What have I got!

[laithascotty]

Hello everyone, Im new to this forum and new to snake keeping, just bought my first Boa, she's approx 3 yrs old, about 5ft at the mo, her name is Linda and Im besotted with her :) The guy I bought her from told me that he got her from his mate, who had originally bought her at a convention in Germany, so he wasnt able to say what kind of Boa she is! He also told me she's a Jungle, can you tell if she is or not?

[Tsubaki]

First of all, welcome :)

Even though it is not always easy to say, i personally think. This is not a jungle, just a pretty boa constrictor. Even though jungles come in many different looking varieties, I'm missing any 'clue' on this one. No aberration or missing pattern pieces, intact head striping, intact arrow patterns on the sides, no sign in the color.. I think they just sold her as a jungle because has nice broad saddles, i don't think she is a genetic jungle morph. - Does not make Linda any less pretty though!! :D

[SnakeyJay]

Personally I'd say she's not a jungle mate, as has been said I can't see any of the "markers".. A very nice looking boa tho. Generally if you buy a boa labelled as a normal or it's cheap, then that's usually what it is unless you get lucky..

[laithascotty]

Ah okay, I did ask the guy how he knew she was a jungle and he pointed out a few things on her that according to him were 'jungle traits' like the circles on the head stripe and the eyes which are half light half dark lol, Im not bothered if she's a Jungle or not as I think she's beautiful with lovely markings anyway...Im more interested in what type she is? Columbian, Common, Dwarf? The guy didnt have a clue! :confused: Would be good to know what she is so Iv a rough idea of how big she'll get, as I say she's a 2011 and is roughly about 5ft now, been getting a large rat every 10 days

[laithascotty]

Oh and she also had a rosy pink colouring on her underside...could she be a rosy boa??

[CK SandBoas]

Oh and she also had a rosy pink colouring on her underside...could she be a rosy boa??

A Rosy Boa and what you have are two completely different snakes, hehe. The rosy pink coloring on her belly may mean she's going into shed. Unless you truly know her genetics, i would say you have a lovely BCI...:)

[Tsubaki]

Its not a Bci either, if you do not know the genetics its just a Boa constrictor. BCI and BCC are purebreds, this animal is clearly not purebred so she is neither. Circles on the head are very common, and nearly every Boa constrictor has 2 toned eyes, so those are not signs either. Pink bellies (without it being a sign of shedding) are less common, but not uncommon for a normal boa. Either the seller had no clue what he was talking about and the previous seller told him this, or he was just putting up a sales pitch of his own.

By the looks of it without having seen the parents, this girl probably won't grow to a giant. Nothing wrong with just enjoying this girl for what she is, a beautiful Boa Constrictor. :) Nothing more, nothing less.

[CK SandBoas]

My mistake then.....It is a lovely snake though:)



I'll go back to my Kenyan Sand Boas now, lol

[TheFrogman]

Welcome and shes gorgeous, as a Rosy Boa owner, shes not a Rosy, but very pretty.

[sharthun]

Hey and Welcome! beautiful Boa!

[thawes]

Its not a Bci either, if you do not know the genetics its just a Boa constrictor. BCI and BCC are purebreds, this animal is clearly not purebred so she is neither. Circles on the head are very common, and nearly every Boa constrictor has 2 toned eyes, so those are not signs either. Pink bellies (without it being a sign of shedding) are less common, but not uncommon for a normal boa. Either the seller had no clue what he was talking about and the previous seller told him this, or he was just putting up a sales pitch of his own.

By the looks of it without having seen the parents, this girl probably won't grow to a giant. Nothing wrong with just enjoying this girl for what she is, a beautiful Boa Constrictor. :) Nothing more, nothing less.

BCI (boa constrictor imperator) and BCC (boa constrictor constrictor) are not breeds, they are species.

You have a beautiful BCI, aka common boa constrictor!

[Valvaren]

A BCI is what you have, and a very nice one! I don't see any jungle either, I would share a picture of my salmon jungle male but I don't have a body shot so I don't have anything to point out jungle indicators.

[Tsubaki]

BCI (boa constrictor imperator) and BCC (boa constrictor constrictor) are not breeds, they are species.

You have a beautiful BCI, aka common boa constrictor!

Huh?:) I did not call them a Breed, maybe i should not have used the word purebred. My fault, this is the common accepted term around here for an animal who has a pure BCI or BCC bloodline. As soon as you Cross a BCI with a BCC, the offspring is neither one. So you can not call a random animal with a unknown bloodline a BCI, as you can never know if it has BCC blood in there somewhere.

