mvp 👏👌

I liked watching the gecko on your shoulder, though I had assumed you will change that for a snake for this video. You are one of these channels that could talk about anything, actually reptiles are fairly random since I do not own any. But they are very cute :) Do you have other channels with different topics?

My first snake was a boa constrictor, I absolutely love them

Another awesome video for beginners. I enjoyed it. 👍😊

I'm tending toward a boa. My thinking is that both a boa and a ball python start out smaller. By the time the boa would start to pass a fully grown adult ball python in size, I'll have had years of experience handling that snake. You see people say they are more likely to bite, and yet none of the ones saying that seem to ever been bitten by anything older than a baby and even baby ball pythons can be a little nippy. I think they get that rep because they are more active when you're handling them. That latter thing is a big plus in my book. Even the need to eventually move to a larger enclosure isn't that big a deal because then I'll have an enclosure that could be used for a second snake or passed on to somebody else starting in the hobby. I like wild type natural patterns and I've seen some what I guess you could only describe as having random mixed genes that look great and don't cost a fortune. No offense to any breeders, but I feel like there's less likleyhood of any inbreeding issues that way as well. A full grown adult boa is impressive no matter what the paint looks like.

Great video dude

My Ball pythons are much more laid back than my Boa and I love both. However when my Boa is pissed/or in a dont bother me mood she will absolutely strike at me. Thanks to watching Tyler Nolan and Chandler Wild life, they are always handling venomous, it has helped me in handling her without much drama and being bit....

Love you're video's so much 👌👌

Good video! It's a subjective thing. I'd have touched more on the temperature and humidity - ball pythons are far more sensitive to humidity issues than boas, and need it to be a bit higher. Ideal range will be 60-70% for boas, but their range of habitats is huge and they're found in the wild in everything from arid climates to rainforests. I'd have given that point to boas. As far as behavior, in my experience boas are both more likely to bite but also more likely to be friendly - as in, they don't stress easily from handling and seem to enjoy it more. Ball pythons don't bite often, their defensive response is usually to ball up whereas boas will make it very obvious when they're cranky. The upside of this is that you aren't gonna get surprised by a defensive bite from a boa - they're masterful at their open-mouthed hissing bluff-striking threat display. The rest you said about behavior is spot-on, but I'd say that boas take to handling better. They're more curious and less timid, less prone to stress from handling. Definitely more of a handful, though.

Hi, i am planing on getting a BCI Boa and i was wondering if you know what kind of substrate to use for a boa bio active enclosure that goes well with plants as well. I am planing on using a layer and a drainage system as well. i am not sure what a boa need for a substrate and i have a hard time finding advice in my country. ty for your help

My first snake was an albino corn snake, named her Cheeto, and in a year I'm getting a sunglow boa, but I'm hoping that this summer I can get a BP too, Cheeto is at least like, idk, 3 months? I dont know when she hatched, but she's around a foot now.

I used to be terrified of snakes then I started to learn about them and I literally learned as much as I could over months and months and the. I still was a little timid when I held my first ball python and since then I’ve had the fever 😫

Which... you should xD love it lol

I know it’s a different type but what are you thoughts on the Central American boa (not the red tailed lol) I’ve read their fairly similar in size and needs to a ball python

I just found your channel and I think I'm already gonna love your snakes and other reptiles! Especially the python named Franny If it isn't obvious already my name is Franny so.. HI TWIN also loved the video

for me Ball Pythons and Boa Constrictors are quintessential snakes (I'm not much of a fan of morphs) and i'm definetly after one when/if i move house. I'd rather have a BCI but i'm also after a jack russels dog and i'd be worried the BCI would constrict him. I Guess i'll go with the Ball Python to be on the safe side. PS found your channel around christmas and i've watched most, if not all your uploads. Keep up with the cool content!!!

I'm thinking of getting a western hognose snake what do you think? It's great for first pet snake?

