Boa Too Big???

[Evenstar]

What morph is the Colombian boa?

vangarret, the Colombian boa is not a morph. That is the general accepted locality for the common Boa constrictor imperator. There are a few pure localities of Colombians and most morphs that do occur in boas are considered Colombians because of the amount of mixed blood involved in creating these morphs. But Colombian in and of itself is not specifically a morph.

I don't feel comfortable posting the photo. That said, this boa is the thickest I've seen for barely exceeding 6', and really is not the norm when it comes to Colombians. I'm sure BP.net has a thread relating before/after pics or collection albums in the Red Tail Boa category. You should do your search there.

I'm sorry, but why would you join a forum, ask advice, then say you're not comfortable posting photos?? We ALL post pictures of our snakes and prospective purchases. ESPECIALLY when we ask a question. Pictures help determine what exactly is going on.

Again, I'm concerned that if you did a little digging (with this kind of information) people would know who I was buying from and roughly where the snake was going. So I'd rather not disclose that.

Can I get some advice, please? From someone with experience...

Again, I'm confused as to why you have concerns here. If there is nothing wrong with the snake, then showing a picture or disclosing who the seller is, should not be an issue. If there IS something wrong with the snake, then, as we all do to help and support each other in the herp community, we should be aware of who the seller is anyway. I'm not trying to sound harsh or pushy, but if you want real, sound advice, you'll have to help us help you and be at least a little more forthcoming with information. And you are getting advice from folks with experience. A lot of it. Gio's advice below is excellent.

People are asking for photos because of your description of the boa. "Built like a blood python" is something a boa should NOT be. Age should not matter. A true, well cared for boa will live a very long time and if proper care is taken regarding diet and exercise a boa, be it male or female will present a very strong, lean and muscular appearance. If the said snake is not "loaf shaped" and has become rounded and overly thick, you are looking at a potential problem. Unless gravid, no BC should have a blood python appearance.

While you may be attracted to a certain look/morph, don't forgo the overall health of the animal.8 years of age is not an old boa, and again, fat, rounded boas are not the ideal.

A healthy, lean muscular boa will have enough strength to wrap you and support itself during handling. You can have always have a chair or stool next to you so the animal can climb off of you and support it's body on you and another object.

If this snake is not able to move about with ease, or support it's weight, you may want to pass.

Nobody can really tell you what may or may not happen without a photo. If you have doubts, listen to them and look elsewhere. You will want a healthy, long lived snake, and something that already has you guessing/wondering might be something to avoid.