Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Argentinian Rainbow Boa Epicrates cenchria alvarezi

Me and one of my female Peruvian Rainbow Boas, Epicrates cenchria gaigei. I think she was around 3 years old in this PIC.

This one is a young adult Campina Grande Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria asissi

Colombian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria maurus. She was 16 years old when this PIC was taken last year.

Brazilian Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria cenchria. I like the colors of the crescents. This is one of my breeder females. She is gravid again this year.

Isla Marajo Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria barbouri. I like the red colors and the wide dark markings and the chubby heads on this subspecies.

This one is a Guyanan Rainbow Boa, Epicrates cenchria ssp.. She was gravid in this PIC and looked especially dark. This subspecies has not been officially recognized. I suspect that it will be lumped in with asissi when the Rainbow Boas are reclassified sometime this year or next.

This pair of Surinam Redtails were courting for several months. I am not sure if the female is gravid. Wish her luck please. Okay, she could care less. How about wishing me some luck on this.
Jeff

...
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Frank Roberts
R&R Herpetological Frank Roberts & John Rodriguez
Roberts'Realm of Reptile Research

Jeff,
Can you post a full body shot of this snake? I too like the heavy markings and red color.

thsoe are all awsome pics and man that snake is huge!!!
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1.5 west papuan carpet pythons
2.3 brazillian rainbow boas
1.7 ball pythons

I have seen this pic before...but I still desperately want a pair or two.

Soon....soon....

What are the latest measurements on that beast? She is a beauty.

the ad on Kingsnake for the Ford's Boas? I've never heard of these and I'm so tempted to look into them. They look like really attractive, small snakes. Do you know anything about the species? Man, if only I had more space.

Nice pictures, you have a great collection of Epicrates.
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Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

Mike,
....I saw that ad. The one in the PIC looks prettier than the few others I have seen. Very tempting. Ford's Boas are from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. They are apparently not real common because the import numbers are very small compared to the larger Haitian Boa. Maximum size is around a meter. Babies are especially small. I would guess that they would need small lizards as first meals and might be difficult like some other insular Epicrates to switch to rodents.
Jeff

>>the ad on Kingsnake for the Ford's Boas? I've never heard of these and I'm so tempted to look into them. They look like really attractive, small snakes. Do you know anything about the species? Man, if only I had more space.
>>
>>Nice pictures, you have a great collection of Epicrates.
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>>Mike Lockwood
>>www.tooscaley.com

Thank you for inviting me over Jeff.
I am the one with the Ford's boas advertised on Kingsnake. The picture in the ad is the only pic I have right now. That is one of the female. The male looks the same but smaller. He is a squirmy one and taking pics is almost impossible.
I attempted to breed them this past winter by cooling them down and then warming them back up just a bit during the day. I never saw copulation, but that is not to say that she could not be gravid. But, I doubt it.
I was working with these, Haitians, and Berry Island boas. My Berry Island female is currently showing all the signs of being gravid. So I have my fingers crossed.

The only reason they are up for sale is that I am having to move out due to a separation from my wife. Not her fault, but mine, as I was too wrapped up in my snakes.

Don't let it happen to you guys!!

I will try to answer any other questions you have regarding these snakes.
Thanks,
Michael Pennell

Well, upon closer inspection, she does appear gravid!

Thanks for coming. I would like to know more about them.

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When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.

the guy who is selling them is a friend of mine. they are cool little snakes. ive seen em.
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1.5 west papuan carpet pythons
2.3 brazillian rainbow boas
1.7 ball pythons

Jeff, you have an awesome collection!
John
BTW, my female alvarezi that dropped the slugs is doing great..fat and sassy. She ate twice since then.

John,
...Glad to hear she is okay. There is always next year to try again.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>Jeff, you have an awesome collection!
>>John
>>BTW, my female alvarezi that dropped the slugs is doing great..fat and sassy. She ate twice since then.

It's great to see all those ssp at one time. Makes me want more, but then again I always want more

Thanks for sharing those great pics!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling
website

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
10.22 BRB
10.14 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

___

signature file edited, contact an admin. 6/12/06

Awesome stuff Jeff.