Makes no sense to me, what you just said. This animal is Not a BCI until you can prove there is no BCC blood in it. (And i doubt that is going to happen)

[thinkbig317]

BCI all the way. Congrats! They are wonderful snakes!

[Tsubaki]

Just going to ignore me instead of explaining how you guys can call a Obvious mixed blooded animal a pureblood BCI? Its quite rude.

[thawes]

Huh?:) I did not call them a Breed, maybe i should not have used the word purebred. My fault, this is the common accepted term around here for an animal who has a pure BCI or BCC bloodline. As soon as you Cross a BCI with a BCC, the offspring is neither one. So you can not call a random animal with a unknown bloodline a BCI, as you can never know if it has BCC blood in there somewhere.

Makes no sense to me, what you just said. This animal is Not a BCI until you can prove there is no BCC blood in it. (And i doubt that is going to happen)

Why do you think there is BCC in this animal? Please enlighten me.

[Valvaren]

I don't see any BCC in that animal at all, looks like a normal BCI, color and saddles point to normal BCI.

[thinkbig317]

I would highly doubt that there is any BCC in that snake. Looks 100% BCI to me.

[laithascotty]

Hi again, thanks for all your replies, so a Common Boa is a BCI? From the pics Iv looked at online I actually thought she was a common too, thats what she seems to most look like, though she is a more golden colour than a lot of the commons I looked at. And she still has the rosy pink belly! :D How big do you think she will get? Id like her to get a bit bigger than 5ft lol and definitely a lot thicker as she's a bit on the skinny side at the mo! She seems to be a gentle snake but a bit timid as whenever handle her she just keeps going forward, trying to get away, but then it is early days, iv only had her a couple of weeks.

[Snakesitter]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on your new friend. She looks lovely!

[Valvaren]

Hi again, thanks for all your replies, so a Common Boa is a BCI? From the pics Iv looked at online I actually thought she was a common too, thats what she seems to most look like, though she is a more golden colour than a lot of the commons I looked at. And she still has the rosy pink belly! :D How big do you think she will get? Id like her to get a bit bigger than 5ft lol and definitely a lot thicker as she's a bit on the skinny side at the mo! She seems to be a gentle snake but a bit timid as whenever handle her she just keeps going forward, trying to get away, but then it is early days, iv only had her a couple of weeks.

From those photos she doesn't look skinny as all, Boas aren't supposed to be round like pythons but tall and square, this is a picture of my 2 year old (almost 3) male that I took to show healthy muscle mass.

http://i906.photobucket.com/albums/ac267/Deemac6/Andarist/Dar-4_zps88d77f2b.jpg (http://s906.photobucket.com/user/Deemac6/media/Andarist/Dar-4_zps88d77f2b.jpg.html)

as for size BCI usually sit around 7-8 foot mark as around the max (correct me if i'm wrong) it varies animal to animal.

[laithascotty]

Ok thanks, 7 or 8 foot is plenty enough for me! :D Im only 5'4 myself so not after a giant hehe. The guy who sold me her had another snake, a CA female, who was as thick as a mans arm ( a nicely muscled man lol ), but then again she was 7 years old, so I suppose Linda still has a good bit of filling out to do as she's still young? She's on large rats just now, when do you think I should move her up to jumbos? I fed her tonight for the first time since getting her and she did the S shape thing on me afterwards lol, first time Iv seen her grumpy :D
One more thing - she wouldnt be a dwarf boa would she?

[bigsnakegirl785]

Ok thanks, 7 or 8 foot is plenty enough for me! :D Im only 5'4 myself so not after a giant hehe. The guy who sold me her had another snake, a CA female, who was as thick as a mans arm ( a nicely muscled man lol ), but then again she was 7 years old, so I suppose Linda still has a good bit of filling out to do as she's still young? She's on large rats just now, when do you think I should move her up to jumbos? I fed her tonight for the first time since getting her and she did the S shape thing on me afterwards lol, first time Iv seen her grumpy :D
One more thing - she wouldnt be a dwarf boa would she?

At 7 years I doubt she'll get much, if any, bigger. If she gets bigger, I don't think she'll reach 7ft. For the prey size, you can weigh her and feed her 10-15% of her weight. I believe 10% is more acceptable for adult animals such as OP's?