For me it was a ball python hes sooo chilled and always have been great starter snake- forgave me a lot of mistakes. Then I've got given a corn snake as a gift... hes name is Satan for reason 😂, so quick not the easiest as a beginner snake in my opinion(at least for me) then i got a 9 months old red tail boa. I've learnt that you have to give them respect and try to understand them or the mood and they will be awsome pets

You are awesome!!

Are there any smaller boas that are good beginner pets and like to be handled, I am looking between 5-6 ft in a boa, I have had a Python before and loved it but have wanted to try a boa since I got into snakes, I do not have a huge tank but want a boa, I heard the smallest they can get is 2ft but I wanted something a little bigger then that, But not 10 ft like the constrictor or the red tail

Boas and pythons are also both classified within the great infraorder Henophidia.

Hello! I love your videos, however, I live in Europe where we use mm/cm/m Coud you please put that number on the screen when youre talking about how big enclosures should be?

Boa’s & Balls both great beautiful snakes to have, very accurate info for both was given. I have boa’s & ball’s along with a Blood and Green Tree Python and love them all. Only thing that I would say to be aware of is that ball pythons are picky eaters the males more so then the females at least has been my experience but they also to the such sweetest dispositions. They each have their own personalities and they are fun exciting beautiful creatures to enjoy, I can’t imagine my life without them

So would you say that a ball python that is 7-8 years old who wont eat for about...3 months now is normal for him? My female who is about 6 years old is doing the same thing. Their tanks are perfect and so is their humidity. I cant figure out why they just wont eat.

Would you recommend , if you just get your ball python, and they are on a feeding schedule of once a week, but its just arrived to you, would you recommend trying to feed the first week or wait 2 weeks? Ty

Okay, boa constrictor is definitely the best, but I'm biased. You need a steady supply of large frozen feeder rats, but that's a lot easier these days than it once was. Ball pythons are finicky eaters, and I've always thought the labial pits looked weird, or maybe I just have trypophobia. ;) I love boa constrictors very much. I'm sure I could learn to love a python, but as a long-time boa owner, I just think boa constrictors have the best personality, and they are fairly low maintenance as large snakes go (not nearly as poopy as indigo snakes and cribos, for example). My pro-boa bias has caused me to see the whole ball python breeding/morph scene as a bit of a fad. I understand ball pythons can live longer. Whichever you get it's at least a two or three decade commitment if you get the animal as a juvenile. I had my Boa imperator (sold as a Colombian red-tailed boa constrictor) for 34 years. She was several months old when I got her in the spring of 1985, and she passed away in September 2019. She was part of a litter/batch born in the fall of 1984. She reached a length of 8 ft. 4.5 in., but I wasn't able to measure her precisely until after she passed. At her maximum weight I think she was around 27 lbs., but in the last couple of years of her life she was having difficulty digesting and couldn't maintain that weight. I kept her in a custom built enclosure made by Dan Hoffmann (Hoffmann's Reptile Shop) of Concord, California. As I recall the dimensions were 2 ft. high by 2 ft. deep by 4 ft. long/wide, which is actually quite voluminous, and gave her plenty of room to stretch out, or coil up in either the warm or the cool end. I had a large plastic type water dish that sat in the corner under her 150W basking lamp, which was shaped to fit perfectly in the corner, and was just big enough for her to soak a substantial section of her body in. By putting the water dish with its large water surface under the basking lamp, it generated humidity. There was a small circular opening at each end of the cage covered in wire mesh, to allow air to flow in and out, but the top was closed to trap humidity. The cage was accessed via the top. It was made of sort of a particle-board type material, with a clear acrylic (glass-like) panel on the front. I kept a sheet of cardboard in front of the glass (okay, technically acrylic) at the cool end to provide her with added privacy, so she didn't always have to see motion in the room. We kept her in the living room near the fireplace, so if the electricity/heat went out, she would have an alternative source of heat. By keeping her in the living room, where she got to see people moving around often, it kept her from going into ambush mode (i.e., there was a time when we kept her in a small rarely used room, and she would strike at the glass when someone walked by the door). For as long as we can remember she had the same piece of driftwood that she would hide under or climb on. It was situated sort of in the middle of the cage, but it worked both for basking (and lamp worshipping) as well as a hide. I didn't take her out often, and perhaps wish I had. She was always tame as an adult. The only issue was when you first picked her up, and she would think maybe it was feeding time. Some people tap their snake on the nose with a hook, but I would just drop a cloth bag or towel on top of her head to prevent her from striking if it looked like she might be in hunt mode. Then I would do what Emily of Snake Discovery calls the "confident grab" and pick her up. Once she was picked up she would know she wasn't being fed.

