Red Tailed Boa?

**Minkness** · 12-13-14, 10:59 PM

Hey all! I don't have any boas (in fact getting my first snake soon, a young female MBK!) But there are snakes I have always loved and are on my wish list. Many are colubrids, but there is one boa that I have wanted for quite a while. I only know them by the name I saw in the pet shop so very long ago, and while trying to find them again I am discovering many types either different localities, morphs, or completely different type that just have similar features. I know them only as a 'red tailed boa'.

They were babies when I saw them, but had a smooth. Soft grey body with some general darker markings, but were only grey on the body, then at the tail (maybe 3 inches or so) they were a deep, rich red in a bit of a diamond pattern.

I always told myself that if I ever git a boa, it would be that kind. (Though BRBs are getting close lol). Now, 10 years ago, in a normal pet store, they were priced at about 150$, so I'm pretty sure they weren't a morph or rare type.

Can you guys help me find the 'real' red tailed boa and give me some basic info? (Size, temperment, ect).

Thanks!

wrecker45 · 12-14-14, 12:16 AM

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20141028_181235.jpgI have a Columbian Red Tail. His name is Coffee. Good eater good temperament. Shoud get 6 to 8 feet.

**Minkness** · 12-14-14, 12:24 AM

Beautiful! Looks brown instead of gray though. Do they start grey then turn brown?

David VB · 12-14-14, 03:27 AM

True red tails are also called Boa constrictor constrictor (Bcc) and all other localities and morphs are Boa constrictor imperator (Bci). The real Bcc originates from Surinam and some surrounding countries. They usually get a bit larger than bci and tend to be a bit more defensive, although mine is a real sweetheart (and she is a woman^^).

This is her :

Greetz

toddnbecka · 12-14-14, 03:55 AM

I got a book from Amazon, The Complete Boa Constrictor by Vincent Russo, that details the various species and morphs very well.
We picked up a '14 three way cross, double het 66% albino leopard at a reptile show for $75. I've seen '14 regular red tails for as little as $30 at the shows, though I didn't ask about their lineage. Prices at shows are usually incredibly lower than pet stores IME.

David VB · 12-19-14, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toddnbecka

I got a book from Amazon, The Complete Boa Constrictor by Vincent Russo, that details the various species and morphs very well.
We picked up a '14 three way cross, double het 66% albino leopard at a reptile show for $75. I've seen '14 regular red tails for as little as $30 at the shows, though I didn't ask about their lineage. Prices at shows are usually incredibly lower than pet stores IME.

If you've seen them for $30, then it sure were no Bcc's

Almost every regular boa you see will be Bci.

IW17 · 12-18-14, 06:40 PM

As stated above true red tailed boas are boa constrictor constrictor (bcc). Columbian and other more common species found in pet stores, are usually boa constrictor imperator (bci). True red tails, bcc, come from Surinam, Guyana, Brazil, and Peru. Price wise, you're generally looking in the $200-300 range. I'm under the impression that only bci come in color morphs, so if you see any special colors, it's not a true red tail(someone correct me if I'm wrong). Bcc also have more specific husbandry, and are less forgiving to mistakes.

**Minkness** · 12-18-14, 08:05 PM

Thanks for the info!

If I should ever get into boas/pythons in the far future, what are some good ones between 6-10 feet?

David VB · 12-19-14, 04:58 AM

For me personally, i look at 2 things specifically for telling it's a Bcc

1. the side color is slightly different than the back color
2. it has to have widow peaks (if you look at mine, notice that the lighter 'ovals' on her back have peaks going in, so it's not a nice oval). But some way that this is not always the cas with Bcc, but i definitely would want that if i buy another.

There's also the dark triangle in front of the eyes, but i'm not sure if that's Bcc only.

reptiletalk · 12-19-14, 06:45 AM

I wrote a small article about BCC. I have included short descriptions for every subspecies. I hope this is helpful.

https://www.reptiletalk.com.cy/the-r...or-subspecies/

bigsnakegirl785 · 12-23-14, 04:17 PM

There are many different kinds of boa constrictors. Pet stores just like to call them red tail boas. Here's the subspecies I can think of off the top of my head.

Boa constrictor constrictor (Peruvian, Suriname/Guyana, Brazilian)
Boa constrictor imperator (Colombian, Hog Island Nicaraguan, Costa Rican, Central American, Caulker Cay, Sonoran, etc.)
Boa constrictor amarali (Bolivian boa)
Boa constrictor longicauda (Peruvian long-tailed boa)
Boa constrictor occidentalis (Argentine boa)

BCO's are the largest subspecies, and I believe the largest was maybe 13ft. A Colombian BCI will not reach this length (at least I have not heard of one this large yet, the largest I've heard of was 9ft). The care between subspecies and locales will vary slightly, and they will reach different sizes at different times.

Yes, boa constrictors tend to brown out as they grow older, or get darker. There's very few that I've seen that kept their baby colors, or close to their baby colors. Even a Colombian BCI can have a deep, bright red tail as a baby, but 9 times out of 10 it will brown out.

My boa's tail was a rich red as a baby, but now it's more of a mahogany color. On camera, it can look a dirt brown in certain lights, but will appear redder in person. He started out as a nice tannish-silver color, but he's browned out to a pale yellowish- to silvery-tan color (his coloring varies slightly day by day and even throughout the day), although his eyes have stayed silver.

Here's a few of him as a baby, late 2011 and early 2012.

And here he is now, at 3-3.5 years old in a few different lightings.