Also don't worry about her activity, that's just how boa constrictors are. :) My male also just wants to go go go, and has begun to move stuff around like my ball python. He used to be such a calm boy. ;.;

[laithascotty]

No the other snake he had was 7 years, mines is only 3 :D Here is another photo of her which gives you a better idea of her current size and girth, think in the first pic she looks bigger than she is...and she's just so pretty I like to show her off hehe :D So do you think maybe she's a Dwarf? As they dont get any bigger than 5ft do they?

[bigsnakegirl785]

No the other snake he had was 7 years, mines is only 3 :D Here is another photo of her which gives you a better idea of her current size and girth, think in the first pic she looks bigger than she is...and she's just so pretty I like to show her off hehe :D So do you think maybe she's a Dwarf? As they dont get any bigger than 5ft do they?

Oh, ok. XD At 3 years, yes she could get bigger. lol She's most likely a Colombian BCI as has been discussed, which is not a dwarf. She doesn't look like a dwarf to me, although some can get up to 6ft, yes.

[Tsubaki]

Yea, but how can you guys know there is no BCC blood in it, Please enlighten me? If any doubt, or just no known background at all. Shouldn't it be more logic to consider it a mix and name it accordingly? By selling and reselling. A random slapped on name, purely based on looks. Can get the animal crossed in with the pure blood-lines pretty easy.. I've seen it several times! This animal is now already referred to as a Colombian BCI? No proof? So if it was bred to a Colombian, the babies will be referred to as Colombian? If this happened on a dutch forum, without proof everyone just guessing and determining what it is by pictures..Those people would be scolded/lynched by boa fanatics. Pure blooded boa's getting harder to come by this way.

The vast majority of normal boa's in Europe are BCC/BCI mixes, because that is what morph breeders here just did. This animal is from europe, chance of it being a (distant) mix is larger than it being a BCI.. Whats the harm in naming the animal as it is? A Boa Constrictor of unknown bloodlines. Just a pretty B.C.. Why so heart-bent on it having to be either one?

These are my 2 cents and anyone is free to do with the information as they wish. I do not mind a good discussion! However pure blooded boa's are a passion of mine, bred so many of those beauties. The comment "it looks 100% BCI to me" made me cringe of ignorance. An animal can have 20% or even more BCC blood and not show it at all. You can not tell by looking at a picture, what an animals bloodline is! It is not possible, any mix can look pure. If the conversation is going to continue on that level, i will kindly decline and ignore this topic from now on.

[Snakefood]

So as a new Boa Keeper myself, my question is this:

I have a female who was sold to me as a BCI (het Albino) She is more grey than the OP's lovely gal, but has the same patterning on her saddles and head.

I also have a male Red tail, so is a red tail a BCI or a totally different sub-species of Boa??

[bigsnakegirl785]

Yea, but how can you guys know there is no BCC blood in it, Please enlighten me? If any doubt, or just no known background at all. Shouldn't it be more logic to consider it a mix and name it accordingly? By selling and reselling. A random slapped on name, purely based on looks. Can get the animal crossed in with the pure blood-lines pretty easy.. I've seen it several times! This animal is now already referred to as a Colombian BCI? No proof? So if it was bred to a Colombian, the babies will be referred to as Colombian? If this happened on a dutch forum, without proof everyone just guessing and determining what it is by pictures..Those people would be scolded/lynched by boa fanatics. Pure blooded boa's getting harder to come by this way.

The vast majority of normal boa's in Europe are BCC/BCI mixes, because that is what morph breeders here just did. This animal is from europe, chance of it being a (distant) mix is larger than it being a BCI.. Whats the harm in naming the animal as it is? A Boa Constrictor of unknown bloodlines. Just a pretty B.C.. Why so heart-bent on it having to be either one?

These are my 2 cents and anyone is free to do with the information as they wish. I do not mind a good discussion! However pure blooded boa's are a passion of mine, bred so many of those beauties. The comment "it looks 100% BCI to me" made me cringe of ignorance. An animal can have 20% or even more BCC blood and not show it at all. You can not tell by looking at a picture, what an animals bloodline is! It is not possible, any mix can look pure. If the conversation is going to continue on that level, i will kindly decline and ignore this topic from now on.

Well, my view point is that Colombian BCI is the go-to boa constrictor under most circumstances, as a pet-only stance. I could understand your vehemence if they were planning on selling/breeding the snake, but they're not. So it honestly doesn't matter. I would hope they wouldn't even breed it in the first place if they didn't know the lineage.

