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View Full Version : Identifying red tail boa?


Cobra89
12-23-17, 11:31 PM
So I've looked at the big chart, all over Google, researched BCI vs. BCC, etc but I still can't figure out what I should classify my red tail as. He was sold at the store as a Colombian red tail boa, and that is what he seems to resemble the most.

I'm also trying to build a small database of reptiles in my collection and I'm trying to be as accurate as possible with localities (so I can have a better understanding of each individual species environment and build better habitats). To my understanding it's pretty difficult to know the exact locale of an individual snake, but is there a general region where they had originally been imported before captive breeding & sale here? Any input is always appreciated! Knowledge is power.

MDT
12-24-17, 07:03 AM
You seen this? http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/boa-constrictor/115987-boa-constrictor-morph-localities-guide.html

I'm not that into boa morphs, but I do believe it's a BCI morph.
Cool looking snake, however.

bigsnakegirl785
12-24-17, 02:49 PM
This snake has no morph, it's just a nice aberrant normal.

Red tail is a pet trade term that doesn't denote a certain species, just a boa with a red tail. The snakes normally associated with "red tail" are the boa constrictors, but they have recently been split into separate species, and may undergo further reclassification.

As far as locality, there really is no way to tell. Colombia is generally considered the area where we got most of the Boa imperator, but boas would come from all over South and Central America, and nobody worried about mixing them together until recently. The vast majority of boa constrictors in captivity are mutts with no real locality.

Cobra89
12-24-17, 02:54 PM
You seen this? http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/boa-constrictor/115987-boa-constrictor-morph-localities-guide.html

I'm not that into boa morphs, but I do believe it's a BCI morph.
Cool looking snake, however.

Thank you! Yes I did look at the chart, they all just looked a bit different, the markings on the tail weren't quite as close as any of those on the chart so I wasn't sure.

Cobra89
12-24-17, 02:55 PM
This snake has no morph, it's just a nice aberrant normal.

Red tail is a pet trade term that doesn't denote a certain species, just a boa with a red tail. The snakes normally associated with "red tail" are the boa constrictors, but they have recently been split into separate species, and may undergo further reclassification.

As far as locality, there really is no way to tell. Colombia is generally considered the area where we got most of the Boa imperator, but boas would come from all over South and Central America, and nobody worried about mixing them together until recently. The vast majority of boa constrictors in captivity are mutts with no real locality.

I appreciate the information! That definitely makes sense, with the pet trade I imagine they all just got mixed up so much between breeders that it's impossible to tell. Thanks for the clarification on the term "red tail", it can be a bit confusing sometimes when researching with so much information out there.