Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do these terms mean in english? I'm new to the boa side of reptiles (and snakes in general).

Thanks

Dan Wedeking

FYI The picture is a Columbian Red Tail we received in trade from Kim Felts.

Scales - Premium Exotic Reptiles

BCI = boa constrictor imperator (commonly, the columbian red-tail boa)
BCC = boa constrictor constrictor (Surinam's, Guyana's, etc.)

If you are new to snakes in general, boas in particular (I see that you breed lizards) you may want to keep in mind that these boas require high humidity (75-80%), don't need UVB bulbs, and prefer avg. temps around 80-82F with a hotspot about 89-90F. Hot spots are best provided with some sort of undertank heat mat because of the need for humidity. Heat lamps tend to dry out things real fast. Good luck with your new boa!

There are no boas from Columbia... But there are many boas from Colombia - primarily the Boa constrictor imperator.

Mark

New at geography as well

Sorry for the typo.

I didn't want to confuse the issue too much. Most people commonly refer to the BCI as a 'columbian' boa. Sometimes too much info can be worse than a little. If he's really interested in the particulars, I know of several books he can read.

Ok...I'm fairly new as well, but that picture looks like a BCI to me, rather than a red tail. I know they they are confused often, but can someone tell me how to tell the difference? My boa, which I had finally concluded is a BCI, looks exactly like the one in the picture you are claiming to be Colombian red tail...

Actually, any Boa constrictor subspecies with a red tail can be referred to as such. However, the "true" red tails are the Boa constrictor constrictor from Surinam, Guyana, Brazil, Peru etc. They typically have blood red or deep orange, solidly colored tail saddles in comparison to the Bci's which almost always have some degree of flecking/peppering in their red tail saddles. There are other more subtle differences in patterns, head shape and size, etc., but the biggest visual difference is the tail, hence the difference between "true" red tails and "regular" or Colombian red tails. Hope that helps.

Billy

I think the pictured snake is a BCI, too.

Welcome to the wonderful world of common names. Boa constrictor imperator is found from northern Mexico to northern and western Colombia. Common names include Colombian boa, Columbian boa, Central American boa, Sonoran boa, common boa, Colombian red tailed boa, etc. Boa constrictor constrictor is found mostly through the Amazon Basin. Common names include Suriname boa, Guyanan boa, red tailed boa, "true" red tailed boa, common boa, etc.

FWIW, BCC is in southeastern Colombia, though it's so difficult to get to that few come out of there, AFAIK. If and when more come out, I confidently expect Colombian "true" red tailed boas on the market. 8-)

Paul Hollander

Ok, so there are photos of two different boas at the top of this page. Am i correct in saying that the top one on the left is a BCI and the second one on the right is a BCC?

I meant the picture in the "Newbie Question - BCI? BCC?" question posted by dwedeking. That's the snake I thought was a BCI. It's only picture I've seen in this particular thread.

Paul Hollander

I was referring to the main page of the Boa Forum. The top of the page there are two pics....

>I was referring to the main page of the Boa Forum. The top of the page there are two pics....

Now I get it. I think the one on the left is a BCI. The picture on the right is a nice shot but doesn't show enough of the snake for me to do more than guess. I'm pretty sure it isn't an Argentine, though. 8-)

Paul Hollander

Here is a picture of the girl I inherited. The previous owner abruptly had to move, and rather than getting rid of the snake that I had grown to love, I decided to take on the challenge of taking her myself. Unfortunately I have no contact with the previous owner, so I'm pretty much on my own for guessing her origins. If you can tell anything about her geographical origins from the picture, I'd appreciate it.

Nice looking BCI!

Unfortunately the first thing lost in the pet trade is the where, when, who collecting data. My understanding is that the majority of BCIs in the pet trade come out of Colombia. And from the size, it probably isn't from one of the smaller insular populations. Calling it a Colombian boa could be justified on the basis of probability. But boas are variable enough that as far as I'm concerned, claiming certainty of country of origin just from looking at the snake is as reliable as the average psychic hot line. Sorry I can't help.

Paul Hollander