[Mikoh4792]

Yea, but how can you guys know there is no BCC blood in it, Please enlighten me? If any doubt, or just no known background at all. Shouldn't it be more logic to consider it a mix and name it accordingly? By selling and reselling. A random slapped on name, purely based on looks. Can get the animal crossed in with the pure blood-lines pretty easy.. I've seen it several times! This animal is now already referred to as a Colombian BCI? No proof? So if it was bred to a Colombian, the babies will be referred to as Colombian? If this happened on a dutch forum, without proof everyone just guessing and determining what it is by pictures..Those people would be scolded/lynched by boa fanatics. Pure blooded boa's getting harder to come by this way.

The vast majority of normal boa's in Europe are BCC/BCI mixes, because that is what morph breeders here just did. This animal is from europe, chance of it being a (distant) mix is larger than it being a BCI.. Whats the harm in naming the animal as it is? A Boa Constrictor of unknown bloodlines. Just a pretty B.C.. Why so heart-bent on it having to be either one?

These are my 2 cents and anyone is free to do with the information as they wish. I do not mind a good discussion! However pure blooded boa's are a passion of mine, bred so many of those beauties. The comment "it looks 100% BCI to me" made me cringe of ignorance. An animal can have 20% or even more BCC blood and not show it at all. You can not tell by looking at a picture, what an animals bloodline is! It is not possible, any mix can look pure. If the conversation is going to continue on that level, i will kindly decline and ignore this topic from now on.


It's a boa constrictor of unknown bloodlines that looks like it is mostly BCI, if it were to be a mix. It's possible it's 100% bci.....

And that's as far as you can go. But I would say it's a safe assumption to call it BCI.... you just would not be able to market it as such.

Similar to carpet pythons, you can't really know for sure what they are unless you know the lineage. Diamond Jungle Jag siblings can look like pure jungles, Darwin carpets can looks like IJ's, some jungles look like coastals...etc. However just for personal use I would say it's safe to assume based on the looks. You just can't do any real world labeling(ie. when you breed and sell the babies).

[Tsubaki]

@ bigsnakegirl785
Yes i understand, but you do not know if she ever decides to sell it, or that she will HAVE to sell it. Nobody can predict the future. Not only that, but if someone happens to reads this, and has a similar snake.. And see how its heritage is being determined by picture without anyone saying 'it looks like a: BCI Colombian, but you may never market it as so because the lineage is unknown'.. They will get the wrong idea, and label their animal the same. It is a Public forum, that is what people do. And the colombian being the go-to boa, maybe. But i used to own a breeding pair of F1 Colombian boa's, and trust me.. all the animals called a Colombian, look Nothing like them (Neither does this animal, it looks like an obviously mixed animal to me).

@ Mikoh, It's a boa constrictor of unknown bloodlines that looks like it is mostly BCI, if it were to be a mix. It's possible it's 100% bci.....
however from my experience in Europe this is often not the case, seeing how big breeders mixed the bloodlines often. But i understand more now. I am used to a way more strict 'labeling' of snakes, and 'most likely mainly BCI' blood does not bother me at all, but i would prefer if it was being said. Because it seemed to be labeled a pure BCI Colombian. Telling the unexperienced owner: You can not market the animal like this, because of the unknown. Is all i missed.That would prevent any accidental mislabeling, if god forbid... she ever HAS to sell the animal.

So as a new Boa Keeper myself, my question is this:

I have a female who was sold to me as a BCI (het Albino) She is more grey than the OP's lovely gal, but has the same patterning on her saddles and head.

I also have a male Red tail, so is a red tail a BCI or a totally different sub-species of Boa??

Red tail is mainly used for the BCC. However people label everything with a hint of a red tail, a "Red tailed boa constrictor" nowadays, so i wouldn't put your trust into the animal being a BCC. Even colombian animals who have a red tail can appearently be labeled 'Red Tailed Boa Constrictor".. Leaving the term just an empty description of a physical appearance. Not the description of a species anymore.