Wonder how many gallons beeding tubs equate to.

Iam deciding on a Caulker cay or ball python want to do a bioactive cage hmmm not sure yet got time to decide tho lol

Been keeping balls since I was a kid. Had 2 boas in my collection, one currently. If it's a one snake only situation I'd choose boas all day. Size and feeding response being the biggest factors. Balls are so damn finicky sometimes its not even funny. If its not live, good luck. Never have to worry about the boa eating (F/T) unless I neglected to check for blueing (pre-shed). That and the larger, yet manageable, size make boas a no-brainer imo.

I like ball pythons but boas are my true love. I find that taking care of boas especially BI are easier to care for me. That’s why I’m sticking to boas, corn and king snakes.

Boas are crazy cool and better than balls (that's just my opinion) I don't care about morphs and boas are better eaters and since they give birth to live young they are better at producing cluches lastly you can by dwarfs in multiple percentages good video I just am in love with boas

I adore my ball python Athena. She is my first snake and she is wonderful. As far as eating goes she does pretty well. She will eat when she wants to. I have learned this the hard way. But once you figure out the ball pythons eating patterns it isn't so scary. She is a calico spotnose. Very beautiful snake.

Would a 40 gal breeder be better than a 55gal for a male bp? It's got around 20 square inches more floor space than 55

In my state Alabama an albino red tail runs 200-250 albino balls go for 300-400 that at the reptile expos about 10 years ago I would image they're cheaper now

Just a few quick corrections here. Boas weigh in around 20lbs as adults some being heavier if they recently ate, they can eat rabbits but can sustain off large rats. Ball pythons adult full grown female can weight in around 25-30 lbs usually they’re heavier than a boa even though the boa is or can be considerably longer the ball python is more densely built. Other than that, not too bad. Both can vary in price depending on who you buy from, when, and where. Ball python morphs are easier to find and can be cheaper, also factors into the other things listed before who, where, when. Not all ball pythons will suddenly go off feed but they it can happen, mine went off feed for two months and now she eats like a savage. You feed her then the next morning she pops out to see if you have more, sometimes that same evening. My boa is pretty consistent with her posturing before a strike, I’ve never had her go for food at an unexpected angle or without a pretty typical lock on. I have heard that blood pythons and anacondas are wild wacky flailing strikers though but don’t have enough experience with either of them to verify lol. Each snake has its own personality though so you might get a timid boa or a very adamant ball python just learn your animal and your python refuses food check the temp of the feeder, make sure they’re warm but not cooked, and maybe even leave it near the enclosure for a bit to get that smell permeating the air. Also try changing where you get feeders. I has a local feeder rodent breeder near me and my snakes go bananas for his feeders and don’t have as much enthusiasm for store bought. Damn hipster snakes lol

My ball python went about a year without eating. First snake ever owned. I love the ball pythons but want to go bigger. Tired of the hunger strikes.

I got my ball python from petsmart. I got lucky because he only had bad stuck shed. Wasn’t sick at all and is doing amazing now. Hasn’t ever missed a meal with me!!

10:42 "This ones a no brainer, 5 for the ball python...." ***Holds up 4 fingers*** XD Seriously....Im so glad I found your videos, even when your not cracking jokes intentionally....you still do XD

Do you have a video about ball python body language for newbs? What to watch for if they are getting stressed, annoyed, content, etc etc? If not I would love to see that. Can never have enough knowledge. I’m personally getting a ball python as my first snake. They are just adorable and perfect sized for me. Hence why I’m looking at body language to avoid bites, stressing him, etc etc.

