B.c.c

[paul_le_snake]

this is what the stoekls have to say about differentiating between the 2 main sub - species

Since the term "redtail boa" is existing, the boa c. enthusiasts distinguish Surinam- and Guyana redtail boas. But we are in doubt that it makes sense to classify these boas due to a political border._

Surinam has been a Dutch colony until 1975 and was known as Dutch Guyana. French Guyana, British Guyana and Surinam (the former Dutch Guyana) adjoin and are not separated by natural obstacles which would hinder the migration or distribution of Boa c. constrictor._

Meanwhile we have seen enough wild caught redtail boas from both of these countries to dare the assertment, that it is impossible to determine the origin of a Boa c. constrictor from Surinam or Guyana from its appearence._

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This female Boa c. constrictor looks like a Guyana redtail boa but was caught in Surinam


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The boa enthusiasts always thought, that light animals with pink flanks are from Surinam and dark boas with violett flanks are from Guyana._

But this is not true, because we already saw a load of imported redtail boas where it was opposite. Some sceptic will assert, that this is due to shipping Surinam redtails out of Guyana and vice versa in order to skirt an export stop because of exhausted export contingents._

This may surely occur (local exporters are smart guys), but we also saw a lot of wild caught redtail boas, where this can be excluded._

Therefore we think, that it makes more sence to mate a Boa c. constrictor from Surinam to a counterpart from Guyana which looks very similar instead of mating a pink Surinam redtail boa to a dark violett one also from Surinam.

Again, this is only a political border, arbitrary drawn by human beings. There is no difference in appearence like in Brazilian- or Peruvian redtails._

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Our friend Dennis Sargent, one of the most well-known breeder of true locality subspecies of Boa constrictor in the U.S. shares our opinion:
"Dear Hermann,

I have spoken with people that are in the reptile business and were born and raised in Guyana and Surinam. They have said that the many forms of Boa constrictor constrictor come from all over the area. _To point this out even more clearly, _in this years litter of 16 baby Guyana redtails, I had babies that were light and some that were dark, some with connected patterns and some with seperate saddles, some with wide saddles and some with narrow saddles. _Someone could actually look at the boas individually and think that some were Surinams and some were Guyanas.

My adults came from the same source at the same time._

(...)

Best wishes,
Dennis"



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The temporary result of the poll showed us, that there is a not insignificant part of the redtail boa enthusiasts who
would not breed a Surinam redtail boa to a Guyana redtail boa.

Although this is not our opinion, we respect this attitude and will carry on to heed this political border in our breeding projects. That means, we will carry on breeding Surinams to Surinams and Guyanas to Guyanas.

cheers
paul

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