[laithascotty]

Hi guys, thanks again for your continued input. The only reason I asked what type of Boa Linda night be was so I could get an idea of her potential size and possibly even her temperament, let me assure you Iv no intention whatsoever of breeding her and hopefully will not ever have to sell her either. She's purely my gorgeous pet, and even if she is 'mixed blood' as Tsubaki seems to be adamant she is, it means nothing to me as I think she is a beauty! :) Tsubaki, Id be interested to know what makes you so sure she is a mix, you say she looks obviously like one, in what way? I take your point about how no one can say for sure what she is, and how you cant always tell based on appearance, if she does have BCC in her I hope that wont affect how big she grows as they can get huge cant they. And tend to have the nastier temperaments? To me, she is just a beautiful boa contstrictor, but its only natural to be curious about what type she may be, I didnt mean to start a war about purebloods and mixed bloods ( very Lucius Malfoy sounding :D ) though I do understand this is a passion for some folks on here!

[Tsubaki]

Why i think it is so obvious? I don't mind to explain. Not only does this whole animal look a bit off to be a pure BCI. She has a lot of looks from the Colombian, but her size is way off. She is small compared to a Colombian (8 to 10 feet). Also, a BCI generally has a saddle-count above 22, all the way up to 30, BCC general hang around 15 tot 20 saddles from neck to vent. I can not see her tail but i do not count more than 16/17 saddles. - Adding to my suspicion of this animal being a mix. You could do a scale count, but personally i think that is redundant as i have nearly no doubts.

Again! Nothing wrong with her or any other crossbreds, it does not make the animal worth any less to me. I swear i am not a Malfoy :D - I am just very heart-set on animals being named what they are to protect the purity of the species.

Btw don't worry to much about her size, nobody can say for certain but i estimate she will grow to a 6-feet-ish animal. She will probably start gaining girth now. And about the temperament? She is friendly now, i do not see why that would change. Also, my adult BCC were generally way more friendly than my dwarf BCI's, who were probably very insecure because of their size.. My Nicaragua's were downright nasty :D

[laithascotty]

Thanks, thats very interesting to know! :) Would a Columbian boa really be 7 or 8 feet at only 3 years old? What age do they reach their peak growth wise? And if mine was a BCI mixed with BCC I would have thought if anything, it would have increased her size, not decreased? Unless she is a BCI of the Dwarf variety? Is that the same as a Common? If you know what I mean! :D All these different variations and sub types, gets a bit confusing for a novice! :o

[Tsubaki]

My boa's grew most of their length in their first 3 years, they were usually past 6,5 to 7 feet at the age of 3. After that they slowed down gaining length, and started gaining girth!:D

Nobody, probably not even the breeder. Has any idea what kind of mix this animal is. Dwarfs localities are 'commons' since they are BCI. And it is easier to see BCI influences in a BCI than the other way around.- Pure speculation: But taken into consideration what the most commonly kept boa's in Europe are. I would say a mix between Mainly Colombian or/and Costa Rican, with a hint of Suriname BCC. (almost sounds like a recipe haha) But who knows what else is in there, which you just can not see. :D

[lady_bug87]

I would agree on it being hard to find pure BCCs or BCIs I'm sure at some point in that animals genetics you would find some BCC in there since people did a really good job of effing all the lines up.

Unless you know the exact lineage there is no way to tell

[bigsnakegirl785]

It's a boa constrictor of unknown bloodlines that looks like it is mostly BCI, if it were to be a mix. It's possible it's 100% bci.....

And that's as far as you can go. But I would say it's a safe assumption to call it BCI.... you just would not be able to market it as such.

Similar to carpet pythons, you can't really know for sure what they are unless you know the lineage. Diamond Jungle Jag siblings can look like pure jungles, Darwin carpets can looks like IJ's, some jungles look like coastals...etc. However just for personal use I would say it's safe to assume based on the looks. You just can't do any real world labeling(ie. when you breed and sell the babies).

I thought IJ's and Darwins were the same species? They come up with the same scientific name, at least.

[Mikoh4792]

I thought IJ's and Darwins were the same species? They come up with the same scientific name, at least.

A bit iffy on that one.

IJ's are morelia spilota harrisoni, Darwins are still variegata. The carpet python complex is a bit confusing to say the least.

[bigsnakegirl785]

A bit iffy on that one.

IJ's are morelia spilota harrisoni, Darwins are still variegata. The carpet python complex is a bit confusing to say the least.

Ah, ok. The websites I looked at must have been made by ones who supported putting them together, because I got both IJ and Darwin as M. s. variegata. TIL

[Mikoh4792]

Ah, ok. The websites I looked at must have been made by ones who supported putting them together, because I got both IJ and Darwin as M. s. variegata. TIL

I think many people will say they are the same snake, as are Darwins, coastals, and jungles. They are just phenotypically different(suited for their specific environments) but basically the same carpet python. Jungles are also considered to be just the rainforest variety of coastal carpets.