I'm not that into Epicrates anymore, but I used to be. 20 years ago, when I was into them there was no hope of ever seeing any of those awesome ssp. You could get maurus for $50 a baby and cenchria were $400. The other ssp were simply non-available. I had dreams of seeing a crassus or gaigaie one day, and those other ssp were just names in Peters' book.

There were others species of Epicrates in the market, however. Many of those species are now impossible to find.

Haitian Boas (E. striatus striatus) were a dime a dozen and dying in petstores everywhere. Many herplists (the Shed in particular) regularly offered wild caught Vine Boas (E. gracilis), Ford's Boas (E. fordi), Caicos Island Boas (E. chrysogaster), and E. exsul. Some of them were pretty cheap ($50-75), but I never had the money to spend on stuff like that. I figured I could try breeding these species at a later date. I guess I was wrong about that!

I did shell out $200 for a baby boa from a new exporting country that was produced really stunning snakes. The exporter had only seen a few and said they were gorgeous and worth the money. Prior to that, I had never seen/heard of boas out of this country. The country was Suriname. Now they are everywhere and you can't find a E. gracilis to save your life.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Chris,
...When I got my first Rainbow, a Colombian in 1969 there were some Brazilians and Argentinians in US zoos and collections but I knew nothing at all about other subspecies. I did not see any of the other subspecies except the Guyanans until the last 15 years. That $400 price for Brazilians held pretty steady into the early 90s. In 1991 the going price for CB babies was $375. The importers had WC ones for the same price on their price lists. I did not like the color of the CB babies and so bought WC ones instead. After I had bought some the importers did start selling to me for less than that price. I saw Haitian Boas and Vine Boas at low prices in the market starting in the 80s. The ones that went to pet stores were in really sorry shape and combined with their sour personalities they got the snakes a really bad reputation. All the others of the few Epicrates species I saw were expensive. I did see a few Surinam Redtails back in the 60s. They had a reputation for being much harder to keep than Colombian Boas.
Jeff

>>Awesome stuff Jeff.
>>
>>I'm not that into Epicrates anymore, but I used to be. 20 years ago, when I was into them there was no hope of ever seeing any of those awesome ssp. You could get maurus for $50 a baby and cenchria were $400. The other ssp were simply non-available. I had dreams of seeing a crassus or gaigaie one day, and those other ssp were just names in Peters' book.
>>
>>There were others species of Epicrates in the market, however. Many of those species are now impossible to find.
>>
>>Haitian Boas (E. striatus striatus) were a dime a dozen and dying in petstores everywhere. Many herplists (the Shed in particular) regularly offered wild caught Vine Boas (E. gracilis), Ford's Boas (E. fordi), Caicos Island Boas (E. chrysogaster), and E. exsul. Some of them were pretty cheap ($50-75), but I never had the money to spend on stuff like that. I figured I could try breeding these species at a later date. I guess I was wrong about that!
>>
>>I did shell out $200 for a baby boa from a new exporting country that was produced really stunning snakes. The exporter had only seen a few and said they were gorgeous and worth the money. Prior to that, I had never seen/heard of boas out of this country. The country was Suriname. Now they are everywhere and you can't find a E. gracilis to save your life.
>>-----
>>Chris Harrison
>>San Antonio, Texas

Stunning animlas! That gaigei is immense.

How do your barbouri compare size wise to E.c. cenchria? I don't have got any cenchria but my barbouri seem slightly smaller than most of the brbs posted here and other peoples adults I've seen.

Any further news on the reclassification of the rainbows. Have you heard anything from the Institute of Butantan (spelling?).

Bobster,
....My barbouri are about the same size as Brazilians. I have heard nothing new about the reclassification. I do have a range map for all the proposed subspecies that I was asked to keep to myself. At that time they were talking about coming out with everything in may so I guess I will email and see.
Jeff

>>Stunning animlas! That gaigei is immense.
>>
>>How do your barbouri compare size wise to E.c. cenchria? I don't have got any cenchria but my barbouri seem slightly smaller than most of the brbs posted here and other peoples adults I've seen.
>>
>>Any further news on the reclassification of the rainbows. Have you heard anything from the Institute of Butantan (spelling?).

Any interesting tid bits you'd care to divulge as to how many subspecies have been proposed?

Thanks
B