Hypo BCI markings darkening..?

[bigsnakegirl785]

Originally Posted by Princess-dad

I read this and he only has 19 saddles . Counting saddles?



Well Boa constrictor constrictor (Bcc) should have 15-22 saddles.

The term "true red tail" refers to Bcc. the term was coined long ago to differentiate between Bcc and Bci. Back then Bcc were much more expensive, by saying "red-tail boa" a shop/dealer could get quite a bit more than they could for a "common" (a.k.a. Central American) boa. But there are more and more Bci and Bci x Bcc crosses that are showing up with very red tails. And if they have some high end pastel in there bloodline or a lot of higher end, really clean hypo they can have tails that rival Bcc.

Boa constrictor imperator (Bci) should have 22-30

You’ll notice that there is overlap in the saddle counts. Bci x Bcc crosses could fall in either category.

And with all the morphs and aberrancies that lessen the number of saddles it’s not as reliable of a way to tell with captive bred boas anymore. Unless your boa comes from someone who does not deal in morphs at all, and only has pure imports....

And Boa constrictor amarali will have an average of 22 saddles.
Boa constrictor longicauda should have 19-21 saddles
Boa constrictor orotoni should have 28-31
Boa constrictor occidentalis should have 29-30

source is Reptic Zone

You do not count every single back pattern when counting saddles, you only could the saddles, not the tail. Your boa actually has 15 saddles. I do not use saddle counts to determine subspecies because of the exact reasons you listed. Those sort of qualities would only be useful for herpetologists on the field, not so much for hobbyists who own snakes with mixed blood and unknown origins.

It's more about the look of the snake: head shape, coloration, sharpness of the saddles, tail coloration and pattern, etc. Your boa is undeniably BCI-influenced. It could be a mix but it's certainly not pure BCC, but it could be pure BCI. You wouldn't be able to know if it's a mutt without knowing its heritage.

Take a look at these pure BCC and compare it to your's. Look at the head shape, look at the colors, look at the saddles, look at the tail. These snakes and your's look very different. Even muddier BCC look much different.

Suriname locale


Peruvian locale


See how the Peruvian looks superficially like a BCI? But look at how dark the saddles are, and how well-outlined they are. BCC also often have those little eyelash bits you see above the eyes, and the head spear usually isn't broken, and pure BCC never have crosses on their heads. Even if their saddle pattern is lighter or faded, their saddles remain well-defined, and even darker individuals have a clean, even coloration to them.

Here's one with light saddles:


Also sorry for derailing, I will back off. Princess-dad, if you wish to discuss this further PM me or start another thread.

[SnoopySnake]

I thought when counting saddles you stop at the vent?

[Princess-dad]

SnoopySnake

Re: Hypo BCI markings darkening..?
I thought when counting saddles you stop at the vent?



This info is from Reptic Zone forum

Find where the vent is...

Then count the saddles from the head to the vent, like so..

[bigsnakegirl785]

Ah yes, I remembered the word "tail" just the wrong connotation. lol Either way, I'm very certain your snake is BCI, and a BCC/BCI mix at most.

[SnoopySnake]

Originally Posted by bigsnakegirl785

Ah yes, I remembered the word "tail" just the wrong connotation. lol Either way, I'm very certain your snake is BCI, and a BCC/BCI mix at most.

I agreeee.

[Princess-dad]

Thanks to all no matter what he is , hes sweet most of the time for a adolescent . He has never struck or bitten me , he has hissed but found out he didnt like my big fat arm coming down from above . He hooked trained easily , no more complaints .

[lady_bug87]

I agree. He's a mix. The problem is that a lot of the animals are so mixed the only way to know for sure is to know the breeding that produced it. That's why the numbers overlap because things like saddle count are polygenetic traits. If mum has 22 saddles and dad has 17 saddles the babies will have something between those numbers despite their species.

I hope that makes sense!