[Snakefood]

[QUOTE=
red tail is mainly used for the BCC. However people label everything with a hint of a red tail, a "Red tailed boa constrictor" nowadays, so i wouldn't put your trust into the animal being a BCC. Even colombian animals who have a red tail can appearently be labeled 'Red Tailed Boa Constrictor".. Leaving the term just an empty description of a physical appearance. Not the description of a species anymore.[/QUOTE]

Ok, I know you say it is hard to tell from a pic, but I am going to post one anyways. Tell me what you think. He is about 6 1/2' long, a 2010 and I don't have a weight on him yet.

27681

[lady_bug87]

The tail looks BCIish to me... I'm not an expert though

[Tsubaki]

And once again, he sure is a looker! Just my general thoughts: He is not a 'Red tailed BCC' His BCI blood is very apparent, his dark non-peaked saddles and brownish red tail. I am more prone to say his red tail comes from a BCI, because i do not see any 'obvious' BCC traits besides a low saddle-count. I personally think, the Colombian has been crossed so much. You can assume any unknown Colombian looking animal without proof or heritage is a mix. - This goes for any boa without proof of heritage, but the Colombian is a prime example. But it is still fun to speculate :D


*, For anyone interested in what i look at in the saddle-numbers. It can be a hint into an animals bloodline. Most BCI go past the 22 saddle mark, so any snake having more you can say it at least has BCI blood. BCC Very rarely go over 18 saddles, and often have less. But because of the natural low saddle count of the Colombian.. It is not foolproof! (There is also a slight 20ish grey area, very rarely a BCC will cross it but it is not impossible) - only count from neck to vent, not tail ;)

[Snakefood]

Thank you, I really thought he was stunning myself, which is why I snatched him up!! Although I had researched the care requirements for boa's before getting him, I had not realized how MANY different Boa's there were!!

OK, so you feel he is a mix of BCI and BCC then?? And the stunning red in his tail can come from both??

[lady_bug87]

The faded orange color comes from the BCI

[Tsubaki]

It is both possible, but he does look rather like a Colombian :) And yea there are so many boa's it is awesome! I have had boa's for about 12 years now, bred boa's for about 5 of those. And there are still books and sites i have yet to find and read, so much left to learn. I love it!

[Snakefood]

It is both possible, but he does look rather like a Colombian :) And yea there are so many boa's it is awesome! I have had boa's for about 12 years now, bred boa's for about 5 of those. And there are still books and sites i have yet to find and read, so much left to learn. I love it!


Completely with you there!! I love the Boas and there are so many I would love to have, but I do have to be realistic.

I may (very slight possibility) end up with a coral glow Boa, just because when I was looking on CL today for a particular morph of corn I need for a long awaited project I saw this add, the lady said if it's not sold by Sunday (as in tomorrow) she is giving it to the closest pet store that will take it. Well I have WORKED at the closest pet store that will take it and I would never want one of my snakes to end up there as they know NOTHING about herp care. So I e-mailed her and told her exactly how they treat and house their snakes and that if she were "giving it away" then I would take it and at least she would know it is being properly cared for rather than fed mice (because it's more economical than rats) and being housed in too small enclosures with at least 2-3 other snakes.

So I will see by tomorrow I guess whether this lady has sold it already, or if she would rather a pet store or me get it for free.

I would love to one day have a rainbow Boa, I think they are gorgeous!!

[laithascotty]

Hey Snakefood, your boa looks very like my girl! Linda has the exact same markings and colour on her tail as well, though you cant really see it in my photos, and the colour and markings on her body are very similar too...so how come Tsubaki thinks yours is a Columbian but not mine? :D Im guessing the size? Oh, I forgot to add, the guy I bought Linda from, he said that he'd taken her off his mate as she wasnt getting properly looked after, not getting fed enough and was covered in mites, do you think this could have stunted her growth maybe? The breeder got rid of the mites and started to feed her up with large rats every 10 days but was unable to say if her previous treatment had affected her or not...

[Tsubaki]

She has a lot of looks from the Colombian
They both look mixed with a mostly Colombian background, but Snakefood's snake looks to have less obvious BCC influences. Don't forget i never saw either animal in real life, and on the pictures they only look slightly similar as in: They have a lot of Colombian influences. Also, you never posted a full body-shot, making it even harder. That's all :D

Your both on the same level, A Boa Constrictor, with (mainly) Colombian blood.

