Okay so BCI means ....

Okay so BCI means Boa Constrictor Imperator or something like that right? How can I tell if a boa is BCI or just a regular boa? this is quite possibly a silly question but I think boas are gorgeous - and don't have room for 15-20 foot snakes.

You know, I am glad you asked that. I got a boa recently, and am still hard-pressed to find out whether it's bcc or bci. You know why? (caution: I am about to gripe...) Every time I search Google or even look in books to differentiate the two, they always both look the same. Some have the "cross" on the head, while others have just a stripe down the head. (like mine.) I wonder if anyone really knows the answer! Seriously, someone, please enlighten us.
jonah, sorry if you saw that someone had replied, and you had false notions that this someone knew what she was talking about. :)

Hahaha I'm glad I asked a question someone else was interested in! Also your avatar is pretty.

I can point out two differences. BCC grow upto be bigger than BCI and they are true Red tails. Other than that I have no clue on how to tell the two apart :P

Pattern differences can be helpful in getting an idea if a boa is bcc(boa constrictor constrictor) or bci(boa constrictor imperator). Here are a couple pics of the saddles on the back of two different boas. The first pic is Jazzy, my BCI. Notice that in between the saddles is a pretty well formed oval shape.
http://img15.photobucket.com/albums/...zzy/jazzy3.jpg

Since I don't have permission to use anyone's BCC pic, here is a link to a Guyana BCC photo. And here is a photo of a Surinam BCC. Notice the pattern difference in the saddles? The "oval" area in the BCI isn't "oval" in the BCC's. The dark color intrudes into the oval along the spine in the BCC's. This is one clue that a boa is BCC, but is certainly not foolproof. There has been so much interbreeding of BCC and BCI, that unless you know the person who collected the wildcaught boa, it is almost impossible to be positive.

Another clue is that when fully grown, BCC's are capable of being quite a bit bigger than BCI's.
This is an adult Puruvian BCC.
This is a good sized adult BCI.
BCC's typically have brighter, more crisp colors as adults, too, whereas BCI's have a tendency to "brown out" as they mature.
These are a few ways to get an idea at a glance which is which. I would suggest visiting this site for some good boa info.

Ditton on what Randy said.......also, BCCs are much more expensive than BCI normally (the exception being BCI morphs of course) and are a bit harder to keep.

And don't worry, Jonah....unless you're looking at Anacondas, you won't have any 15-20 foot Boas on your hands. ;)

Randy, that explanation gets you a standing O.

O

Clap, clap, clap, clap. That BCC is one enormous monster :shock:

Yeah Randy you just won the "Post of the month" award... cramming the most knowledge and examples in one post - you've answered a topic.... (trying to write but to shocked and awed)

randy has learned to put things in terms so that i can understand them. he's the man.