Why am I watching this, I live in Australia so I can’t get either, I guess it’s just very entertaining

Your boa looks like it's a VIP t+ albino from this video. Do you know what you have?

My first snake was a ball python. But boas win me over with those eyes. Gorgeous snakes.

I have 5 snakes 3 are ball pythons i have a corn and now a boa tho shes a bit aggressive shes still a baby so im not to worried about it right now but the rest of my snakes are very docile

There's also BCL BCO and other boas

How do I find breeders? I work at a pet store and I don’t wanna pay those overpriced prices but I felll I love with this Albine Red Tail Boa and I want one for my self ❤ and I’ve handled pythons in the past 2 ball pythons and a banana puthon

I got lucky today and got a boa that was going to be a hold back at a store i went to today. I have the morph and het ritten down on the enclosures but i got it for 300 with 30 mice and 20 rat pups for free. The owner really liked me and wants to see me breed her its so awesom i believe she is an ebv morph het albino

Do you recommend and central american boa for a older kid

I agree, my ball pythons we’re not as apt to bite- I found

Can you put a brazilian rainbow boa in a 4x2x2

Got it wrong in my mind. Ball pythons, they simply don’t explore. Don’t do much. A very docile snake. Happy to sit there. Boas are nosey, love the idea of something new. Plus, how did you score the feeding as a draw with Balls notorious for hunger striking vs obtaining slightly larger prey?

I think boas are great beginner snakes for people who have the space for them. Because they're very handleable, if socialized while they're babies, they're beautiful, and they seem very interactive, even affectionate, to their owners.

Yeah, I still can't decide which I want lol

When is comes to feeding what do you think of this RU-vid video? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-aeiOppHU_q8.html I have never owned a snake before but I like the idea of of an animal that I only have to feed once every 2 weeks... I do general handyman work/renos/ building maintenance.... I do building maintenance for a church and 5 daycares and I have recently been having alot of luck with live traps for mice... I could probably feed a snake for free most of the year with all the mice I catch... I don't like this idea of a "hunger strike" that I hear about Pythons, but a Boa sounds like it gets a little too big. What snake would be: 1) small enough to be safe around kids (adult snake), 2) only need to be fed every 2-3 weeks as an adult 3) be able to feed of 5-6 mice at a time as a substitute for a rabbit, and be an efficient vermin disposal unit with no "hunger strike" issues... I should also mention that I live in Alberta Canada so Rat feeding is not an option, Rats do not live here at all we have no wild/feral Rats and no pet rats they are illegal so mice feeding always needs to be an option. What snake boa or python would you recommend?

where is a good place to by a python if we shouldn't go to petco?

I absolutely love your channel however I have Ball Pythons an Columbian Red Tailed Boas and Dermerils Boa I personally prefer Boas

I'm trying to convince my parents that a boa is a good idea as a personal (me only unless someonewants to be involved) pet, but my dad is terrified of snakes, I could fund it myself, and have the room for up to a 6x3x3 in my room, but phobias suck

I have two Ball Pythons and now a Boa. You are correct my fancy Ball was like $100 bucks on sale, and my PieBall Banana was $700 but on sale I got him for $275 at PetCo (Yaaay) but they put him on live mice (booo!) so that sucks. Our Boa is a SunGlow female and we got her for $1,000 and hope to breed her and my also my girl Morpheus we thought she was a guy turns out she’s a girl 😅 so we hope to make some dough if not cool if we do cool to. Hoping to one day pick up a melanated black Boa male and breed them to see what comes out!

My second snake is a hypo het albino boa constrictor (: And my first snake is a normal ball python :D

20 to 30lbs for a b.c.i sounds kinda big tho i thought generally b.c.cs got 30, the dwarf or imperstors being more around 10-15 lbs

I feel like yoj already heavily applied the morph point jnto cost i feel like the cost should be normals then the morph point based off morph prices. Also you gettin ripped on boa prices you can find albinos for 200 pretty easily for kahl and sharp. And snows im pretty sure are like 650 or so. But yeah you can do more crazy stuff with ball pythons for the money so id say they still get the last point. And one kind of problem for people that arent ckmfortable with snakes would probably be the way boas act, they dont really s before they strike because theyre almost always s'd. And my boa will chill around my neck but if it decides it wants to reach for sometning itll go for it and tighten a bit so if youre not confidemt you might panic and make the sitiation a bigger ordeal. And a boa isnt really a couch potato theyre kinda like retics when if they make up there minds they want to go that way and can be harder to deter

I just bought my first boa constrictor... Not gonna lie, ive only ever owned ball pythons, so im a little nervous. Hope i do a great job!