[laithascotty]

Well neither did Snakefood post a full length body shot, you just see more of her boa's tail than you do mine! :D And Linda's tail is identical, in fact she's so similar to Snakefoods boa, from what I can see she has the same amount of saddle points and they're the same shape, the only difference I can see is the eyes, Linda has two toned whereas this snake looks to have mostly dark. Hes a foot bigger than Linda but then again he's a year older too, plus like I said I dont know if Linda's growth was stunted a bit in her previous owners poor husbandry, the poor thing.

[Tsubaki]

Well neither did Snakefood post a full length body shot, you just see more of her boa's tail than you do mine! :D And Linda's tail is identical, in fact she's so similar to Snakefoods boa, from what I can see she has the same amount of saddle points and they're the same shape, the only difference I can see is the eyes, Linda has two toned whereas this snake looks to have mostly dark. Hes a foot bigger than Linda but then again he's a year older too, plus like I said I dont know if Linda's growth was stunted a bit in her previous owners poor husbandry, the poor thing.

not in this topic no, but she has another topic with a full body shot ;)

[laithascotty]

Heres a full body shot for you :D Taken today, while I was trying to give her a bath and she was having none of it :D It might be just my imagination but she looked like she'd grown a wee bit since I got her, but she couldnt have as she hasnt shed yet lol

[laithascotty]

So what do you think now Iv shown you better pics? :D She's more of a golden colour than how she looks in those pics, not sure if shes away to shed soon or not, plus you can see she has about 20 saddles, or 22 if you count the marks on her tail, but I dont know if they're classed as saddles! :D She's a beauty isnt she? Though I wish she wasnt so timid, like I say, totally panicked when I tried to give her a bath, wouldnt stay still in it for a second!

[Tsubaki]

A lot better pictures, she has more saddles than you could see in the first picture. Remember no matter what anyone would say, without documentation you can not know if she is a mix or not. She does cleaner on these pictures ;)

What a beautiful girl! That dark head marking looks very nice :D

[laithascotty]

She is a beautiful girl isnt she, I love her! :) Now you've seen her full length do you still think she will only grow to about 6 ft or do you think she'll get bigger than that? Id be happy with about 7ft I think, and the girth a bit wider, I dont want her to get too much for me to handle, also have you any tips on how to make her a bit less nervous or is that just her age? She just seems to be wriggling non stop when I hold her or put her in the bath! :D The guy I got her from had a 7 year old CA female that just hung there on his arm hardly moving at all lol

[Mikoh4792]

You can't know. Unless you know the lineage of the snake, you can't be sure how big or small the boa will be.

[Tsubaki]

^Agreed, you can never be sure.

Also, why put her in a bath? They don't need a bath if their husbandry is properly set up. :)

[Donnie]

A bit iffy on that one.

IJ's are morelia spilota harrisoni, Darwins are still variegata. The carpet python complex is a bit confusing to say the least.
Mikoh, I won't use harrisoni as it came from that horrible specimen of a man who shall not be named.

[Mikoh4792]

Mikoh, I won't use harrisoni as it came from that horrible specimen of a man who shall not be named.

oh snap! I don't know the story to that name. Care to share?

[Donnie]

As he Google's himself often and spreads his nonsense around the world I'll PM you his name and you can do some reading on him.

[laithascotty]

Hey you guys quit hogging my thread, go start your own! :D
Tsubaki I give her a bath as I thought they liked to stretch right out in water, she cant do that in her viv, also I heard it helps them have a good shed? And do you know why she is so active, is it because she's still young?

[Mikoh4792]

Hey you guys quit hogging my thread, go start your own! :D
Tsubaki I give her a bath as I thought they liked to stretch right out in water, she cant do that in her viv, also I heard it helps them have a good shed? And do you know why she is so active, is it because she's still young?

What sized enclosure do you keep her in?

[Tsubaki]

If the enclosure is big enough she can stretch out in there, if the husbandry is right she will shed properly. :) They don't need a bath for that. And being active can be anything, her character or just nervousness etc. But in the bathtub is is quite possible because that she feels unsafe without any grip, so she tries to get out to find a better surface..

[Mikoh4792]

If the enclosure is big enough she can stretch out in there, if the husbandry is right she will shed properly. :) They don't need a bath for that. And being active can be anything, her character or just nervousness etc. But in the bathtub is is quite possible because that she feels unsafe without any grip, so she tries to get out to find a better surface..

