what are the differences "red tails"

[lefty]

hello everyone, im looking for advice. iv been told that the saddle count on constrictors dictates what it is, redtail or common, is this true? if so could someone please explain it too me as im new to red tails and im getting confused with all the different veiws. lv bought a 7 footer and he was sold to me in a bad state, but i felt sorry for him. iv counted his saddles and he has 21 but his tail is farely dark. the guy i got him from says he was about 2 years old and a common, but i have a 3 year old common and she is no where near as thick as him and his head is 3 times as big. i beleave he is an old snake thats maxed out. he is very aggresive and the fasted snake of his size iv ever seen. what do you all think?, and please it would be really cool if most of you came out with the same answer lol

[DaemoNox]

Saddle count means very little, it doesnt say what species it is any more then giving the person a 50/50 guess. There are slight differences in pattern and color too. Boa constrictor constrictor are known as the true redtails. Their colors are usually lighter and cleaner, and their saddles have a 'bat' shape to them. They are harder to find, a little more expensive and are usually bred locality specific; when you get one you know your getting one.

Common boas, or Boa constrictor imperator, got the name redtail tagged on them through petstores because it sells better. They often are a lot darker, and their saddles are usually a lot more square shapped. These are the boas you find in petstores, or labeled as redtail boas or just boa constrictors. Like I said in the other post, if you dont know what kind yours is its nearly always a Bci.

[lefty]

the guy that i bought him from had no idea what he was [he just said he had a large boa]. the first time i saw him i thouht he was a red tail because hes very light silver/grey in colour and some of his saddles are bat shaped but not all. iv owned peruvian red tails before so had an idea what to look for but this one really confused me as he has some traites but then again his tail is dark, not all his saddles are bat shaped and although hes very light in colour i would say his markings towards his tail arnt as clear as you would exspect from a true redtail. could this be because of his age [as i know they darken with age],or maybe hes a cross breed? hes been very badly cared for and ive had to remove 2 old sheds from him. he was housed in a box 2foot by 2foot in a gypsies caravan pretty much all his life. at the moment im treating his underside with betadine cream as hes been lay in his own mess because no one would remove him from the box due to him being nasty. hes covered in scares that i think came from rodent bites and the kids poking him with sticks. i really wish petshops would be a bit more responsible who they sold snakes to. i had a lump in my throat the first time i took him out, he was a right mess.

my female is very bronze in colour

[DaemoNox]

I suspect the majority of bci and even Bcc out there are mixes; so its definatly a possibility.

[Lychos]

My baby Bci has a few bat shaped saddles as well so even that's not a 100% answer there.

[gonesnakee]

I think the "bat shaped" saddles you guys are refering to are better known as "widows peaks" & are more common on true redtails than on commons, but are not a sign to go by really. Saddle counts won't tell the tale either, but scale counts would. Don't know much about scale counts myself, but they would determine the true species if done by someone who knows Boas well. Mark

[lefty]

do you mean scale counts from the vent to the end of the tail and scales on the head? as the only book i can find with scale counts is "the living boa" which doent recognise all the different constricor constrictor.