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Dwarf Boa and Children

Sindrik8x

Sindrik8x

New member
Limited research out there. Risk factor with a five year old in the house?

-If the snake is purchased as a hatchling.
-Not power fed (maybe every 10 days, avg meal size
-The snake is a male (most stay under 5 ft. from what I found)


Let's assume the snake did get out, and somehow in a year or two ran in to my seven year old face to face and a kid's going to be a kid, worst case?

Could a dwarf boa kill a normal, healthy, kid or injure it seriously?

Ps: The boa type in question - Nicaraguan.

Just looking for honest open feedback. Not much on dwarf boas and kids, just commons like red tails and columbians. My understanding is that the Nic is a BCI.

Thanks all.
 
I really don't think so, at all.

If a snake were to get out, the chances of it being a) being found again in 1-2 years (which does happen sometimes) and b) having found enough to eat and GROW within those 1-2 years in my opinion, is extremely low. Mind you, I don't have any experience with a lost snake, but I highly, highly doubt that scenario would happen.

Not only that, if you were to get a snake as a hatchling, as you've suggested, it will become easier to handle and more comfortable (usually) the more you interact with it.

There are many posts out there with large snakes and children. I believe it is a common fear in society, involving pet snakes. I personally would have no concerns having snakes around kids.
That being said, it is best to always be supervising young children with reptiles (or any pets really).

I will let the more experienced herpers jump in though :)
 
NH, by the years time frame, I meant that if in two to three years when it was more mature or bigger. Not if it was an escapee. Just wanted to clarify for others too I read that the same as you after posting.

I appreciate your honesty and feedback otherwise. All similar points to what I have been trying to make to my parents...
 
P.S. Forgot to mention. If you are thinking of the african rock python incident in Canada that happened within the last few months, there is a lot of controversy over that and I don't think it should be used as a source of information regarding your child and pet snakes.

I don't believe a snake under 5 ft could kill a child. I don't even think it would go after a cat. The worst thing it would do is bite, but if your child came "face-to-face" in the scenario you've suggested, my guess - and I truly believe this would happen - is the snake would slither away and try to hide. To a snake, WE are the predators.
 
Thoughts on whether or not the average 10 - 12 year old could pry a 4 - 5 foot long snake off itself if it needed to?
 
Can a 5 foot boa injure your child ? YES. Will it ? Odds are next to nothing.

Take proper precautions and I think you will be fine with a Nicaraguan Boa.
Never put it around the child's neck especially when it gets larger and never let its head near your child's face. Keep it in a separate room that you can secure at night.
All boas can be nippy at the most unexpected times. Feed it frozen thawed to keep its food aggression low and watch the temps. I see the tendency for people to over heat them making them more aggressive.

If a 5 foot boa ran into your 7 year old, the snakes reaction would most likely be to hide or flee. Your 7 year old reaction would probably be to pick it up, assuming he likes it. That's when that bite to the face might occur or your son flings him around his neck to carry him and the boa instinctively tightens to hang on choking him.

Make sure it is a Nic Boa. They all look alike as baby's.

All that said, as long as your being a responsible parent and performing proper husbandry with the boa then the chances of something bad happening is almost zero.

Added;
If the boa is around the 10 or 12 year olds neck then I would say it is unlikely he could pry it off. I had a 5 ft boa accidently stick his head in that loop for hanging your jacket and the snake wrapped its body around my neck to try to get loose and I couldn't stop it. It took two guys to get that snake off me.
Boa Constrictor species are amazingly strong !

...........................
(Typed while NH93 was answering you :))
 
I appreciate that daddio. That just answered my most dire question perfectly and likely helped shape my decision.

I am very responsible, but kids will be kids and accidents can and with my luck would happen. Better to wait until he probably leaves the nest for one of these guys. Don't want to take any chances or risk anything bad happening.. I'd never be able to live with myself. Not worth it for a snake.

Maybe wait a few years and get a BP instead. Just trying to branch out from corns eventually and thought this may be the right start. Probably not.
 
^ I think, if you check out some ball python forums, you will see how any others have ball pythons and very young children. I have seen many a picture of 2-3 year olds with BPs on them :p I don't know too much about boas compared to some other species, but I am pretty certain ball python's are much more docile (in general). If you are really looking to branch out from corns, I would definitely suggest looking into them :)

Best of luck!
 
My two cents, get a different locality of BCI than a Nic. I've only had 4 or 5 of them, but all were tireless biters as juveniles, and the two I had longer term were not snakes I totally trusted as adults. I'm sure there are sweet ones out there, but I'd want to be around it a bit before committing to one as a pet (with or without children in the home).
 
I think it's also important to teach children appropriate behavior around any animals. IF they come across a snake that is loose or outside they should get an adult and not try to deal with it on their own IMO.
 
I have a question. Is it possible to teach the child an emergency measure, so that if the snake wraps around his neck, the child knows what to do? slide your hand in between the snake and your throat, so you are guarding your airway, and then immediately call an adult for help, without going crazy at the snake and making it tighten and hang on? Would a decent-sized child be able to prevent choking by doing that? With a 5-7' boa?

My daughter got a BAD boa bite when she was about 10. She wore it like a badge of honor. It was her upper arm. She never blamed the snake. The snake was at her school. The snake, the school, no one got in trouble or caused a big stir about it. I don't think that would happen these days.
 
You could also treat the boa somewhat like a venomous snake, in a room with the door always closed, with the kids not allowed to handle alone, with a locked cage.
 
I'd have to second chips suggestion of checking out other localities. I know anecdotal evidence isn't the best in the world, but I couldn't imagine Isis choking or biting anything that wasn't a tasty smelling rat.

I also think, that with proper education and familiarity a 7-12 year old child shouldn't ever have anything to worry about with a BCI. Keep in mind, proper education would include not handling alone (juuuuust in case). But really, as others have said, even if alone they came face to face, the snake would probably slither off and hide 999 times out of 1000.
 
The African Rock python is a no brainer.
The snake did not kill 2 children without leaving bite marks and them not shouting for help...

Dwarf Boas... you need to go and acquire the "right" animal... Nicaragua are perfect sized, but have a tendency to be a bit more feisty- they do mellow with age but if you want a "puppy-tame" animal, I suggest looking for that "right animal"...
You have quite a few options- Male Hog Isle Boa, Nicaragua, Corn Isle, Caulker's Cay, Panama isle and so on... And aim for a male, they are smaller and more slender.
 
If these are the concerns you have, then just don't do it; you'll never be able to relax and enjoy the animal.
 
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