Is bredli a good first snake

Uh one of my ball pythons is an ultra explorer. Sit in your lap and watch a movie? I think not! I would like to find my way into the couch and go around the whole wall.

I have had my motley columbian bci for a few weeks,I like him way more than my ball python and my axanthic iguana.

Is there any let's say shopping list, if you want a Ball python. You are total begginer and you want to be sure to cover all basic stuff. (english is not my first language, so i usually lack the proper therms and if you want quality products for your animal for a reasonable price, it is better to buy from outside the country) The enclosures on the other hand are way cheaper if they are custom Made than f.e. exo terra. If you know where to buy, the price can be like 40% power even with shopping compared to exo terra. And if you are a handyman. Well the price can go even lower. (i personaly have a custom Made enclosure on the way) which leads me to another question. Is there a guide to lighting? Like how to Pick a proper Light for your animal based on dimensions of enclosure?

Wow crazy ball cost more then boas for me but I live in Mexico

I just bought a really big red tail boa bought her for 650$ and I have a king pinstriped lemon ball python got him for 450$ i love them both they have great tempers ♥️

Many breeders feed their BP’s every 5 days which is fine as long as you periodically let them fast for a week or two.

How do you find ball pythons for $30? I’m lucky to find one online for $200 for a standard

Not too long ago I got my first bci boa. They make WAY better pets than ball pythons in my opinion.

I can only mabye get a ball python because my mom has a huge snake phobia and it was so hard to talk her to mabye get me one so when i older im definitly gonna get a boa there so cuteee

Out of context. They're fkn adorable!!!!!!!! Especially ball Python's

I think people get too paranoid when their ball pythons don’t eat, usually in the colder weather months. It’s actually quite natural. Unless your snake is becoming emaciated, I wouldn’t stress too much. As far as boas go, they’re also and equally as great of snakes. I’m just a bit hesitant on getting one because where does this all end? Haha next, I’ll want a reticulated python also. I know a few guys that started with one species, as soon as they picked something else up, their collections spiraled way out of control.

I plan on buying a ball python or boa when im 18. The 1 thing that keeps me off boas is in the situation i might get bitten i dont know how bad a boa bite is unlike a ball python which i know isn't that bad.

Minimum 55 Gal for a ball python? I would say a 40-55 would be fine depending on the snakes adult size

Would’ve boa eat a cat? I have a cat ANd i really want boa but im scared for my cat to become its food

6:49 - Ball python Got dented eye caps?!?! Low humidity the cause?!?

Tone it down Charlie Brown, jeeeezus.... scared the 💩 with the unexpected volume🤣 🤣 Thanks for the good content man 👍

So we shouldn’t buy snakes from family owned pet stores like “MONSTER PETS” located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ? It’s very similar to PetSmart and Petco, but they have a few species of fish that the other stores don’t have, like the electric eel and the Axolotl. They also sell different Ball Python morphs, unlike PetSmart and Petco.

I am first time owner of a ball python

I had a 6ft BCI female called Dave, I was giving her a shower one time (she was actually wrapped around the curtain rail not under the water) and when I tried to unwrap her she bit me on the face

If you believe in the Pangea thing... Phew! I'm glad he followed that up with "which ya should". I thought I was gonna have to unsub from a cool channel. Can't be having flat earthers in my science-y content.

I have been bitten by Ball Pythons more often than my Boas

Boas!

Then most of the people have layz ball pythons cus. my likes to go out the enclosure after 7-8 pm all over always moving it likes climbing wht my boa wont do

Neither is “better or worse” for a beginner. It’s all budget and personal preference.