What Kind Of Boa Do I Have...

[Shann]

Peruvian's and Columbian's are practically the same thing. Almost identical in looks so it really doesn't matter, lol but its hard to tell the minute details by a picture.

I was speaking objectively, of course they are different, but for all intensive purposes to this thread, I was saying its safe to say he has a "red tail" in a general term. Also I was leaning toward Peruvian based on the thinner and more symmetrical striping.

Yeah, nothing like a Peruvian at all. I guess I can sort of see what you're getting at with the saddles? But I totally disagree. Definitely looks like a BCI. Like Daybreaker said, a lot of people argue that you can call both BCI and BCC "Red Tail Boas" but I take the term "Red Tail Boa" to refer strictly to BCCs. In fact, typically the only people I see who say otherwise are pet stores and newer keepers. And Peruvians in particular are quite stunning boas, and drastically different looking from a BCI.

To the OP, cute little boa! I love babies! Those saddles are really nice looking.

[Physician&Snakes]

Yeah, nothing like a Peruvian at all. I guess I can sort of see what you're getting at with the saddles? But I totally disagree. Definitely looks like a BCI. Like Daybreaker said, a lot of people argue that you can call both BCI and BCC "Red Tail Boas" but I take the term "Red Tail Boa" to refer strictly to BCCs. In fact, typically the only people I see who say otherwise are pet stores and newer keepers. And Peruvians in particular are quite stunning boas, and drastically different looking from a BCI.

To the OP, cute little boa! I love babies! Those saddles are really nice looking.

Boa constrictor is a species complex and is thus subjective as to what is a true red-tail or just a "boa constrictor", it depends on who you are debating with and whose literature you are reading. Some herpetologists will stand firm that true red tails are those far enough in their population ranges that there is little breeding with fellow localities; however, due to South and Central america allowing such extreme biodiversity and suitable habitat, gene flow between BCI, BCC, BCL, etc... likely happens more than we understand. From my perspective anything within the genus Boa constrictor is a red tail due simply to phylogeny. Considering we started with Boa constrictor constrictor and the rest of the complex evolved out of genetic drift, bottlenecks, reproductive isolation, etc... it only makes since to recognize BCC as the only "true" red tail and accept the other as "red tails"; however, someone is bound to argue with you either way.

On topic, I agree that the specimen is likely BCI.

[bcr229]

Another vote for BCI, nice looking little guy you got there.

[Blawley0329]

True, but even the term "red tail boa" isn't entirely correct when speaking of non-BCC boas. "True" red tailed boas are the BCC locality boas while BCIs (Colombians, Central Americans, Mexican, and Insular boas, etc) aren't the true red tails. It's a peeve of mine when I see little common boas in pet stores listed as "red tails" because they're definitely no Suri, Peruvian, Venezuelan, Brazilian, or Guyana!

Yea definitely! Leave it to pet stores to exploit a species for every penny! haha, Appreciate the correction.

Cheers

[Raven01]

Peruvian's and Columbian's are practically the same thing. Almost identical in looks so it really doesn't matter, lol but its hard to tell the minute details by a picture.

Look at the saddles. That is very unlikely to be either a Peruvian or Colombian BCC.

A BCI is far more probable.

To be honest I didn't even attempt saddle or scale counts.

If you need info on boa's pay close attention to both Daybreaker and Evenstar. They are both very knowledgeable and helpful in all things boa.

[Evenstar]

I agree that this snake is most likely a Colombian Bci. This may help simplify and further explain the Bcc vs Bci debate. There is most certainly a difference - in both classification and taxonomy.


The following was first posted by BP.net user, Vypyrz:

Red Tail Boas are classified as follows:

Boa Constrictor Constrictor (BCC)- These are the "true red tails." These are generally the largest in size and maintain their red tails into adulthood. The tail will normally have a distinct red color that ranges from bright red to a deeper, more blood red color. They come from:
Peru
Brazil
Venezuela
Suriname
Guyana

Boa Constrictor Imperator (BCI)- This is the largest group of boa constrictors. Their tail color normally ranges from a darker, more subdued red to a more common brown color. They include the boas from Central America:
Colombia
Panama
Costa Rica
Nicaragua
Mexico: Tamaulipas, Tarahumara
and the insular islands:
Hog Island
Caulker Cay
Crawl Cay
Corn Island

Boa Constrictor Amarali (BCA)- Bolivian, Brazilian, and Sao Paulo boa constrictors

Boa Constrictor Longicauda (BCL)- These come from the Tumbes region of Peru. They are also known as the Peruvian Long-tail Boa, as they have a higher scale count from their vent to tail tip, than the Peruvian BCC.

Boa Constrictor Occidentalis (BCO)- Argentine boa constrictors.

Boa Constrictor Sabogae (BCS)- Pearl Island boa constrictors

As well as, some of the lesser known sub-species:

Boa Constrictor Nebulosa- Dominican Republic, Lesser Antilles
Boa Constrictor Orophias- St. Lucia
Boa Constrictor Melanogaster- Ecuador Black Belly

It is best to research each of these, as they have different sizes, colorings, and growth rates. Here are a few websites to help you get started, where the different sub-species of Boa Constrictor are discussed and described:

http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/com.html

http://www.cuttingedgeherp.com/contactinformation/


Physical Differences:

-Saddle Shape: Generally the BCI saddles will have a rounder appearance, looking something like this: ( ) ( ) ( ), whereas the BCC saddles generally have an apex in the saddles, much like this: } { } { } { } . While this is a good marker, it is not always reliable.

-Head Shape: The head shape between BCC and BCI may be hard to detect in neonates, but from about 1 year in age, the differences become more apparent. The BCC generally have less pronounced jaw muscles, giving the head a more slender, longer, or uniformly tapered appearance, with a more pointed shaped nose. Also, the size of the head will appear larger in relation to the size of the body in the neck area. The BCI generally has more pronounced jaw muscles and a more blunt or broader looking nose, giving the head a shorter appearance. Also the BCI head will appear smaller in relation to the size of the body in the neck area.

-Scale Count: Scale count is another indicator of Boa type, however, since a lot of the numbers overlap, it should not be relied on solely. Scale count + Head shape is the most accurate method of determining the type of Boa that you have. If you are looking for a specific locale of BCC or BCI, the easiest way to ensure that you are getting what you want is to buy from a reputable breeder who will guarantee the genetics.
Here is a chart that was posted on another forum with some basic scale and saddle counts. I left the authors name in the post so that he can recieve credit:

Here are the scale counts for you.

BCC
scale counts - 75 to 95 dorsal rows.
227 to 250 ventrals.
49 to 62 subcaudals.
Average 15 to 21 saddles.

BCI
scale counts - 56 to 79 dorsal rows.
225 to 253 ventrals.
47 to 65 subcaudals.
Average 22 to 30 saddles.

BCA (Amarali Boa)
scale counts - 71 to 79 dorsal rows.
226 to 237 ventrals.
43 to 52 subcaudals.
Average 22 saddles.

BCL (Longicauada)
scale counts - 60 to 76 dorsal rows.
243 to 247 ventrals.
50 to 67 subcaudals.
Average 19 to 21 saddles.

BCO (Occidentalis)
scale counts - 65 to 87 dorsal rows.
242 to 251 ventrals.
45 subcaudals.
Average 22 to 30 saddles.

[Eazyyyb]

Wow, thanks guys hahah glad my thread sparked a nice boa debate