New to boas. Normal or morph?

[BlueMoonExotics]

I posted this on another forum for boas but it's been awhile and no responses yet so I figured I'd try here:

I've gotten pretty good with ball python morphs but I have to admit: I don't know the first thing about boa morphs. I had a lady that didn't want her boa or frogs anymore and so I took them in. She said the breeder popped him as a baby and it was a female but after watching a vid and having someone show me on their boa how to feel for the hemipenes, I'm pretty sure it is in fact a male (felt like 2 bbs or bumps in the tail). I only plan on keeping him temporarily since I know boas get big and if I do get one as a pet in the future, it will only be 1 since I already have my hands full with breeding balls so it better be something super fancy!

With that being said, he's going to need a new home and I wanted some opinions on what morph (if any) he is so that I can label him as such when the time comes. I'm guessing he's a normal but he's also more attractive (my opinion) than some of the other boas I've seen. He's got a peachy color to him rather than the slate gray I usually see and he's not as speckled but more clean looking. However, I'm guessing just like normal ball pythons they can vary. For reference, He's only about 3ft long so he's still pretty little yet. (Sorry about my kid's toy in the pics but he wouldn't hold still unless I gave him something to wrap his tail around and I grabbed the closest object lol).

[ElliotNess]

Tan/peachy color is an indicator of BCI and you would be hard pressed to know exactly what it is without knowing what the parents are...

[oskyle1567]

Beutiful non the less I know nothing about boas I like them though You could possibly find a breeder around your location that is skilled in probing but dont male have longer tails than females?

[Gio]

Any "common boa" these days can be a mixture of different things.

Because of morphs, localities, and people/breeders willing to cross things, unless you have specific data from a very trusted breeder, it is very hard to know .

I have seen photos of "common boas" that look like that. I have also seen morphs that look like that.

I have a Barranquilla, Colombian BCI. It's a "common boa" sort of.

Gus Rentfro produced this animal and he is as serious a locality breeder as it gets.




Oddly enough you can see some Key West morphs that look quite similar but they are morphs.

Pick up a copy of THE COMPLETE BOA CONSTRICTOR if you want to learn a bit more about localities and other types.

Also,,, if you do in fact have a male, it will probably not get that big. You might want to consider holding onto it as it is a beauty.

Set up a nice display cage and just enjoy it.

[BlueMoonExotics]

I agree, he is gorgeous and I'd love to keep him around but at the same time, I've already got 7 tree frogs and a bearded dragon as my "display animals" and then I also breed crested geckos and ball pythons. I'll also be setting up a 100 gallon reef tank when I get the chance to finish it. He should have a home where he gets the attention he deserves and honestly, I'm a bit hesitant of even taking him out too much since I have ball pythons and the whole "boas can carry IBD and wipe out ball python collections" thing creeps me out. I wash my hands before and after I pick him up but it still just makes me nervous (I worry a lot). He's in quarantine in my room and he'll probably stay there until I find him a new home. He's super sweet and has already taken his first meal (f/t weened rat) for me with no hesitation so he should be able to find a good home.

I was told that I should ask $100 - $125 for him from both the lady I got him from and another person who sells boas. Would you say that's about accurate once I make sure he's healthy and good to go?