Derek,



I will post some Nic pics for you but it takes me a little while since I have a dial-up connection. I jumped right in with Nics and found that they are easy to care for and simply amazing animals. There was an article in Reptiles Magazine about a year ago that featured dwarf boas, including Nicaraguans. I haven't found much scientific literature (although I haven’t thoroughly looked). I suppose most of the information on private websites is based on personal experiences.



One thing that fascinates me is the ability of Nicaraguan boas to change color like Hog Island boas. I think this characteristic is extremely under-rated in these boas. I’m not exactly sure what causes it…Stress? Temperatures? Humidity? Feeding? Shedding? However, I'm not sure if this applies to all Nicaraguan boas. Keep in mind that Nicaragua is a big country and has coastal environments on either side. I do not know if morphological differences exist between Nics found on one side of the country vs. the other. Also, keep in mind the extreme variation seen in boas found on Corn Island, which is off the coast of Nicaragua. My Nics seem to do well with slightly cooler temps than my Colombian boas.



My group of 04 Nics is still very small compared to most of my other boas. In terms of their size, I place them one step above my Sonoran Desert Boas and my Cay Caulker boas, which are very small. I'm not sure if that helps much but I can tell you that true Nicaraguan boas do not get very big.



Some dealers/importers sell 'Central American' boas, which may not always be true Nicaraguan boas. Just be sure to inquire about the exact origin/locale of the boas, if possible. There are few people that breed Nics and captive born babies are few and far between. Some breeders are trying to breed larger boa species and morphs into Nic bloodlines to create smaller versions of existing morphs. Plus, there are many Nicaraguan morphs that are relatively new to the boa market, making them highly valued.



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Sincerely, Jason

www.NortheastSnakes.com

NortheastSnakes@aol.com

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