a wow for a Boa (+1 for Wrigglies)

[dcap]

oh, wow!

So we went to Wrigglies in Dunstable today ( Wrigglies.com )
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - probably the best reptile shop we've visited (it is our 16th shop)
(okay so Crystal Palace wins on the Royals, but there is more to snakes than Royals!)

Reason: I'm still trying to decide if I want a Western Hognose, we handled an adult male and female and the weeeeeeniest hatchling I've ever seen (the first hatchling Hognose I've seen), and there is only ONE reason why I didn't take that hatchling home: my girlfriend!!

Not that she said no, oh no, what was she doing, she was busy with a 7ft common Boa Constrictor!!

The shop staff had been asked by a trio of young lads to handle one of their adult Boas. So, this needed the staff member who was about to show me the Hognose hatchling ... I said, hey, we want to see these big snakes too, I'm happy to wait! Out pops a pair of boas. Maybe a 5ft male and a 7ft female. And these guys had a 30 second hold and were pretty much out of there.

Me and my GF were next to them, had a stroke, looked and were impressed. Then I was off to see my hognose hatchling "can I hold it" said my GF! I'm like, huh? Its a big snake! Once she had this 7ft female on her shoulder I couldn't get her to look at the Hognose. She's completely in love with it.

The 2nd reason I went is because I wanted to see some Boas! So, that bit worked. And we handled a Hogg Island hatchling that was super cool!! If it had been a boy snake we would have come home with it. Okay, so maxxing out at a probable 4-6ft is less than the common. But we are already talking about where the BIG vivs could eventually go and can we get a common Boa!!

Result: we are now reading up on Boas and ready to get back there, check their stocks, or ask them to get us one.

The staff in the shop were so helpful and so friendly, its a 60-70min drive but well worth it. Didn't get the name of the fella with the albino Boa hatchling that was talking to us, but if you are in this forum: thank you for the super helpful advice.

Amazing snakes, great advise ... we will be back!

What an amazing hobby

[Artisan]

Ha ha that's great....you can't go wrong with a boa! ....get that first then there's always room to squeeze a lil tiny hoggy in aswel

[i.am.idc]

Originally Posted by dcap

oh, wow!

So we went to Wrigglies in Dunstable today ( Wrigglies.com )
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - probably the best reptile shop we've visited (it is our 16th shop)
(okay so Crystal Palace wins on the Royals, but there is more to snakes than Royals!)

Reason: I'm still trying to decide if I want a Western Hognose, we handled an adult male and female and the weeeeeeniest hatchling I've ever seen (the first hatchling Hognose I've seen), and there is only ONE reason why I didn't take that hatchling home: my girlfriend!!

Not that she said no, oh no, what was she doing, she was busy with a 7ft common Boa Constrictor!!

The shop staff had been asked by a trio of young lads to handle one of their adult Boas. So, this needed the staff member who was about to show me the Hognose hatchling ... I said, hey, we want to see these big snakes too, I'm happy to wait! Out pops a pair of boas. Maybe a 5ft male and a 7ft female. And these guys had a 30 second hold and were pretty much out of there.

Me and my GF were next to them, had a stroke, looked and were impressed. Then I was off to see my hognose hatchling "can I hold it" said my GF! I'm like, huh? Its a big snake! Once she had this 7ft female on her shoulder I couldn't get her to look at the Hognose. She's completely in love with it.

The 2nd reason I went is because I wanted to see some Boas! So, that bit worked. And we handled a Hogg Island hatchling that was super cool!! If it had been a boy snake we would have come home with it. Okay, so maxxing out at a probable 4-6ft is less than the common. But we are already talking about where the BIG vivs could eventually go and can we get a common Boa!!

Result: we are now reading up on Boas and ready to get back there, check their stocks, or ask them to get us one.

The staff in the shop were so helpful and so friendly, its a 60-70min drive but well worth it. Didn't get the name of the fella with the albino Boa hatchling that was talking to us, but if you are in this forum: thank you for the super helpful advice.

Amazing snakes, great advise ... we will be back!

What an amazing hobby

Awesome place! Boas are awesome too

[dcap]

yeah, its like: yeah, of course you can have a Hognose in a RUB on your desk (when can we get a Boa)

If I'd planned it this way I'd be truly cunning, but I'm shocked at how this common Boa has completely changed our plans.

so chuffed

(measuring tape and big viv sizes for when they get to adults!)

[hellocharlieboy]

trust me one boa will not be enough!

[dcap]

Originally Posted by hellocharlieboy

trust me one boa will not be enough!

I think you are a wise man ...

... we are already talking about two: Hogg Island for me, common Boa for the misses (I know, it should be me with the big snake, but I still want, and will probably get a Hognose, she won't even notice it!!)

[dcap]

I had to put the Hognose hatchling down to take a photo with my phone!

(wish I'd taken the Hognose home)

[hellocharlieboy]

is a good photo, I think ppl are often put off by snake sizes, when you actually handle them and see them they dont seem as big!

photos like this do a gr8 job of putting a snakes size in perspective.

[dcap]

one of the reasons we haven't got a Brazilian Rainbow Boa is that shops don't seem to have the adults ... I want to see the adult before I get the hatchling, and I want to get a hatchling and grow it. Having never seen an adult, I can't buy the young.

I think there is a lot to be said for shops 'keeping adults' and 'selling hatchlings'. And the same for reptile shows, its almost all hatchlings, if when we went to PRAS someone had had a fully grown Boa and we handled it, we probably would have bought a hatchling.

[Ian.g]

wrigglies is a good shop, and thats a really nice boa...as already said...boas are highly addictive, there is so much variation, even within straight forward commons. plus the thing I like about boas is that unless they are an extremely big individual they really don`t take up as much room as one would expect! my current largest common is around 5.5ft and is perfectly happy in a 145lt RUB...and over the years I have only had one or two females that needed anything bigger than a 4x2x2...the bigger they get, the lazier they get on the whole!