They ARE semi arboreal.

[Primolilla]

I haven't posted these photos here.

This is my Rio Bravo produced Barranquilla male BC. I purchased from Legacy Reptiles.

If anybody wonders if a BC will use some "ceiling" space in the cage here is proof. Sniper feeds from his perches 85% of the time and I catch him up here a lot.

[Noelle7206]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I just love it when keepers let the snake choose...not just conveniently assume they don't need the space. I think life in a cage is pretty monotonous compared to life in the wild & the exercise has to be good for them.
Nice job! (& beautiful snake!)

[Primolilla]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I just love it when keepers let the snake choose...not just conveniently assume they don't need the space. I think life in a cage is pretty monotonous compared to life in the wild & the exercise has to be good for them.
Nice job! (& beautiful snake!)

Why thank you! I'm sure we all have our own ways and mine certainly isn't for everybody. But because I'm not a breeder and I simply enjoy the few animals that I have, I like to make display cages that are appealing to me.

That said there is also plenty on scientific data, and pictures from the "wild" that show large BC's up in the canopy actively hunting, poised to ambush or thermo regulating.

His cage is 48" x 30" x 20" so it's not a skyscraper by any means but he does utilize his perches often.

He's closing in on 6' long, but he is still lean and mean.

I agree that exercise keeps them in shape and "loaf like". The lateral compression of the body of boa constrictors is one of my favorite traits.



BC's can make a very nice display snake with a semi arboreal setup.

However, I certainly salute and understand folks with efficiency setups that need to change water, substrate and clean cages in a timely manner because they have multiple animals.

[Reinz15]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

Very nice set up!

I hope to do something similar when I move my BCI out of her temp tank.

[zamora]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I like to make display cages that are appealing to me.

I remember the day when I had a nice display cage for my one and only boa. It didn't last once I had four or more, I just didn't have the time to maintain it. Yours is exceptional and it looks like your boa is 'happy' so congratulations. Thanks for the pictures!

[Jrock23]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

Very nice setup

[Pandorasdad]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

Beautiful shots!

I am convinced they are not semi arboreal, but completely arboreal. You give a boa a branch and they'll spend almost all their time in it.

[Noelle7206]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

Beautiful shots!

I am convinced they are not semi arboreal, but completely arboreal. You give a boa a branch and they'll spend almost all their time in it.

And not only boas: ratsnakes enjoy branches, as do desert rosy boas. My spotted python spends MOST of the time on her basking branch...she pulls 'all-nighters' there. Even my Texas (western) longnose snake
likes to climb & does a graceful job of it. It's so much more interesting to watch snakes when they have "furniture" in their houses...beneficial to us both.

[sharudd30]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I didn't realize that boas semi arboreal nature was even questioned? My guys love climbing if given the chance

[Joba1972]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I have a similar set up for my albino girl. I've only ever seen her climbing twice, but it's there if she wants it. Pretty snake, BTW, and nice set up.

[CayCaulker]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

nice shots and a beautiful bcc. All boas are semi arboreal to an extent, and will climb to thermo regulate or to hunt prey in the wild. Some subspecies are more so than others.

[jOHNNY t]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

am convinced they are not semi arboreal, but completely arboreal.

Nice looking set up you have. I agree with [MENTION=7657]Pandorasdad[/MENTION], when I put a shelf in one of my cages that is were she stays. Thanks

[ShivaCamo]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

Newbie to boas here but I found the same thing with my ball python. Everyone online says they don't really climb but as soon as I put a branch in the cage up he went! Also, are you feeding it a BIRD? I thought about this but thought the beak might poke out and harm the snake from the inside....

[Primolilla]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

nice shots and a beautiful bcc. All boas are semi arboreal to an extent, and will climb to thermo regulate or to hunt prey in the wild. Some subspecies are more so than others.

Hi, thanks for the kind words, and you are spot on with the semi arboreal traits. Seeing as your handle is that of a Central American locality BC, I'd expect you have one or two? I hear the C/A locales are even more arboreal than the mainland BCs.

OH, by the way my boa is a Barranquilla, Colombian BCI. However, I noticed you called it a BCC, which is interesting because in the book
THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR
By Vincent Russo, he speaks of this locality as what a natural cross between BCI and BCC would look like.

I have also been told Gus Rentfro was fairly sure these were BCC, but Gus being Gus wanted 100% proof and he decided to label them BCI based on factors and knowledge beyond my understanding.

Anyhow, back on track.

Although they are often found up in the canopy we can't call them "arboreal" like we do Green Tree Pythons or Emerald Tree Boas. These snakes reproduce and birth their young in the trees and don't come to the ground like BC's do, so the "semi" part has to be used.

ShivaCamo, Royal pythons may climb, but climbing VS semi arboreal is different again in my opinion. Royals don't have a prehensile tail, and they inhabit burrows in the ground or termite mounds 95% of the time.

Their build accommodates the ground ambush tactic they employ for catching most prey. Although research states younger royals, especially males will take small avian prey in lower shrubs so they are more capable of climbing than blood pythons.

Boa Constrictors are built for both terrestrial and arboreal hunting. They have a laterally compressed body (one of my favorite traits) and a tail that wraps and grips everything it can get a hold of.

This is my boy Sniper when he was a bit younger in his first cage.






The quail isn't an issue at all, but I will snip the sharp part of the beak off, as even a 1 in 100 chance of a poke isn't worth it to me.

They sometimes have a bit of trouble figuring out the floppy head which is comical.

[Pandorasdad]

Re: They ARE semi arboreal.

I have also been told Gus Rentfro was fairly sure these were BCC, but Gus being Gus wanted 100% proof and he decided to label them BCI based on factors and knowledge beyond my understanding.

My guess is that he didn't want to label them BCC until he could say for sure. Snobby boa people can be jerks when someone gets their information even a little wrong.