new to boas

[lanalizard]

hi everyone..at the reptile show i purchased a redtail from the Reptile Store....they said she is most likely a female...so i named her Big Red...she is only a baby but when she gets big the name will suit her just right!
Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions since this is my first boa!

Also, i dont know the difference between BCI and BCC..i know what they mean but i dont know how to tell what she is.

[FireFoz]

Boa CI stands for: Boa Constrictor Imperator.
Those are usually a bit smaller than the Boa CC. and live in south-america. They Columbian Imperator usually becomes the biggest, which is about 1.50 - 2 meters.
However, 90% of the "boa c.i" you see in captivity are actually boa ssp which stands for "boa speci unspecified" (i thought) which means that its unclear what it is. Those are usually mixes from different imperators.

The boa c.c. stands for Boa Constrictor Constrictor. These are usually a bit bigger, up to 4 meters. They usually have a nicer partern IMO...

for some good info with pictures check out http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/com.html

[Linds]

Firstly, congrats on your new boa :)

Boa Contrictor Imperator:
These include Colombians, Hog Isle Boas, Central Americans, Mexicans. Often labelled as redtails, these are not true redtails, and the name came about as a marketting ploy a few decades ago. They usually finish around 5-8 feet on average (however they have been known to <I>occassionally</I> reach lengths of 10' - this is quite rare). Some of the differences include scale counts, saddle counts (they typically have 22 or more), saddle shape (BCC= <> BCI= )( ), shorter heads, and less colourful. The only surefire method is a saddle count, as colour and shape is not always accurate, as some Colombians can rival BCC in those categories, and saddle counts can be a good measure, but as I understand it some people are now selectively breeding for fewer saddles in BCI. They also are less demanding in husbandry requirements and a better first boa. These are typically what you find labelled as redtails in pet stores (unless they are reptile specialty stores).

Boa Contrictor Constrictor:
These include Guyanese, Surinames, Peruvians, and (rare) Colombians. These attain lengths of 6-11 feet, 11 feet considered very large and is not commonly found. In general, they have fewer saddles (14-22) which are usually peaked in the middle, are more colourful, have more elongated heads, and different scale counts than BCI. They are reputed to be more sensitive temperament-wise than BCI, which I find to be quite true. They are more sensitive husbandry-wise as well, and are slower to mature than BCI.