Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi,
I was speaking to someone last night that mentioned they cross Peruvian Red Tail Boa's with Columbian Red Tails. The reason given was that Pure Peruvian Red Tails can have a bit of a temperament problem and that by crossing the species, the baby hybrids produced over all had a better disposition. Are Peruvian Red Tails generally more temperamental then other species of Red Tail? Has anyone experience Peruvian Red Tails to be more temperamental, aggressive and otherwise hard to tame than say a Columbian?
Thanks Steve

I can tell you now that what that breeder said was; " a crock of bull. " Aggression is an individual trait that can occur in ANY locality of boa. I have adult imports that are baby tame and I have captive born adults that are mean and visa-versa. I kept peruvians for many years and at one time had some real MONSTERS and only two out of 17 bloodlines were aggressive and they were males.Do not fall into that kind of false info and for the record; " The most aggressive boa I have ever seen besides a guyana female that I have now, was a full blooded columbian boa and they were both meaner than the fourteenth level of hell. I still have the female guyana and it is " nightmare on elm street " when I have to clean her cage.......Johnson Herp

Thanks
I had a feeling that be the answer.
It struck me odd.
My reptile BS meter is always on. ...lol
Today I had this guy tell me, well you can stunt a snakes growth if you don't feed it correctly but its sort a cruel..
I'm thinking man..than why even say it!
His info was really bad and what he didn't know he made up.....sort of like bad politics but at at animals expense.
Some people should stick to keeping sea monkeys only...lol
Anyone else have experience with Peruvian Red Tails?

If you really think about it, what are there more of - Colombians or Peruvians in captivity?
Which is discussed more? Which has been bred more? Which are somewhat easier to keep or breed?

If you ask me, all of this has been done much much more with Colombian 'redtail' boas. What that means is simply that Colombians have become a bit more domesticated through the years of working with them.

Because of this, Colombians, for the most part IN MY EXPERIENCE, are a little 'calmer' or less stressed in captivity, in a box with a human 'monster' staring at it...lol
Peruvians , again to ME, are a bit more aware, anxious, and/or nervous, if you will, since they haven't gone through as much domestication through the years!
It completely makes sense, it's logically valid - although it doesn't mean it is physically true in all examples.

The dog was domesticated over thousands of years from a wolf.

The house dog will take a baby pulling it's tail and slapping it's face, and simply cry and walk away.

(we're not talking specifically about wild caughts, so let's avoid the wild wolf)

now take for instance all those wolf/dog hybrids out there...

I have a friend who owns a farm with HUNDREDS of animals living there. Her pet wolf hybrid (was only about 26% wolf) nearly killed her one day. Tore her face and arms apart.

They just have more of that wild, instinctive nature left in them, instead of more of the relaxed, calm and controlled 'home life'..

One mind sees everything coming at it as someone or something that can help it, pet it and/or feed it.
The other mind sees ANYTHING as a threat and a challenge.

See what I mean?

Hope this helps...

Thanks and take care - Joe
-----
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin
Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo