BCC vs BCI

So I have done some research, and I know that BCC and BCI are two different subspecies of RTB's. Is there one in particular that is usually considered "the" RTB? I checked out some specific to boa sites, and it seems like BCC/Suriname is considered by enthusiasts to be "The" RTB. I see a lot of Columbians in stores and here on the forums, I just wanted to clear up what everyone thought.

Also, wouldn't it still be correct to call a Columbian or Suriname BCI/BCC a red-tail, thought it may not be the ONLY red-tail, it still is a red-tail.

My understanding when I was researching before buying my BCI was that the BCC is the 'true' redtail and the BCC was the 'common boa'. I'm still confused when I go into a store and see an obvious BCI labelled as a 'red tail'. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. I'd like to see the responses to this as well.

BCC are actually the "true" red tails, and there are a few different locales of this subspecies. BCI are the common boas that you will see in chain pet stores such as Petco. The BCI are now incorrectly referred to as red tails, I'm not sure how this began, perhaps some pet stores just mislabeled them or importers tried to pass off BCI as BCC to get more money for them...?

Personally I wouldn't worry about which species is actually "the red tail". Both species have amazing animals with a wide range of "redness"...what matters more are the general differences in size and what kind of animal you are interested in. =)

If you wanna have fun, check out the verbal fights on the differences between Surinams and Guyanas....=D

Cassandra nailed it. "Red-tail" is just a common name anyway and is generally ignored in the herp community. BCCs are most commonly referred to as "True Red-tailed" and BCI's are commonly referred to as...well..."Common", but pet stores will often refer to both of them as Red-tailed Boas.

There are seven sub-species and each species have different locales with different visual traits. To make matters worse, there are now a lot of hybrids in the pet trade to further blur the lines.

I usually just refer to mine as a Boa Constrictor or if I am speaking to someone in the know, I tell them I have a BCI. ;)

So pet stores selling columbian boa's are probably columbian BCI's? Columbian is a subspecies for BCC and BCI, so...

Also, Suriname and Guyana were found to be the same through genetic testing, I thought.

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Originally Posted by ThyTempest

So pet stores selling columbian boa's are probably columbian BCI's? Columbian is a subspecies for BCC and BCI, so...

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Probably...the only real way to tell is to look at the animal (and to have some experience telling the difference). One, albeit non-definitive, clue is the shape of the saddles; generally speaking, BCC will have "peaks", BCI will not. But as Lawrence said with cross breeding and so many places boas come from, it's definitely not a hard and fast rule. The more experience you have looking at boas, you'll get a better idea of which general species you are looking at. =)

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Originally Posted by ThyTempest

Also, Suriname and Guyana were found to be the same through genetic testing, I thought.

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Yeah but when did science ever stop a good argument?! :D

genetic testing won't stop the argument because it's all about locale, yes they're both Bcc, but it's collection data that's important in boas.

and yeah most often in pet stores unless otherwise noted you're more than likely to find imperator's. Red tail vs. common boa really makes no difference because it's used interchangeably. It's kinda silly, and we're not even talking about mutts or locale crosses yet, haha. And yes I'm one of those that puts higher value on boas with legitimate collection data. My bluefields nics have their CITES paperwork.