Boa confusion.

Jrich · 07-22-15, 11:24 AM

I know I purchased a BCI on Sunday but BCI and BCC's look so similar I can't even really tell them apart. Every website I've been to that tries to help distinguish them says something different or contradicts the last website. Some call both red tail boas. Then people say that's a Columbian red tail or an Argentinean red tail or true red tail for the BCC but still refer to BCI as red tail or common boa and then there's hog island boas, please tell me that's a whole other story.
Holy crap I know I got lost in the weeds with the names but it's good to know. One consistent thing I've read so far is that BCI's don't grow as large as BCC's, however I keep coming across pictures of very very large BCI's or BCI's that match up not only size but maturity to BBC's. Or maybe it's people incorrectly identifying the snake?

eminart · 07-22-15, 11:43 AM

I was asking the same question a few months ago. Long story short, boa constrictors are very complicated. Basically, they live throughout an enormous range, and the appearances, sizes, etc. gradually change somewhat from one area to the next. But, yeah, generally BCC's are a little larger and have the bright red tail throughout adulthood.

I highly recommend the following book. It goes into great depth about the questions you're asking. In my opinion, it's well-worth the $40 if you want to learn about boas.

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Boa-C.../dp/0978897927

trailblazer295 · 07-22-15, 11:46 AM

From my limited knowledge both BCIand BCC can grow large. While BCI can also be much smaller. It comes down to genetics. What locality blood the snake has. If the parents are both big the the offspring will be. If you can find out the size of the parents and also the genetics that will give you a better idea how big your snake is likely to get.

Jrich · 07-22-15, 12:36 PM

Thank you. Someone else suggested the same book actually.
Apparently this is the father of the snake I bought. I happened to buy a male as well.
I loved the size of is snake. Still a very nice size without being too big and very slow moving.

eminart · 07-22-15, 12:45 PM

One thing to keep in mind is that many, or maybe even most of the boas in the US aren't pure locality snakes. Meaning, boas have been bred to boas with no regard to which subspecies or from which location they came from. So, that muddies the water quite a bit more.

**lady_bug87** · 07-22-15, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eminart

One thing to keep in mind is that many, or maybe even most of the boas in the US aren't pure locality snakes. Meaning, boas have been bred to boas with no regard to which subspecies or from which location they came from. So, that muddies the water quite a bit more.

Yes. This exactly. Things are so messed up that its almost impossible to know anything about what blood things have unless you get it from someone who knows their stuff and has gotten imports of their own or knows which line they come from and have paperwork to prove it.

Chances are the snake you bought will stay at a manageable size and have a fairly mellow temperament unless its time to eat. Boas love their food.

SnakeyJay · 07-22-15, 03:33 PM

Boas are easy to handle in general and as lady bug said they're generally quite mellow in temperament apart from feeding time. Get a long pair of feeding tongs

bigsnakegirl785 · 07-23-15, 01:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jrich

Thank you. Someone else suggested the same book actually.
Apparently this is the father of the snake I bought. I happened to buy a male as well.
I loved the size of is snake. Still a very nice size without being too big and very slow moving.

That is neither BCC nor BCI, that is very obviously BCL (Boa constrictor longicuada). I think hypermel morph maybe? Something along those lines. Is this the father of the one you mentioned in the OP? Got any pics of the little one? Baby BCLs look very different from adults, and slowly gain their darker color but even then are unmistakable.

BCL's stay much smaller than BCI. They can get a similar length, but are nowhere near the girth and are much lighter.

Jrich · 07-24-15, 11:08 PM

Ok I sorted it all out with the people I bought my BCI from. The snake I have pictured above is indeed a BCL (a very nice one I hope to own someday) and the guy I bought is a BCI. So I somehow got mixed up along the way since they had so many snakes that my head was spinning. The father of my snake is very similar in size to the BCL shown above, doesn't necessarily guarantee his size but might be a good indicator. The take home point for all of this for me is that it's hard to decipher between some boa subspecies and that's just the way it is.

bigsnakegirl785 · 07-26-15, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jrich

Ok I sorted it all out with the people I bought my BCI from. The snake I have pictured above is indeed a BCL (a very nice one I hope to own someday) and the guy I bought is a BCI. So I somehow got mixed up along the way since they had so many snakes that my head was spinning. The father of my snake is very similar in size to the BCL shown above, doesn't necessarily guarantee his size but might be a good indicator. The take home point for all of this for me is that it's hard to decipher between some boa subspecies and that's just the way it is.

Definitely makes a bit more sense. haha As far as size, you do still have to take into consideration the mom's size, as she'll play a role. The parents' sizes will give your a rough estimate or at least a size to be ready for, but each individual of the litter will grow at their own rates to their own sizes.

After awhile of looking at pictures all day, it becomes a little easier to distinguish the different subspecies and locales if they're pure or at least if they're more heavily influenced one way. Still can't be 100% sure all the time of course, what with all the cross-breeding, but you can tell influences if nothing else.