Here's a picture of him...

Leah. That Snake could lay the smack down on you if it wanted  I would pass on the deal I have had 2 foot Boas that where crazy  and they where hard enough to handle .. If the guy has 6 Boa's  and he says  this kid is satans spawn  I would listen

I personally think a boa that size would be a piece of cake to deal with, even if it was the most hellish snake on earth... But I've dealt with evil 11 ft retics, and I'm not tiny (5'7"), lol. If you are uncomfortable I would not do it. That's the bottom line, especially if you don't have experience with snakes this size period :)

Also, bite wise... Usually defensive strikes don't hurt. I've been bit by 5-7 ft boas, bloods and a yellow anaconda and it bleeds but doesn't hurt. A feeding bite... Now that's a different story. I would dread receiving a feeding bite from anything over 4.5 feet!

Well I don't know if I'm tiny, I mean I'm 5'6" but small built (which you look also...) I'm hoping I can get as much info as possible, I'm going to really think this through.

Good on you for thinking it through first instead of just being an impulse buyer! I'm sure you'll make the right decision. :) Maybe go meet the boa before you decide? I've gotten snakes that I was told were "completely evil" and they end up being perfectly sweet to me. So who knows!

Pics can be deceiving, but that appears like he's being housed in a CB70 rack drawer? Do you know the size length/weight? He appears to be the size of a 3 year old? Several factors can lead to a label of being "aggressive". Many times, I feel, the environmental conditions can be adjusted to make an animal's behavior more of what we as keepers are comfortable with. He may not like being housed in a rack. The feeding schedule may need to be changed, too - maybe he wasn't being fed consistently. How long has the person had him - perhaps he's just stressed from that?

I don't know, but I agree with Abi - see if you can visit and get a better idea - maybe have it be you take him on a trial basis? No matter what though, go with your gut - 

Looks like a 41qt/cb-70 to me as well, which would mean he isn't huge - and he might hate living in a rack, or some other issue could be causing the aggression. 

I would go handle him first like everyone else is saying. I know you are a small build but me personally like dealing with bigger snakes that have attitudes then smaller ones. To me it is easier to watch the strike and what not.  If you get him and tame him down you will feel so great about it.  Also, I new a guy that had a snake that was " the meanest ever"  and it was in a fish tank with no hide box. The second I told him to add a hide box the snake was able to work with. It was just stressed not mean. Keep me updated either way

I agree with Josh - a small mean snake seems harder to deal with in my experience than large - you can get a better grip on a big snake and it is easier to "read" them so to speak. That's my opinion anyway. :)

She said he is 5 feet, did not have a weight (probably because she said she's given up and only touches him for feeding or cleaning). He doesn't appear that big in the picture though. She has had him a month, and got him in a trade. I think I might visit to see how he is, could be a simple husbandry change that could help. I'd be putting him in a cage, and hopefully put some branches up and have some nice hides in it.

She's only had him for a month - so it sounds like it could be stress on the snake's part. Even though in my experience snakes don't NEED hides in a rack, he might be one of the few that does need a hide. It is worth looking into. :)

it sounds like your answer is in your question.

:)

 I agree see the snake and make your own decisions. remember you need to be comfortable around the snake to take proper care of it. often the "mean snakes" are the ones who's cages are in a state of neglect for fear of any interaction with the animal. 

There is a chance he could calm down some with deliberate handling, but probably won't ever be what you could consider "friendly." It's really up to you how you feel about it. Will you give this mean animal the same care and treatment as your nice ones? Side note - It looks to be a BCC, or a BCC/BCI intergrade. Did they say what he is? Do you have history on him? If he's BCC I wonder if he's wild caught. That would explain the bad attitude.

I have no history on him, honestly don't even know what locality or anything. She got him a month ago in a trade...

I am hearing good advice for the most part. I have taken a couple really aggresive snakes that were only aggresive because they were STARVING! BUT  I would not take on an animal I was not comfortable dealing with. I have two other people in my house, males (lol) and several years of owning big boas. He does look thin but any animal can have a bad disposition even when well fed. He may have been abused or been subject to the second hand effects of drugs or drug making, you just never know. He could also be wild caught. And last and certainly not least, he could have a medical issue that is causing his aggression, neural viruses can display in many ways before they progress to the typical ones we recognise.

If any of this has made you feel like "OMG no way" then listen to your instincts. One day you may be able to look at all of those circumstances and feel prepared to deal with them. It is no reflection in any way if you don't feel ready, if you never feel ready. 

I have raised over 100 Boas and have dealt with some very mean animals, and they can draw some blood, let me tell you. The point here is if you are not comfortable with this animal then do not get it. I know lots of people who thought they would try it, and after getting struck at numerous times or actually getting bit, they either got rid of the animal, or it just stayed in the cage all the time. If you can take a bite, and are determined then by all means, give it a go. It's  not like a 5 ft snake could kill you, give you a good bite,yes, but not kill you. Good luck!

most of the time aggression problems go away when stress is reduced... from the way it sounds this boa hasnt had enough time to even settle in ... so you cant really say that this particular boa is hellspawn or not.... Boas take up to six months to get settled in ...... . 

At 5 feet a bite could lead to bleeding and a nice bruise for a couple weeks. If you have limited experience with boas or other big snakes I would pass and get yourself a nasty juvenile before getting a nasty adult.

I think a snake like that (which has probably suffered at the hands of his previous owners) will need a lot of dedicated time and attention to get him right.

It's basically a rehabilitation and you'll  probably get bitten and have to take it in your stride and show him that even when he's scared enough to bite you that you're not going to react badly and that he can trust you.

If you have the time to devote I think it would be very rewarding to turn this guy around and would be brilliant for the snake.

If you have the space and the time to dedicate to a potentially nervous Red Tail, I would do it. A lot of times just placing them in a new environment that is low stress and more comfortable for them will lead to dramatic results in a short period of time. I've found that neglect and improper setup are often the primary cause of such behavior. My Coastal Carpet was always very calm, until I moved her to a vision cage. Needless to say, she didn't stay in that enclosure very long. Her behavior went back to normal as soo as she was moved. I've worked with many "agressive" boas that were sorted out and well behaved within a week or so. There will always be exceptions, but patience will usually win out in the long run. Also, you should allow yourself not to worry about bites at all. They will bleed and bruise, but no permanent harm will be done. Body language and your own confidence around the animal will provide a great deal of defense against bites anyway. In my experience, working with such animals and getting them sorted out is very rewarding and well worth the time.

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