All this, and also the water might be an uncomfortable temp, or she might be just be swimming....etc.

I give none of my snakes baths, i just make sure to keep things a bit humid while they are in blue and they shed perfectly everytime.

[bigsnakegirl785]

She is a beautiful girl isnt she, I love her! :) Now you've seen her full length do you still think she will only grow to about 6 ft or do you think she'll get bigger than that? Id be happy with about 7ft I think, and the girth a bit wider, I dont want her to get too much for me to handle, also have you any tips on how to make her a bit less nervous or is that just her age? She just seems to be wriggling non stop when I hold her or put her in the bath! :D The guy I got her from had a 7 year old CA female that just hung there on his arm hardly moving at all lol

Boas are always a bit wriggly, they're usually on the move. Since they're semi-arboreal taking them off a perch and putting them in a barren, open, flat area like your tub is of course going to stress them out. Of course, it's still up to the individual, but they are often active.

As others said, giving baths is unnecessary as long as you have the correct husbandry. I never bathe my snakes because I try to keep their humidity up where it needs to be, and because it stresses them out a lot to soak them. My boa, Cloud, soaks in his water dish when it comes time to shed. Even though he does that no matter the humidity level, I still provide him with 70-75% humidity (it's usually 80% when fresh) and he sheds perfectly every time.

[laithascotty]

Ok thanks, I wont give her anymore baths, I didnt realise it stressed them out, sure I read somewhere that they enjoyed it,she's only in a 4ft x 2ft viv at the mo but Im looking out for a 5 or 6ft one, she has a big water bowl in there but its not big enough to soak her body in, might try and get one of those plant trough things, you know the long ones? Only thing is if it goes too close to the heat lamp the water might get too warm then she wont want to drink it?

[Mikoh4792]

Ok thanks, I wont give her anymore baths, I didnt realise it stressed them out, sure I read somewhere that they enjoyed it,she's only in a 4ft x 2ft viv at the mo but Im looking out for a 5 or 6ft one, she has a big water bowl in there but its not big enough to soak her body in, might try and get one of those plant trough things, you know the long ones? Only thing is if it goes too close to the heat lamp the water might get too warm then she wont want to drink it?

In that case I'd put the water bowl on the cool side.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Ok thanks, I wont give her anymore baths, I didnt realise it stressed them out, sure I read somewhere that they enjoyed it,she's only in a 4ft x 2ft viv at the mo but Im looking out for a 5 or 6ft one, she has a big water bowl in there but its not big enough to soak her body in, might try and get one of those plant trough things, you know the long ones? Only thing is if it goes too close to the heat lamp the water might get too warm then she wont want to drink it?

If that's the case, you could give her two bowls. One for soaking in near the hot end, and a smaller one just for drinking on the cool end. I got the big dishes for my ball and boa for less than $15. I'm thinking it was around $7 but it's been awhile. My boa is steadily getting too big for it, although he's a foot longer than your's. The bowl is a clear Sterilite container measuring 15" x 11.5" x 6". At 5ft he had room to spread out a bit in it, and I usually give him 2-3 inches of water so that he just about submerge himself and still be able to rest his head above water. It may need to be less for your's, depending on how tall her belly is.

[TheZoo]

i would soak adult in a tub when i had her because she enjoyed soaking and she was a just a bit to big for her water tub we would often spend a few hours in the bathroom just reading and soaking...anyways shes lovely and shes clearly in good hands!

[Mikoh4792]

i would soak adult in a tub when i had her because she enjoyed soaking and she was a just a bit to big for her water tub we would often spend a few hours in the bathroom just reading and soaking...anyways shes lovely and shes clearly in good hands!

How can you tell if your snake enjoys soaking?

[KORBIN5895]

She is a beautiful girl isnt she, I love her! :) Now you've seen her full length do you still think she will only grow to about 6 ft or do you think she'll get bigger than that? Id be happy with about 7ft I think, and the girth a bit wider, I dont want her to get too much for me to handle, also have you any tips on how to make her a bit less nervous or is that just her age? She just seems to be wriggling non stop when I hold her or put her in the bath! :D The guy I got her from had a 7 year old CA female that just hung there on his arm hardly moving at all lol

Did you check the temperature of the water? Snakes are ecotherms and the temperature of the water should be around 85°f.

Also from your earlier description of that breeder's central american female it sounds obese. Central Americans tend to stay smaller and slimmer than Colombians.